Bought this 586-7 a couple of months ago. According to the S&W catalog it was made in 2004 but searching online I read that it was made in 2006. The catalog says it had a run of 300 but doesn't specify if that was 300ea in 4" and 6" barrels or combined.I then read online that the production run might have actually been 3000.The catalog shows 2004 for s/n of CHL.Getting to the point I don't know what to believe.

It came in the blue plastic case (label matches gun) with papers and two keys that somehow are rusted.The previous owner changed the rear sight but included the original in the sale.The ring on the cylinder is negligible. No tools.

I guess my question to all is this...Is this a firearm of value and maybe shot sparingly or just treat it like any other with normal care? I'm certainly no investor in firearms but if a gun has potential value I would like to preserve it if possible.I have plenty of other firearms that I can abuse should the need arise.

Here it is...586-6 with 6"bbl

Attached Images

586-IL.jpg (94.8 KB, 247 views)

Since you have the original box, you also have the date of manufacture of your revolver.

On the end label there is a heading called Spec Ord. It has a 4 digit number printed under it. In most cases that is the date of manufacture. The first digit is the year and the next three are the calender date in Julian format.

You additionaly have the 6 digit product code (or SKU) of your revolver. That is what you want to use when trying to locate information. Not the model number and engineering revision. The SKU is configuration specific while the number, 586, is not.

It's beautiful, but I believe in shooting what I have. To me, it's not worth anything if I am not confident that I can shoot it if I need to.

The 586-7 was a special run made exclusively for Bud's Gun Shop. They made 1,000 each of the four and six inch versions. Buds sold about 300ish each and the rest were distributed to S&W Stocking Dealers. I bought mine in California NIB in 2006.

For a good while, the gun was a bit of a novelty because the 586 had been discontinued in the late 1990s. Some of that has worn off since they release the "Classic" version of the 586.... but this gun still has two things unique to it:

The first is that is has a 7-shot capacity like the 686-Plus. They did not carry this over to the current model 586, so this is only 7-shot 586 available.

Second, these guns are round butt. Very odd for a four-inch L-frame, but even weirder on your six-inch version.

I have shot mine extensively. It is a real tackdriver and so much fun to shoot. I have only ever cleaned it with FP-10, and it looks NIB despite 1000s of rounds downrange. (I am kinda meticulous about gun cleaning).

This is the only lock gun I own, but I really, really like it.

Here it is with the factory round-to-square grips that came with the gun. These grips had a nice look from afar, but in my opinion they were too plastic-like, and I thought they were low-grade for such a nice Smith. I hated shooting with them.



I've since swapped these out for some old square-butt grips that were converted to take round butt frames:



I will also sometimes put the rubber grips made for the S&W 500 on it (they fit K-round perfectly) and those really tame hot magnum loads.

This gun gets along very well with his older Model 17-6 siblings:

Thanks for the replies...It's been put next in line to shoot.I hope it's not too bad to shoot.I know I can always shoot the .38 spl in it but that's like putting ketchup on a steak.

Actually, there is also a 7 shot, 3" 586 L-comp that has been in continuous production since 2000 and is still available today. This is a Camfour distributors exclusive offering.

Absolutely nothing wrong with shooting .38 special in the 586. In fact, I can't think of a more fun combo for plinking.

Some 586-7 guns are less likely to be seen than others. This 586-7 Performance Center 6 shot revolver is one of 80 that were shipped to a Florida distributor. They were said to be left overs from an order made for the French GIGN anti-terrorist unit. My letter from S&W does not mention the GIGN order. The gun left the factory with rubber grips.

Mark

Sure...thanks a lot! Now there's another 586 I have to have...

Haven't quite made it to plinking yet...I'm still plunking!

Here's mine,

The 6-inch M586-7 was product code 163567.

The 4-inch 163568. (Product codes included to make this thread searchable).

Known s/n prefixes include CHL and CHM, and they shipped in the June - July 2004 time frame.

__________________
~ S&W aficionado in training ~

Does anyone know what company made the grips in the original post?
Bought a set without medallions at a gun show for $25.