.40 S&W Revolvers

[fmcdave]

In my younger days, I was an "automatic only" kind of guy. I carried a Colt Series 70 .45ACP LW Combat Commander for years. I transitioned to Glocks (but still carried 1911s)...but as I have grown older (maybe wiser although my wife and daughters may debate)...I have grown to like revolvers. I have a S&W 625 .45LC, Taurus Snub .45LC, and recently picked up a S&W 325pd in .45ACP (which I love and do carry from time to time).

I reload .40 SW for my Glock and have been intrigued by the S&W 10mm/40 revolvers. Went to a gun show this week and saw one. I was with my adult supervision (married 37 years) so I didn't get the time to take down the model number. They wanted $750 for it.

What experience do folks have with .40S&W revolvers. I like the S&W trigger mechanism, but would certainly consider others. I like the ballistics of a .40, I reload them for practice rounds, and my wife sez she likes revolvers (though she insists on carrying a .32 KelTec because it is light and small). Tell me what you think. I have always appreciated the feedback from this forum.
Thanks,
Dave

 

[blackrussian]

Sounds like you are describing the S&W 610.
http://www.gunblast.com/SW-610.htm

 

[LawofThirds]

Given the choice, I think the 10mm revolvers would be a better choice than the purely .40 ones, just for the option of 10mm performance.

Like any other auto cartridge using revolver, you're stuck with moonclips. The 10mm ones are usually described as being roughly equivalent to a .41 Magnum or a heavy .44 special load. I'm guessing the .40 S&W would be about like a .44 special, maybe a little snappier with less "push".

 

[Chuck Perry]

A good 10mm load is closest in performance to a good 357 load, offering perhaps a bit more performance. The Smith 610 offers the convenience of speedy reloads via moon clips, plus the option of using 40SW if you like. Neat revolver, I'd like to have one someday.

 

[bhp9mm]

smith and wesson made a model 646 on a L frame in .40 also the 610 on the n frame you can shoot .40 and 10mm i really like the 610 i have a 610-2 3 inch barrel

 

[Grey Morel]

It sounds like he needs a S&W 310, such as MINE

Gratuitous pic:

 

[LubeckTech]

I love my 610!! They are pricey and not very common but very versatile. My 610 has a 4" barrel but looks shorter because the barrel is resessed into the frame. I paid $600 + a 4" Ruger Security-Six for mine.

 

[wow6599]

I would like a 610 for the simple fact that I hate chasing brass and I treat my 10mm brass like gold.

 

[TonyT]

S&W manufactured the Model 646 in 40 S&W with a stainless frame and 4 inch barrel plus a titanium cylinder. They also manufacture the Model 610 on the N-frame which is 10mm but also can use 40 S&W ammo. I own both and they are excellent shoooters.

 

[S&Wfan]

Hi,

Originally the S&W 646 came out of the S&W Performance Center as a one of 400 moon-clipped .40 S&W racegun . . . to dominate in the "run and gun" games. Alas, the rules soon changed.

Here's one I owned back "in the day." This PC 646 was made in August of 2001.

It has a skeletonized barrel for faster pointing, moon clips for faster reloading of the .40S&W caliber ammo, adjustable trigger for overtravel and a titanium cylinder to reduce weight.

HOW DID IT DO? THE GOOD AND THE BAD . . .

1. They were very accurate but . . .

2. Manufacturers have not standardized the rims of the various makes of ammunition and S&W provided a few moon clips in TWO different thicknesses to try to help the owner find out what ammo brand would work in their revolver.

Sadly, the rounds flopped around . . . making fast reloads (ala the moon clipped .45ACP S&W revolvers) much slower and unreliable. If one interchanged various ammo too . . . good luck!!! . . . for some ill-fitting ammo in the wrong thickness of moon clips could cause the loaded ammo to even fall out of the moonclip!

Finally, the titanium cylinders were hard to clean without scratching them . . . and the rounds were sometimes very hard to eject! In frustration in one match, I finally jammed the ejector rod of mine pretty hard to get 'em to eject . . . and with enough force to poke a hole in the heel of my hand and make it bleed.

3. The death knell though was the rule changes . . . one of those rare times when the gun game rule makers took a step backwards (IMHO) and discouraged the advancement of more efficient equipment to appease the shooters or revolver-type rimmed ammunition revolvers (ala .38 Special and .357).:banghead:

I traded my PC646 gun off to a collector . . . and returned to my trusty 25-2 and 625-4 revolvers in .45ACP that had no problem with fast reloads and firmly-held moonclipped ammo!


THE FINAL 646 REVOLVERS . . .

As I said, only one run of 400 Performance Center revolvers was made, but in 2002 S&W had plenty of cylinders left over . . . so they made about 800 more .40S&W revolvers called the Model 646.

These pre-lock guns looked like the plain jane 686 .357 revolvers, with the heavy, full-lugged barrel look of the 686, but with the titanium cylinders left over from the Performance Center run. Triggers had no adjustable overtravel stop either.

ALL of the 646 revolvers are accurate handguns . . . but unless someone works out the very minor (in the long run) problem of rim thicknesses, the .40S&W caliber moon-clipped revolvers are best used for purposes other than tactical handgun matches.

Alas, after the titanium cylinders were gone, S&W discontinued any further development of the .40S&W moon clipped revolver concept. The bugs COULD have been worked out.

Hope this helps . . .

 

[WC145]

The info I have found on the second generation, non-PC 646s is that they made a run of 300 in 2003. Came in a case similar to the aluminum PC case but the gun had a full underlug and only one set of grips. Great shooters if you can find one.
This is mine:






WOOHOO!! 1000 posts!!

 

[fmcdave]

Thanks for all of the replies. I am now in a search.

 

[TonyT]

I shoo both the S&W 646 and S&W 610 with 40 S&W ammo. Mi e have very light DA triggers and require Federal primers for positive ignition. If you intend to use full power ammo then the added heft of the S&W 610 would be a decided advantage.

 

[mikey357]

FWIW, Dave Clements has "Converted" the Ruger GP-100 to 10mm/.40 S&W, and will convert S&W N-Frame .357's to 10 mm/.40 S&W...I don't imagine it's CHEAP, but...another way to go, IF you REALLY want a .40 S&W Revo, and can't find a 646 "Reasonable"...

Here's a pic of my 646 with some of it's Ti-Cylindered "Brothers"...



...the 646 is the one on the bottom right...HTH....mikey357