S&W 586

S&W 586-2 Nickel finish with Hogue Monogrip

Smith & Wesson (S&W®) introduced the original Model 586 with adjustable sights in 1981, along with several new features. It and the Model 581 (same gun but with fixed sights) were the first of S&W’s “L-Frame” guns, specifically designed to stand up to the stressful effects of shooting full-power .357 Magnum rounds. In those days the high-pressure 125-grain .357s were some of the hottest ammo available, and Smith’s offering of the time - the K-frame 357 (Model 19) - was found to be lacking in the durability department so S&W beefed up the frame, the forcing cone, and the cylinder with the new L-Frame. The guns were given a full-length barrel underlug to add weight to help counter the sharp recoil and abrupt muzzle flip of those magnum loads. The 581 and 586 immediately appealed to law enforcement (remember that this was before the era of the “wonder nines”), and they spawned the stainless-steel S&W Models 681 and 686, which were announced to the public at about the same time.

Today, S&W markets its “Classic” series of revolvers, which take the original designs of its most famous and remarkable “old-time” models and brings them up to modern metallurgical and safety standards. Of course, finding a pristine example of an original would be preferable to many of us but the difficulty of the search and, many times, the cost of such a discovery can be avoided by purchasing one of the current “Classic” offerings; especially if it’s shooting instead of nostalgia that’s the main reason for the quest. Here’s a link to the S&W web page for the 586 classic.

Link to S&W Classic Revolvers

Our 586-2 is one of the originals, finished in bright nickel, and was a trade-in at the store. The near-perfect condition of the piece caught our attention, with its finish brighter than the chrome on Elvis’ Cadillac. Then the ultra-smooth feel of the action brought on mass quantities of desire.  A quick look inside to check for any hidden “warts” indicated that it’s internals were as pristine as the external aesthetics, so the venerable old wheelie was quickly given a new home. It is a well known urban legend, after all, that shiny nickel guns are blessed with an additional thaumaturgy that mysteriously boosts accuracy and potency.

Aside from a bit of nostalgia associated with this piece, its main attraction for our group is the magnificent trigger feel and excellent balance. The action had undoubtedly been “touched by a master” (smoothed out by a decent gunsmith) somewhere along the way because production guns just don’t come directly from any manufacturer with a trigger as smooth as this one except from a “Pro Shop” (aka Custom Shop, Master Shop, etc.) and then not even many of them are this good. We still believe this gun's action was massaged by a master but reading of several internet forums reveals that the original 586 was well known for its buttery smooth action.

Even so, it’s not uncommon to find a revolver with a decent single action trigger feel and we require the S/A feel to be both extremely crisp and light on our target guns. Dressing up the right internal parts will usually give us what we’re looking for in this department if we’re dealing with a decent brand to start with (S&W, Ruger, etc.). A couple of guys in our group are truly Master gunsmiths and don’t have to spend too much time with this kind of project when we find the need. Double action trigger feel in a revolver is, however, a green horse - a horse of a different color - because there are a lot of additional parts that each have to be refinished individually and then matched to each other and the gun. It’s an entirely different game than dealing with a semi-auto because the D/A trigger activation not only cocks the hammer but also rotates the cylinder (in 5, 6, or more positions) and locks it into position for ignition.

Compared to shooting single action, D/A mode is also a very green horse, for both revolvers and pistols. Wheelies, however, present additional challenges because the trigger pull distance is generally longer, heavier, and involves the activation of more parts under pressure. If you can make a pretty small group with the hammer cocked manually before each shot, you might be surprised to find out how poorly you shoot the same gun in D/A mode. One of our group - a retired LE Officer - is very good at D/A shooting because he “cut his teeth” carrying a revolver “back in the day” and took great pride in his much-higher-than-required qualifying scores.  Even today, Dr. Double (PHD in D/A) outshoots plenty of ordinary folks sporting high grade wheelies in S/A mode and expensive custom 1911’s.

So, acquisition of the “smooth-as-butter” Nickel Smith gave the rest of us the kind of advantage we needed to stay in the game (not outperform, mind you, even if he’s having a bad day) with Dr. Double. With this “new” gun we could make the steel ring almost as many times as the good Doctor, avoiding the usual embarrassment and gaining some useful practice by not having to give up so quickly in chagrin. One day, we might talk one of our “magicians” into tackling the D/A action job on one of our other guns, but that’s another story.

The 586 is a S&W classic, like many of its offerings of that era.  The guns were so good at the time that many of them became ubiquitous among law enforcement and target shooters of the era.  That kind of reputation was built on fine design and quality control in manufacturing, which S&W handled well throughout that era. The 4” model we have balances in the hand extremely well and the sight radius is long enough to provide stability for our 20-25 yard range sessions. Combined with the light, crisp S/A trigger feel and the buttery smooth D/A pull, we ring the steel a satisfyingly high percentage of the time. Mind you, we don’t shoot full-house 357 loads all the time at these sessions because of our creaky old bones and low tolerance for joint pain, but the L-frame seems like it would certainly handle the stress it if we did.

Not surprisingly, the inherent accuracy of the gun itself is excellent.  With ammunition of known good quality  the old lady repeatedly punched very small-sized groups in our target paper. The white “bullseye” circle in the center is 1 inch and the larger blue circle is 3 inches. We performed this evaluation just to confirm our suspicions about the vintage Smith but our anticipated use for it will be mainly to perfect our D/A trigger finger protocols and for a bit of ego boost after some D/A shooting of one of the other wheelies which has more of a “herky-jerky” action.

So, Lords & Ladies, harken back with me to the days of yesteryear, when men were men, airplanes had propellers, and a good wheel gun was the shiznit. A good used 586 (686 if you prefer stainless) or one of S&W’s modern “Classic Series” replica offerings, would be an excellent addition to anyone’s stable of great shooting revolvers.

Respectfully Submitted
The Bunker Bunch
August, 2016

S&W 929

Our small group of seasoned pistoliers is fortunate to come in contact with some pretty nice firearms from time to time and even more so to be given an opportunity to shoot enough rounds through them to perform a more than cursory assessment. We were given an opportunity to wring out the Model 929 from S&W’s Performance Center® on its maiden voyage with a new owner and we stumbled all over ourselves to get our hands on it. We had to summon up all our Southern Gentleman manners to keep from slobbering all over it and to let the owner be first to pull the trigger. This is one “badass” looking wheel gun, folks.

Introduced in 2014, the Model 929-1 is an N-Frame, 9mm Luger, 8-shot, double/single action revolver featuring a stainless steel frame and titanium alloy cylinder. Other custom features, such as adjustable rear sight, trigger travel stop, removable muzzle compensator, teardrop shaped hammer, Hogue rubber finger-groove monogrip, and performance center action tuning place this gun squarely in the camp of high-end competition tools.  The 929 is ideal for revolver operators who compete in Bianchi Cup, U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA), International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), International Confederation of Revolver Enthusiasts (ICORE) and Steel Challenge. Champion shooting competitor Jerry Miculek, the most decorated revolver shooter in the world, lends his signature to the frame of the 929.

Ergonomics is more than just how the gun feels in your hand when you pick it up.  Simply checking it out at the store versus firing several boxes of ammo during a range session can (and often do) result in very different impressions about how the gun feels in the shooter’s hand. The 929’s overall combination of ergonomic factors result in a gun that is comfortable in a wide variety of hand and finger sizes. Our group of shooters is broadly diverse in size and grip preferences but, even so, none of us had a complaint in this area.  We expect that most buyers will leave the Hogue rubber Monogrip in place but aftermarket replacement to fine-tune the grip feel should be easily available. Plentiful sight radius and light, crisp trigger feel are also included to enhance the ergonomic excellence of this gun.

The layout of and type of sights fitted to the gun impact a shooter’s ability to acquire the target quickly and cleanly, especially in rapid fire situations. Weight and balance affect the ability of a shooter to position the gun correctly, hold that position for target acquisition and trigger pull, and return naturally to firing position after each shot.

Accuracy is what it’s all about with this type of gun – one that goes far beyond “good enough to disable a threat” in a defense situation.  Competition and personal satisfaction at the range dictate that any deviation from point of aim must not be caused by the gun. In the hands of a highly skilled shooter using high quality ammo, projectiles from the 929 absolutely will make “one ragged hole” in the target even at longer-than-normal distances. The reputation of the S&W Performance Center® will not suffer from this model.

So, I really wanna buy one of these beauties, but what am I gonna do with it?

Tactical/Combat – the 929 is a seriously “badass” looking gun but many tactical aficionados would argue that no revolver could claim that attribute.  After all, there’s no accessory rail for hanging on laser sights, flashlights, microwave ovens or beer coolers.  ☺ The 8-shot moon clip is seriously inferior in capacity to the 15 or 20-round magazines fitted to lots of “combat” semi-autos.  On the other hand, the seriously fine-tuned double action trigger feel makes rapid fire accuracy attainable more so than most other revolvers, the compensator makes bringing the muzzle back on target easier and quicker than most other handguns – wheelie or semi – and the moon clip ammo system makes reloading almost as fast as magazine changes in a semi-auto.

Carry/Concealed Carry – The trick to any successful carry regime is an appropriate holster.  Assuming that requirement is met, the 929 could very easily be considered a proper “open carry” gun but its overall size/length makes it a bit more difficult to conceal unless wardrobe includes a long overcoat or a shoulder rig is the preferred arrangement.  Without the concealment constraint, the 929’s 8-round capacity and relatively fast reload capability (because of the moon clip system) make it an entirely appropriate every day carry gun. Despite its stainless steel frame, the 929 doesn’t seem as heavy as it should for its size.  The titanium cylinder helps with that.

Home Defense – Most all defense experts will tell us to get a shotgun or semi-auto carbine for home defense. Where that’s not feasible or desirable, a handgun can reasonably be used as a substitute, and the 8-round onboard capacity with quick reload “moon clip” capability combine to overcome whatever perceived handicaps the revolver platform might have had. Add to that the “idiot proof” reliability of revolvers over semi-autos and the 929 becomes an excellent choice for home defense. Especially when deployed in addition to the 12-gauge already on duty.

Recreational Shooting – Lots of folks own and shoot guns that do not fall into the personal defense, hunting, or competition categories.  There is enjoyment to be gained from mastering the personal challenge of causing a projectile to hit a target very close to the point at which it was aimed.  Having the correct tools – gun, accessories, ammunition, etc. – to aid in meeting that challenge is easily enough justification for buying a high-end revolver such as the 929, and the package S&W has assembled here meets this criteria in spades. It most definitely puts bullets where the shooter points it and the silky smooth feel of the trigger - both in single and double action modes - is as good as we’ve ever felt in a gun “straight out of the box”.

Competition – Clearly, this is the firearms niche S&W designers had in their sights. (pun intended)

Any endeavor that requires mastery of some degree of skill and/or demonstration of a particular talent usually winds up in “games” that pit the skills/talent of one participant against another or of the participant against a clock or other benchmark. As this activity has grown over the years the quality of the guns used has commensurately increased and even a very small incremental improvement means a win for the shooter who gets to implement it.  The model 929 incorporates all of the desirable features in its class. For those of us who don’t posses the skill or talent of the “Champion” category, the Model 929 is way more gun than we could hope to utilize but is one helluva lot of fun to shoot nonetheless.

Conclusion - We've handled several offerings from the Smith & Wesson Performance Center ® recently and this one is among the best, even from that hallowed source. Diagnosing the cause of a miss is easy with the 929.  It could be the ammo but is most likely a “brain fart” with the shooter. It damn sure ain’t the gun.

The compensator minimizes muzzle rise, allowing the shooter to bring the front sight right back on target after each shot.  This is a huge bonus in competitions which involve timed shooting and is a very nice addition even to activities where aiming is unhurried because it allows the brain to focus on other issues. This may not seem like such a big deal but it is to some shooters, who didn't even realize it until they’d been given a chance to actually use a compensator.

If you've ever tried marksmanship with a revolver in double action from beyond seven or ten yards, you might believe the manufacturers don’t give a flip how rough the trigger feels. It’s difficult to put rounds on target when the trigger pull tries to move the muzzle all over the place or when the pull weight is so high you think an electric winch would be a handy accessory. We've had to dress up the internals on almost every one of our revolvers to get a really smooth trigger pull; even some of those that are “high end” or came from a manufacturer’s “custom shop” or “performance center”.

Such was absolutely not the case with the 929. As mentioned earlier, this gun has probably the best “out of the box” trigger feel of any gun we can remember: right up there with the S&W 627 V-Comp we reviewed in October, 2015. The 929’s trigger is absolutely a joy.

The 929 uses a “moon clip” system to load the cylinder. This system is ideal for tactical or competition because it makes ejection of spent cartridges and reloading of ammo very quick and easy when time is a factor.  The system, however, is really not necessary or maybe even desirable for range use. It’s not optional like some guns where you can load it with or without the clip. The clips supplied with the gun were a bit hard to load and unload because they gripped the ammo we were using just a bit too tightly. Another brand of ammo might well have fit the clips perfectly, as all case dimensions (the diameter of the groove at the rear) vary slightly The owner tried to modify the clips with a file and went just a hair too far, making the clip hold the cartridges imperfectly.  He bought some aftermarket clips after that and they worked better.

If the gun will be used in competition or for personal defense, keeping several clips loaded up and handy makes our minor issue irrelevant.  Loading and unloading of the clips would then be done at a time when the gun is not in use. This, after all, is the intended purpose of the system anyway. Tools for loading and unloading the clips are available in the aftermarket which make the process quick and virtually painless. We recommend these for anyone who might want to use the 929 regularly, either in competition or for casual range use.

The 929 is neither inexpensive nor the kind of gun you’ll want to leave lying around in the glove compartment of your truck. It is a thoroughbred. It probably shouldn't be your first or only revolver but if you’re ready for, and can appreciate, a bit of nirvana at the range, this is it.  If you’re a revolver competitor you probably already know about the gun and we can only say that you will not be disappointed.

Respectfully Submitted
The Bunker Bunch
August, 2016

Sig Sauer P320

Where’s the hammer?  What’s going to activate the firing pin?  This is really radical!  Since the days of the flintlock, there’s been something that falls onto a mechanism to ignite the gunpowder.

Among our group of pistoliers there is a definite prejudice toward hammer fired pistols, even in this modern age of “plastic fantastic” handguns.  We’ve been dragged, kicking and screaming, into the world of polymer framed guns, finally admitting that they work well enough and provide a means of less expensively crafting advanced ergonomics into guns that would otherwise leave lots to be desired. Even so, we still prefer wheelies or “old school” semi’s for our paper punching range work. We still believe that John Moses Browning was a more important figure in engineering legend than the Wright Brothers or Henry Ford - right up there with Willis Carrier, who invented air conditioning.

That having been said, we decided to give a close look at a striker-fired pistol about which we’ve been hearing good things lately; to see for ourselves.  If the Sig Sauer corporate propaganda is to be believed, there’s no reason for anyone to buy any other pistol than the P320.  Safety, accuracy, reliability, durability, adaptability, ergonomics, maintenance, and price all favor the Sig - or so they say.  Well … , at least some of this is true.

Safety - Considerations for deployment of a handgun to members of a law enforcement or military organization require them to be as “idiot proof” as possible. We don’t mean to imply that members of these organizations are less than stellar in the brainpower category but mass deployment of any mechanical system to a group of humans requires consideration of the possibility of error. Even though these groups of operators are exposed to an exponentially larger amount of training that John Q. Public, the incidence of “accidental” or “negligent” discharge in everyday use is high enough that the possibility of operator error needs to be engineered out of the product to the extent possible. Sig has gone to extra lengths in this area with the P320.  If you claim a discharge to be accidental instead of negligent - especially during routine maintenance - you’d better have a really good story or be able to prove a defect in the gun’s system or someone is going to call BS on you pretty quick. “The gun went off by itself” just ain’t gonna work with the 320, and you don’t have to activate the damn trigger to get the gun apart. A full explanation of the safety features is available at www.sigsauer.com

Maintenance - If you know about Sig’s P250 you already know a lot about the 320. The “modular” concept is practically identical. A simple but true phrase is: “The 320 is a striker-fired 250.” No tools are required for disassembly. This is a fairly common feature today but Sig takes the concept a big step further by allowing even the “trigger group” to be easily removed from the frame without tools or special skills. This allows all moving parts in the frame assembly to be removed for easy cleaning and the process is both quick and mentally painless.

The barrel/slide/firing block assembly is a conventional semi-auto design, allowing the barrel to be removed for easy cleaning of the removable parts.  The trigger group is a “cassette” design, with all the little pins, parts, springs, and levers contained in one assembly, which is easily removed from the grip frame for “washing” as a unit.  This allows for much more thorough cleaning than pistols in which these parts remain in place in the frame except for removal by a qualified armorer. This is unique in the industry today.

Ergonomics - The “compact” grip frame mounted on the pistol we tested fit all of our hands well enough and “really great” on a couple of them, so chances are a consumer would find the pistol on display suitable for his/her needs.  If not, each of the four pistol sizes (full, carry, compact, and subcompact) is available in variations of girth for a completely custom fit. It is even possible to buy an extra grip frame (at relatively low cost) for sharing the pistol with someone whose hand is a different size/shape because the grip frame does not contain the gun’s serial number and is, therefore, simply an accessory. This could also be handy for someone who wants a larger pistol for range/practice work and a smaller one for concealed carry.

With all these variations available, the P320 that is a perfect fit for any one consumer is available without the necessity of aftermarket ($$$) purchases. With a slide-lock lever on both sides, and the ability to reverse the magazine-release button, the P320 is ambidextrous (except for the ejection port).

The other items that affect overall ergonomic suitability have benefitted from Sig’s experience in fitting large organizations with members of various sizes and shapes, so the shape and texture of the trigger, placement of the trigger guard, sight design, trigger pull feel, etc. are well engineered for the man/machine interface.

Shooting - First impression of the 320 as we took it out for our test session was excellent ergonomics.  The one we shot was the “compact” model. Because our group consists of widely varying hand sizes and finger lengths, few guns feel entirely comfortable to all of us but this gun worked exceptionally well for everyone who participated in the tests. Not perfect, mind you, but a good enough fit for all that there was not a single complaint in the “grip fit” category.

Accuracy - This is not the kind of pistol any of us would pick to employ as a 25 or 50 yard marksmanship piece. We have “hair trigger” revolvers with much longer sight radius and highly tuned semi-autos that put very tightly grouped holes in paper. The P320 just ain’t that kind of gun. Surprisingly, however, the first few shots each of us took with it all rang the 8” steel a high percentage of times in our “get acquainted” strings of fairly rapid fire at personal defense distances. Raised eyebrows and wide smiles were the order of the day as each of us emptied our first magazine. Our subjective initial feel of the gun was collectively; “easy to shoot accurately.”

Reliability - We tried several different types of ammo at times during the session; from our own cast lead handloads to FMJ factory loads, which also varied widely in power (combination of bullet weight and muzzle velocity). Everything we fed it operated flawlessly and shot to point of aim. This was not a surprise because the design of the barrel/slide assembly is quite similar to other Sig Sauer semi-autos, differing only in the area which houses the firing pin (striker mechanism in this case). Based on our knowledge of the Sig design and extensive experience with the company’s various models, our somewhat educated prediction is that the P320 will not detract from Sig’s excellent reputation for reliability.

Conclusion - We do not favor striker-fired pistols.  None of us currently owns one, although we shoot a wide variety of them regularly enough in testing of repair or modification work done in the shop. It’s not that we actively dislike the design or find it lacking in utilitarian ways, nor would we recommend against it for other consumers. We just prefer the more conventional designs for our style of shooting. That having been said, the P320 was a bit of a pleasant revelation to us.  Our common conclusion was; “if I were going to buy a striker-fired pistol, this would be the one.

Respectfully Submitted
The Bunker Bunch
August, 2016

As usual, we solicit your constructive comments or suggestions. Thank you for your visit.