Hong Kong police send back faulty Smith & Wesson revolvers

[Drizzt]

Deutsche Presse-Agentur


January 16, 2003, Thursday
04:23 Central European Time

SECTION: Miscellaneous

LENGTH: 164 words

HEADLINE: Hong Kong police send back faulty Smith & Wesson revolvers

DATELINE: Hong Kong

BODY:
Hong Kong police have sent back a batch of faulty Smith & Wesson revolvers after cracks were apparently found in their barrels, a government official said Thursday.

Up to 200 out of a consignment of 1,000 of the U.S.-made .38 calibre revolvers delivered to the force are believed to have been found to have the hairline cracks. Secretary for Security Regina Ip told legislators in a written response that newly-delivered firearms had been returned to the manufacturers after failing "stringent testing".

She refused to confirm or deny legislators' questions over whether a fifth of the revolvers delivered to Hong Kong force had been found to be faulty.

Hong Kong police officers routinely carry firearms. The force is currently switching from Colt .38 revolvers, which stopped production in 1996, and trying out a variety of alternative makes.

Smith & Wesson is one of the world's leading gun makers and has been making firearms for 150 years.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Hum...

Wonder if the barrels were screwed in too tightly...

 

[bountyhunter]

"Secretary for Security Regina Ip told legislators in a written response that newly-delivered firearms had been returned to the manufacturers after failing "stringent testing".

I wonder if the "stringent testing" included shooting hot loads.

Why didn't they just buy .357's like a model 66 and then never have to worry about the strength of the barrel?

 

[Old Fuff]

The quoted article is a little confusing given that the Royal Hong Kong Police (RHKP) have been using Smith & Wesson model 10 revolvers since around 1983. I presume they were satisfied in the past, but apparently the latest shipment contained some guns that S&W’s quality control inspectors should have caught but didn’t. A fair number of the earlier revolvers have showed up on the U.S. used gun market and no serious flaws have been reported. Why did the buy .38 Special rather then .357 Magnums’? I presume because they use .38 cartridges and buy revolvers to match.

 

[Frenchy]

. Why did the buy .38 Special rather then .357 Magnums’? I presume because they use .38 cartridges and buy revolvers to match.

I read a transcript on the net some time ago, of a Hong Kong Police Commission report concerning caliber upgrade. The discussion was whether the change in the types of crime required a more powerful handgun cartridge. In the end, it was decided that any change would be with long guns, and not the standard sidearm.

 

[popeye]

I just picked up one like Frenchy's today. Looks like RHKP don't shoot much.

 

[444]

I have one too, but they didn't give me a patch with mine.

 

[Airfix]

RHKP

The local newspapers stated that the RHKP has been testing both G17 and G19 in the past few months. The G19 would likely get the nod due to the size, nothing has finalized yet. Not much mentioned regarding the long guns, as they are still mainly using various models of MP5s.

 

[M58]

Mine is fine!

 

[Lone Star]

Considering that Hong Kong reverted to China in 1997, I'm amazed that they're still called, The Royal Hong Kong Police. I'd have thought they'd have been re-equipped with Chinese Makarovs by now.

If this story is true, S&W really dropped the ball on quality control on this shipment.

Lone Star

 

[Frenchy]

Considering that Hong Kong reverted to China in 1997, I'm amazed that they're still called, The Royal Hong Kong Police.

They arn't!! They are just the "Hong Kong Police" now. My patch and pistol pre-date the handover.

 

[Tamara]

Betcha "split barrels" is "split forcing cones".

 

[Frenchy]

Betcha "split barrels" is "split forcing cones".

Bet you're right, Tamara.

 

[Johnny Guest]

Nice looking revolvers, Frenchy and M58 - - -

What "dash number" are these? 10-5 or otrher? Where have they been selling, how recently, what is/was the usual price, and, does someone list them on the 'net?

I see the lanyard loop on Frenchy's - - - Are there any other differences from the usual M10?

Best,
Johnny

 

[M58]

Mine is a 10-7.
RHKP 2834 on the grip.

 

[Lone Star]

I agree about the split forcing cones, but it is theoretically possible to split a Smith bbl. I've seen photos of an M&P that fired a squib load. The shooter didn't realize that bullet had jammed in the bore, and fired several more shots, normal power. The barrel did split, with one bullet sticking up above the steel by quite a bit. But the gun overall didn't blow, and I don't believe the shooter was injured. Wow!

Lone Star

 

[Frenchy]

What "dash number" are these? 10-5 or otrher? Where have they been selling, how recently, what is/was the usual price, and, does someone list them on the 'net?

Most if not all RHKP's, were 10-7's and 10-9's. The 10-8's were heavy barrel's and I don't think RHKP's were available in the heavy.
As to where there selling...You just have to keep your eye's open. Prices that I've seen range from $150 to over $300 for the pristine "never issued' variety. Supica is running a early 10-7 on his auction site right now.

ArmsBid

 

[popeye]

My dash 7

 

[oweno]

Mine is a 10-9, serial # BEB5xxx.

It was made on October 20, 1989 and was one of over 13,000 shipped to the RHKP. They were all (most?) taken back in trade by S&W when the RHKP replaced this model with the Model 10-4" HB (heavy barrel, and yes, the "Why" of this escapes me too).

At that time, the RHKP went from the British style holster with flap, butt forward on the left hip to the holster worn on the right hip. A 6-round speed loader was also then added as standard police issue.

The original issue had a lanyard that went from the lanyard ring to an epaulet on the officer's right shoulder, I don't think that the heavy-barrel replacement had the lanyard.

The engraving of the RHKP serial number was done in Hong Kong.

Owen

... and also, if you do a search on EBAY for "Royal Hong Kong Police", you can usually find some nifty odds and ends to go with your revolver - patches, badges, etc. All on the market as their name no longer uses the word "Royal".

 

[Frenchy]

... and also, if you do a search on EBAY for "Royal Hong Kong Police", you can usually find some nifty odds and ends to go with your revolver - patches, badges, etc. All on the market as their name no longer uses the word "Royal".