586-7 French Police?

R. G. Amos · Aug 26, 2009

I have a Performance Center 586-7 that I purchased NIB in Nov '02. The revolver came in a PC aluminum case and has a black coating, 4-in ported barrel, 6-shot cylinder, night sights, and "Performance Center" stamped on the right side of the barrel. The serial number is BCH 00XX. The dealer told me this was from an overrun made for the French Police, I believe GIGN. I think the dealer was incorrect. I believe the French guns were made earlier. Does anyone have any knowledge of this?

I believe the similar Lew Horton revolver had a ported 3-in ported barrel and a 7-shot cylinder.

BubbaBlades · Aug 27, 2009

When I bought my PC 586-7, I was told a similar story concerning the French GIGN. I ordered and received a letter from Roy Jinks and learned that there were 80 guns produced in 2002 as a "Special RSR Edition" in the serial number range of BCH0001 - BCH0080. The the four inch barrel, oval porting and black finish were detailed, however, there was no mention of GIGN or French police.
I hope that this information is useful to you.
Mark

panamajack310 · Aug 27, 2009

Hi, The GIGN 586 was a 586-4. The 586-7 with the 4"barrel an porting was produced as a reintroduction special for Lew Horton.

R. G. Amos · Aug 27, 2009

Thanks very much for the input. I vaguely remember reading in the Catalog of S&W that the GIGN was a -4, but I could not reconcile the dealer's tale with the -7 number. I bought mine NIB for about $800 and later noticed there were several here in Houston priced at about $750. Does anyone have a rough estimate for the current value. I do not plan to sell the gun but am curious as to how it compares to the 3-in barrel version sold by Lew Horton.

panamajack310 · Aug 28, 2009

Personally I would be looking for a pre lock pre MIM 586 on gunbroker.com or on the forum...If you do not mind the lock. I would personally go with the 586L comp with the trijicon front sight.

Chop · Aug 28, 2009

Sounds like a interesting 586. I don't think I have ever seen one. Does it have the oval port in front of the sight or the mag-n-port cuts? Is it round butt? Any pictures?

SmithNut · Aug 28, 2009

M586 gign

I'm kinda confused in reading all the responses here. The M586-7 GIGN guns were shipped to RSR, not Lew Horton. When these guns came out, the RSR rep I talked to indicated that there were 150 made, of which 75 shipped to France and the balance to distribution (RSR initially). I cannot confirm that 100%, but it seems to be the prevailing story around this model.
These guns have a 4.25" barrel, 6 shot cylinder and the matte blue finish, with a front night sight. A factory letter would probably not indicate the GIGN aspect if the gun shipped directly to RSR, but I have seen one collector's example with the GIGN logo on the sideplate, so I'm sure the over-run aspect is correct.
I can't tell you about the -4 models, never heard of any before this thread.

The 3" gun mentioned is probably the L-Comp, they have a similar finish and use the same Powerport style of comp, but are 7 shot guns that were shipped with Altamont grips. Other than the similarity in finish, they are not the same model. The L-Comp was originally made for Camfour, not Lew Horton, although later models may have been shipped to LH.

Here's a pic of the M586 GIGN over-run guns and a product flyer for the L-Comp made for Camfour.

Cyrano · Aug 28, 2009

Now I'm confused. Were the GIGN guns 586-4s or 586-7s, or both? Does anyone know the approximate date of manufacture, quantity and serial number ranges for any 586-4s or 586-7s furnished the GIGN? And for this comparitive newbie, what is the RSR?

GIGN, incidentally, stands for Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale, or National Police SWAT team. Other French agencies have their own groupes d'intervention but the Gendarmerie Nationale's is the biggest and best known.

Now, the Gendarmerie (comes under the Ministry of Defense) and all the other agencies that have armed members (come under the Ministry of the Interior) like the Customs, etc, carry SIG P2022s.

Yellowstone · Aug 28, 2009

Chop said:
Sounds like a interesting 586. I don't think I have ever seen one. Does it have the oval port in front of the sight or the mag-n-port cuts? Is it round butt? Any pictures?

Yes, pictures so we can compare to those just provided by SmithNut!

SmithNut · Aug 28, 2009

Cyrano said:
Now I'm confused. Were the GIGN guns 586-4s or 586-7s, or both? Does anyone know the approximate date of manufacture, quantity and serial number ranges for any 586-4s or 586-7s furnished the GIGN? And for this comparitive newbie, what is the RSR?

GIGN, incidentally, stands for Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale, or National Police SWAT team. Other French agencies have their own groupes d'intervention but the Gendarmerie Nationale's is the biggest and best known.

Cyrano,
RSR is a distributor, just like Lew Horton, Camfour, etc. The guns (M586-7) above were shipped to them. Both of my examples are in the "BCH" serial number sequence.
In looking at the SCS&W, the reference to the -4 units is with respect to 4 revolvers made initially for the GIGN, obviously as early samples. I cannot tell you anything between the time that these 4 units were made and the production run of 150 that I referred to above, but apparently it was long enough to see a couple engineering changes pass by. The description in the PC section from the SCS&W is interesting, but the reference to Camfour as the distributor, is IMO, incorrect, these were shipped via RSR.

R. G. Amos · Aug 28, 2009

SmithNut:
My -7 looks like those you have pictured with the exception that mine has Hogue, or similar, grips and has some type of black coating. The CC hammer and trigger are distinctive.

tekarra · Aug 28, 2009

SmithNut,

That is a fine looking pair of revolvers!

Grandpapa · Aug 29, 2009

Here's a couple of pics of mine...never fired

Cyrano · Aug 29, 2009

Thanks, Smithnut, for the explanation.

Leroy Thompson · Sep 1, 2009

The last time I talked with friends in GIGN I asked them about the S&W 586s. One of my contacts told me that he THOUGHT the S&W order/prototypes came about when Manurhin stopped making revolvers and GIGN was looking for a replacement. GIGN operators were issued a 5.25 inch and a 3 inch Manurhin, the latter for clsoe protection assignments, undercover work, or off duty. He thought that the 3" guns might have been made up as prototypes, too, in case GIGN wanted to order a 5" and 3" to continue issuing two guns. Possibly a 4" was determined acceptable for all tasks. He was on overseas assignment at the time I talked with him so he could not go into the armorers and check. Leroy

NE450No2 · Sep 1, 2009

From what I have been able to "gather" the GIGN is the only SWAT/Hostage Rescue type team to issue its members both a semiauto, and a revolver.

As I understand it, their theory is, the revolver is used when a team member is involved in CCQB [Contact Close Quarter Battle], ie a Hostage rescue where you are "grappling" with the "badguy", who has surrounded himself with "goodguys", and the team member may have to fire his handgun in an environment where the slide of a semiauto might not be able to function.

IMHO it is a very good solution to a real problem.

I commend them for their tactical awareness.

I tried to get my Team to consider this option, but it fell on deaf ears.

I am a 1911 kind of guy....
But.
This is one reason that I feel that a revolver is probably best for most concealed carry, as usually IF you need to shoot, the person you shoot may well be "touching" you.

A semiauto will malfunction if the slide is not permitted to work "unfettered".

SW357Addict · Sep 1, 2009

That is a beautiful work of art S&W.

AKAOV1MAN · Sep 2, 2009

NO2 is spot on with the French theory about using the revolver in close contact situations. With all our disdain for our froggy friends lately, I have at times worked closely with their police and earlier with some French troops. The French Police whether from the Interior Ministry or Defense Ministry are no one to fool with, they are professional and tough, and they are not too concerned with "individual rights" as we are. In 1962 I worked with French Foreign Legion troops. If I had to make a list of all the folks that I did not want pissed at me, they would be very near the top. They treat handguns as a badge of office for offficers and noncoms, and not as a real weapon. But they are rfilemen! They can shoot, and fast and accurately, and they treat their rifles as if they were U.S. Marines preparing for weapons inspection.
BTW, if I were going to be in a close contact situation with possible hostages, I would use a revolver too-now I remember-I do use a revolver, a 940 to be exact. No chance of a hammer catching on something, or the weapon being tied up somehow, just 5 fast bangs, no matter what. Good idea Frenchmen.

18DAI · Sep 2, 2009

Beautiful revolver. Anyone know why the GIGN did not go with a 7-shot cylinder, ala L-comp? Regards 18DAI.

586-7 French Police?

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