Smith Wesson 586 Classic 357 Magnum – Superb Blued Revolver

Description

The Smith Wesson 586 Classic 357 Magnum is the blued L-frame. Where the 686 is the stainless version everyone knows, the 586 is the same revolver in traditional blued carbon steel with wood grips, and for a great many shooters that is the one worth having.

Smith Wesson 586 Classic 357 Magnum Why the L-Frame Exists

Smith and Wesson introduced the L-frame specifically because the K-frame was not quite robust enough for a steady diet of full-power 357 Magnum. The L-frame added metal exactly where it was needed, particularly around the forcing cone, and the result is a revolver shooters can put tens of thousands of magnum rounds through without the erosion that plagued lighter frames.

That makes the Smith Wesson 586 Classic 357 Magnum the correct choice if you intend to actually shoot magnums rather than merely carry them. It is not much larger than a K-frame and it is meaningfully stronger where strength matters.

The four inch barrel is arguably the most useful length ever put on a 357. Long enough for the cartridge to reach proper velocity and for a genuinely usable sight radius, short enough to carry on a belt without being unwieldy.

Finish, Grips and Sights

The barrel and frame are blued carbon steel. Bluing is a traditional finish rather than a modern coating: it looks right on a revolver of this design, it develops character with use, and it requires more care against corrosion than stainless does. That trade is the entire reason to choose a 586 over a 686.

Grips are checkered wood. Grip shape matters more on a revolver than on almost any other handgun, because the way the gun rolls under recoil is determined almost entirely by how the grip meets your palm. Hand-checkered wood on an L-frame is both functional and handsome.

Sights are adjustable, which lets you zero precisely for whichever load you settle on. That matters more on a 357 than most people realise, given how differently 38 Special and 357 Magnum print at 25 yards.

Six rounds, a smooth double action pull and the option of single action for a deliberate shot round out a revolver that has been a benchmark for decades.

Shooting the Smith Wesson 586 Classic 357 Magnum

An all-steel L-frame with a four inch barrel is one of the most pleasant ways to shoot 357 Magnum. There is enough weight to absorb the cartridge sharp impulse, the grip fills the hand, and the sight radius is long enough that the revolver will outshoot most people who pick it up. Shooters who have only fired magnums from small frames are often surprised at how mild it feels.

With 38 Special it is genuinely gentle, which makes it an excellent gun for teaching double action fundamentals and for shooting a great deal without spending a great deal. Running it double action is the skill worth building, and the single action option is there for a deliberate long shot rather than as the default.

Zeroing deserves attention. Thirty eight Special and 357 Magnum can print several inches apart at 25 yards from the same revolver, and the adjustable rear sight exists precisely so you can settle that. Pick the load you will actually use, zero for it, and note where the other one lands.

Maintenance Notes

Bluing needs attention that stainless does not. Wipe the revolver down with an oiled cloth after handling, particularly after shooting or if your hands sweat, and store it somewhere dry. Neglected bluing pits, and pitting on a gun like this is both permanent and avoidable.

Magnum ammunition fouls a revolver considerably more than 38 Special does. The ring of carbon that builds at the front of the chambers is what eventually prevents longer 357 cases from seating, so if you practise with 38 Special and shoot 357 occasionally, scrub the chambers properly rather than assuming a quick pass is enough.

Keep the cylinder face and forcing cone clean, and check that the ejector rod stays tight, as it can back out under recoil and lock the cylinder closed at exactly the wrong moment. Wood grips benefit from a light coat of an appropriate finish every year or two.

Smith Wesson 586 Classic 357 Magnum Specifications

• Manufacturer part number: 150909
• UPC: 022188147810
• Caliber: 357 Magnum, also fires 38 Special
• Capacity: 6 rounds
• Barrel: 4 inches
• Finish: blued carbon steel
• Grips: checkered wood
• Frame: L-frame
• Sights: adjustable
• Action: double action and single action

Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson 586 Classic 357 Magnum

The ability to chamber 38 Special in a 357 Magnum revolver is one of the platform great advantages. Cheap, mild 38 Special for practice and full-power 357 when it matters, from the same gun, with no adjustment required.

A blued steel revolver with wood grips is bought partly for what it is rather than only for what it does. That is a perfectly good reason, and this one is also a fully capable L-frame that will shoot as well as any 686.

Bluing is not stainless. It resists corrosion far less well, and a blued revolver carried against the body in a humid climate will show it if neglected. A wipe with an oiled cloth after handling is not optional maintenance on a gun like this.

Who Should Buy It

The Smith Wesson 586 Classic 357 Magnum suits revolver enthusiasts and serious 357 shooters: anyone who wants a blued L-frame rather than a stainless one, shooters who intend to fire magnum ammunition regularly, and collectors who appreciate traditional finishes.

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