In partnership with Lipsey's, Smith & Wesson recently re-introduced two of its classic Night Guard revolvers, the Models 386 and 396, which are chambered for the .357 Magnum and .44 Special, respectively. We had a chance to take a closer look at the Model 386 in our latest "Gun of the Week" episode above.
"It is, if you will, kind of the apex of the fighting revolver," American Rifleman Executive Editor Jay Grazio said. "It's got a 3-inch barrel. It's .357 Magnum, which, as you may or may not know, will also fire .38 Special, and it is a seven-shot cylinder."
The first iteration of the Smith & Wesson Night Guard series of guns was launched around 2008, as the company aimed to provide a medium-frame revolver that was lightweight and still had more capacity over traditional models.
"It's a slight improvement over Smith & Wesson Model 13, which was the last revolver issued to the FBI in the late 1980s," Grazio said. "And that was always considered kind of the the pinnacle of the fighting revolver. The 3-inch barrel allows a full-length ejector rod for getting rid of your empty cases, but it's much more concealable, and you don't really lose a ton of velocity over a 4-inch barrel."
To save weight, Smith & Wesson built its Model 386 with a scandium-alloy frame, while the seven-round cylinder is constructed of steel and given a PVD protective coating.
"Because of the lightweight construction, it's 24 ounces, which for a medium frame, it's an L-frame, medium-frame revolver, is super, super light," Grazio said. "It's just about the same weight as a Glock G19, so it's lightweight, easy to carry, not terrible to shoot. Full power. 357 Magnums are going to be a handful, but even .38 Special +Ps are going to be quite controllable."
For more information on the Smith & Wesson Model 386 Night Guard, read our full review here.
