Tell me about 10mm revolvers

[doberman]

I may have the opportunity to purchase one or maybe trade for a .357MAG.

I just got the word so not a lot of info, but looking for general info about 10mm revolvers.

To be honest, I didn't even they existed until about an hour ago.

Note: Possibly a S&W with moonclips?

 

[MikeJackmin]

You can also shoot .40sw in them, too. The moon clip version is the only one I'm aware of.

 

[Mark V Webley]

I believe that the S&W Model 610 is the only factory-produced 10mm revolver. (Of course, there is always the slight chance someone started out with something else and created a custom revolver.) The M610 never was a big seller, but does have its fans.

The M610 is stainless steel and at various times was produced with barrel lengths of 3, 4, 5 and 6.5 inches. These are made on S&W’s round butt N-Frame. S&W lists the 4 and 6.5 inch versions on their website as currently being in production.

The 10mm is a well-respected cartridge, and can be loaded to a wide range of power levels and using a wider range of bullet profiles than would feed and function in an autoloader. The drawback of 10mm ammunition is that it is usually hard to find and expensive. However, the M610 will also fire the much cheaper and commonly available .40 S&W cartridge without any modifications, as long as you have moonclips. Don’t try that in an autoloader.

The newer ones do have the internal lock, which is a whole other discussion.

 

[kanook]

10mm, bigger hole, more oomph (some say equal to 357 or 41), more money, less common on shelf, shoots 40s&w

357mag, not as big hole (still big), some will argue the oomph is the same as 10mm, more common on shelf, shoots 38special

If you have a 357mag get the 10mm (I would)

Both good

 

[DWFan]

There are at least two other 10mm revolvers.
If it's the S&W M610, you can have it rechambered to 10mm Magnum and not lose the ability to shoot 10mm or .40 S&W ammo. The 10mm Mag is a longer 10mm and is equal to the .41 Magnum; dimensionally it's a .401 Herter's PowerMag shortened .030" without a rim.
Buckeye Sports had a run of 10mm/.38-40 Convertible Blackhawks made. They are fine revolvers but have a problem with throats being way too small. If it's one of these, have this checked. These too can be rechambered for the 10mm Magnum but you do lose the ability to shoot 10mm ammo and the .40 S&W can't be used to start with..
Dave Clements builds Ruger GP-100's rechambered to 10mm with rebored stock barrels and full-moon clips. If it's one of these, it's already custom. http://www.clementscustomguns.com/rugerdarevolvers.html

 

[Carne Frio]

I have 610's in 3, 4 and 6 inch lengths and am very happy with them. Also S&W has
a model 310 available, but since it has the lock I'm not that interested.

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/...d=10001&productId=86953&langId=-1&isFirearm=Y

 

[bhp9mm]

there is some ruger single actions that are in 38-40 and come with a 10 MM cylinder i like the smith 610 i have a 6.5 inch no dash and 3 inch 610-2

 

[Gunfighter123]

The S&W 610s are GREAT revolvers !!!! Very strong for the calibur and they are hard hitting with "hot" ammo.

As they take "full moon" clips , they are VERY FAST to reload and you have the choice of useing different moon clips to also carry/use anything from mild .40 S&W type loads to FMJ hot "penetrator" loads.

When loaded to max , you get near .41mag performance and can put down almost any game animal in North America ---------- the 10mm is very easy to reload for , with a wide range of components ----- I have 10mm brass that has been reloaded up to 50 times with no splitting ot cracking.

My 610 with 5"brl. custom DA only;

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Accurate, reliable, easy to keep fed, more power on tap then a 357 magnum. What more can you ask for? (Plus you can go "nuclear loads" with one!)

This is the first 50 shots I ever took with this gun at 15 yrds offhand. Any gun that does that is a keeper.

Today it would be a toss-up if I were to go hunting. The 610 or the DW 357 Supermag.

 

[Rodentman]

I was in the market for a 10mm and didn't want a G20 or G29. Found a 610-3 and it's going to the range tomorrow for the first time. I bought a bunch of Starline brass and since I reload 40's I was basically all set. (Have LP primers.......)

Anxious to test it out. Already have .357 mag and sig, 9mm, 44 mag, so this will be a nice addition.

 

[bhp9mm]

i like the 610 i have a 610 no dash 6.5 inch and 610-2 3 inch

 

[agtman]

The 610s are great revolvers on several levels, some of which were already touched on here, such as accepting full moon clips to facilitate handy and speedy reloads. The 610's dual-cartridge capacity to fire the .40S&W or 10mm AUTO cartridges rivals its .38Special/.357Mag counterparts. They also exhibit fantastic accuracy.

The use of the N-frame for the 610 - rather than the L-frame, as John Taffin had suggested way back in the day - means the gun is really overbuilt for the intended 10mm round, initially conceived as a dedicated autoloading cartridge.

BUT, in my view, that's a benefit due to its cylinder/chamber length relative to the 10mm's loaded COAL (max = 1.260 in autos ). This allows you, when reloading, to long-load the bullets, especially the heavier ones, and obtain higher velocities with less pressure than would be safe (or sane) in a Glock 20, S&W 1006, Delta Elite, etc. (Right now I'm experimenting with 200gn XTPs loaded out to 1.400" over AA # 7 and AA #9.

Then there's the 610's unique ability to morph into a 3-cartridge shooter through a competent 'smith converting its cylinder to also fire the 10mm Magnum. Literally, then, you can walk up the power scale from a half dozen "mild" .40S&W rounds to hot 10mm loads to a "wild" moon clip full of 10mm Magnums that'll rattle the .41 Magnum's lunch and leave it cryin' for Momma.

Haven't decided yet if I want to go the Mag route, though ...

Mine: a 1st Gen 610 - a "no dash."
6.5" tube, fluted cylinder, original Goncalo Alves grips & a very low serial #.


These wheelies also shoot hard-cast boolits at least as well as they do the jacketed stuff.
The "moon" holds Redline's 220gn HC FP.

 

[wow6599]

IMHO, I don't see a big reason for having a 10mm revolver. The idea of 16 rds (Glock 20) of .357 Mag on steriods is the appeal of the 10mm - at least to me.
Kinda like the reason for not having many 9mm revolvers out there......why have 6 shots when you can have 18-20?

 

[agtman]

IMHO, I don't see a big reason for having a 10mm revolver. ***

It further enhances the versatility of an already versatile cartridge, for starters.

You can get significantly more fps/fpe from, say, a 610 with a 5" tube than you can from the G20's 4.6" barrel, because, when you factor-in the G20's chamber as part of that overall measure, the bullet's really traversing less than 4.6" of bore on its way to the muzzle. In a 5" revolver, you're getting the benefit of all 5" of rifled barrel. This is something people forget when buying Glock's factory 6" "hunting" barrel for their G20s. They're really not getting 6" of ballistic benefit, when compared to a 6" revolver.

Second, as noted, you can do things ammo-wise or reloading-wise with the 10mm AUTO in a 610 wheelie that you couldn't do, and wouldn't want to try, in a semiautomatic. This is part of the appeal of the longer barrelled 610s for handgun hunting, for silouette shooting at distance, or for sh*ts & giggles reloading experiments.

 

[MCgunner]

I don't get it, either, 10mm in a revolver. Of course, I'm not hung up on moon clips. In fact, I don't even like the concept. I'd prefer a normal rimmed cartridge for the ability to do tac reloads, top up. As a field gun, the .357 magnum can do anything the 10 can do, comes in lighter packages for toting, is MORE versatile. I can shoot .38 wadcutters to full blown 180 grain loads at near 800 ft lbs from my 6.5" blackhawk. Rabbits to deer and hogs all in one gun.

If I wanted an N frame, I'd get a 29 in .44 magnum. Sorta puts 10 to shame, don't it? I see the 10's one worth the fact that it is the most powerful round available in a service sized auto. I don't see it as a desirable revolver round, not when I can get lighter, more compact .357s and FAR more powerful calibers in N frame sized revolvers. If 10 turns ya on, fine, but I'll take a pass, thanks. If I just want a cult caliber, I have my .45 Colt Blackhawk and I've always liked .41 mag, though I don't own one.

 

[wow6599]

MCgunner said it best.

Quote from agtman - "You can get significantly more fps/fpe from, say, a 610 with a 5" tube than you can from the G20's 4.6" barrel"

What kind of numbers are you talking about?

 

[bhp9mm]

i like them some people do some don't the 610 will out shoot most autos in 10mm out there and u can shoot 40s out of it to the 610 the autos and 610 are good its all about what u like best

 

[Gryffydd]

the G20's chamber as part of that overall measure, the bullet's really traversing less than 4.6" of bore on its way to the muzzle. In a 5" revolver, you're getting the benefit of all 5" of rifled barrel.

[cough]
Barrel-Cylinder gap
[/cough]

The *main* appeal of the 10mm for me is .357 power with 16+1 capacity. While I see the appeal of hot-rodding it in a wheelgun, I don't see the point in doing that in an N-Frame when you could just shoot a .44 Mag and out muscle even hotrodded 10mm with a standard middle of the road .44 Mag.

If you already load/buy a lot of .40 S&W and/or 10mm for your autos it'd make more sense.

That said, there's nothing *wrong* with the idea, in fact it's an excellent platform...it just doesn't fit anywhere for me personally.

 

[MCgunner]

Well, one thing, if I had a 10mm auto, I'd cry every time I lost a round of brass in the dirt. .40, no sweat, tons of .40 to be had at my range. The cops shoot on that range and they carry .40. I've considered buying a .40 just because of that, but fortunately, there always seems to be lots of .380, 9mm, and .45ACP laying out there, too and I shoot those calibers.

 

[wow6599]

Buy a Glock 20 (love my 20SF) and get a $100 .40 S&W barrel from Lone Wolf. Or a 357 Sig barrel if it floats your boat. No need to do anything but drop the barrel in and you can shoot cheaper rolleyes .40's through it.

 

[bhp9mm]

if u like revolvers the 610 is great

 

[Gunfighter123]

I can shoot .38 wadcutters to full blown 180 grain loads at near 800 ft lbs from my 6.5" blackhawk. Rabbits to deer and hogs all in one gun.

But you can't shoot a Ruger BH in double action !!!

If I wanted an N frame, I'd get a 29 in .44 magnum. Sorta puts 10 to shame, don't it? I see the 10's one worth the fact that it is the most powerful round available in a service sized auto. I don't see it as a desirable revolver round, not when I can get lighter, more compact .357s and FAR more powerful calibers in N frame sized revolvers. If 10 turns ya on, fine, but I'll take a pass, thanks. If I just want a cult caliber, I have my .45 Colt Blackhawk and I've always liked .41 mag, though I don't own one.

Well , folks like me ALREADY got a 29/629 in .44 mag -- AND -- a few L & K size .357s.
If you take a S&W 19 .357 and a S&W 610 in 10mm --- load them up the same bullet weight and FPS -- the N frame 610 will outlast the #19 in .357.

Add that you can have a 16 rd. semi-auto { EAA Witness } and a S&W large N frame revolver that both will fire a more powerfull round then the .357 mag and it is a Win/Win situation.

 

[Mr.Revolverguy]

The 610 is a great platform that has the capability to fill a number of different roles. But let's not forget guys sometimes it's not about need but purely about want. If you ask me it is ok to want if you can afford it. For example where I live there are a lot of boating enthusiast and you can only get on the lakes for about 4 months out of the year, I can't see spending 15 to 40 grand on a boat for 4 months out of the year but I am glad for those that can and that we all have the freedom to be able to make those choices.

Here is a review I did on my 610 a while back when I first purchased it. I have since put a few more rounds through it and found a very accurate fun load with 2400 and 165gr bullet, I was initially trying to use the new wichester powder auotcomp and was not happy.

Anyway here is the review http://www.dayattherange.com/?p=1

 

[Rodentman]

The 610 wouldn't be my first choice in a revolver, and it wasn't. It was #9. I already had the .357 and .44. Just thought the 10 would be fun, and it is, especially since I reload for it.

My favorite, however, is the .44 mostly the 329NG. That is great fun!

 

[SWAddict]

One of the biggest appeals of the 10mm in a revolver for me is the fact that I can shoot both 10mm and .40S&W in it. Try to find .38 Special or .357 Magnum ammo right now (at least in my area). It is very hard to come by. However every Wal-Mart within 100 miles of me has .40 S&W in stock every time I stop in. Also, you cannot shoot both 10mm and .40 S&W in a single semi-auto. Also, you can never (you might come close) have as smooth, crisp a trigger in both single and double action in a semi-auto as on a S&W 610 (or other S&W revolver). My 610 has the best trigger from the factory of all my S&W's.