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S&W 586 Revolver frame?

ZeroArcane
I'm looking to replace the grips on my older smith and wesson 586 revolver, but I'm running into a problem on going with the "L" or "N" frame size. I've determined I am going to go with hogue grips and went into the closest gun shop near me last friday, but they only had grips that would fit a round butt revolver there.

Here's my issue: I have a 6" blue 586 revolver that I assume was manufactured some time in the 80's, but I guess it could of maybe possibly been from the 70's. It's a hand me down from my dad and all I know is he has had it since I was very young in the 80's.

I have looked around the internet and determined that the 586 is made for the "K and L" frame grips, but when I look at some pictures it doesn't seem to be that cut and dry. I have seen pictures of model 29 44 mags that look like the identical gun I have asides from the caliber, and those are made for the N frame. I have also seen pictures of older model 27 357 mags that have the identical stock square butt wood grips I appear to already have on my 586, and those are also supposedly the "N" frame.

Yet I too have seen some pictures of 586's that appear like mine, but with different grips that are the "L" frame. I found an online site that sells the hogue grips I want cheaper, but I'm waiting to determine which frame to go with before ordering. Is it possible that my revolver could fit "L" or "N" sized grips? I've gotta say that after looking at all these pictures it appears that my gun looks identical to revolvers in both frame sizes. Any help would be much appreciated.
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Comments

8 comments

Date Votes
  • Hawk Carse
    Appearances can be deceiving, especially in pictures with nothing to give scale. The S&W model 586 is on the L frame and will accept grips made for either the K or L frame, NOT the N frame.
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  • nmyers
    I think you have the horse mixed up with the cart.

    Your gun is an "L" frame revolver with the square butt. It was designed to accept "L" size square butt stocks. Period.

    S&W makes several styles of "L" frame stocks. Some are larger than others, but they are all designed to fit on "L" frame revolvers.

    Aftermarket stocks should fit the frame size for which they are cataloged. Some stocks will fit more than 1 frame size, but may appear to be oversized on the larger size frame. If your gun shop doesn't have a display that lets you try different size stocks, then you take your chances, the same way you do when you order from a catalog.

    Neal

    EDIT: SP45 is correct; the grip part of the L frame was designed to be the same as that of the K frame. The photo below shows a blue K frame & a SS L frame; the grips from the K frame (note the K stamp) fit the L frame gun, BUT NOT EXACTLY. To get a good fit, hand fitting would be required. In addition, the grip shape (round versus flat bottom) may also limit your choice.

    swgrips.jpg
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  • SP45
    The L frame came out circa 1982. It was designed so that the frame was stronger for the 357 than the K frame. It was also designed so that the Grip size is THE SAME AS THE K FRAME. Hogue K frame grips WILL fit the L frame or for that matter any grips designed for the K frame square Butt.
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  • Jorge
    Definitely an L frame.

    Could you instead be confusing service and target sized grips?
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  • dcs shooters
    I have Hogue K-frame grips on my 586 square frame. They fit very good.
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  • ZeroArcane
    Thanks for the info guys. I just placed an order for some hogue S&W "K or L" frame grips.
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  • beantownshootah
    To be clear, the "L" frame was designed specifically to use the same size grips as the "K" frame. There are no special "L" sized grips, and as the "K" grips should be interchangeable.

    Also, interestingly, the super-large "X" frame (for the SW .500 revolver, for example) was ALSO designed to use the same grips as the "K" (and "L") frame. This is for the simple reason that this is the most popular grip size, as it seems to fit the most hands.

    There are two caveats here.

    First of all, there are some K (and L) frame guns that have a round butt configuration, and round-butt grips generally won't fit on square butt frames (though in some cases, the converse can be true). But round-butt K grips should fit on a round-butt L frame (and vice versa).

    Second (and this gets back to a point made above), Smith and Wesson has been putting out what are essentially K-frame revolvers for over 100 years. Given the over a century span of gun making, including times when gun parts were hand-fitted, and the literally millions of guns put out, there is going to be some variation in exact grip size out there, even within the K-frame, particularly in older guns.

    Its not much, but it is enough that the "standard" K-frame grips may require a little bit of fitting to make an exact match with certain guns.


    Edit round butt vs square butt:
    round-vs-square.jpg
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  • tsr1965
    That 586 is an L frame, and will take the same grips as a K frame too. The part where you must pay attention, is that S&W made the J,K,L, and N frames with both Square butt, and round butt configurations, depending on what model they were. Sometimes they even made both variations within the same model number. The hardest part you have facing you is the determination of which you have...a round butt or square butt. To do that, take off your grips, and if it is square, it will look like the pictures posted above. If it is round, the back side of the grip frame will have the bottom rear portion scalloped off in a rounded fashion...and you won't need a magnifying glass to see it.

    Best
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