S@W 586 6 inch

[Firearms Iinstuctor]

I brought a 586 6 inch a few years back as a trade gun I prefer stainless handguns for every day use.

So I never fired it until to day so checked it out ran a patch threw the barrel and clyer's grabbed a few 125gr jhps that I had laying around loose.

Figuring I would just sight it in I sat down at 25 yards fired, first shot was about 2 inches low and 2 inches to the left.

I clicked in a couple adjustment on the sight and proceeded to fire a 5 inch 5 shot group all over the place.

I am wow what's up with that I loaded another cly full and proceeded to fire another group it shot off to the left about the same size.

I adjusted the sights again and it shot way to the right.

I thought something screwy here so I grabbed a box of Winchester match 38s and proceeded to fire a 4 inch group with them.

A good revolver should be some where around 2 inches or less.

I than took back into the gun room Cleaned the crap out of it.

I took it back out and after a couple cly full I started to get good decent 10 yard groups a couple where nice one ragged hole.

So after a box of 148 match it seemed to be shooting decent. I than fire a 6 shot group double action off hand at 25 that 4 cut one ragged hole pulled one 2 inches low and another 1.5 inches to the right.

So about a 2.5 inch group not to bad at 25 yards but I have seen better

I went and found another box of 125jhps loaded with 13grs of AL7 with a 1981 load date on them.

I went prone and proceeded to but 3 into .75 a inch low at 25. Clicked in a couple more of elevation and proceed to put the other 3 into less than a inch a .5 high.

I proceeded to shoot the rest of the box up at various ranges the last cly was 15 yards double action 5 in one ragged hole and pulled one about a inch left.

Don't know what caused the first horrible groups but she shoots like a champ now.

 

[WalkingWolf]

I brought a 586 6 inch a few years back as a trade gun I prefer stainless handguns for every day use.

So I never fired it until to day so checked it out ran a patch threw the barrel and clyer's grabbed a few 125gr jhps that I had laying around loose.

Figuring I would just sight it in I sat down at 25 yards fired, first shot was about 2 inches low and 2 inches to the left.

I clicked in a couple adjustment on the sight and proceeded to fire a 5 inch 5 shot group all over the place.

I am wow what's up with that I loaded another cly full and proceeded to fire another group it shot off to the left about the same size.

I adjusted the sights again and it shot way to the right.

I thought something screwy here so I grabbed a box of Winchester match 38s and proceeded to fire a 4 inch group with them.

A good revolver should be some where around 2 inches or less.

I than took back into the gun room Cleaned the crap out of it.

I took it back out and after a couple cly full I started to get good decent 10 yard groups a couple where nice one ragged hole.

So after a box of 148 match it seemed to be shooting decent. I than fire a 6 shot group double action off hand at 25 that 4 cut one ragged hole pulled one 2 inches low and another 1.5 inches to the right.

So about a 2.5 inch group not to bad at 25 yards but I have seen better

I went and found another box of 125jhps loaded with 13grs of AL7 with a 1981 load date on them.

I went prone and proceeded to but 3 into .75 a inch low at 25. Clicked in a couple more of elevation and proceed to put the other 3 into less than a inch a .5 high.

I proceeded to shoot the rest of the box up at various ranges the last cly was 15 yards double action 5 in one ragged hole and pulled one about a inch left.

Don't know what caused the first horrible groups but she shoots like a champ now.

It sounds like the bore needed to be lapped in, until then it is possible for enough leading to disrupt accuracy. I usually shoot all new guns with jacketed or plated bullets before settling for lead, usually at least 100 rounds.

A S&W years passed would have had a factory lapped barrel, they seem to have cut corners a lot in the last decade.

This is what your barrel looked like before it started to lap itself from break in.

[video=youtube;hf9zZqn00CA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf9zZqn00CA[/video]

 

[Firearms Iinstuctor]

The first few clyer's were JHPs but what ever happed worked.

 

[WalkingWolf]

The first few clyer's were JHPs but what ever happed worked.

It usually takes me 200 FMJ to lap a barrel, some barrels though have so much inconsistency they will never shoot match. One of the great things about 1911's is the ability to dial them in buy changing barrels. It should shoot in, but don't expect a lot until after about 500 rounds. If it was an even cut then you should have a match gun.

If you want it to be pinpoint you should have a gunsmith check the cylinder also for consistent throats. For hard cast match ammo the throats should be at least to .358, and ideally exactly .358. Also I would use magnum cases for match loads. IIRC the difference between spl, and mag is around 1/16th and there will be some gas checking in that short distance. Back before semi autos dominated competition K frames were built with 38 spl only cylinders, and match barrels. But then those were $2000 plus guns.

I have not tried that type of shooting yet with my 38spl only GP100, but I appreciate that it is cut for 38 spl instead of 357. It leaves me the higher accuracy with 38 spl in a cylinder optimized for it, and the ability to load 38/44 for magnum performance. And cost less to boot.

It's a shame that Smith does not offer a 38 spl only L frame.

 

[Firearms Iinstuctor]

Some of the dedicated PPC guns were made to take only 38 wad cutters having a real short cylinder.

A worked over PPC gun by one of the top smiths are a joy to shoot.