Model 10-8 a good deal?

[BullRunBear]

Hi Folks,

A few hours ago I picked up a S&W Model 10-8 at a gun show. It's blued, 4" HB, serial number 4D55XXX. The left side of the frame has " C.A.I. GEORGIA VT " on it with what looks like a stylized crown below. There is no RHKP anywhere on it. It's got some heavy holster wear, retaining 60% to 70% of the finish with some minor pitting. However, the bore and cylinder look almost pristine and it locks up tight. The SA trigger pull is VERY light. The DA trigger is OK: better than my Redhawk but not as good as my stock model 29 and nowhere near the butter-smooth trigger on my K-17. It came with Hogue Monogrips with the finger grooves, which I find comfortable. The price was 200.00 out the door.

Questions:
Was this a decent price?
Approximate date of manufacture?
How does the Model 10 do with 148 gr. wadcutter loads and light 158 gr. SWC loads? I handload all my ammo so I can tailor it to suit the gun.

I'm hoping this will be a comfortable gun for my wife (5 foot tall and small hands) to shoot. My other centerfire revolvers are too heavy or the barrels are too long for her to balance them easily. She's fine with them for defensive purposes but for prolonged plinking or action-pistol style competition, they take a toll. She hasn't fired it yet but it felt very steady and balanced in her hands.

Also, I've got to admit that after reading so many posts about the Model 10 I started to lust after one. Hope to get too the range in a few days to try it out.

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

Jeff

 

[Pistol Toter]

$200 is ok, could be a little high by your description of wear. The serial number indicates it was made in 1979. The mmunitions you have chosen will do fine. Model 10's are fun to shoot and is the grandson of the orginal S&W Military & Police Revolvers and early hand ejectors of the late 1800's. they are fine guns. If you intend to use it for home defense you can even load it with +P's to get a little extra umph. You and your wife have fun with it. P.T.

 

[ugaarguy]

The left side of the frame has " C.A.I. GEORGIA VT " on it with what looks like a stylized crown below.

CAI is Century Arms International, which tells me that your gun was re-imported after sale to a foreign market since it has an importer's mark. The crown sounds like a British Proof mark. Does the proof mark look like the one shown in the last pic of this post? http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=3187215&postcount=60 If so it very likely is a British surplus pistol that CAI brought back home to the US.

I think $200 is a good price even in that condition. Reason is that the K Frames are great all around guns, demand for them is increasing, and the older hammer mounted firing pin gund like your 10-8 are sought after because they're older and better made than current S&Ws. You did well.

If your wife doesn't like the Hogues that on it try a Pachmayr Compac or Compac Professional. I've found Hogues and Pachs to be excellent grips depending on preference. If the trigger is a bit heavy a gunsmith can polish up the trigger & hammer and put in new slighlty lighter springs - basically tune it to the equivalent of what S&W does on the factory LadySmith models. This shouldn't cost too much and will make for an even more shootable revolver.

Congrats on the new gun and come join us in the K Frame club http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=260781.

 

[BullRunBear]

Guys,

Thanks for the help and information. Good to kow the Model 10 can handle occaisional +P loads, although the vast majority of ammo will be my light handloads. As long as I didn't get ripped off on price through my own ignorance, I'm satisfied. If I end up with a decent shooter in center fire for 200 bucks that's a fair deal. Looks are secondary for our purposes. And things tend to be a bit more expensive in this area.

The crown symbol doesn't match what's in the photos. Looking at it more closely, it might be a castle turret or tower.

Thanks for letting me know about the K Frame club. Inspite of my very large, thick hands, I REALLY like the feel and balance of K frames. If I feel the need for serious recoil (happens once in a while) that is where the 357 Redhawk or 45 Colt Blackhawk come in. Most of the time I'm looking for accuracy with moderate recoil.

Again, thanks for the help. THR is a great place. The knowledge, experience and enthusiasm of the members is a wonderful resource.

Jeff

 

[dogngun]

A model 10-8 will shoot +P ammo all day, every day. They are tough, accurate revolvers, designed for police duty use.
My wife has a Model 15, same gun but with adjustable sights.It used to be one of my all time favorite guns till she shot it.
Now it's hers.

The K- frame .38 Specials make excellent home defence or carry guns. They are very easy to learn to shoot well.
Try spraying the gun inside the handle (after removing the grips) with a degreaser. Let it drip out into paper towels, clean and dry the inside as far as you can reach with more paper towels. Lubricate with a good oil. This may improve your trigger a bit.

I believe your Model 10 may have been "imported" from Canada. I have a Model 17 with CAI markings that was used by the Canadian police for training.
Mark

 

[Shear_stress]

The gun may also have been reimported from France or Germany. CAI brought in a batch of M10s from those countries.

Two hundred is an okay but not spectacular deal for that gun in that condition. It might pay to shop around, especially online.

 

[Onmilo]

I am fairly certain this last batch of revolvers from Century Arms came from ex Canadian Police stock.

 

[Jim PHL]

$200 is a good price and you have an excellent gun, even with the wear you described. Many have paid more than that for a similar gun. The "sub-$200" k-frames are getting harder and harder to find. You might have been able to find one cheaper if you waited and waited for the right deal. You might have paid less, but probably not much less, and you have the gun NOW.

 

[Fun2Shoot]

$200 seems about a right.

I just bought a S&W M&P (model before it became the mod 10) for $229.

I was told by a revolver guy I trust that Model 10's sell for around $220 at the gun shows around my way all the time.

$200 seems like a fair deal.

 

[Photoman]

$200 is a fine price for a mechanically sound K frame. I find it hard to pass one up actually.

For small hands, the factory magna wood stocks might work better.

For +P ammo, Speer 135gr Gold Dot hollow points are a good choice.

For non +P ammo, try the Winchester 110gr Silvertips.

Use 148gr wadcutters as a last resort.

As someone mentioned, a basic trigger job will do wonders for the shootability of the gun.