Thread: 10-6 357 Magnum
View Single Post
 
Old 06-05-2021, 06:36 PM
murphydog's Avatar
murphydog murphydog is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 26,782
Likes: 935
Liked 18,873 Times in 9,241 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Generalmgr View Post
(I apologize in advance for resurrecting this old thread)

It took about 3 months - Roy Jinks/SWHF replied today with a letter regarding my 10-6 357 magnum. Here's some interesting snippets from the letter that might interest others:

My model 10-6, S/N D636473, was shipped on 2/13/74. The letter does not indicate a date of manufacture, only that 10-6 production was between 1972-1974.

My gun was part of a shipment of 5 guns to Greenfield, MA, (which I assume indicates my gun was not one of the NY State Police issue revolvers).

The first 1,200 Model 10-6 357's were made, in 1972, from heavy barrel Military & Police frames S&W already had in stock. Serial numbers of those are "dispersed throughout the D prefix serial number range". S&W considers the first 10-6 production guns to actually be the first Model 13's, even though they are marked 10-6 since they were made from an inventory of frames already in stock.

In total, 3,000 model 10-6 4" barrel square butt 357's were manufactured from 1972-1974, and the letter indicates all 357 magnum 10-6's were made for "a series of law enforcement agencies". (Note that the letter does not address or indicate either positively or negatively regarding if the first 1,200 were manufactured specifically for the NYSP. Based on what I've read, I can only assume other 10-6 owners have lettered their revolvers, and that information was included within their letter, if they did in fact have a NYSP issue 10-6).

In September 1974, in response to overseas interest, the model 13-1 was officially added as a "standard model". The first 6,200 13-1's were manufactured, by special order, between 1975-1976. They all had a round butt and a 3" barrel, starting with S/N D898001.

.......and there you have it!

Side note - I was glad to find out my gun is in its original configuration. I suppose it would have some stories to tell if it could talk!
Thanks for the update. S & W tracks a gun's age by its ship or sales date; this makes sense because they are factory new/unused until purchased.
__________________
Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220
Reply With Quote