New/Old Model 10

[Stephanie B]

Early this week, I picked up a Model 10-5 from a LGS for $275:



Fair amount of holster wear on it. The bore is bright and sharp. The sights have been painted- yellow front, green rear. I was out plinking with a bunch of people after the Thanksgiving feast and the revolver seemed to shoot pretty well.

[Crazy88Fingers]

You'll have a hard time finding a model 10 that doesn't shoot well. Great gun at a good price, congrats.

[2damnold4this]

Nice!

[shafter]

Nice buy. I can't find them for under $300 in my neck of the woods. I would have scooped it up in a second. They're the best deal out there.

[9mm1033]

She's a beater. If only it could talk. If you call S&W CS and talk nice, they'll tell you the manufactured date. It may be a LE trade-in.

[357 Python]

Nice usable revolver. From the heavy barrel it looks more like a 10-6 instead of a 10-5. Is it possible it has had a barrel replacement?

[CADILLAC HOOSIER]

I bought one of those -square butt- from Bud's guns for $269, free shipping. Looks kinda rough, but it shoots good. Think mine's a -8, and I've sure had a lot of fun with it. If anybody's interested, I think Bud's Guns still has some. Shoot safe. Hoosier

[ArkieVol]

I bought this one last week for exactly the same price. A worn old war horse with a rack number (stamped on the frame under the cylinder) so it must have been a security company issue gun. This one dates to 1955 and grips are original.

Bore and charge holes clean as a whistle and, although I haven't been to the range yet, I'm sure it shoots just fine. I carried a 1965 version as my duty weapon for 17 years until I retired it in favor of a stainless version, model 64, which I carried for the next 13 years. I gave mine to my son some time ago and missed it so I picked up this one for old times sake

They are great guns...enjoy!

[skoro]

Steph -

Score!

The k-frame S&W revolvers are just about the best handling handguns I've found. I think you'll enjoy it immensely.

[lowercase]

I really like those old Model 10s.

Here's my RB 10-10 that I bought from Bud's:



Here's a 10-5 in beautiful condition that I found at the LGS:

[roaddog28]

Great model 10s everyone. Classic looks and best known law enforcement revolver back in the days.
Howard

[Garycw]

Nice looking gun Steph. I just got mine yesterday with Houge grips. Love the look & feel over the original grip. I've already dismantled mine & put back together. I'll be touching up some of the bluing soon. They are tough guns. I used to carry one in the early 70's at my job & have used the butt as a hammer with no damage. Mine is the heavy barrel six shot and wondering if the + P will be ok to shoot? Since I bought a box of 100 +P JHP on sale already.

[Stephanie B]

From the heavy barrel it looks more like a 10-6 instead of a 10-5.

Python, it's stamped "10-5". It joins a 10-11 that I bought from Bud's a couple of months ago. The 10-11 is above it.



I shot the 10-11 in two PPC club matches this Fall. It was fun.

Here's a 10-5 in beautiful condition that I found at the LGS

lowercase, that's a sweet 10-5. I've seen two nice skinny barrel ones in this area, one was about $450 at another LGS, the other over $500 at the Cabela's in Hazelwood.

[gwalchmai]

Mine is the heavy barrel six shot and wondering if the + P will be ok to shoot?

Any steel framed S&W .38 SPL revolver with a stamped model number (i.e., made after 1955) will handle +P ammo fine. In fact, what passes for +P these days is about what a standard load was when these old gals were manufactured.

[dogngun]

To me, the 10-5 and -6 are about the best .38 fixed sight revolvers made by anybody. I would not worry about the holster wear - that's from duty carry. You have a very fine revolver, and I hope you keep it and shoot it regularly.

added. I have had over a dozen Model 10's and 15's over the years, and they all shot well, even the most worn looking..they were well made and a great design proven over time.
I have a Model 15 right next to my Mac right now...

mark

[jsimmons]

I just got hold of my uncle's service weapon - it appears to be a 66/67 Model 10-5 in very nice condition. My dad inherited from his brother after he passed away, and had a stroke a couple of years ago, so his wife wants me to sell the gun for her. Is $250 a fair price?

[Mike Irwin]

My Model 10 isn't a Model 10... It's a circa 1925 Military & Police Hand Ejector.

[amd6547]

I wasn't really looking for another 38, since I have a Model 15, and that revolver is everything I want in a 38spl.
But, looking on Armslist, I noticed this S&W for sale that was about 10min from my house. I contacted the guy, he sent me his cell number, and we talked. He warned me that it "showed a lot of wear", and agreed to take $225, down from his asking price of $250.
An hour after seeing it online the first time, I was back home, and it was mine.
It is a Pre-Model 10, made in 1957 (my birth year).
I have no problem running +P 158gn SWCHP through it, and it shoots it like it was made for it. Love the tapered barrel.

[Stephanie B]

I just got hold of my uncle's service weapon - it appears to be a 66/67 Model 10-5 in very nice condition. My dad inherited from his brother after he passed away, and had a stroke a couple of years ago, so his wife wants me to sell the gun for her. Is $250 a fair price?

Probably more than fair, especially if it has a tapered barrel. If I saw one in a LGS for under $300, it would be going home with me.

[sash]

The 10-5 is definitely my favorite! Here is my usual carry gun:

[kle]

Originally Posted by Stephanie B

Early this week, I picked up a Model 10-5 from a LGS for $275:

[img]http://thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=84961&stc=1&d=1353683695[/img]

Fair amount of holster wear on it. The bore is bright and sharp. The sights have been painted- yellow front, green rear. I was out plinking with a bunch of people after the Thanksgiving feast and the revolver seemed to shoot pretty well.

That one is interesting. I agree with 357 Python that it appears to be a Model 10-5 whose tapered barrel has been replaced with a heavy barrel from a 10-6 (or 10-4, or 10-3, or 10-1, or perhaps an early 10-8). Additionally, if the grip frame hasn't been altered to be a round-butt, I'd say it originally had a 2" barrel.

Nifty find.

[Joe_Pike]

One of the LGS has a model 10-6 Heavy Barrel in the used case. They've had it a while. When it first went in the case it was priced a t $299. I thought that that was a pretty fair deal. I went back today just to poke around and the price has gone to $525. This used to be my LGS of choice.

[micromontenegro]

I just traded my Makarov for a 10-10. Its first three shots were highly politically incorrect, but quite close to the point of aim at 15 meters (even the called flyer).

[Stephanie B]

I agree with 357 Python that it appears to be a Model 10-5 whose tapered barrel has been replaced with a heavy barrel from a 10-6 (or 10-4, or 10-3, or 10-1, or perhaps an early 10-8). Additionally, if the grip frame hasn't been altered to be a round-butt, I'd say it originally had a 2" barrel.

I don't know how I'd tell if the frame was altered or not. It'd be neat to go to a 4" tapered barrel to match the frame, but everything I've read would indicate that is not a cheap thing to have done properly.

(Sort of like the 19" barreled 1898 Krag that I bought at a LGS for $160.)

[jim8115]

My wife and I have 5 K frames in .38, 3 of them model 10's , a 10 no dash, 10-5,10-7 . Of the 15 or so hanguns we have, the model 10's get shot more than anything. They just shoot good.

JIM