..... is issued a revolver for duty use.

I spotted this in our gun vault several weeks ago with several other seized guns destined to be issued as "back ups" or secondary guns. As expected, the semi autos went very quickly leaving the wheelguns ( a 37,49, a beautiful .38 Terrier!) to linger unwanted by the "kids".

I went back to the firearms staff and inquired and was basically told that nobody wanted them and I could have my pick.

Today, I qualified with this pre model 10 (C-30980) circa 1948. Range Report: After getting used to it, I shot a 94% for the record.

She's not pretty. But, I am carrying her at work tomorrow. I wore her to the office this afternoon after qualifying in the sweltering hot sun. It was worth it!

Best,
Charles

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Looks like it had blood on it?

Nice shooting, well done.

Now that's got character. She's a beauty!

Congrats. Boy, I wish that prior to retirement last year that my Boss would have said "stop by the armory and take anything you want". I knew what lurked in there because I was an agency firearms instructor with a set of keys to the armory.😩

You are correct, you may have that distinction. I carried a 2" model 10 for three years when I hired on to the fed's back in 85. Carried the +P+ 110 gr Treasury load. You're right, it may not be pretty, but with TLC it will serve you well....stay safe.

As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think that it is a pretty classy revolver that just shows a lot of character and history. Wear it with pride.

The Command/Admin Staff of my department are all issued S&W 342ti revolvers and carry then almost daily while they work in the HQ building. I expect there are many more police officers issued revolvers than most folks think.

Did you shoot the standard GSAP or the GBUW course of fire to qualify? If you shot the GSAP.....well thats mighty fine shooting to score a 282/94%. Either way great job!

If it could only talk. Bloodstains, teeth marks on the grips? It may have been carried by a hairdresser & given many wood shampoos.

Congratulations

Hopefully you will be the start of a trend

Tell the kids it is "Retro" to have a wheelgun

Way to keep the faith, brother. Sending you a virtual high five. Well done! I started in LE with a revolver and prefer to carry one now.

I started in the 70's with a revolver, switched in the 80's to a semi. When we switched to a semi, I still carried a J frame backup.
Now, retired for a long time, I still carry one of each: a Sig 228, and a S&W model 40.

I ,too, started with a revolver back in the early '80s (S&W Model 19).

I should have bought my model 10 when I retired. But I didn't know then what I know now.

Shortly before I retired in 2013 a bad round messed up my Glock 22. We had just taken on some new hires so there were no spares. I would not see another Glock for two months. I still had all the leather so I carried my Model 57 until a few weeks after I got my new Glock. Most of the folks who noticed it had never seen one.

A few weeks ago, I scored a decent Model 15-3 from our arms room. As soon as my new holster gets in, I'll shoot the FDLE qual course and carry it some.

When my 'new to me' Model 67-1 gets here, I'll do the same.....maybe time for some nice wheelgun leather.........

I'll take the model 49 if it's feeling lonely. Your new officers must not have any "class."

I just shot my Model 10-7 snub square butt today @ an outdoor range and cut the middle out of a bulls eye target from 7 yards. I carried one like it on the job and always shot very well with it.

__________________
Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Yeah. Either that, or it got wet.

My old agency moved onto Sigs in the early 90s, leaving a lot of S&W 19, 66, and older model 10s locked up unused. I was responsibe for inventory, and over the years the phased out revolvers were returned to armories for "disposition." Our agency had a policy of destroying "outdated" firearms. What a waste! When I retired, I was asked what I would like for a retirement present. I told my chief I wanted one of the Mod. 10 snubbies that remained in the armory vault, or nothing. I got a plaque

Mazel Tov!

...celebrated official American LE Agency retirement day in Volgograd, Russia. Yet before that 'rest of the story'...

Over half a century to date, huge S&W fan. Centered on N frame ‘pre’ models; .38 Spl; .357 Mag; 44 Spl; 45 Auto. Few extraordinary, yet each coveted! Half dozen interloping Colt New Service models, keeping company!

Career LEO and often default road warrior, never to mix 'packing' business with pleasure. Even in pre 9/11 days, packing handguns "on person", Agency required. Particularly long/convoluted flights, ‘Ball & chain’ proposition. Ergo, semi-autos for business; such generally the lightest, most compact, quality 9mm readily available.

Rest of the story. ‘Official’ Agency retirement day, 1998, already living in post-retirement environs. Transitioned under US State Dept auspices - era of détente - in Volgograd; historically AKA Stalingrad. A quiet celebratory yet lifetime-memorable 'retirement luncheon' arranged by my new Russian “MVD” (National Police) working colleagues. Russians quite know how to 'do up' celebrations right! And... “Those WERE the days, my friend…!”

Nice!

There is a sheriff in an eastern Wyoming county who carries his great grandfather's .38 Long Colt Lightning as his BUG.

How cool is that.Still carry my 442 as my edc under Leosa that I carried in dicks until I retired.Enjoy the hell out of that 10.

Nice find! I'm not an LEO but I carried a 2" K-frame today myself. Reliable, easy to carry, easy to shoot, what's not to love. With a score like yours it sounds like you will be well served with such a fine sidearm.

Young officers and agents don't realize that revolvers and shotguns are quite effective when deployed properly. We don't call them the "good old days" for nothing.

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SV,14,17,21,28,29,39,66,586

I never had my Model 19 or Ithaca 37 to fail. I can't imagine an AR or the like is as effective as an impact weapon as is the wood butt stock of a shotgun.

Always wondered what happens with seized guns. I guess that explains it.

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Ephesians 6 (Armor of God)

In the early 1990's, The Clinton administration changed the policy on old/seized guns to "melt them down". Prior to that, the various federal agencies could sell them off and purchase new guns for the troops. My old, trusty S&W 686 went that way, after we switched to autos....😩

Good to see another revolver going back to work. You have good taste, along with good luck. The agency I started with let the guy I replaced take the last issue Model 14 with him when he left. I started with my personally owned 19-7 and a 36ND twenty years ago, now I carry a SP-101 and a 340M&P. I still have my 19-7 and 36, carried them again for my 20th anniversary with the county last month. Over the years I've also carried a 60-7, 640ND, 10-5, 13-3, Detective Special and GP-100.

When I started in '97 I was one of the few guys still carrying a revolver, now I'm the only one with a revolver. I smile every time someone exclaims in a surprised tone "that's a revolver!" when they see what I carry. The younger guys have never seen someone carry a revolver on the job before.

I bought a 1948 2" M&P a couple of years ago, it's a great revolver. This thread makes me think I should qualify with it this fall, it would be the oldest gun I had qualified with. I had planned to take my recently purchased 64-2 2", but the M&P is tempting.

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Wheel guns are real guns.

I was issued a 686 2 1/2" as a backup/off duty several years ago.

Recently qualified with it and a 640 (no dash) as a second gun.

Still carry the M&P 45 ACP as duty sidearm but the instructors all noted my skill with a revolver.

I have often considered going back with a 686 or a 19.

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I am a sheep dog!
1601 (ret)

'48 was a great year for 2" M&Ps! I have one that I own (C-32xxx) as well as this county issued one. I talked to my friend in the evidence room. He remembers the gun in this thread. It was found in a drug house.

It fits very nicely in a pocket holster in my right front pocket. I carry a speedstrip with 125 gr Hornady XTPs in a nylon knife case unnoticed on my trouser belt. (I'm in plainclothes.) Off duty, it hides extremely well in an IWB holster under an untucked shirt.

Just to show how O.C.D. I am, it came to me with non diamond PCs on it. I went to my stock drawer and found the correct stocks!

I still have to carry the Glock 21 as "primary" while on duty.

Rumor has it that we too are going back to the 9mm sooner rather than later. Probably ,the Glock 17 or maybe 19.

This M&P,however, will always have a place in my pocket!

Best,
Charles

i carried a revolver (M19 then a 686) daily as my duty weapon from 1978 until my department converted to the S&W 5906 in 1992. After carrying the 5906 for 6 months I was promoted to Detective. One of the benefits of being a Detective was the ability to carry personal weapons. So I converted back to a revolver, a 3" M65. In '98 we converted again to the Sig P220 and even detective had to switch. But I carried a J frame as a backup and off duty until retirement in 2006. Still carry my 642 daily.

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Support your Police, & NRA

I like it!

My wife and I were up in Manhattan a while back visiting my daughter and her husband. We went all over the place. Had a big time. Most of the police officers I saw were armed w/ Glocks. Cool. Saw a couple armed w/ revolvers! Way cool! Sincerely. bruce.

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<><

I was in the armory yesterday looking at some of the older guns. One of them was a 5 screw, pre Model 15, dating to about 1951 as far as I could tell with the serial number.

Young officer walked in as another old timer and I were discussing how smooth the action was. Handed the gun to the young troop and told him to try the double action. He didn't know what to do and kept cocking the hammer and pulling the trigger............

He's a jam up officer and good kid, but the wheelgun was just foreign to his hands........

Oh well............he can run his Sig 320 like a champ......

Yep, l'm a revolver guy. Have a land line that rings like a real phone.

l even write checks for my bills and get a paper bank statement too.

Now they want me to be ''paperless''. Wont fix my house phone and

some want my gun too

The Kentucky State Police auctions seized guns off to FFL's. The local Louisville news media (read leftists) tried to create a public opinion outrage. It never materialized, as the rest of the state, is conservative. The KSP use the funds of the sales to provide ballistic vests to officers across the state.

Back in the 70s I was a Deputy Sheriff in western Mass. and carried a Model 10. Had a 64 as my personal weapon. Then in the 80s/90s I was base security at NAS Brunswick, Me. and carried a 15-2 and a 36. Always shot Expert with them. Still have the 64.

Cool gun. Revolvers just have so much character. Looks like half the revolvers on patrol when I started out. Now you need a 4" in a swivel holster to go with it.

I too started in the mid 70's with a revolver (4"M10) carry on brother!

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

I own several Police model 10, a Michigan state police 2.25 inch. 2 inch NYPD, and a Detroit 2 inch. My favorite carry revolvers. Think about having the gun refinished?

I just purchased a similar model 10 with a bobbed hammer and a cut in the trigger guard somewhat like a Fritz Special in appearance. No history with it, but one might assume it was used as a backup piece. Enjoy yours.

awesome post - thanks for sharing that

Your wheelgun looks a lot like the one I inherited from my uncle over 30 years ago. It was a beautiful dark shiny blue, but had areas of rust from his carrying while with the WA State Liquor control Board. S/N C 27805. It has a 2" Bbl. and the Sq. butt. and has a cerakote finish now.

Nice find. I have one that's in a bit better condition. 1951 vintage. Found it in a local shop on consignment. The story is it was carried by a detective in Philly for years, inherited by a grandson who didn't care about it and wanted to get rid of it. It definitely meets the "carried a lot, shot a little" description. It shoots wonderfully and makes me look better than I probably am. Life's fortunes have caused a number of old Smiths to come and go, but I still have it. Likely always will. Thanks for sharing.

I'd soak that revolver in CorrosionX for a week and then use some 0000 steel wool with the CorrosionX to clean it up.

When I started in 1988, we carried revolvers that we had to buy ourselves. I've already told my bosses that when I retire I want to carry the old revolver in my original duty rig one last day

Interesting that Ops agency allows seized guns to be reissued as backup guns.
That would never happen at my place

Most of our M64s were destroyed after being replaced with Glock 17s in the late '80s. I bought a 64-1 recently from a local PD retiree who was downsizing. Exactly like our old ones. All I need is a decent set of PC Magna stocks and a brushed aluminum Tyler-T-Grip to replace the rubber grips and i will be set. I might even wear it to work on my last day. That is, if my old revolver duty belt hasn't shrunk in thirty years...

That'll clean up nicely. Hows the action after 60+ years? My first duty gun was a model 686. We carried Federal 125gr JHP and you had to have at least six rounds in a bandoleer on your Sam Browne. At the time I thought it looked ridiculous. Now, what a great look.

Counties with smaller populations in Mo fell under different rules. If a deputy wanted a gun he bought it, same for uniforms. May guys opted for brown jeans instead of the dressier striped ones.


Handguns covered the late 70's spectrum. When I joined up I carried a Colt Combat Commander. I shot on the pistol team that eventually dried up and died. I shot the 45 acp and it never failed with good factory loads.

Everyone else carried revolvers including the Highway Patrol troop in our county.

The Patrol guys ribbed and rode me hard about carrying a semi auto.

I eventually traded into a new Python. 4 inch nickel.

All the Patrol guys cried and whined because they couldn't carry a Python.

I shot the Python constantly, every chance I got. I reloaded 38s and squirrel hunted with it. I qualified with 357s.

I probably would have carried the Python forever if I would have stayed there. My job changed and I did not become a reserve in my new county. My shooting desires also changed. I had always reloaded rifle and shotgun shells. I started doing more shotgun shooting, skeet, trap and sporting clays. I had always shot rifles at target's weekly.

Fast forward a few years and I only kept a 22 pistol and 1 centerfire pistol that did not get much use. I traded thru a ton of them.


Another job change took me across the state to St. Louis. I shot lots of shot shells in skeet and team leagues at Olin.

One day I was in a gun shop and a M 19 grabbed my eye. I bought it. Then for 12 or 15 years I was back into revolvers with some 1911s.

It took me 25 years to come full circle.

My constant companions is my 686. Some times I spell it with y M 66 no dash. Correction, my wife's M 66. She has no problem with me using it. She really likes me carrying. When we get ready to go to the big city she will ask do you have a 357? As always dear I do.

I always felt a man that practiced, could hit hit his target on the 1st shot and had ice water in his veins did not need a clip with 12 rounds.


Not likely but if i ended up doing any LE now I would feel totally comfortable with my 686.