Smith geeks unite: strange recent M10

[Shear_stress]

Found an odd recent production S&W M10. It's a Model 10-10, with a round butt, serrated back strap, wooden Magna grips, pencil barrel and forged trigger/hammer (firing pin on hammer). The serial number is CCKXXXX, which would place production roughly in 1997, or so says SCSW.

According to the dealer, this was a "vault gun" that had recently been sold through Lew Horton. I believe it. The gun was absolutley pristine inside and out. No wear to be found, not even a turn line. Lock up was perfect, trigger pull smooth and light. Box and instructions are included.

Now, this is not "strange" on the order of a five-inch, pinto, four-screw M29, or some such beast. It's just that the tapered barrel was supposedly discontinued by 1996, and 1997 saw the introduction of the dreaded MIM thumb piece and trigger. Also, the non-MIM, FP on hammer, round-butt, serrated backstrap frame was only made for 18 months. Is it possible that this was a "parts" gun cobbled together from leftovers by the factory?

Anyway the dealer wants $350. Should I bite?

 

[Trebor]

Why not? If you want a NIB Model 10, they don't make them like that anymore, for any price.

You could get a used M 10 cheaper. Depends on what you want.

 

[Old Fuff]

A 10-10 should have a heavy barrel.

Since you have access to the box, look at the label on the end, and write down the number under "Product Code." Then call S&W and ask them to identify it.

It could possibly be a "parts gun," but I think it's more likely that it may be what was left over from a special run to fill an overseas order.

If this was the case it might be rare, and therefore valuable, or it might be something S&W took back in a trade and referbished for resale. Then anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand might be about to hit the market for substantially less money.

It's well worth looking into though.

 

[RON in PA]

That's a lot of money for a used M10, but very reasonable for a new gun. Is the dealer selling it as used, NIB or as-new in box?

 

[BluesBear]

S&W has a long history of not letting parts go to waste.

For example the transition models during the changeover from pinned and recessed. It seems that S&W had many more cylinders than they had frames & barrels. I have seen (and even own a few) quite a few that were recessed but not pinned. And the frame model numbers all reflect the previous P&R series. My 57 dash nothing and 629 dash nothing both have recessed cylinders but do not have pinned barrels. I used to have an early pre model 26 that had a commercial 1917 barrel.

I have run across a couple of Model 10s that had been made with the skinny barrel after it was officially discontinued.

If this gun is truely unfired it will shortly acquire some collectors interest.
Once it's been fired it becomes just another used Model 10.

 

[Shear_stress]

Some interesting news. Just got off the phone with S&W, and they said that gun left the factory in 2002 and went to Lew Horton. Considering the frame dates from 1997, it really does look like a vault gun. Now all I need to do is confirm whether the dealer got it from Lew Horton directly.

Edited to add: I wonder if this is somehow related to the "Heritage Series" guns that were sold through Lew Horton around the same time. I recall that these guns were partly a way for S&W to use up their stock pile of pre-lock frames, tapered barrels, and such.

Edited to add: I just talked to the dealer, and they said it is a new gun. Glad I put twenty bucks down when I had the chance.

 

[Shear_stress]

Some more interesting news. Just talked to Lew Horton a few minutes ago, and this gun was one of dozen that S&W sold through them in 2002. According to the sales guy at Lew Horton, S&W had enough "old-style parts lying around" to put together a small batch of guns. Kinda neat.

 

[Old Fuff]

Now get all of this lettered by Roy Jinks at S&W (it will cost $30.00, but it's well worth it) and you're good to go.

Seems like you're on a roll lately ...

 

[Shear_stress]

Seems like you're on a roll lately

What I wonder is, where were all these great S&Ws when I actually had money? Oh well, I guess this is why god invented layaway . . .

One last question: when I am finally able to get my toy home, should I shoot it? This is kind of a weird question because the gun isn't worth a whole lot right now, but somebody may be interested in the future. I don't make a habit of buying safe queens, but should I make an exception in this case?

 

[Trebor]

I'd shoot it. It will appreciate some if it's unfired, but not enough in our lifetimes to make it worth keeping as a safe queen.

Now, if it was one of those 10-13's that slipped out, that would be another story. Those all went to CDNN though and a smart collector grabbed most of them (there were less then 20) and later resold them.

 

[Old Fuff]

Shear_stress:

If it is "as new, in the box, with accessories," I'd put it away. One never knows what values will do, but there is a linkage between make, model, and quantity. Within the last 50 years I have seen 1911 Colts that could be purchased for as little a $20.00 back in the 50's now commanding prices in the $2,000.00 ballpark. That by the way, was well within "my lifetime."

About 1956 I bought one of the first Ruger .357 Blackhawk revolvers. I liked the gun, but not the "cheap looking blask plastic grips" that came on it. These were quickly replaced with a nice pair of walnut stocks, and the others thrown into my worthless junk box. Recently I saw a pair of those plastic grips go at auction for over $100.00... That's more then I paid for the gun.

Before you do anything else, get the gun lettered by Roy Jinks so that you know exactly what you have - and can prove it. Then decide what to do.

 

[Shear_stress]

Good idea to hold off until I can get something in writing that confirms whether or not this thing is actually rare.

Than again, it amazes me how much the price of even the most ordinary used Model 10 S&W is climbing. Funny to think that this was once a bread and butter gun used to fill nightstands and police holsters. If you could somehow go back even thirty years and caution people to hold onto their base-model S&Ws, I bet they would have laughed.

Edited to add: If you could go back fifty years and tell S&W owners to hold onto the freakin' boxes their guns came in, I bet they would have thought you were a lunatic.

 

[Old Fuff]

Shear_stress:

If you could go back fifty years and tell S&W owners to hold onto the freakin' boxes their guns came in, I bet they would have thought you were a lunatic.

Probably, but I didn't know any better either ... :banghead:

 

[dinosaur]

Another rant is about grips especially on the bigger magnums. How many times have you seen a Model 57 or 29 with those ugly rubber grips and the seller hasn't got a clue where the originals are?

 

[Old Fuff]

dinosaur:

You be careful there!!

You is a'talking about me ....

PS: I'm glad I saved some of those old stocks, but it wasn't because of deliberate intent. S&W's target grips were way too big, the service ones were often too small, and while custom wood ones were great, they were pretty costly. On the other hand if one still has a set of Sanderson or Roper stocks it's money in the bank.

 

[SouthpawShootr]

S&W has a long history of not letting parts go to waste.

I saw evidence of this a few months ago at a gunshow. A dealer had a new S&W 29, 6 inch barrel, no lock, with a stainless cylinder. The guy is a S&W stocking dealer and called my attention to it b/c he knows I have a soft spot for 29s. He told me that it was brand new and he got it a few months prior. I really wanted a blued 29 6 inch and have never liked the looks of two tone revolvers. Thought about it, then determined to buy it as an oddball at the next show. Well, of course, it was gone. Oh well. I tend to like to shoot the guns I buy.

 

[BluesBear]

A dealer had a new S&W 29, 6 inch barrel, no lock, with a stainless cylinder.

Good example.
That would be the small run of of 29-7 revolvers that S&W assembled in 2000 over a year after they officially discontinued the 29 and sold the last one (April 10, 1999). There were a couple of hundred of them in that run as I recall.
I remember all of the hoopla when they came out. Many were saying that S&W was going to reintroduce the 29. Others (usually the dealers stuck with one) were saying grab them because they are positively the last.

It seems that the only people who were willing to pay the price for them were Pinto collectors. At that time there were just too many new 29s still around.

Not to disparage your dealer but I'd get a Jinks letter before I'd believe it was shipped only a few months ago. Chances are it was in the back of the dealer's (or someone's) safe, waiting to the value to go up.

 

[Hammerdown]

Hello
I HAVE read the entire thread. I would buy it regardless if it is a special Horton issue or not. Remember to sell a Horton and MAKE money, you must first find a BUYER that is willing to PAY for a Horton.The Caliber is .38 Special. They are as common as belly buttons. Does this mean a guy will pay a premium for it ? more than likely most will buy any given .38 Special regardless of the gun but will not Pay a premium for Horton when there is and over abundace of .38 Caliber revolver's out there.. I have a very good friend that SAT on a Horton .357 for 3 Long years before he found a buyer.The model 10 was as common as the common cold.It appears to be a left over parts gun, Who know's will that make it worth more down the road ? Typically fixed sight revolver's DO-NOT bring the premium there counter part adjustable sight brothers will Now, if you are buying it to shoot, heck you would be hard pressed to find any NEW gun for that amount. I would shoot it, enjoy it and clean & Oil it if it were me. Regards, Hammerdown