OMG! .357s in a model 10 Smith!

[Brad Johnson]

I was shooting over the weekend when a guy I've never seen sets up next to me. He pulls out a blue model 10 Smith that appears to be one of the $150 military/police imported trade-ins that I see at gun shows all the time. I figure, "No problem."

I figured wrong.

The first few cylinders were obviously some plinker .38s that barely did more than just go pop.

Then I hear and feel this high pressure BOOOM!!! I thought the guy had gotten a double charged 38 in the thing and that I was going to turn around and see him holding what was left of his gun with the topstrap peeled back. No such luck. About the time I turn it goes BOOOM!!! again and I see the Smith's muzzle flip smartly upwards.

He sees me turn with a funny look on my face so he asks me if I mind him shooting some "full power mags for a little bit". Thank God the rangemaster cleared the range at that exact moment. I made sure I was right about the gun. Sure enough it was a blued model 10. Then I looked at the box of shells he was using and it said .357 Mag 125gr.

What the heck!!???!!??

I asked him if they were hot .38 reloads in a .357 box and he said, "No, they're factory .357. I converted the gun to shoot them". Converted? It turns out this genius had listened to one of his buddies who told him the gun was plenty strong to shoot .357s in and all he had to do was ream the cylinder to move the spacing shoulder back. He got the reamer from Brownells and did it! I looked in the cylinder and sure enough in every chamber there was a ring of nice shiny new metal showing where the spacing lip used to be. Too bad he hadn't gotten a box of 158gr cartridges - they would have been too long and the bullet tip would have hung out the cylinder enough to lock it up from the get go. Unfortunately the 125 grainers he had were just short enough to let the cylinder rotate even though they were scraping the edge of the forcing cone.

AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!

After a friendly, but very serious, lecture about the pressure capabilities of the gun he was a little white from shock. He was obviously embarrassed and was packing up to leave. Since he had otherwised practiced safe gun handling and seemed like a nice gent I convinced him to stay and shoot. The gun was no worse for wear and happily ate all the .38s he could feed it. He turned out to be a pretty good shot. I made him promise to never shoot anything but .38s in the gun, and to never, ever trade it unless he got the cylinder replaced.

Brad

 

[Checkman]

Well I guess it wasn't his time to die. Good thing you were there.

 

[Marshall]

He either had Angles around him, which you may have been one of or, the Smith's are stonger than we think.

 

[Jason Demond]

S&W made some .357 model 64's (SS M10), before they built the model 65. It could be done, I didn't say it should be.

 

[Jim K]

S&W makes the cylinders and frames of .357 Magnum revolvers with a special heat treatment so they are a lot tougher than .38 Special revolvers with the same frame size.

The Model 10 is strong enough to handle factory .357's, but not as a steady diet. I doubt the gun would have blown up or if he was in any danger, but the gun would certainly have been harmed eventually. You did well, Brad, to help the guy out and to stop him before something did happen.

Jim

 

[FPrice]

I have seen a Model 10 which was also roll-marked for .357 Magnum. Supposedly it was a special run for a local PD or Sheriff's Dept back in the 70's or so.. I have tried to buy it off the guy but he refuses, just shoots .38 SPL target loads out of it.

 

[Josey]

I have a S&W M10. Marked 38 S&W Special cartridge. When I made the stakeout squad, our 3" M10s were routinely loaded with 158 gr 357 Magnum lead flat nose rounds. It was known but, not talked about openly. I just checked. A 180 gr Winchester Supreme JHP WILL fit in my M10. I DON'T SUGGEST IT!

 

[Old Fuff]

One time a detective I knew came to see me. Claimed he was having trouble with his Colt Cobra (aluminum framed) revolver. On examining it I found that yes indeed, it was a bit loose. In fact it was loose in any direction you might pick. On three chambers the firing pin could no longer touch the cartridges, or their primers.

It seems that some "expert" had talked him into having it rechambered into .357 Magnum - and now I was looking at the likely result. It wasn't blown, but it was well bent. As there was nothing I could do, the gun was sent to Colt. They actually replaced it - or at least the frame.

 

[dinosaur]

The forerunner of the Model 13 were Model 10s chambered for .357 as a special run for the NYSP. These are starting to show up as they were replaced years ago. I don't know if they were actually redesigned guns stamped Model 10 but reaming out the step in the cylinder is not the way to go.

 

[roo_ster]

Brad:

I want you around any time I decide to commit some damfoolery.

Good call.

 

[HSMITH]

There ARE some factory marked Model 10 revolvers chambered in 357 magnum out there as dinosaur pointed out. They were NOT conversions though, but M13's stamped with M10 designation to please a beaurocrat somewhere. They are really quite rare and command a premium when sold.

 

[Drifter721]

The Model 10-6 was a prototype for the Model 13 that came after it. There were 1200 manufactured and issued to the NY State Police. These were later recalled and exchanged.



Link to album:

http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?selected=856349

 

[grendelbane]

If you think that a model 10 in .357 mag is scarey, let me tell you about my Charter Arms Bulldog.

I bought it brand new some time in the 1980's. Stainless steel, no hammer spur, and those really nice synthetic grips. Best Charter I have ever seen, except for one thing.

I accidentally loaded it with .44 magnum one time.

Fortunately my eyesight had not deteriorated at that time. I saw the mag designation on the headstamp, and replaced them with .44 Spl Silvertips.

But the first one would have fired!

I tried several other factory magnum loads, and one of them was also short enough to chamber in this gun. Some were too long.

The old Bulldogs were a lot tougher than people think. But I don't think that they were that tough!

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Many years ago, I was shooting with my friend. I had my Colt Viper (alloy frame) and he was shooting his old model 10. We were shooting his reloads, and he had one round with a lot of extra kick and boom. Shortly after that, I had a squib. The bullet was sticking out the end of my barrel. The only thing we could figure is that he had double charged one case and had no powder in another case. The model 10 held up just fine, but it's a good thing I didn't get it in my Colt.

Found out later he had let his 11 year old son charge the cases. I told him to let his son help, but let him do something besides charge the cases.