6-inch or 4-inch

[KTM RICK]

Dan Wesson pistol pack. Too bad they stopped making them. Love having options to choose from.

[23 Blast]

A full lug 686 is pretty muzzle heavy with a 6" barrel.

On the other hand, a 27 with a tapered barrel and half lug feels well balanced with a 6" barrel.

This.

Also, FWIW one of the best balanced revolvers I've handled was a S&W Model 1917 in .45ACP. It was an N-frame, and the barrel was a 5" tube, but it was a rather thin, lightweight profile with no lug. It sat very well in the hand and recoil was very mild, despite the skinny barrel. It was also very pointable and easy to shoot well.

I think that the full-lug 6" 686s are too muzzle heavy, and too heavy in general. I had a 6", full-lug 586 which was a beautiful gun, but which I didn't like shooting as much as my 4" 620. However, I'm just an average sized guy. If you're a big guy with big, meaty hands and forearms, than a 6" full-lug revolver might be right up your alley.

[JazzyJames]

I'd go with the 3 inch 686

[bsg]

Overall I feel like 4" provides the best balance and weight. Its still long enough to get good accuracy without feeling to front heavy.

Since half or full lug plays a difference, I also prefer half lug revolvers. Full lug revolvers really throws off the weight distribution.

^^^ this.