new guy needs info on 581

[oldwheelieguy]

thanks too all for the info. I'm gonna go with the hard chrome then. What do guys think it's worth? not really wanting to sell ,just want an honest opinion.

 

[Confederate]

how would I tell if it was hard chromed? what would i look for?

In this case you may simply assume. But, if you need to know for sure, S&W's stainless guns look as though they're finished by chimpanzees using sandpaper. They pick up dings very easy, so most unpolished stainless Smiths look rather crude and need work. Many stainless Smiths also used non-stainless hammers and triggers, so if your 581 has hammers and triggers that look stainless, it's been hard-chromed.

So please, assume your gun has been hard chromed. I guarantee you, it is.

 

[bhp9mm]

i would say its worth about $350 maybe alittle more

 

[texagun]

i would say its worth about $350 maybe alittle more

I don't see any 581's in my neck of the woods for $350. They would last about 10 minutes. Most go for $400+ around here.

 

[Confederate]

I would say the gun was worth considerably more than $350 as long as the finish was in tact. It would have to be in pretty bad shape to go for $350. New ones are going for twice that. Given no rust and hard-chrome, and porting, I'd put it in the $500 range.

 

[Brian Williams]

Allen's Armory had 3 or 4 581 at $300 to $320 and they still have one.