The Model 10 is probably my favorite model in 38 spl
The Model 10 is probably my favorite model in 38 spl
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“If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001
Wow! This is an old post, I posted on this thread on April Fool's day in 2008 and finally retired four months after that (consequently no longer having easy access to a Departmental revolver to compete with).
I purchased an ordinary looking Model 10 with 4" Bbl a year or so later. It had been a Security Officer's weapon and had been carried for many years, showed a lot of holster wear and had been bead blasted and matte blued over the wear. The internals are like new though and it shoots a treat!
J Frames were mentioned on this thread as well. They have a dainty forcing cone and we Aussies used to have a short barrelled Service Pistol Match and the J Frame Snubnoses were very popular. Many of the guys were using Wadcutters and these ended up splitting a lot of the forcing cones. They seemd fine with round nosed and 'pointed/ tapered not dustbin shaped' ammo.
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Sniper to Psycholigist; 'Recoil Ma'am.'
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I have 2 S&W .38 specials; a model 10 and a pre-10 VS Victory model. Both shoot like they are radar controlled! They shoot better than I can!
I’ve left word at several dealers for a heads up whenever a used S&W .38 Special ANY model shows up. I prefer blued over stainless. The m15 is my favorite but the m10 4” is perfect for fixed ammo. I’d love a m36, too. My favorite snubnose of all.
I also bought a model 10 and a 62 two years ago for around 249$ all they will ever do is go up.you can’t beat the price.i have noticed there a lot more now .
Bought a brand new Model 10 heavy barrel in 1972 for $79.95 for my dad after he experienced a home invasion robbery. I still have it in my safe today. It’s been used heavily over the last 48 years but it’s still my favorite and most trusted handgun. A 158 gr SWC in front of 5 gr of Unique has been my go to load for years.
Back in November I bought a police turn in Model 10 from Classic Arms for my daughter, liked it so well, I started watching for another. Then I won another one in much nicer condition for $285. Was browsing Gunbroker and ran across a really nice Model 15 that I won for $285. All three are really good shooters!
I shoot these revolvers 3 or 4 days a week, but other than these two, can never think to take pictures of the groups.
I used to not like fixed sights either, it seemed my revolvers with them were always shooting left or right, mostly left. Then I finally figured out that a quality revolver doesn't shoot left or right, the person holding it does. There has been a couple of exceptions in which the revolvers were to blame. Anyhow, the Model 10's have nice heavy sights that are easy to see and shoot really close to POA with a 150-158 gr. cast bullets running 800-950 fps.
35W
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...and the S&W Model 10 still remains the standard.
I had a few, several 2"s and finally landed a grandma 10-6 4" HB that make a range outting several times a year. Liked it so much, I picked up a S&W Model 65. It is quietly waiting to get bobbed back to 3" and a 1911 dovetail front sight installed on the neked stub.
I recently put a model 10 with a 4" heavy barrel with a round but in layaway, never was interested in a fixed sight revolver until the last year are so. I love to shoot a S&W revolver double action. Puts a smile on my face.
Tough to beat this:
https://www.classicfirearms.com/smit...-bbl-revolver/
I didn’t have any interest in service type revolvers when I first got heavy into guns in early 60s. S&W and Colts were a dime a dozen used. When I started shooting m10s I found that if you shot 158gr police loads they were on the money.
I was lucky enough to buy my issue when we converted to 9mm. Finest, most accurate workhorse ever made.
Like Four Fingers said in post #22, if you are "financially embarrassed" or just don't want to sink a fortune in a S&W, those security guard and law officers trade-in mod 10's are a good place to start. Most of them have been carried a lot and not shot much at all. In my neck of the woods, mod 15's are about to catch up with mod 19's but a mod 10 can still be had reasonably.Attachment 254855 I bought this model 10 pencil barrel with no turn line and 3 fired cylinders for $325 at a gun show. I bought a mod 64 double action only gun for $300 so if you are like me and have more time than money, there are deals out there. Go to Budsgunshop.com and search for police trade ins and there are some pretty good deals on S&W revolvers now. Soner or later the law enforcement revolvers are going to dry up as they go to Glocks and M&P's.
Last edited by murf205; 01-15-2020 at 11:55 AM.
IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us! The more I travel, the more I like right where I am.
The model 10 = practical. Nothing to fuss with or about. Just excellent engineering without any flash.
Love my 1967 10-5. I feed it 3.4 grains Bullseye under any 150-165 grain lead slug.
Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.
Can’t beat this if you’re thinking about one:
https://www.classicfirearms.com/smit...-bbl-revolver/
I prefer the 4" heavy barrel https://www.classicfirearms.com/smit...n-hg4151-10-6/
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S&W Model 10 is a classic, everyone should own one, or two...
A few years ago my wife gave me a S&W Model 12-2 Nickled (pinned & recessed) w/2"Bbl. for my birthday. I really love this gun. What's really amazing is that she talked the guy down to $175.00. She has a good eye and can haggle. I keep it stoked with Federal Nyclads.
The Model 10 is a great revolver. I picked up one of the European re-imports w/4" Heavy Bbl about 10 years ago. I think they were going for around $200.00 back then. Very nice solid gun. I use it when locking the chickens up at night. I've dispatched countless coons,possums,feral cats and lately armadillos with it using the RCBS 358-150-SWC.
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All you need for happiness is a good gun, a good horse, and a good wife. — Daniel Boone
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I figured out long ago that a pistol or revolver which weighed more than 24 ozs. loaded was too heavy for pocket carry. Since I have retired and grown more "portly" I have taken to wearing suspenders for comfort, and do not routinely wear a belt or belt holster anymore, because a heavy belt is a "tell" that you are carrying and I prefer to be more discreet.
I have acquired several S&W Model 12 Airweight .38 Specials in both 4" and 2", both round butt and square butt and a pair of these is my usual EDC because I prefer six shots to five and find that a full-sized K-frame with Tyler T-Grip is more controllable than a J-frame. A 2" snubby resides in the strong side hip pocket and a 4-incher in winter in the barn coat pocket. In summer I often carry a second snubby as a "New York Reload". A 4-incher also resides in my travel bag as a spare gun, so I always have two revolvers, two Speed Strips of spare ammo and 100 rounds of extra ammo in the travel bag rolling trolley.
I avoid +P loads in the airweight guns, but find that a "full charge" wadcutter assembled with the Remington 148-grain HBWC bullet and 3.2 grains of Bullseye, a cast 146 DEWC similar to Saeco #348 with 3.5 grains of Bullseye, or the Speer 135-grain Gold Dot "short barrel" JHP bullet with 4.1-4.2 grains of Bullseye (standard pressure and not +P) perform well, are accurate and don't beat up the guns.
Attachment 256914Attachment 256915Attachment 256916Attachment 256917
I also have several steel-frame M&Ps in 2", 4" and 6" for high-volume practice, so as not to beat up the airweight guns. A 6" fixed-sight, steel-frame M&P Hand Ejector or Colt OP resides in the Get Home Bag, depending upon the vehicle, so that I have something which will reach out farther to over 50 yards if not toting a rifle, which can handle a modest amount of +P without shaking the gun apart. Works for me!
Attachment 256923Attachment 256924
Last edited by Outpost75; 02-16-2020 at 09:43 PM.
The ENEMY is listening.
HE wants to know what YOU know.
Keep it to yourself.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |