Smith & Wesson Model 586-3 357 Magnum 4” with Original Box, Holster from Shooter's Supply, LLC. near Chattanooga, TN

The Model 586 is the original L-frame standard of the Smith & Wesson medium-frame revolver line. It has been used for every purpose from self-defense to target shooting and by a great many people. Like its stainless counterpart the 686, the 586 was designed to correct then existent strength issues with its predecessor, the stainless K-frame Model 19 by using the new, slightly larger L-frame. That Smith & Wesson succeeded with the 586 can be attested to by the fact that the model has been in near continuous production since its introduction. This example has the product code 103534. It features a 4-inch barrel, blued finish, square butt frame, a ramp front sight with red insert, and a white outline rear sight. All of this information is given on the original box as “4 B SB RR WO” where the “4 B” stands for “4-inch blued”. The 586 also comes with a 0.312-inch smooth combat trigger and a 0.375-inch semi-target hammer. The revolver has been equipped with G10 laminate grips. The revolver has seen a little use given the light powder burns on the front of the cylinder. Otherwise, it is in excellent shape for its age. The bluing is in immaculate shape. The rear sight is not dinged or damaged in any way. The front sight is the early type built integral with the barrel and with a flat top. Despite the powder burns on the cylinder the bore is quite clean. Mechanically the revolver has a very light single-action pull. It would make a nice shooter. The old S&W boxes used the Julian calendar to indicate the date of production. This appears as a four-digit number under the heading “Spec. Ord.” The first digit is the last number in the year. The other three digits indicate the numbered day out of the 365 days in the year upon which the gun was produced. The number here is 8337. Since the 586-3 (sku 103534) was produced between 1987 and 1995, this indicates that the revolver here was produced on the 337^th Day of 1988 or December 2^nd, 1988. Since 1988 was a leap year, the 337^th Day was December 2^nd. Normally, December 2^nd is the 336^th day of the year. One noteworthy aspect of this beautiful firearm is that, unlike later S&W models, this one has no trigger lock. This is a desirable feature of the older S&W revolvers and the expression “pre-lock” is a common denotation of this feature. This revolver would be an excellent addition to any S&W owner’s collection. Also included is a very nice paddle holster made by Safari Land.