Decision Time, Soon

You are a very lucky man.

I don't think you need to be concerned, Smith and Wesson's support is as good as any other gun companies and better than some.
My wife gets my Security Six when I go on trips and she is home alone.
If I had a 586 it would be up to her which one she preferred.
The last modern Smith and Wesson I bought was a real keeper and I wouldn't be afraid to get another one. In fact I with my wife would fall in love with a 586 because I would love to own one.
New or old.

Did she hold the GP100 with the factory hogues???

Also I know HK USP 45 Full Size is good for big hands, I have small hands and it is noticeably too big for me.

Good luck.

I'd certainly lean towards the Smith for that. The trigger will be better. You already know she likes how it fits. It will be faster handling than the boat-anchor Ruger.

Just look carefully at the individual gun before you buy it... same as any other purchase.

Everyone is different, I don't have anything against Smiths but I always buy Ruger. Maybe she would like a 4.2" GP100 if she liked the 4" 586.

I am hearing more and more about the terrible Smith support! Just saying that the issue is showing up on the computer

TarDevil said:

I'm big on Ruger, but this will be her revolver. I do want her to check out the GP100 and Redhawk before we buy.

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I would avoid the redhawk only due to weight, or maybe not avoid but at about 4th place. I love my redhawk, but it is big, heavy, and sometimes unruly in the trigger department. Look over a gp100 or a service six from ruger. The lcrx might be good to look at too, but it sounds like she might want custom grips for that one.
There isn't anything wrong with new s&w products, just not as nice as they used to be. Either brand would work. And yes, you are a lucky man to have a wife into shooting sports. Mine is neutral on the subject., but at least she wants to go hunting with me occasionally.

I traveled this path with my wife. After trying several guns, SHE chose an lcp. Its size and weight appealed to her.
She said, "I think I would actually keep this one with me...".
That sold me.
I carry one myself. The ability to share ammo and magazines is appealing.

She has her own extended magazine and kydex iwb.
If I had my way we would have matching 9mm shield 2.0 guns, but that wasn't in the cards.(yet)

If weight/size isn't a huge issue the ruger would be my choice. You'll see a lot of misinformation , like this -

ATLDave said:

The trigger will be better.

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Not always the case, rugers are very tunable and break in well, if you don't want to shoot it much a gunsmith can easily fix it right up easily, mine have all been very good from the start.

ATLDave said:

It will be faster handling than the boat-anchor Ruger.

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A 4.1" 686 is 39.7 oz, a 4.2" gp100 is 40 oz ... .3 oz makes a boat anchor? That just isn't the case, I won't mention the fact that rugers CS is world class and will digest a lifetime of maximum loads, the S&W, not so much. By my own tests this has been my experience.
I'm not a S&W hater by any stretch , they're fine guns just not my choice. A larger gun will be more comfortable for more substantial loads and the rugers stub grip frame lends itself to a wider variety of grips to tailor it to her specific preferences. Either will do well. Keep us up to date with what she chooses and how she likes it.

Obturation said:

If weight/size isn't a huge issue the ruger would be my choice. You'll see a lot of misinformation , like this -

Not always the case, rugers are very tunable and break in well, if you don't want to shoot it much a gunsmith can easily fix it right up easily, mine have all been very good from the start.

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I'm not saying Rugers have bad triggers. But I've never shot/felt one that was as good as a good Smith trigger. I'm comparing worked-over-to-worked-over. While you might have a different experience or different views on what constitutes a good trigger, I'd hardly call it "misinformation" to suggest that Smiths generally can be gotten to a better state than Rugers and also tend to come slightly better OOB.

Obturation said:

A 4.1" 686 is 39.7 oz, a 4.2" gp100 is 40 oz ... .3 oz makes a boat anchor?

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If the OP's question had been about the GP-100, I'd agree that's a pretty modest difference. He specifically talked about a Redhawk. Which, yeah, is pretty big. I'm generally a proponent of big, heavy guns. But a Redhawk is getting into a size and weight where many people, and especially many women, will find it unwieldy.

Obturation said:

ruger... will digest a lifetime of maximum loads, the S&W, not so much

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I would chalk that up as an advantage the Ruger has over the Smith (although an L-frame is going to tolerate quite a bit of shooting). Given the use case described, that doesn't seem like a big advantage. If the question was "what should I get for a hunting .and silhouette-shooting 357 that will see lots of book max loads," then a Ruger would probably be the better answer. But I don't think that's what the OP is describing.

ATLDave said:

If the OP's question had been about the GP-100, I'd agree that's a pretty modest difference. He specifically talked about a Redhawk.

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He mentioned the 586 (actually heavier @ 41.3 oz) which the gp100 is the direct competition - mid sized 6 shot 357. Of course the redhawk is massive compared to a K frame Smith. A 357 redhawk I think only exists to allow an 8 shot cylinder, so not much of an apples to apples comparison. I do agree a redhawk is bigger and heavier than it should be for the caliber and capacity and wouldn't be a gun I would ever buy. But I will say a 357 redhawk is likely very easy to shoot well if you can comfortably wield it.

ATLDave said:

not saying Rugers have bad triggers. But I've never shot/felt one that was as good as a good Smith trigger.

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I agree also, to a point. I had a 686 with an awesome trigger out of the box (rest of the gun wasn't very good) , my gp100 was a bit stiff and gritty new. After 100-200 rounds the grit was gone and the trigger improved. Now, 8 years later and thousands of rounds later the trigger is very good. Not like a old Smith , but better than most new ones out of the box. It's a bit different though but I consider it very good now. My super redhawk came new with a slick trigger (lucky I guess ) and it's also gotten better (if it gets much better it may have no sear engagement left) . I'll admit a random sample S&W vs ruger trigger, the Smith will likely be smoother.

ATLDave said:

I would chalk that up as an advantage the Ruger has over the Smith (although an L-frame is going to tolerate quite a bit of shooting). Given the use case described, that doesn't seem like a big advantage.

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Also agree to a point, but longevity is a great asset. Just because it is strong doesn't mean it's strength must be utilized is a valid argument. I'm handloader though, people make mistakes and if I have a larger margin of error I prefer that to being possibly on the ragged edge of what a gun can survive. Not that I'm careless in loading but if that double charge does happen I'd rather it be in the most robust handgun I can get (within reason).
So yeah, we're on the same page I think. Don't want you to feel like I was trying to start an argument or anything, just trying to coerce the OP to the dark side (although it sounds like he's already there). For the OPs (wifes) intended purpose either will do fantastically well. Life is good when these are the kinds of troubling decisions we have to make.

The M66's and M19's have the same grip frame as the 586, so other than being notably lighter, should feel very similar in the hand.

If for defense, and she really likes the L frame, I'd grab a 686+ for the extra round on board.

There's not a thing wrong with a GP100 either though. If you don't like the factory grips on one gun or another there's a HUUUGE market fit both Smith and Ruger wheel guns, just look at Houge and Altamont's websites for just a small portion of the market.

Here’s how I look at it. If my wife picked up a gun after trying a dozen or more others and stated that this was the gun for her, especially after shooting others and having that experience, that is the gun she’d get. Regardless of the opinions of a bunch of guys on a gun forum. (No offense guys )

Smith & Wesson and Ruger have good customer service so that shouldn’t be an issue with ether company.

Let her try a 3 inch colt king cobra then buy her whatever gun she chooses.

My mom likes the Model 10/13 K-Frame (Same grip frame as the L-Frame) and the SP101 Ruger. Don't know how much that helps

TarDevil said:

My wife likes to shoot with me and her favorites are my Colt Police Special (costly to feed) and her shotgun. She does fair with my semi-autos but can never get a comfortable grip. Her fingers are deliciously long and she needs lots of trigger reach.

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My wife has the exact same problem, though I describe her fingers as "freaky alien fingers."

We looked long and hard and finally settled on a SP101 with the Hogue grip for her carry gun. Triggers are silly heavy and break so far back that you'll have to slick it up and maybe drop the spring 2 pounds.

She also has a GP100 w/6" barrel and the Hogue grip. Actually fits her hand/fingers better but it's too big and heavy to carry.

Other than the need to slick up the triggers, both of these guns are great. I'm sorta jealous every time I see her shoot one of them because all my guns are half plastic.

TarDevil said:

My wife likes to shoot with me and her favorites are my Colt Police Special (costly to feed) and her shotgun. She does fair with my semi-autos but can never get a comfortable grip. Her fingers are deliciously long and she needs lots of trigger reach. She would like her CCW... most likely will never carry on her person but we would both feel more comfortable if she had something in the car with her on road trips. In other words... full size, compact, etc. makes no difference. Hand comfort and shoot-ability are priorities.

She's handled a lot of guns looking for the right feel, and when she picked up the S&W 586 with 4" barrel, she smiled and said, "I love how this feels in my hand!"

So, I have a new revenue source coming in later this month and hers will be my next purchase. I've yet to to find a Redhawk on display anywhere, and I'd like for her to try that on for comparison... to give us the choice of Ruger over Smith. I am a little concerned about Smith's aftermarket support. Should I be? And for those who own or shoot both, what are your thoughts on these revolvers?

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Why would your Colt Police Special be costly to feed?, is one of the 38 S&W chambered ones?

Wouldnt worry about factory service with a 586, your highly unlikely to wear it out or break anything- the L frame was designed for a steady diet of Magnum rounds.

I like and own the Rugers too, but if I had to hand my wife one revolver, it would be a Smith. The Redhawk is too heavy for her, and the Security Six DA trigger is pretty stiff.

The L-frame Smiths do almost everything "just right."

TarDevil

Another vote for a S&W L frame though I would look for used Model 686 4". Mine has the best out of the box DA/SA trigger I have ever found on a factory S&W revolver. A solid and dependable performer with an overall fit and finish second to none.

Had a Ruger GP100 and as much as I loved the previous Security Six series, the GP100 was not even close to it in terms of it's design ergonomics and overall build quality, especially with the trigger.

Go with the Model 586...a Win/Win situation for both you and your wife!

Not every 586 or GP100 has exactly the same trigger. Maybe take her to a gun show, the her dry fire a bunch, and buy her the one she likes best?