Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
History is interesting. The Lockheed Super Constellation and the DC-7 were great planes but the jet age had arrived when they were developed. The great sailing ships gave way to steam. Typewriters to computers. The examples are endless. It has nothing to do with one type becoming extinct, we still have piston powered, propeller driven aircraft and sail boats are hardly a rare sight. It is the way in which that pinnacle is approached and then by economic necessity, eclipsed; that makes for fascinating history.
I have always been intrigued by the history of the S&W L-frame revolvers, particularly the 4", 581 & 681 models.
Everyone knows the developmental history of the magnum K-frames, there's no need to repeat it here. And everyone knows how the usage of the magnum K-frames changed over time. The magnum K-frame was an excellent idea but the conditions changed. By the late 1970's, S&W acknowledged that under heavy use of magnums, the K-frame was "A bridge too far" for that frame size.
So in 1980, S&W introduced the L-frames. What the customers got was an outstanding .357 magnum revolver that wasn't much larger than the K-frame. Maybe not DA revolver Nirvana, but getting pretty close.
Unfortunately, it also appeared in the twilight of the revolver era in American law enforcement. Just about the time we reached the pinnacle of the duty revolver, we reached the end of the LE revolver era.
It didn't happen overnight but by the mid 1990's, the shift from revolvers to pistols was just about complete.
1988 was the last year for the 581. The 681 made it to 1992. There were some special runs after that but for the most part, the fixed sighted, L-frame was out of production.
The adjustable sighted 686 models thrived in the civilian market and live on today; but the fixed sight, L-frame models became the Clipper Ships of the revolver world. The short lived pinnacle of their type to be replaced by changing technology in a changing world.
I have always been intrigued by the history of the S&W L-frame revolvers, particularly the 4", 581 & 681 models.
Everyone knows the developmental history of the magnum K-frames, there's no need to repeat it here. And everyone knows how the usage of the magnum K-frames changed over time. The magnum K-frame was an excellent idea but the conditions changed. By the late 1970's, S&W acknowledged that under heavy use of magnums, the K-frame was "A bridge too far" for that frame size.
So in 1980, S&W introduced the L-frames. What the customers got was an outstanding .357 magnum revolver that wasn't much larger than the K-frame. Maybe not DA revolver Nirvana, but getting pretty close.
Unfortunately, it also appeared in the twilight of the revolver era in American law enforcement. Just about the time we reached the pinnacle of the duty revolver, we reached the end of the LE revolver era.
It didn't happen overnight but by the mid 1990's, the shift from revolvers to pistols was just about complete.
1988 was the last year for the 581. The 681 made it to 1992. There were some special runs after that but for the most part, the fixed sighted, L-frame was out of production.
The adjustable sighted 686 models thrived in the civilian market and live on today; but the fixed sight, L-frame models became the Clipper Ships of the revolver world. The short lived pinnacle of their type to be replaced by changing technology in a changing world.
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