Smith Wesson PC 986 9mm Revolver – Superb Seven Shot Revolver

Description

The Smith Wesson PC 986 9mm Revolver is an unusual thing: a revolver chambered for the cartridge almost everyone shoots in a semi-automatic. Seven rounds of 9mm on the L-frame, a titanium cylinder to keep the weight down, a two and a half inch barrel and adjustable sights, built by the Performance Center with the hand fitting that implies. The appeal is straightforward. If your practice ammunition is already 9mm, this lets you shoot a revolver without buying a second kind of cartridge, and moon clips make reloads genuinely fast rather than merely possible.

Smith Wesson PC 986 9mm Revolver Cartridge Choice, Moon Clips And Cylinder

Chambering a revolver in 9mm makes more sense than it first appears. It is the cheapest and most widely stocked centerfire cartridge there is, which means the Smith Wesson PC 986 9mm Revolver costs a fraction as much to practice with as a 357 Magnum revolver. For anyone who shoots regularly rather than occasionally, that difference adds up quickly across a year.

Moon clips are required rather than optional on the Smith Wesson PC 986 9mm Revolver, because 9mm is a rimless cartridge with nothing for the extractor to grab. That requirement turns into an advantage: all seven rounds load and eject at once, which makes revolver reloads far faster than the round-at-a-time fumbling a rimmed cartridge allows. Competition shooters have understood this for a long time.

The titanium cylinder keeps the weight sensible for an L-frame revolver and reduces the rotating mass, which lightens the double action pull slightly as a side effect.

Adjustable sights and Performance Center action work make it far more shootable than the two and a half inch barrel suggests.

Smith Wesson PC 986 9mm Revolver Moon Clip Realities And Honest Limits

Moon clips are the thing to understand before buying the Smith Wesson PC 986 9mm Revolver. You cannot load it without them, they are consumable, and they bend if dropped on concrete or pried at carelessly. A bent clip will bind the cylinder and stop the gun. Buy a good supply, inspect them before you rely on one, and get a demooning tool unless you enjoy fighting with brass.

Nine millimeter from the Smith Wesson PC 986 9mm Revolver barrel loses a little velocity compared with a semi-automatic of similar barrel length, because a revolver bleeds gas at the cylinder gap. It is a small difference and it does not change what the cartridge does, but it is real.

The titanium cylinder on the Smith Wesson PC 986 9mm Revolver wants gentle cleaning. Abrasive compounds and aggressive brushing can damage the chamber finish, so use solvent and a nylon or bronze brush and read the manual before the first cleaning.

Seven rounds is respectable for a revolver and modest against a 9mm semi-automatic of the same size, which will hold twice as many.

Smith Wesson PC 986 9mm Revolver Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 10227
• UPC: 022188868036
• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Capacity: 7 rounds
• Barrel: 2.5 inches
• Frame: stainless steel L-frame
• Cylinder: titanium, moon clips required
• Build: Smith Wesson Performance Center
• Sights: adjustable rear
• Action: double action and single action

Buyers looking at the Smith Wesson Model 986 are usually solving a practical problem rather than chasing a specification. As a 9mm Revolver Moon Clips make reloads genuinely quick and let you feed it the cheapest centerfire ammunition on the shelf. As a Titanium Cylinder Revolver it keeps the weight reasonable for an L-frame. The trade is that the clips are not optional and they need looking after.

Why Buyers Choose The Smith Wesson PC 986 9mm Revolver

Buy the Smith Wesson PC 986 9mm Revolver if you like revolvers but not the cost of feeding a magnum, or if you already stock 9mm for a semi-automatic and want a wheelgun that shares it. Fast moon clip reloads, adjustable sights, a hand fitted Performance Center action and a titanium cylinder make it a genuinely capable revolver rather than a curiosity.

Skip it if the idea of depending on moon clips bothers you, because there is no way around them here. Skip it if capacity is your priority, since a 9mm semi-automatic of the same size holds far more. And skip it if you want a revolver you can load from a box of loose rounds in a hurry.

Who Should Buy The Smith Wesson PC 986 9mm Revolver

This revolver suits competition shooters in revolver divisions, high volume practice shooters who want revolver handling at 9mm prices, and anyone who already stocks 9mm and wants a wheelgun that shares the ammunition. It is a poor fit for shooters who dislike moon clips, for those who want maximum capacity, and for anyone wanting the simplest possible loading process. All firearm sales ship to a licensed FFL dealer for transfer, and handgun and carry rules vary by state, so confirm your local law before ordering.

Learn more about this revolver from the manufacturer, or see more firearms available at MAG5 Firearms.