Make: Smith & Wesson
Model: 586, The Distinguished Combat Magnum
Serial Number: AHP7614
Year of Manufacture: 1981-1986 / Modern
Caliber: .357 Magnum & .38 Special
Action Type: 6-Shot, Double Action / Single Action Swing-Out Fluted Cylinder Revolver
Barrel Length: 4" with Full Underlug & Solid Rib
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a serrated ramped blade with a red insert integral to a rise in the solid rib. The rear sight is a flat top white outline square notched leaf in a base that is micrometer-click adjustable for windage and elevation.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered goncalo alves target stocks with a speedloader cut and S&W medallions. There are some light handling marks. The checkering is sharp with a few blunted peaks. There is scattered finish loss, especially on the bottoms. There is a small nick on the bottom front of the right grip which has formed small cracks on each side. The stocks rate in Good overall condition.
Type of Finish: Blued, Case Color hammer and trigger
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. There is faint freckling oxidation. In this writer's opinion the bore rates 8/10.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 75% of its metal finish. There is a Department of Safety Inventory Number on the left side of the frame. There is finish loss on the sides of the barrel and underlug toward the muzzle. There is a turn line on the cylinder. There is finish loss throughout the cylinder. There is thinning on the leading edges. There are intermittent spots of rust freckling on the frame under the grips. The screwheads are lightly used. The markings are clear. Overall, this handgun rates in Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. There is light play on the chambers in full lockup. The double-action trigger pull is smooth with a crisp single-action break. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This revolver comes with a Smith & Wesson Factory Letter which confirms that this revolver was shipped on August 23, 1985 and delivered to Texas Department of Public Safety. It also includes a leather holster marked "Bruce Casteel / Texas Rangers / Co. D.", "J. THOMPSON / CORPUS CHRISTI".
Our Assessment: Smith & Wesson introduced the L-frame Distinguished Combat Magnum series in 1980 to combine the familiar grip dimensions and handling qualities of the K-frame with a larger cylinder and reinforced forcing-cone area better suited to sustained .357 Magnum use. The adjustable-sight Model 586 received Smith & Wesson’s polished blue finish, full-underlug barrel, target sights, and six-shot cylinder, while its stainless counterpart became the Model 686. Early no-dash revolvers represent the original form of the L-frame design and retain particular interest for collectors of Smith & Wesson’s classic law-enforcement revolvers.
This revolver’s factory letter confirms shipment on August 23, 1985, to the Texas Department of Public Safety, providing unusually strong institutional provenance. The frame bears a departmental inventory number, and the included leather holster is marked “Bruce Casteel / Texas Rangers / Co. D.” and “J. Thompson / Corpus Christi.” Bruce Casteel later served in senior leadership within the Texas Ranger Division, although the available documentation does not establish that this specific revolver was personally issued to him. The revolver retains approximately 75% of its original blue finish, with service-related wear, oxidation, a cylinder turn line, an 8/10 bore, and correctly functioning lockwork. Its documented Texas DPS shipment, period duty holster, original no-dash configuration, and honest service wear give this Model 586 considerably more historical character than a standard commercial example.
