Don’t be. Send an email to S&W and let them put your mind at ease. These guns are made like a tank.
J-frames aren’t target guns. And that’s not meant to take anything away from them, we all have them. We just don’t shoot matches with them. They are belly guns. If you are going to carry it, use some quality HP’s and practice point instinct shooting. (Shooting without using your sights)
A 586 is a very good competition gun. You just adjust its sights to where your rounds are hitting. If you carry it, you probably won’t carry it for long. It was my duty weapon and PPC weapon when I was a cop many years ago. But it weighs 44 oz’s loaded with 6 rounds. My M&P 2.0 Compact weighs 38 oz’s loaded with 15 rounds of .40S&W Federal HST’s. My revolvers are my favorite range toys and remind me of the good ole days. But my carry guns are modern M&P’s in 40S&W.
With the three inch model 60, I was giving demonstrations on shooting gallon jugs at 100 yards. The three inch will do that, I cannot do that with the 2 inch.
The short sight radius is a killer. I however now have 4 SW wheel guns with Crimson Trace grip lasers on them, solves the problem for everybody, especially old eyes. Your groups at distance shrink about 90%.
CT grip lasers never fail, the batteries start to go after a few years, but you can still use them, just change them when that happens. Batteries on laser grips usually last for years anyway, I have one model 637 that has never had the battery changed in 4-5 years, amazing, and the 2032 batteries only cost $1.
Generally I just put the laser grips on guns that I might need in a hurry, like home invasion, or for carry in the bear woods where I camp a lot. But truly they are about the best training device you can find. I used them to teach my CCW students, the see the wobble factor and learn to hold the gun steady.
Does not make the J frame a competition gun, but does solve real world problems, and today the laser are fail proof. Not cheap, but personal safety is worth the extra.
On semi autos, I use the under rail type that come on and off with a push of a button by the trigger finger or any other finger on the left side of the gun. Unless I need the laser, I never turn it on, just always there when you need it. On the M and Ps, 22 mag and 5.7 x 28, I use the green lasers, they actually work at distance in daylight and in dim light you can see them hundreds of yards, not that you would shoot that far, just observing the technology.
