What Is this revolver, and what Is It worth?

[iGunny40]

My dad has an old .357 Magnum revolver and we are Just wondering what It's worth. I cant find it anywhere online. It's a Smith and Wesson Model 586 stainless steel. The problem Is, I have been told by many that Smith and Wesson doesn't make a Model 586 In stainless. So what Is It, a misprinted 686? It's also 29 years old, Im not sure If they made a Model 686 back then though. My questions are, what is it, how much Is It worth? I will post pictures, also sorry If my Grammar Is off a litle bit, Im on my phone.

[iGunny40]

[iGunny40]

[g.willikers]

A nickel plated 586?

[lee n. field]

Nickel plate -- that's my thought too. It looks shinier than I see most stainless guns.

[MrBorland]

Open the cylinder and look on the frame near the yoke. It'll be stamped with the model # and the variant (e.g. 586-2, etc). If it's a 586, it's nickel plated.

[Buzzcook]

Both the 586 and 686 came out in 1980 so 33yrs ago.

The pictures look more like nickel than stainless to me.

[iGunny40]

Mod 586...
If you Guys are right It's nickel plated, all I know Is In person It's very shiny, especially In light! So how much Is It worth you think?

[hAkron]

$500-$600

[Tom Servo]

The pictures look more like nickel than stainless to me.

It's hard to tell. If the ejector star is black, the gun is nickel.

If it is nickel, and in such good condition, I'd say $700 or so to a collector.

[iGunny40]

I was appraised by a Gun shop of no less then $800

[Winchester_73]

It's hard to tell. If the ejector star is black, the gun is nickel.

If it is nickel, and in such good condition, I'd say $700 or so to a collector.

Same is true for hammer and trigger, unless someone would bother switching them out. Case hardened = 586, SS = 686

The gun appears to be a 586-4 or older, since its pre lock. I think -4 is the cutoff for those pre lock guns. That will be inside the yoke, when you open the cylinder, in the revealed portion where a serial number also is.

I would say $650 to $800, because nickel isn't readily available in a 586.

[laytonj1]

Case hardened = 586, SS = 686

686 triggers and hammers were carbon steel also. S&W flash chromed most of them to look like stainless steel.
Page 269 of the 3rd edition of the SCSW shows a 686 with case hardened trigger and hammer.

S&W did not nickel plate stainless steel so either the gun is a 686 that someone polished the finish or it's a 586 and the 5 looks like a 6.

Jim

[Tom Servo]

Case hardened = 586

Actually, the case-hardened triggers and hammers became standard on stainless Smiths quite awhile ago.

[Winchester_73]

Ok, well for a SS gun, esp that model, without the lock, it would have the flash plating. If its case hardened, it would be a later 686. The one pictured in this thread does not have a lock. I'm pretty sure even through a -3 they had this flash plating. Later on, they did go to case hardened for SS revolvers. My mistake.

[Jim Watson]

It's shiny like nickel and unlike stainless; except where S&W never plate their guns, it is marked 586 which was available nickel plated.

I conclude it is a nickel plated 586.
$800 seems a generous price, but they are discontinued and therefore automatic collectors items in the minds of many.

[RJay]

Value is in the eye of the beholder. An item may be worth a certain amount, but only if someone is willing to give you that amount. I also think that 800 is very generous and you may have a hard time in achieving that goal.

[Dave T]

No offense to the OP or the other posters but it looks like the front sight insert is missing. And, although it's hard to tell because of the poor focus of the pictures, the finish looks a little dinged or scratched.

If those are all the case I think you're doing a disservice to the OP telling him the gun is worth $700-$800. A some what dinged up nickel 586 is not going to bring that kind of money in any gun shop I've ever been in.

Dave

[iGunny40]

Sorry for the somewhat bad camera quality, I was using my outdated android lol. I don't have the best nerves and shaking makes it a little blurry. I don't know what you're talking about with It being dinged up though, any revolver will have a few scratches here and there If over a few years old and this Gun Is 28 years old. The sight Is perfectly on aim and shoots bullseyes anywhere you point it (If you can see that far)...

[caz223]

Nice piece. I got a similar model, in 2 1\2" that I'm not selling. Ever.
It carries easy, shoots accurate, and feels absolutely awesome.
Newer smiths, as nice as they are, aren't as nice as older ones.

[Winchester_73]

No offense to the OP or the other posters but it looks like the front sight insert is missing. And, although it's hard to tell because of the poor focus of the pictures, the finish looks a little dinged or scratched.

If those are all the case I think you're doing a disservice to the OP telling him the gun is worth $700-$800. A some what dinged up nickel 586 is not going to bring that kind of money in any gun shop I've ever been in.

The pics are not good enough to say whether the front sight insert is missing or faded. The pics are also not good enough to say how much the finish is dinged or scratched either.

The cardinal issue regarding the value is the scarcity of nickel 586s. First of all, I think we all see many more 686 guns. So someone who wants a L frame 357, but wants nickel needs a little luck. This gun has 2 important things which effect its value, pre lock, and nickel finish. Of course condition is important, but its hard to say anything definitive based on those pics. I think some of what you see is smudges, from fingers from the gun not being wiped down prior to the photos being taken.

While $800 seems high, many pre lock 686s bring near $600 and sometimes more. They are much more common in my experience than a nickel 586. When I said $650 to $800, I didn't mean what it would definitely sell for, or what it would sell for in a day or two, I meant a composite average of what such a gun would bring overtime. The gun also would bring online (assuming a quality ad and quality photos) a fair sum of money. I know many of us don't use online values for many reasons, but the truth is, few of us are actually running a gun shop, which means what they bring in a gun shop is just as "irrelevant" in the context of what a non-FFL could get for the revolver. Someone running a shop has many advantages over a private seller, and often can get more money for the same exact gun due to those advantages. Any of us can sell a gun online, so considering an "online value" is a crucial consideration.

[Nathan]

Lots of good information here.

This is really a fantastic revolver. I think as you get used to revolvers, you will realize why people love them so. My 19-3 will put 5 in .6" at 15 yards! I'm really going to shoot more 25 and 50 yard groups!

[Wheel-Gunner]

I bought a 6" nickel 586 in beautiful shape for $500 earlier this year.

[Sport45]

Originally Posted by iGunny40

I was appraised by a Gun shop of no less then $800

If this is the gun shop that told you it was stainless I wouldn't trust their pricing either...