New 586 and 27-2 at the Range

[Peak53]

My friend is a newbie at revolvers, having only shot his nephew's J magnum once. He lives in St. Louis but spends a month at his cabin next door every summer. I showed him some of my Smith collection two years ago and he became intrigued. He asked a lot of questions about frame size, relative benefits, etc. and settled on a 38/357. But, which one? Decided he liked blue and started comparing the 586 and 27. This was to be a new purchase since there was no way he was delving into the vintage market with his limited knowledge. The gun is for range fun and possibly a bedside table. He finally bought a 586 4" last spring but hadn't shot it until today. He chose well. I brought along my 27-2 for comparison. He brought along 2 boxes of .38 Special Federal 130 grain since I recommended he start with that and not a full house magnum. I did bring some handloads - 158 g. loaded to a mild 1130 fps in case he cared to try some. We both shot both guns, and both loads at steel plates (10 yards only for starters) and he did surprisingly well. Of course, the L frame and the N frame gobbled up those loads. Next time he goes to town he said he would pick up some magnums, so I guess he is hooked. Two gems.

PS: I know the M 27 predates this forum, but this is really about his new production 586

 

[boykinlp]

That’s FANTASTIC! I think you are right……he’s hooked. How did he like your 27-2? When he gets, and shoots, the .357 magnum cartridges, he will probably really notice the difference in weight of the guns.
Larry

 

[Peak53]

Well, Doug liked the 27 a lot and shot it well. He did notice the difference in weight and grip size. Weight will definitely be a factor if he brings along some full house mags. But he was understandably most interested in his own new revolver. I have a couple 586's in 4" and 6" and find them comfortable to shoot with raging magnums. His new trigger was surprisingly(?) good in both single action and double action. My 27 has not been shot that much and is still a bit stiff in double action. Single action is, well ... you know But, it's going back to the safe to see if it learns to behave better LOL! I think I'll pull out a Model 14 or 15 next time.

 

[stansdds]

For someone who is not well versed in revolver shooting, but wants to start, it's really hard to go wrong with choosing a 4-inch 586 or 686. They balance in the hand very well, still have a short enough barrel to be handy as a defensive handgun, typically have a good trigger action, and can withstand many thousands of rounds of full power magnum ammo. In my opinion, if one can have only one S&W 357 Magnum, the L-frame is the best possible choice.