Model 10 S&W .38

[orbit1212]

I just pick up an old Model 10 S&W and the weapon looks great its in good shape and shoots .38 ammo flawlessly i want to give it a more modern look though i want it to look cooler than that old 70's cop thing, i will post some pics later but off hand dose anyone have any ideas????

[mtnbkr]

It's your gun and you can do what you want with it, but please don't. Those are classic old guns and getting harder and harder to find in good condition (mechanically or cosmetically).

Chris

[aarondhgraham]

There's not much one can do to a Model 10,,,
Except for a nice set of custom grips.

That and/or some sexy gun leather is about all.

Well, I suppose you could give it a grayish matte finish,,,
I think it's called a Vapor-Hone finish.

Have fun customizing your Model 10,,,
But what a thing to do to a classic revolver.

[orbit1212]

this is what it looks like i put rubber grips on it 500px-S&WModel10HB.jpg

[aarondhgraham]

I believe that's a pic of a newer S&W Model 10,,,
IIRC the heavy barrel says it is of later (more recent) manufacture.

It's still a great handgun,,,
But it doesn't have the elegance of the older versions.

[MrBorland]

I agree some nice grips would look great. For that gun, I'd be partial to some custom Herrett's. The Shooting Stars might be my choice.

http://www.herrett-stocks.com/album.htm

For a more modern look, you might be able to replace the fron sight with a fiber optic sight. If I'm not wrong, some of the heavy barreled versions use a pin to hold the front sight, so swapping it out shouldn't be too tough (and/or irreparable).

If you're looking for radical changes, maybe convert it to a PPC revolver. The 10s make fine platforms.

http://www.glenncustom.com/photos.html
http://www.clarkcustomguns.com/image.../REVOLVER1.gif

[kle]

Originally Posted by aarondhgraham

I believe that's a pic of a newer S&W Model 10,,,
IIRC the heavy barrel says it is of later (more recent) manufacture.

S&W Model 10s have had heavy barrels for quite a while, since 1959:

1957: Begin stamping model number.
10-1 (1959): introduction of heavy barrel (the frame is slightly different for the heavy barrel, and changes to the standard-barrel variant were generally carried over to the heavy-barrel variant, thus the engineering changes happen in pairs)
10-2 (1961): change extractor rod thread for standard barrel
10-3 (1961): change extractor rod thread for heavy barrel, change front sight width from 1/10" to 1/8"
10-4 (1962): eliminate trigger-guard screw on standard barrel frame
10-5 (1962): change sight width from 1/10" to 1/8" for standard barrel
10-6 (1962): eliminate trigger-guard screw on heavy-barrel frame
10-7 (1977): change gas ring from yoke to cylinder for standard barrel
10-8 (1977): change gas ring from yoke to cylinder for heavy barrel
10-9 (1988): new yoke retention system, radius stud package, floating hand hammer nose bushing for standard barrel
10-10 (1988): new yoke retention system, radius stud package, floating hand hammer nose bushing for heavy barrel
10-11 (1997): MIM hammer/trigger + floating firing pin for standard barrel
10-12 (1997): MIM hammer/trigger + floating firing pin for heavy barrel
10-13 (2002): limited production 1899 commemorative edition
10-14 (2002): internal lock

The pinned barrel in orbit1212's picture, along with the forged-hammer, trigger, and thumb-piece indicate that the gun was made between 1959 and 1977--S&W stopped pinning the barrels during the era of the 10-8. The Model 10 in orbit1212's picture could be a 10-1, 10-3, 10-6, or 10-8. My guess would be that it's a 10-6.

The front sight on the Model 10s were all fixed and part of the barrel--no pin holding it in, so replacing it is a major gunsmithing operation, and not reversible.

I happen to like the classic look with my Model 10 (10-6 on the right, 10-9 (sold) on the left):

[Mike Irwin]

Mini hubcap spinners on the sides of the barrel.

A small bobble-head dog on the rear sight.

Deadhead stickers on the grips.

YO! painted on the sides of the barrel in bright banana yellow.

[spacecoast]

Aarond...

Don't forget, "old" to some people means pre-iPhone days

[ClydeFrog]

Depending on your budget, tastes, etc I'd get some custom work done top shop like Clark Custom Guns or Gemini Customs, www.Geminicustoms.com .
The Smith and Wesson PC shop could do a detailed inspection, cleaning, repair job too. They can check the timing, end-shake, springs, barrel-cylinder gap, etc.
They can also do some good custom details, action job/tune, chamfer the cylinders, remove the spur, single action(convert to DA only). To get a well made high quality plate job like the Robar NP3+, www.robarguns.com or the cool new Cerakote-NIC www.apwcogan.com . The NIC colors run from blue to brown to green to black, . A ported or Mag-na-port option would jazz up a model 10 .38spl also.

As for grips check out a CT lasergrip, www.crimsontrace.com or a wood Hogue model; www.getgrip.com . Hogue is a industry leader for grips.

[Mike Irwin]

Thinking about this some more...

How about you sell the Model 10 and get yourself some real bling, a bitchin' Glock Fotay, and throw a set of Hom-E-Boy sights on it.

[orbit1212]

I have some nice rubber grips on it and it already enhanced the look but i like the idea of a heaver barrel and i think i want detachable pictini rail on it and possibly a red dot on top something that i can not take away fro the fact that its a classic but a modern upgrade on a older classic

[aarondhgraham]

Yep,,, by "newer" and "More recent" I was forgetting that I'm older than dirt,,,
Recent to me means the late 50's-early 60's.

That handgun is one hundred and eleventy one years old this year,,,
I'm such a dinosaur.

Thanks for that chart kle,,,
May I ask where you got it?

Mike, what can I say,,,

[orbit1212]

you let me know if an old gun cant still kill new pl lol i got it fro a buddies shop this guy exchanged it for an upgrade but i think that giving old guns modern looks is something of an art in its self when you dont mess up the architecture and beauty of how it was originally

[MrBorland]

i like the idea of a heaver barrel and i think i want detachable pictini rail on it and possibly a red dot on top something that i can not take away fro the fact that its a classic but a modern upgrade on a older classic

Maybe some ideas here:
http://www.jcbgunsmith.com/pics/8.jpg

I don't have a problem customizing a 10, and they're a fine platform for customization. That said, if you like the PPC look, consider shopping around for a used one. PPC's not as popular as it once was, and used versions can occasionally be bought at a very good price, especially for what they are. Then you can sell your 10 to Mike - sounds like he's dying to rescue it.

[aarondhgraham]

I've heard that term before,,,
have no idea what it means.

[MrBorland]

PPC = Police Pistol Combat. Essentially the precursor to today's action shooting. Whereas the latter is score by time (with time deductions for non-A hits), PPC is a target match with a time limit, scored by points.

By their nature, PPC revolvers are tackdrivers, and that's why used ones are often a great bargain for what they are.

http://www.eohc.ca/ppc.asp

[spacecoast]

How about you sell the Model 10 and get yourself some real bling, a bitchin' Glock Fotay, and throw a set of Hom-E-Boy sights on it.

Gosh Mike, I think you're going a little hard on him...

Orbit - that's a beauty, and it sounds like you respect old guns. There are some good ideas in this thread (except Mike's ). If you haven't already, go out and shoot it and you'll quickly see what a joy these guns are. Make sure you know how to clean it right, and do so regularly, and you'll be able to pass it along someday as a great example of fine American craftsmanship.

[Mike Irwin]

DAMNEd KIDS!! GET OFF MY LAWN!

[spacecoast]

Here ya go Aarond...

http://www.eohc.ca/ppc.asp

http://www.aristocratproducts.com/page1.html

Not sure it does much for the looks of the revolver, but it probably functions better than ever after the PPC treatment.

Maybe some ideas here:
http://www.jcbgunsmith.com/pics/8.jpg

I might do that to a new revolver for competition, but not a classic Smith.

[aarondhgraham]

And thanks for the definition MrBorland,,,

[aarondhgraham]

But tell me,,,

How come it is that the incredibly accurate competition handguns,,,
Are so very butt-ugly!

[MrBorland]

How come it is that the incredibly accurate competition handguns,,,
Are so very butt-ugly!

I'm a sucker for an accurate revolver. Doesn't matter who or what shot it, cloverleafs are like beer goggles to me.

[kle]

Originally Posted by aarondhgraham

How come it is that the incredibly accurate competition handguns,,, Are so very butt-ugly!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That said, I happen to think the raceguns today built on 1911s and Glocks look funny. The most I think I can stomach on a gun is putting a red-dot on top. No fancy "big butt" grips or barrel weights or compensators or whatever...but whatever floats your boat.

Originally Posted by aarondhgraham

Thanks for that chart kle,,,
May I ask where you got it?

I adapted it from the list given in the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, 3rd Edition and originally posted on the S&W Forum (I am "ValkyrieKL" on that forum).

[KyJim]

IF it's not collector grade,

New grips and maybe you could have the trigger and hammer jeweled (polished in a certain way). These are tasteful touches of elegance. Something like:



To add more bling to it, nickel the cylinder and leave the frame blue.

Edited to add: The above is not my revolver.