Awesome 1st Revolver Purchase!

[Spieler]

About a month or so ago I posted a thread looking for some input on my first revolver purchase and got some pretty good feedback, thanks! Anyway, I canvassed the local shops and two gun shows and didn't come away very impressed with what I found so I turned to the 'net.

My criteria were this: 1) Colt, Smith or Ruger, 2)6 round cylinder, 3) .38 Spl or .357 Mag, 4) 3 or 4 in. bbl, 5) Under $200! I made numerous bids on the auction sites but stopped once prices went over my $200 limit and then I saw a S&W M10-5 on the ammoman.com site. It was on sale for $175 w/free shipping (savings of $25!!!) and it came in the original blue cardboard S&W box. I sent them my payment and FFL info and I picked it up from my dealer today.

Please understand that for the past 20 or so years I have been used to utilitarian matte-finished 9mm and .45 auto pistols and when I opened the box today I was greeted by this beauty. I didn't expect much for $175, but what I got was a well-maintained piece with a rich and deep mirror-like blue finish, sharp checkering still on the grips and vault-like cylinder lockup. I did Jim March's revolver check-out and it passed with flying colors! Now I just need to get it to the range first thing tomorrow. Color me very impressed and very happy for my under $200 gun! I love being rewarded for being cheap!

For those S&W gurus here the serial number is C885xxx and any info you can give me on it, like year of manufacture, etc. would be appreciated. Thanks.

A few photos that do it no justice:

 

[Spieler]

Another

 

[Spieler]

Last one

 

[SnWnMe]

*sniff* it just ain't right!:banghead:

$175 for a Smith?

Okay let's look at the "Smith and Wesson for Dummies" book (I'm still grumbling)

66-to 67

Congrats

 

[Brian Dale]

Wow...

Sweet.

 

[Jim March]

Nice ol' piece!

You're probably going to want to swap grips. Modern shooting styles really need the support in behind the triggerguard. If you want, you can keep those and add a Tyler adapter, for that classic look, but I'd personally rather keep the originals orginal and go with a modern grip.

It can take modest amounts of +P fodder, esp. if they're 158grain lead hollowpoints. Winchester's version is easy to find, Remington's less so...both are good. Avoid the Federal version (plain lead or nyclad) for carry. Lead 158+Ps are less stressful than the 125/130grain +P JHPs, by a bit...and the 158s are probably what the sights are regulated for anyways. Try 'em out. They'll get up a nice head o' steam in that tube.

With a good IWB rig and small wood grips, that'll still make for a fine CCW piece. You'll probably find it's VERY accurate .

 

[greyhound]

Man, revolvers are SO pretty.

Consider yourself lucky to live in a gun friendly state - rube that I am I paid $345 for a S&W 4" 64-6 (the stainless version of your Model 10) last November. Ouch!

 

[Atticus]

Very nice. I'd bet that you'll have a second one in less than a year.

 

[BowStreetRunner]

I am green with envy

 

[jdmb03]

Nice gun, you did great. Congrats!

 

[Spieler]

Thanks for all the kind remarks, and thank you Jim March for the ammo rundown, as that was going to be one of my questions since I am new to the .38 Spl. I am happy with the purchase, as long as it puts the rounds where I want them. Even my wife, who is not very enamored of handguns in general called it "pretty" and my teenage girls called it "one of those old-timey guns" - but they did remark liking the DA trigger pull and inquired about when do THEY get to shoot it?!

 

[Neal Bloom]

Nice! Very nice! Congrats. Have fun with it and be safe.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Mighty pretty—and that's a pretty good price, too. Well done!

 

[Stainz]

What a great buy! I just got my 'first' .38's several weeks ago (I had nine .44 and larger revolvers...), including a modern M10-11 - from 1/03. It is a 2" 'snubbie' and it is hard to believe how accurate it is - once you know the ammo's drop. It does seem to like 158gr LSWC's best, POA wise. I would suggest a call to S&W's 800 customer service line to determine whether or not it is +P rated - not all were. It really is a nice piece - enjoy it. Revolvers are an interesting type of handgun - but be careful... mine rendered the evil-bottom-feeders - and most of my rifles - as excess here... they are nearly my only interests in firearms now... infectious.

Stainz

 

[Trebor]

Nice looking gun! I bought a very similiar 10-5 for my wife and I to share a couple months ago. It was built in the mid '70s and was probably somebody's "nightstand gun" as it looked like it had never been shot. It's rapidly becoming one of my favorite guns to shoot.

A good board for info is the S&W forum at www.smith-wessonforum.com

Any "Numbered" model gun (Model 10, etc) is rated for +P. The older "Named" model guns may or may not be rated for +P, depending on the specifics of the model and when it was made.

Good shooting.

 

[ruger357]

NICE!!!

 

[Jim March]

Even if a numbered version: I still only recommend enough of the +P 158 lead to check where and how well they're grouping. Most of your shooting should be with standard pressure loads, with lead being easier on the gun than jacketed.

The Winchester in particular is on the light side of the +P spectrum.

 

[Thirties]

Spieler, nice revolver; good price.

I suggest you now look for a brother to your model 10: a model 15. Once you have seen one, and fired one, you will know what I'm talking about.

Here are my two brothers:

 

[Litlman]

You have got to love those old S&W's!! Very nice indeed!! WARNING!!!! S&W's may be habit forming!!! Enjoy!

 

[C.R.Sam]

Good catch.
Suggest tryin it before changing grips.
Some like em the way that one is.

Sam

 

[sm]

I'll give you $50 for that old thang. It's blue and wood, goes bang evertime, hits where aimed, no manual safety, made back when quality meant more than quanity, you don't have to bend over for spent brass...

You done good- Congrats

 

[4v50 Gary]

Psst! I think you made most of us including Tamara jealous. Good buy!

 

[chaim]

Nice gun, nice price. $175, that is what I paid for my Colt PPS and it is a Colt, not a Smith, and it has much more wear to the bluing than yours. I'm jealous.

S&W K-frames are wonderful, and addictive guns. Next you'll find that you need a M15 (same gun but adjustable sights), a M14 (target model), M64 (same gun but stainless), M13 (same gun but in .357), M19 (same gun as M15 but .357), and an M65 (stainless, fixed sights and .357mag). That's at minimum. Personally, I must get the whole set of modern (numbered at least) K-frames.

Which one is next? My suggestion, try one of the .357s since you have a .38 now (I love my S&W 65LS and my M19).

 

[DennisE]

Nice looking revolver! It was manufactured in 1966 or 1967. Dennis

 

[Mark G.]

Nice looking S&W, congratulations. The condition and your picture are so much better than the picture at ammoman.com. Happy shooting.