This .44/.357 Magnum Pair.
I’ll just say it: I’m a handgun hunter. I live it, breathe it, seek it out and engage in it whenever possible. When His Editorship assigned me to cover this duo, I balked. “But they’re target revolvers!” I muttered. But then I saw them, and immediately thought of a better use for them!
Through the years I’ve seen many handguns designed for competition. Most of these purpose-built guns were highly modified with embellishments specifically designed to enhance the intended activity. Seldom are these custom creations suitable for other applications, especially hunting. Be that as it may, these Performance Center revolvers from Smith & Wesson are fully capable of multitasking. While the Model 629 and 686 Competitors were manufactured for competition, they are great all-around revolvers, easily doing double-duty as hunting handguns.
Although they originate from their standard 686 and 629 designs, the Competitors certainly have been blessed with classy, custom touches. Both models are beefed-up versions of their counterparts. The glassbead finish is aesthetically pleasing and contrasts well with the Hogue black synthetic grip installed. Caliber designation is etched on one side of the barrel, “Competitor” on the other, without looking like a neon sign.
The front sight consists of a black patridge dovetail, easily acquired in the notch of the black target-style rear sight, which is adjustable and removable (more on that later). Their frames and cylinders are stainless steel.
The major and most noticeable difference comes in the weighted 6″ barrels. These are, in actuality, target revolvers, and target shooters often like to custom-tune the “heft” of the barrel by adding or subtracting barrel weights. S&W enables that, but turned it into a design feature at the same time.
Five weighted inserts fit inside the massive underlug and can be removed to accommodate individual needs. By removing the Allen-head screw at the end of the underlug, shooters can remove one or all of the weighted disks if needed. You can see the weights from the cutout portion in the underlug; I think it’s all handsomely done.
All machine work and details of the barrel are streamlined. The Model 629 Competitor tipped the scales a little over 57 ounces, while the original Model 629 with the same barrel length weighs in at 45 ounces. The .357 Magnum version of the Model 686 Competitor weighs 53 ounces. That is nine ounces heavier than my standard 686.