Model 10 question

[SlowFuse]

Has anyone bought any of the trade-in model 10 S&Ws from Buds lately? I considered getting one a couple years ago and wish I did. I heard a lot of good things about them back then and they were about $35 cheaper. Still, $320 seems like a decent deal for a model 10. If it locks tight and isn't rusted I think I would be satisfied. Does anyone have input on recent batches of these?

 

[Delawarean]

I've bought three.

I bought 3 of them about 2 years ago. I think they were the lower price at the time.

I have no complaints. I got two Model 10-10 and one 10-8.

The older one has a pinned barrel, a serrated trigger, but also a bit of endshake and the blueing is probably 60%.

The other two have better bluing, around 80% and 95%.

All are tight enough to shoot. The newer two are very tight.

 

[LamarE]

Looks like I waited too long to act - the round butts seem to be gone. Ah well, when one door closes...

 

[MCgunner]

I'd like to have a M10 round butt snubby, but they're hard to find used. I've got 5 shot snubbies that I like and carry, but a M10 RB snubbie would be nice to have in the collection. I own a square butt HB 4", inherited it.

 

[ZVP]

My buddy bought 3 years back

He paid $200 and sold me one for his price!
What a gun!
These were former loaners to the British Bobbys .38 Special still and I'm gratefull for that!
They have all sorts of British Proofs all over, the Brits check EVERYTHING!
I only shoot regular factry and some light handloads in it. 158 grainers shoot right on.
Probablly my favorite D/A revolver!
ZVP

 

[Coyote3855]

I'm in the market for a used Model 10 and keep an eye on the various vendors that carry police, military, or security turn ins. Like you, I wish I'd jumped on those round butts. A day late as usual.

I did recently score a Model 15 that cleaned up nicely. Great trigger, bright rifling, holster wear, and turn line. Under $300 including sales tax, shipping, and FFL fee.

 

[SlowFuse]

I have had a round butt model on layaway for a couple months. I'm about to go ahead and pay it off probably after Christmas. That's what raised my curiosity, I'm curious what kind of shape these are in and if they are as good as the ones from years past.

 

[HighRoadRover]

I bought a round butt 4" barrel Model 10-11 from Bud's for $319. It had a little rust under the grip panel and some holster wear. The barrel is bright, lockup is excellent, and it has no end shake. It is one of the most accurate guns I have ever owned or shot.

It formerly belonged to the Victoria Police, in Australia. It had a small inventory sticker with their initials on it. I think it qualified as "carried a lot, shot a little."

Buying a police trade-in gun is always a crap shoot, but in general, the Model 10 holds up well over the years and is sturdy and dependable. And police trade-ins tend to have less home gunsmithery that can ruin any gun, compared to used guns bought off the interweb. If you happen to get a S&W police trade-in that needs some work, it can always be returned to the S&W factory for repairs; their customer service is legendary.

Was $319 worth it? It was for me. I think it compares well with any price for any comparable revolver on GunBroker.com, GunsAmerica.com, etc. And Bud's doesn't charge for shipping.

 

[SlowFuse]

Well, here's what I got... Model 10-11 round butt from Buds. I've had it a couple weeks, little late with my update. Upon examination everything looked good. I would have liked original grips but not a deal breaker. Decent amount of holster wear, but lockup was tight. Bore looks good so I accepted the transfer.

Now for the fun part, once or twice every cylinder I have a light strike. On the second attempt it goes off. I'm shooting reloads, it's all I have for 38 special so I don't have another type of ammo to compare. The batch I have is loaded with Tula primers, the first time I've used them. I'm going to go back to make sure I seated the primers deep enough, that's not something I usually have an issue with. I also checked the strain screw since I've heard of this causing light strikes.

I like the way it shoots, but the light strikes are frustrating.

 

[rondog]

I have one too, from Bud's. It's ugly, but in excellent mechanical and shooting condition. I rarely buy any gun sight unseen, but I'm glad I bought this one! Part of me wants to send it to S&W for refurbing, but the other part of me wants to leave it as-is.





But I can't imagine how the S&W logo got so worn down, this is the only thing that really bugs me about this gun.

 

[hapax]

I got one of these when they were first available at Buds and was very pleased - some bluing wear and the grips were pretty rough, but excellent mechanical shape and function. Touched up the bluing, replaced the grips, and it's now my favorite revolver.

 

[SlowFuse]

Welcome to THR hapax.

 

[lemaymiami]

I still have the model 10 heavy barrel I was issued the last week of 1973 (before I went to the academy as a rookie down here in paradise (Dade county, FL). When I retired out in 1995 I was allowed to purchase it from my outfit. For the first 7 or 8 years it was my daily carry in uniform so there's a history with it. Off and on over the years since I retired I've considered parting with it, but suspect I'll still have it when I no longer need it at all...

That model is utterly reliable, no sights to knock out of alignment, solid heavy construction, but still only 38 cal... The exact same weapon in stainless is the model 64 (had a few of them as well, but sold them to purchase other duty pieces..).

 

[Waveski]

rondog - given the fact that the model 10 was designed and marketed as a simple , reliable and utilitarian revolver , and yours looks the part , I woulld keep it as is. Nice honest wear.

lemaymiami ' I sure hope you keep your 10. You can't put a price on history. All the wear is yours. How can't ever replace that.

 

[Drail]

I have some S&W revolvers from the Bangor-Punta era - a lot of those received very shallow stamping. If the gun was refinished at some point the S&W logo gets even thinner from buffing and flaw removal. I worked for a dealer who bought a lot of police trade in revolvers when the cops all switched to bottom feeders. The guns had a lot of service wear on the finish but most of them looked as if they had only been fired once a year at qual. Internally they were barely broken in. Really good deal for the price. Wish I had bought a few at the ridiculously low price.

 

[eastbank]

my model 10 stub nose, i find it muzzle light but it handles +P,s way better than a model 36-60. eastbank.

 

[jdavis123]

Nothing tops a Model 10 for durable dependability. It's classic lines and simplicity made it the choice of law enforcement agencies world wide and a favorite of civilians as a home defense weapon. There is much to like about S&W's oldest production revolver. I acquired my Model 10 a number of years ago. It suffered cosmetically but was sound mechanically.
I stripped and cleaned it and applied some cold blue. It is an excellent shooter that has become a favorite. Everyone should own at least one Model 10!

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[SlowFuse]

If you guys had my grips and wanted to put wood back on it what would you choose? I've been looking for the past week, and have pretty much just decided on Altamont classic panels.

 

[amd6547]

Mine is a circa '57 "Pre-model 10" with the 4" taper barrel. It is a very good shooter that I got for a song, and I'm not a very good singer.
However, I have to say I prefer the Model 15-3 I bought during the great police revolver sell off. Paid $175. Whether somebody worked on my Combat Masterpiece, or it just saw more actual use, it just seems smoother in every regard.
I use the PC-Magna smaller grips with a Tyler T grip. I see some decent deals on eBay for genuine S&W grips, get a nice used pair to match your revolver.
I've been known to CCW my four inch K frame, with the small Uncle Mikes boot grip. The Model 10 shines there.

 

[joem1945]

I have several model 10's. Mine are from the 60's and are one of my favorite range guns.

 

[Tallball]

I am one of those dinosaurs who somehow survived the whole meteor thing. I wanted to get a shootin' iron almost as old as I am, but all I could find was this newfangled thing and it is barely over 100 years old. My young friends laugh at me because they have these plastic things with lights and sirens and railroad tracks on them that shoot 1 billion rounds all over the place while I am still trying to actually aim at something. All that this old thing will do is poke holes in things that I point it at, so it is probably no more useful that I am - meaning that if you prop one of us against a door we can probably hold it open for a while.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Now for the fun part, once or twice every cylinder I have a light strike. On the second attempt it goes off. I'm shooting reloads, it's all I have for 38 special so I don't have another type of ammo to compare. The batch I have is loaded with Tula primers, the first time I've used them. I'm going to go back to make sure I seated the primers deep enough, that's not something I usually have an issue with. I also checked the strain screw since I've heard of this causing light strikes.

I like the way it shoots, but the light strikes are frustrating.

Usually if a round does not go bang the first time but does on the second strike it's an improperly seated primer, not the gun. The M10 will fire any ammo that is made correctly. But, just in case remove the grips and make sure the strain screw is screwed all the way down. That is a nice revolver, good luck with it. I own a 1948 M&P I shoot all the time. As for grips, I like the original service grips with a grip adapter. Service grips are still available directly from S&W and the grip adapter from Tyler T grips. Unfortunately Pachmyer no longer makes grip adapters.

 

[Waveski]

Tallball-

Beautiful!

 

[MartinS]

It sure is. Finally got all that blue stuff off that they put on at the factory to protect the real skin.

 

[kBob]

jdavis,

What cold blue did you use on that Model 10? Do you mean you striped all the old blue off and cold blued the whole gun or just strip off the oils and grease and touched up the bad spots with cold blue?

That is a nice looking gun. I have a model 15 that is cosmetically challenged but has in the past done OK in plate shooting. I have been considering cold bluing it but past experience with various cold blue goo makes me wary. I have considered stripping all the remaining blue and doing a Cold Plumb Brown finish on it just for giggles.

Some one in the way back suggested that after a so-so cold blue job using automobile paste wax to finish the gun with. I always wondered how that would deal with the gases from the barrel cylinder gap though.

-kBob