New life for an old Model 10

[Trey45]

Well....when I say old I'm talking about a mid 80's model. Y'all probably remember when the influx of Australian Police S&W Model 10's arrived here in the USA. They were picked over pretty quickly and sold out shortly after. I was lucky enough to buy 2. One was in wonderful condition (my lovely daughter decided it was hers, so I gave it to her) the other was beat up, but it shot well and locked up tight.

I took it to a local gunsmith who gave it the once over twice, gave it a trigger job (DA pull is around 4.5 pounds and slick, no stack) and had it cerakoted. I was going to have a matte black finish done, but decided on Patriot Brown and Armorers Black after I bought a RIA 1911 in similar colors.

I almost wish I had a before picture, this gun was missing so much finish that it was almost "in the white" in places. I understand that a cerakoted revolver might not be for everyone.

[101combatvet]

I've been thinking about a Model 10 for years. Very nice work on that piece.

[Trey45]

Thank you, I'm glad I had the job done. Finding a good gunsmith is like finding gold. I've had 5 guns so far worked on by this guy since I found him.

If you want, I can help you decide to buy a Model 10. I'm really good at enabling. Buy the gun! You need a Model 10, you deserve a Model 10, you should have a Model 10. Not mine of course, mine is never going to be for sale, but there's a Model 10 out there with your name on it. Go forth and procure.

Also, Model 64's are the bees knees, you should buy one of those too.

I don't even charge for this service, I enable for free.

[Eddiejoe]

Very nice looking gun! I like the matte finish you get from Cerakote.

[Jim Watson]

Please say where to get a 3.5 lb double action... that fires all primers.

[Hawg]

I have a 4 inch 10-5 that was a NYPD trade in. It's not pretty but it locks up like a bank vault and is a good shooter. I personally would rather have one with little to no finish than to have one cerakoted.

[Nathan]

Please say where to get a 3.5 lb double action... that fires all primers.

My ears are open!

[AzShooter]

My Model 10 was the only centerfire handgun that survived my recent safe cleaning. It's a sweet gun. I don't know when it was made but has the absolute best trigger in Double and Single Action and has had no work done to it.

I enjoy taking it to the range every once-in-a-while.

[Trey45]

My mistake gentlemen, I just grabbed the paperwork to double check and it's 3.7 pounds single action, 4.5 double.

[KyJim]

I’m partial to Model 10s. I think the 4-inch “pencil” barreled guns (purists are going to yell at me) balance just about perfectly to me.

[105kw]

This is one "purist" that isn't going to disagree.
The HB M-10 handles recoil of hot ammo better, but I agree the pencil barrel seems to balance better.

[Jim Watson]

OK, please say where to get a 4.5 lb DA.
I have seen enough claims to think it is possible but it can't be common or we would all have it.

[Trey45]

Here ya go. http://bosgunshopec.com/ Bo does excellent work.

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I consider myself to be a S&W purist, but I have been known to say Pencil Barrel a few times instead of the correct Tapered Barrel.

I have a couple of Model 10s, this one left the factory sometime around 1968. Best price I ever got on a S&W, $125 out the door. Of course that was probably close to 20 years ago now.

I have always felt this one, with its Tapered Barrel, was probably a police trade in, I suspect the number 54 on the frame below the cylinder may have been a police armorer's rack number.

[Hawg]

Car 54 Where Are You?

[highpower3006]

With the colors of the frame and cylinder, the picture of the OP's M10 looks almost like it was generated with CG.

I have had a few of the fixed sight M&P 1905 revolvers, renamed the Model 10 in the late fifties, over the years but for some reason I always used them as trade bait. The one I wish I still had was a 6" barreled M10 that I bought new in 1979 and carried for a couple of years as my woods gun.

I succumbed to magazine propaganda sometime in the early 80's and sold it to buy a Ruger Super Blackhawk. Just a half box of .44 mags through that thing and I developed a hatred of it that lasts to this day. I very much regretted getting rid of my beloved M10 and I sold the SBH to buy a used 4" M29 no dash that I still have.

Anyway, I had the opportunity to pick up another M10, this time an ex PD gun. I found it here locally a couple of years ago and I can confidently say that this one is staying around.

[upstate81]

I like it! I have a pencil barreled four screw that i have considered customizing, haven’t been able to bring myself to do it just yet

[ThomasT]

I just got my mothers factory nickle plated model 10 HB she used while at the Tarrant County Sheriffs Dept. What a slick gun it is too. I really want a tapered barrel version and bid on them from time to time on GB but they always bid up higher than I am willing to pay. But some day I will have another one. I do have a 6" version. No way will I let it go either.

[Centurion]

Here in Uruguay are selling an old model 1905 in excellent condition for 400 bucks. Should I buy it?

[Sgt127]

I will be shocked if that gun reliably fires with that trigger weight. Please report back.

[Trey45]

There are zero issues with this guns trigger, I've fired it plenty to know it's reliable.

[Scribe]

I carried the Model 10 4 inch heavy barrel as an issue piece for 15 years. It was a superb piece of no nonsense, no frills, no problem kit. Enjoy.

[Sarge]

Originally Posted by Hawg

Car 54 Where Are You?

Exactly!