[CWL]

Y'all,

I have a S&W 586 w/6" barrel, beautifully blued and one of the smoothest triggers I've ever felt. It is stock as far as I can figure.

The Serial Number is AAH38XX -what year was this built? I figure sometime in the 1980's. Any additional info about this model?

Thanks!

[Tamara]

Late '82.

Sometimes you even get lucky with a Bangor Punta gun. ;)

[Mike Irwin]

"Sometimes you even get lucky with a Bangor Punta gun."

NO! You'll NEVER get lucky with a BP gun! They all sucked... SSSSSUUUUUCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDD, I tells ye!


Oh wait. About half of my S&Ws are BPs.

Never mind... :D

[Handgun]

What are the bad Bangor Punta years?

[Mike Irwin]

Bangor Punta is often compared to the AMF period for Harley.

In other words, the owner is a bean counter with no experience in the gun (or motorcycle) field, doesn't know and doesn't care about the culture of the company or the culture of the user groups.

Just wants to cut costs and sell product.

When that happens, far too often the results are extremely dissapointing.

The Bangor era at S&W is seen as the first "sliping" of the old style care and craftsmanship that went into the guns up to that point.

In some ways it's a valid view, in other ways it's a gross oversimplification, but the Bangor era guns did have more reported defects than those that came earlier.

[C.R.Sam]

And, a number of really sweet ones slipped through.
Mass production. Average good quality at an affordable price.
"Average" is key. Some poor, lots acceptable, some great.

Sam

[Tamara]

I've got a couple of really nice BP-era Smiths (like my schweet State Department 19-5), and a couple of average ones (like my 31-1, which is tolerable, but nothing to get spun up about).

My most wretched Smith is also a Bangor Punta gun (a 581-1). Other than the internals looking like they were hewn with a stone axe and the bore being off-center with the chambers, it's just fine. ;)

My nicest are easily my early '50s M&P and late '50s Model 34. Both are gem-like. Most of my early '90s guns weren't bad at all; my 625-4 is one of my better ones. They seemed to slip a little again towards the tail end of the Tomkins era, but most that I've handled lately have been quite a bit better. Wish they'd lose that cheesy brushed finish on the stainless guns and stick with polished or bead-blasted, though... :uhoh:

[CWL]

Thanks one and all, I always learn something new here.

I believe that I own one of the 'great' ones. It is just beautiful in form, fit and function. Since it's an '82, I guess one of the last old-generation smiths must've worked on mine.


C.R.Sam, glad you're back! Your spareness of words is pure Shakespear!

[C.R.Sam]

Tnx.
Hmph.

Sam