"It's not so much the reload I’m worried about. It's the extraction," Brownells Gun Tech™ Steve Ostrem says about converting his 2½" barreled Smith & Wesson Model 686 revolver to use moon clips. The 686 is the stainless steel version of the S&W Model 586 .357 Magnum L-frame revolver introduced in the 1980s. Steve's gun is about as compact as a SEVEN-shot L-frame can be - so it's actually a 686 Plus - because it's meant for concealed carry. An older 686-4, this gun has the old-style hammer with a hammer nose firing pin, rather than the current flat-faced hammer and internal firing pin. A stud retains the cylinder when ejecting spent cases; current 686s have a rib machined into the frame. The only modifications Steve has performed are the customary action job AND cutting the cylinder to accept moon clips. He tells us WHY using moon clips on a 2½" Model 686 is a good idea. A 7-shot snubbie is an excellent "three-season" carry revolver, though it may be a mite big to conceal under your summertime civvies. That's what your J-frame or K-frame Smith is for!
