Smith & Wesson Reviews

I was excited to take delivery of this replica today. It certainly has the look and feel of the real S&W model (I have a real steel 686).

Make it work! I managed to put 50 rounds through the gun but it does not work in double action about 4 out of 5 times and in single action about 1 out of 5 times. By not working, I mean that the trigger cannot be pulled and/or the hammer will not come back. The gun cannot be fired. In these cases, it takes considerable jiggling and twisting of the cylinder, cylinder release, hammer, etc to get the pistol to a fireable condition. This problem exists whether the cylinder is loaded or not. I tried both cylinders and had the same problems with each. When it does work, the trigger is hard to pull - especially in double action mode. The all black sights are difficult to work with.

Obviously I got a defective gun; however, I even paid the extra $10 to have the gun test fired. Apparently, it was not test fired in double action mode and the tester must have got lucky on those 10 shots. This would have been the most expensive replica in my small collection; however, I'm returning it. I'll begin the return hassle tomorrow.

It is approximately the same weight and has the same feel as my S&W 357. From 10 meters it is good inexpensive practice that I am told will transfer to my 357.

Make the front sight with a red plastic tip like the 357.

This is a fun revolver to use on paper targets and plinking in general. I love that it was made in Germany with excellent German precision. The five star accuracy rating I gave was compared to other pellet revolvers and pistols I own and shoot rather than hits on the bulls eye.

The first time I shot it it wouldn't always shoot the pellet and sometimes the double action needs two pulls. I shouldn't have checked 1 star for accuracy because I didn't shoot it enough to know. I own S&W .357 and .44 Performance Center revolvers and had high hopes for this. Maybe I just have bad luck with airguns because I bought a $600 HW90 from Pyramid and the gas piston that was supposed to last decades broke after 13 months - 1 month after the warranty expired.

I bought this so I could practice for using my S&W Model 19. This is a close match in weight and feel though not a dead match for my custom grips. Still it has such a similar feel it works for me and fits the holsters for the 19. It seems well made, comes in a nice fitted case and has allowed me to practice daily in my patio so I am pleased with it. I have other weapons for longer ranges, the 19 is for home and self defense at room distances. This product is sufficiently accurate to allow meaningful practice at such ranges and is quiet enough to not arouse neighborhood curiosity.

Since the grip is part of the power storage I doubt if that could be made more flexible but it would be nice. My 19 has a tuned action which I love and is far superior to this system, especially the DA. But SA is OK. And if you can learn to control your hand/sight movement with this trigger the good one in your real piece will be even better. Think of basketball players practicing in rubber boots...

It is not the real thing but it is definitely NOT a toy. At close and room distances it will penetrate several layers of cardboard so would ruin the day of someone accidentally shot with it. It should be handled with all of the safety considerations of a real firearm. The real gun this emulates is not one you would normally purchase for long-range bullseye shooting so it is disingenuous and just petty to complain this does not have the precision of a target pistol. But with life sized targets at room distances it can hit the vital zones with ease every time if the shooter does their part.

Purchased this expensive pistol to practice aim and firing so as to not have to go to the range and spend $.50 a round to practice. Works well in my backyard. Noise is not noticed by neighbors. Size, weight, feel are close facsimiles of the real thing. The easy loading 10 pellet clip is nice allowing plenty of shots before switching. CO2 loading is straight forward. The trigger is not like the real thing, but in SA has little creep and breaks well. DA is a wacky and I don't use it. Sight adjustability is a great feature but has limitations. See the negatives below. I tried light "pistol pellets" RWS Hobby and expensive Meisterkugeln with indifferent results. Heavier pellets - H&N Barracuda Match and JSB Match Exact - produced improved results. The JSB seems to work the best.

Pistol insists on shooting 10-11 o'clock high. Windage adjustment cranked all the way right helps, but in ~200 pellets I've never been wide right. The rear sight's elevation seems to be at max down position making it impossible to adjust for the consistently high shots. (I'm reasonably competent with the real pistol.) The black on black on black sights and target are a distinct negative. Even just a white/red dot on front sight would improve pistol dramatically. I've carefully added a red dot to mine. I'm not sure how to fix this, but it is possible to jam. If CO2 level drops below what is needed to fire a pellet, the pellet can hang part way out of the clip. You either use a thin tool to push the pellet back or sheer it off by turning the clip hard to the left. So far it seems that quite a lot of CO2 is left when the pistol will no longer have the power to drive the pellet. I get maybe 40 shots per CO2. There is little warning of low CO2.

I caution any parent to NOT allow a youngster to ever carry this outside of the backyard. It could get them shot by the police. Umarex charges a significant premium for this line of pistols. At ~$250 I would at a minimum expect a fully adjustable rear sight and some sort of sighting aid. If you just want it as a collectable, these issues won't bother you as it looks "real." If you expect to be able to accurately shoot, a lot of experimenting and adjustment is required. Finally, Umarex tech support is among the worst I've ever dealt with. They are not only curt bordering on rude, they also say to any question on accuracy and performance: "We have no specification for how many shots you get or how accurate the pistol can be." This is my 2nd Umarex pistol. I hesitate to recommend their pistols unless you are willing to do some work and learn "Kentucky Windage." BTW The tech I spoke to said they recommend any CO2 but Crosman. I don't see many other choices.

This is a very accurate revolver. It has a fairly long trigger pull in D/A which can take away from the accuracy somewhat but in single action it is amazing. The gun has a very realistic feel and heft and I like the 10 round magazine as well.

A bit expensive but in line with similar quality guns.

Seems to shoot a variety of different pellets well. I get between 60-70 shots before I notice a significant drop in CO2 pressure.

Heft, feel, and balance are very close to the real 586 firearm. Sight picture is very good to excellent. Trigger is good but not perfect. CO2 cartridge loading is easy as is changing out an empty cylinder for a loaded one. Liked the lack of recoil and relatively quiet report. The gun is quiet enough for indoor/basement target practice without forcing everyone in the house to wear ear protection.

Trigger is much different than the real firearm; but not bad. Single action trigger is heavier than my real 586 but still crisp if somewhat gritty. The double action trigger is lighter than the real firearm and has a shorter stroke. This is understandable as cylinder mass is much lower than in the real 586 and only a tenth of a cylinder rotation is required for each trigger pull. Both triggers are more than adequate for good accuracy even if they aren't the same as the firearm's. The rear sight doesn't always follow the movement of the elevation adjustment screw. I had to raise the rear sight to sight-in. After I backed the screw out a bit, I had to pull up on the sight itself to get it to follow the screw...probably a burr in the channel it sits in. Did not have to touch the windage adjustment. The top of the right grip panel does not lie perfectly flat against the frame when a CO2 cylinder is loaded. I can see daylight between the frame and grip.

I own both a 4" 586 and a 6" 686 firearm. Both have incredible triggers. Didn't expect a $250 CO2 pistol to duplicate the real firearm trigger, and wasn't surprised when it fell short; still it's plenty good enough for 10 meter target work. I've only put one CO2 cartridge through this gun to date. Was able to get 55 shots from it before noticing a velocity drop-off. Accuracy seemed quite good offhand. It was about what I'd expect from my real 586. Accessory cylinders are still looser than the two that came with the gun. The RWS R10 7 grain wadcutter pellet works good in both, but the pellet does drop further into the accessory cylinder chambers than it does in the originals. The pellets do NOT drop out. Bought this to save on ammo expense while getting frequent indoor practice. Looks like it fills the bill. Will post again if I learn more about this handgun.

Very realistic feel. Love the rubber grips. Very accurate for a replica.

I would like to load pellets into a "bullet like" cartridge, similar to the Dan Wesson bb revolver.

Feels good in the hand, I like the hard rubber grips. Very realistic in looks function and weight.

Not much. Maybe a more positive lock up when closing the pellet cylinder. Haven't shot it a lot yet but so far have not had any problems. The grip is a little long.

It's a fun pistol to shoot and fairly accurate for a 4" barrel.I would recommend it to anyone.

Still an excellent value, particularly for those with a "Real" Smith & Wesson "K" or "J" frame, or perhaps a Colt Python or Cobra. Great practice piece and a hooping lot less expensive that practice with powder.

This revolver is awesome!The german craftsmanship is superb.Every thing about this revolver screams quality.Buy one,you wont be sorry.

I know it would increase the price but a real blued finish instead of the matte black finish would make an even great replica that much better,other than that its perfect.

This gun is very accurate as is.I put a BSA pistol scope on it and now its near impossible to miss.Buy the 3 pack of magazines to keep the fun going.I also purchased the 6 inch barrel and it feels as nicely balanced as the 4 inch barrel.Velocity is also a little higher with the 6 inch barrel.

The Smith & Wesson 586 pellet revolver is not only an excellent airgun, but also a very versatile one. I first bought the complete 6-inch barrel revolver and then bought the 4-inch barrel accessory. Changing the barrel was very easy. I think I like the 4-inch better for its shorter length because its slightly lighter weight and easier to handle. It also fits in my holster better than the 6-inch. However, I was slightly less accurate with this 4-inch version. Although guns with shorter barrels tend to be less accurate, I think most of the inaccuracy was due to my relative lack of training and experience. Nevertheless, I was still on target on the 2 inch shot spots with groupings ranging from 1 inch up to 2 inches.

I wouldn't change anything with the exception of putting white dots on the front and rear sights.

I tested this gun with these pellets: Crosman Premier Super Match wadcutter, Crosman Premier Super Point, Crosman Premier Ultra Magnum domed, RWS Superdome, RWS Meisterkugeln Pistol, RWS Meisterkugeln Rifle, RWS R10 Match, RWS Hobby, RWS Superpoint Extra, H&N Sport, H&N Baracuda, H&N Field Target Trophy, H&N Match Pistol, H&N Spitzkugel, H&N Finale Match Pistol, JSB Match Diabolo wadcutter, and JSB Exact Diabolo domed. I used the magazines that came with the gun and the three magazines from the accessory pack. All five magazines worked very well for me. I didn't have any problems at all with jammed pellets except when I used the Crosman Premier Super Point pellets or when attempting to shoot more than 55 shots with weak CO2 pressure. I don't know why other reviewers are reporting so many jams especially when using the accessory pack magazines. I didn't have that problem, and I strongly recommend buying the accessory magazines along with the gun. For a replica pellet revolver, this Smith and Wesson 586 is well worth the price.

A pretty good representation of an "L" frame Smith & Wesson. Very little plastic in this one, in fact it feels heavier than the real thing. While far from match-accurate, it's still more than acceptably so. Fallen leaves in my back yard tremble in fear at any likely range. Personally, I found the 6 inch barrel not to my liking, while the 4 inch seems about right...but that's just me. Absolutely do not believe anybody that says this has a trigger-pull or an action like the real thing...it doesn't. Out of the box it's rather rough and very notchy when the lockwork engages. But to be realistic, neither you nor I should expect that in something that costs a small fraction of the real thing. Is it acceptable? Yes, better than acceptable in fact. Does it improve with use? Yes, remarkably so. Is it good for practice? Yes, and a whole lot less expensive than launching .38 Specials down range. I'd recommend it for those who can't own or afford or have neighbors that object to recreational firearms usage in the back yard.

I'd like a 3 inch barrel option, re-engineer the butt to make it shorter, 3-dot or outlined sights, and fix the damn accessory magazine problem.

Upon reading the past reviews, there is a persistant complaint that this revolver jams. The problem clearly stems from the poor quality of the accessory magazines which are manufactured somehow differently than the two that come with the gun. While the original two are fine and work quite well, the holes in the accessory mags are too big, and the pellets fall out either in your pocket, while being handled, or in the gun itself, which will cause a jam when the cylinder tries to rotate. Bad, bad, bad. Until this issue is addressed, I'd strongly advise against buying the accessory 3-pack of magazines. If you insist on using the accessory ones, you'll need to know the (unpublished) technique to unjam your revolver is to take your .177 cleaning rod and GENTLY tap the offending pellet (which is hanging out the front of your magazine half-way into the barrel) back into the magazine and then you can open the cylinder and remove the problem. This seems to be a lot quicker than the published technique of removing the barrel, which will be your fall-back technique. I have an order in for a selection of different diameter pellets to salvage the 3-pack mag issue and I'll amend this review later on.

I liked the co2 compartment-I liked the feel of the 5864-I like the way you load the revolver.

a gauge to let you know when you are running low on co2-adjustabe trigger

go ahead and purchase the 10 for $10. You are going to have to sight this puppy in when you get it. Don't let the co2 too low a pellet will get stuck in the gap between cylinder and barrel. Very nice revolver

Very good heavy feeling revolver, Not cheap plastic

Uses a LOT of CO2. Accuracy drops off if shots fired withing 10~15 seconds of each other. Rapid cooling causes vertical stringing in rapid fire practice.

Quality piece, very good for double action dry fire practice.

Very good for practice without the expense of going to a range. 1 to 1 Accurate with a 686. Weight is the same.

Offer in a 3" Barrel.

Very high quality item. I've been weighting over a year for this to be available.

It feel great. It is accurate. However it must be mention that if you use any pellets other than Wadcutter or Domed, you ran the danger of gun getting jammed. I have a Crosman 357 that works much better, a lot cheaper & take any .177 caliber pellet without getting jam.

Jams too often. I wish they could fix this problem. This is a problem.

I just want to emphasize on Jamming. They need to look into this.

Wow!!! I got to say this is one son of the gun. Great weight and feels real. It feels like firing a real gun....awesome!! Powerful and extremely accurate, Take my advise if you are really serious about buying good quality airgun. This is the one i strongly recommended. Oh ya ....BUY EXTRA MAGAZINES!!!!

Half inch shorter of the grip looks nicer.

Make sure the pellets are tight in the magazine and the gun will jam If the magazine are not in tight and right position.Or else you should have no problems shooting.

Looks and feels like the real smith & wesson. Comfortable to shoot. All metal. Better than the crosman I used to own. Fits well in holster. I have to qualify every year so this gives me good practice.

Nothing. Pretty good gun but more pricey. Prefer shooting the 6" model.

Good quality but more pricey. I have the 4" and the 6" models so I can have friends over to shoot. The CO2 lasts longer with the 6" barrel. Buy extra mags. I have 5 mags per gun. The 6" shoots 80 rounds comfortably. The 4" shoots ony 60 rounds before running out of power. Cheaper than practicing with real bullets.

This airgun looks and feels great. Nice heft and balance. Incredibly accurate for a 4" barrel. I ordered the interchangable 6" barrel and it works just as well, accuracy seemed about the same but that could be the shooter's error with the heavier barrel, freehand. I really love this gun and the versatility of the option of two barrel lengths!

The plastic tool that is included for changing out the barrels was stripping in the counternut and I couldn't get the nut to budge. I called Umarex and they confirmed that I could use an 8mm alan wrench, which worked perfectly. A metal tool should be included for changing out the barrels, instead of the plastic one. Oh, and the only reference to this tool was in the instructions that came with the 6" barrel. If you just bought the airgun without the extra barrel, you'd be wondering what on earth the thing was for (it's shaped like a wheel with a short six sided "axle".

This is a fairly heavy airgun, especially with the 6" barrel. I find the 4" barrel to be better balanced and therfore giving me greater accuracy. From benchrest, both the 4" and 6" barrels are dead on. This is turning out to be one of my most accurate air pistols at 25'.