I was on Gunbroker, just kind of looking around last week when I saw a 5" nickel, M10-5 on Gander Mountain's listing, opening bid at $379.99. I took a look at it and there were no bidders and the auction ended the next day, Good Friday. The M10 looked in good shape and was marked TWC 6047 on the left frame between the cylinder and the trigger. A quick search in the 4th Edition of the Standard Catalog on page 205 revealed that to be the marking of The Wackenhut Corp(Atomic Energy Commission) that was on a 5" Nickel M10-5. Now I like duty Smith & Wesson's a lot more then brand in the new box and doc's S&W's so now I was very interested. I searched Gander Mountains GB site and lo and behold they had another 5" nickel M10-5 listed for the same price ,no bidders, ended at the same time but it had no TWC markings.

I decided that this was a sign and put a bid on both of them. I don't know about you all but I just do not see 5" nickel M10's in decent shape for a decent price all that often. My bid was the only bid and I won them both. I picked them up yesterday and they are awesome!



The TWC M10 is from 1969 and the other is from 1971. The stocks match the non TWC M10. The TWC stocks are rather beat. I do have a better set that I will refinish and put on .

TWC





Non TWC



















You can learn so much more about these when you own multiple versions of them! I had a nice collection of a dozen or so 1905 HE's back before the great divorce sell off and I really liked the 5" guns! I stopped by the range on my way home from my LGS yesterday and shot a box of 148gr wadcutters and a box of 158gr flat nose FMJ out of these M10's and they shot great! Really all of us should have at least one of these fine Smith & Wesson's M10's, they are a great revolver and it is easy to see why they were so popular for so long!

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