I've been wanting one of these for several weeks, but I'm trying to figure out exactly what role it would play? Was this gun designed for concealed carry? Home defense? Simply for shooting at the range?

Those of you who own this gun, what do you use it for?

Thanks!

Well for those of us that do not hate comps, we use then for all of the aboveComps are not for everybody

I admit that my L-Comp is used more at the range than for carry purposes, but I own many carry guns to choose from.
Some of them are not even ported

Among my favorites are my Mag-Na-Ported Model 66 and my F-comp
Today I am carrying one of my Performance Center 940 Specials. This is a ported revolver that goes well in my front pocketThis gives me the performance of a 357 Magnum with the convenience of a moon clipped 9MM

Some folks dislike porting because they do not feel a reduction is the firearm's recoil. They went in with a misconception of what porting is there to achieve. Handgun porting is intended to reduce muzzle rise, not reduce recoil. When using full power ammunition it achieves it's goal admirably.

Then there are folks that are not impressed with how much the muzzle rise is reduced. I have often found that many of these folks were using reduced loads, target ammunition or 38 specials when they developed this belief and they would be correct. Full power ammunition will exhibit the greatest reduction in muzzle rise

Then there will be the crowd that stands by the theory you will be blinded by the muzzle flash. Well if that were even close to being true, you would be blinded by the flash from the barrel/cylinder gap of any revolver. After all the gas pressure is MUCH higher at the B/C gap than at the muzzle end of the revolver

I use mine at range because it’s fun to shoot. But it could be a carry gun.
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I suspect the real reason is because it’s cool.

I’ve wanted one for quite some time, just have never found one when I had the resources.

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Guns + Dogs= Bliss

I bought mine since I love revolvers. This is probably one of my favorite SW along with my 327 Pugnose. I still haven't shot my 586 L Comp yet.


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I like the idea of a 7-shot, 3" bbl, 586 for a concealed carry weapon. They look attractive too...but I could do without the porting. TBH the positioning of the front sight looks so "off" to my eyes, that I will not buy one.

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Smith. And Wesson. And Me!

I am a big fan of ported guns. I have quite a few. I do not have any of the issues that people complain about ( most of them have never owned one). The guns are fun to shoot for me. That's what I'm after.

I think colt saa’s analysis is right on.
I shot my ported Smith last week at the range and was really impressed with the lack of muzzle rise especially in comparison to other nonported revolvers I was shooting with the same ammunition. This allowed me to stay on target much better than nonported guns.
Here’s a picture of my ported 66-6 revolver. I think this gun is good for all the uses you asked about, concealed carry, home defense, and range use.

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Accuracy supercedes Speed

The 586 L-Comp is a strange beast, but a pretty interesting one. I have one of the 200 made in 2000 (no lock), SN CLC01XX.

It has a superb SA trigger, as you'd expect from the PC shop. But that may be lost, somewhat, in that it really has only a 2 1/2 inch barrel. The last 1/2 inch that you see is not a rifled barrel; it is just a slightly larger chamber at the end of the barrel that offers a space for the port.

And the location of the sight, required because the port is large and oriented straight up, shortens the sight radius of the 586 L-Comp.

The port. Ah, you either like them or not. To me, the muzzle lift is lessened a bit, but miraculous results are not perceived. I sometimes wonder if the same effect could be achieved with magna-porting® which in this case would give the 586 L-Comp an extra 1/2 inch of rifled barrel and 1/2 more of sight radius.

All that quibbling aside, the 586 L-Comp is a great package, shoots like a dream, and just works.

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S&W Rover

Smith&Wesson calls these Power Ports.. Much more efficient and better

design than Crude magnaporting... l have a 642PC hammerless that is a

constant companion. Also a 629 Power Port is a favourite too. Unlike magnaport,

you cant duplicate a Power Port in your garage using that $129 Harbor Freight drill press

I would like to see chronograph results from two identical length barrels...ported vs. non. Maybe a 586 L-Comp versus a 3" 686.
Short barrels are known for velocity loss....especially with .357 magnum...and I wonder if the porting just shaves off a few more fps. I mean, we already have gases venting out from the cylinder gap

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Smith. And Wesson. And Me!

following up on Colt ssa comments.........

I got a 3" 65 magna-ported back in the mid/late 80s...... it was one of the coool mods back then...... it did tend to decrease muzzle rise with "full power" .357s...... but I found myself shooting and carrying +P .38s in that and other k-frame .357s for concealed carry/self-defense. Favoring the faster double tap of 2 .38s vs one .357s; and risk of over penetration in the urban setting in which I lived. (I still have that 65)

I got a 3" 586 L-frame (not ported) in the 1990s ......(should have kept it but traded it for a PC Shorty-9)

I bought it thinking I'd conceal carry it with .357s. For me it turned into a safe queen ..... if I wanted to conceal carry a revolver I would grab either the 65 mentioned above or later a 3" 66 ..... both of which were easier to carry concealed in a Sparks Summer Specieal (IWB) ..... if I wanted a .357 for the range or hiking in Penn's Woods.... I'd grab my customized 4" round butt 686 carried OWB in (mostly) a Bianchi 111 Cyclone cross draw holster.

The 3" L frame for me was neither "fish nor fowl"..... great gun but other guns served my purposes better. So IMHO it really depends on what you want the L-comp for and what other guns you already have!!!!!!

Good Luck!

It’s really best to simply move past justifying gun purchases . If you want it, and it’s in the budget, that’s a green light.