S&W 586-1: Any known problems or did they get it right the first time?

[croyance]

I am always wary of the first run of anything.
I went window shopping and found a S&W 19-4 with a 4" barrel and a 586-1 with a 6" barrel. Both look good to me, but at least I can find information on the 19-4.
So were there any known problems with the 586-1 that should make me walk away?

 

[Tamara]

The only problems with early L-frames occured with firing hot "+P+" .38 Spl ammunition. Although these rounds sometimes have near-magnum pressures, they use softer non-magnum primers. Resulting primer flow could lock up the gun.

S&W issued a recall on no-dash and -1 L-frames. Guns fixed by the factory are stamped with an "m" by the model number.

 

[k in AR]

Also early S&W L's had a right hand thread on the extractor rod which "could" un-screw during cylinder rotation, causing the cylinder to lock up. S&W later models have a left hand thread, although a little locktite will work just fine on an older one that happens to work loose.

 

[Majic]

Although I don't have an early L-frame to say for certainty, but S&W changed from right hand threads on the ejector rod to left hand threads back in the late 1950s on all their revolvers. The L-frame wasn't developed until the 1980s. Recoil will still sometimes loosen the ejector rod head and is a common maintenance requirement.
The M586-1 was not a "first run" model. The M586 series started with the M586 as it had no dash number and was brought out in 1980. The M586-1 was the second in the series and came out in 1986.

 

[Tacoma]

Call S&W with the serial # and they will tell you if it needs the primer flow fix. If it does, it's free, including shipping. I've got a no dash that never got fixed and it functions fine.