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| 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.
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.
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
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