Wiregrassguy said: Jonesy is pretty close, your gun was made in 1980 which was the first year of the triple alpha serials and the first year of production of the 581 which began at serial # AAA2006. So, your gun is an early first-production model. It is in remarkable condition to be 40 years old! Smith And Wesson Model 581 Serial Number Lookup; Smith And Wesson Model 18; Serial number 90679 shipped in June 1967 but #94036 also was shipped in June 1967. This is a good illustration of Smith & Wesson not shipping in serial number order. Best estimate on your M41 is late spring to summer 1967. Only a letter will give an exact date.
SOLD FOR: $805.00
LSB#: 160430LK01
Make: Smith & Wesson
Model: Model 581-3 Distinguished Service Magnum
Serial Number: BDT1579
Year of Manufacture: 1988 (From Nahas, this is the year the 581-3 was introduced and the year that the model 581 was discontinued.)
Caliber: .38 Special or .357 Remington Magnum
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Action Type: Single/Double Action 6 Shot Revolver with Swing-Out Cylinder
Markings: The flat under the yoke is marked “MOD. 581-3” and the yoke flat is marked “670”. The bottom of the grip is marked BDT1579”. The left side of the barrel is marked “SMITH & WESSON”. The right side of the barrel is marked “S.&W. 357 MAGNUM”. The left side of the frame is marked with the S&W logo and the right side of the frame is marked with the 4 line Marcus Registradas address. The left side of the grip frame is marked “5”, “C26”, “2767X” and “F45”. The right side of the grip frame is marked with a circled “F”, “3462” and “U” inside a triangle.
Barrel Length: The barrel is 4” in length and has a solid rib along the top of the barrel as well as a full-length underlug.
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a serrated ramp fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a square groove in the top strap.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips on the round butt frame are checkered walnut with nickel S&W medallions at the top of each grip. The grips are finished with a light colored lacquer finish. The smooth areas of the grips show no marks and the checkering is sharp to the touch and without mars. The grips are in about Excellent condition.
Type of Finish: The revolver is blued with a case colored hammer and trigger. The top of the barrel’s rib and the top strap have a black matte finish to reduce glare.
Finish Originality: The finish is original.
Smith And Wesson Model 29
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. There are no marks in the bore, cylinder or recoil shield that this pistol was ever fired outside the factory.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 99% of its metal finish. There are a very few very light marks in the barrel and a light drag line in the cylinder. There are also several marks under the finish in the sideplate that appear to have neve r been polished out at the factory. The ejector rod, cylinder latch and hammer knurling are sharp but the sideplate shows signs of having been removed and replaced. The screw heads are sharp and the markings are clear. Overall, this handgun rates in about Near Mint condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The cylinder lock-up is SOLID on all six chambers. The SA trigger breaks crisply and the DA trigger is smooth. We did not fire this handgun.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes in a blue factory cardboard box , cleaning accessories and paperwork. The box is blue with white lettering. One of the end flaps has a factory label listing the make, model, caliber and barrel length of this pistol. There is a pink label placed over the factory label which correctly describes the make model, finish, barrel length and serial number of this pistol. The box has a separate white cardboard liner folded to fit this pistol. The outside of the box shows surface loss at the corners, a few light handling marks and a small dent in the lid portion. The inside of the box is compressed slightly in the area of the cylinder. The box is in about Fine to Excellent condition. The cleaning accessories consist of a threaded aluminum cleaning rod with brass brush and cotton swab, along with a S&W key chain fob screwdriver, all still sealed in their original plastic sack. The paperwork consists of a Safety and Instruction Manual and an unused Purchaser Information Questionnaire, both in Excellent condition.
Smith & Wesson Model 581
Our Assessment: This is a Smith and Wesson Model 581-3 Distinguished Service Magnum revolver, blued with a 4” barrel. This is basically the same gun as the Model 586 except with fixed vs. adjustable sights. It is built on S&W’s L frame with a full length barrel underlug. The revolver was made in 1988, which was both the year the 581-3 variant was introduced and the year the Model 581 was discontinued. The pistol is in about Excellent condition with about 99% of its original finish remaining. It has a drag line in the cylinder and a few light marks in the barrel. The grips are checkered walnut with nickel plated S&W medallions. They show no marks in their smooth areas and the checkering is sharp to the touch and without mars. The bore is bright with sharp rifling and the cylinder lockup is solid on all six chambers. The revolver comes in its original factory box with factory cleaning equipment and paperwork. This is a great looking revolver that looks as though it was taken out of the safe every once in a while and handled, but never shot – there are neither powder marks nor brass case marks on the cylinder or recoil shield. This gun is perfect for someone who collects S&W revolvers – a last year of production revolver in near mint condition with its factory box and accessories. if the collectors don’t pay enough attention, then someone is going to get a chance at a great looking L framed S&W revolver chambered in .357 Magnum that will be great for home protection and concealed carry. With its perfect bore and solid cylinder lockup, this revolver should last for a lifetime of shooting enjoyment.
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