My range just received and S&W 986 357mag with 2 1/2" barrel. You MUST use a moonclip or the unspent rounds bury themselves deep in the cylinder...out of reach of the firing pin. Tapping them back out of the cylinder was annoying. Applying the moon clip was easy. Frankly, the frame felt big and uncomfortable with the wood grips. I've put 20,000 rounds through a 4" 686+ with Hogue Monogrips...I like that very much. The 986 won't be coming home with me. For 9mm, I much prefer the S&W M&P 2.0 9mm topped with AmeriGlo Pro sights. My shooting buddies recommend finishing the M&P with the Apex trigger upgrade (aluminum hardware).