The Smith & Wesson Performance Center turns out some great shooting revolvers. I’ve had the chance to shoot a few Performance Center guns, and I’ve been impressed by them. Smith & Wesson recently announced the Performance Center is now turning out two new guns: the 686 and 686 Plus.

Considered by some to be the perfect example of a combat revolver, the Model 686 is a heavy duty, double action wheel gun chambered for the .357 Magnum. The standard 686 holds six rounds in the cylinder while the Plus model adds one more for a total of seven.

These guns are a deviation from the standard combat revolvers with a number of features that might catch the attention of sport shooters looking for an edge in a revolver competition. Among the enhancements:

• oversized thumbpiece designed by the Performance Center to help speed up reloads
• tall orange front sight that can be swapped out
• tuned action
• unfluted cylinder
• vented ribbed barrel
• chromed trigger with stop
• custom teardrop shaped hammer that has been chromed

The Performance Center 686 has a 4″ barrel while the Plus model has a 5″ barrel. Even with the longer barrel, the Plus gun is only 0.5 ounces heavier: 37.9 oz vs 38.4 oz. Both guns carry the same suggested retail price: $966. That price is within reach of many people looking for an easy way to get started in revolver competitions. The guns have a limited lifetime warranty and service policy.

This is not the first Performance Center 686 that has been introduced by Smith & Wesson. For example, the team released a 2.5″ carry model for 2014.