A cool 581 custom

[DHart]

I've been promising some pics of my 581 custom to some of my friends here for a very long time. I finally made some!

When it comes to revolvers, my favorites are fixed sight models... including the model 13, 65, 640-1, 581, and 681. A few years ago I started searching the internet for 581's and was amazed at how few I could find. Anyway, I found two, 4"ers, one in gorgeous condition and the other looking tired, scuffed up. I kept the nice one in stock form (except some Ahrends grips) and decided to customize the other one. SO I sent it off to Mark Hartshorn, asking him to cut the barrel to 3", recrown, install a custom gold-bead front sight, cut the backstrap to round butt profile, bevel the cylinder edges, repolish and reblue, and give it a buttery smooth trigger pull. He did it all to perfection! It's my favorite .357. Here are the before and after pics.

AFTER








BEFORE

 

[Brian Williams]

Dangit, Dhart that 581 has got to be "The Carry Revolver" based around the S&W action and the 357 magnum.
I have a 581 and am looking for another to have Mark or S&W do the same thing or close, I want a real Gold bead and I want mine bead blasted prior to bluing.

Did Mark bob the hammer a tiny bit?

 

[18DAI]

That is simply beautiful. Thanks for sharing it with us DHart.

I want one of those! TJ

 

[DHart]

Ooops... I just realized I made a mistake on the front sight... it is a GOLD bead, not a brass bead.

Brian... I don't think Mark bobbed the hammer at all. It is the narrow profile hammer.

I can heartily recommend having your 581 customized.... this is by far my most treasured revolver.

 

[jglcolosprgs]

WOW!! I started reading the thread and did not look ahead at the pictures and started to think..... uh oh..... here comes another homemade hack job!!

I could not have been more wrong!! That is the most beautiful 58X I've ever seen!! (maybe even the best carry revolver ever!!)

Be kind... everyone you encounter is fighting battles of their own which you have no awareness of.

+1 to that too...

 

[sidheshooter]

I like that very much!

Just about perfect now, I'd say!

 

[Kind of Blued]

Good gravy. That thing is gorgeous.

Where's the 4" that you posted on .US?!?! That one's beautiful too.

 

[Phydeaux642]

If you don't think it's too nosey of me to ask, what did the custom work run? I would really like a 581 but I haven't found a 4" bbl model worth the money. So, I'm thinking I could pick up any barrel length and have a 3" bbl done like this. Absolutely gorgeous.

 

[DHart]

Kind of Blued... here's my other 581





Phydeaux.... I don't recall the exact price, it was probably in the $500 range and the amount would certainly vary from pistolsmith to pistolsmith... my recommendation would be to contact one or two that you might want to work with and ask them to price out exactly what you want.

 

[aHFo3]

Those are two beautiful 581's. I'm with you on the service sights. I prefer them to target sights.

You need to be careful with a gun that pretty, though. People may try to mug you just to see that beautiful revolver before they die

 

[RJM]

I have a 581 4" Smith that, cosmetically, has seen better days but it shoots like a dream. I would imagine yours is going to be great shooting after all those mods.

Your revolver is absolutely awesome and now I have to get the wife to sign off on the cost to get something similar to mine. Just great looking. Congrats.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

Nice...After looks so much better than Before. The gold bead on the front sight really sets the gun off...bet it makes a nice sight picture too.

 

[steveracer]

I have a Smith 10-5 with a shotgun bead for a front sight, and it give a very nice picture. (Mine is nowhere NEAR as nice as Mr. Hart's gun) I absolutely love the fixed-sight 3" blued guns. The only thing I like better than this 581 would be the exact same thing on an N-frame in .44Mag.
Steve
Dhart, I know you make your living taking pictures, and you hear this all the time, but you take the best gun pics I have ever seen.

 

[messerist]

Thank God I just emptied my drool bucket. Those are positively some of the most handsome revolvers I have ever seen!

 

[DHart]

Thank God I just emptied my drool bucket.

messerist.... quite the visual, my friend! Cracks me up! Glad you appreciate the gun! Thank you.