I'm embarrased to show it but this is my favorite revolver.

This is a model 10 I got a while back and it used to belong to a police officer on the beach. It was made in 1963 and was never used for real. I paid $175 for it.

The finish has a lot of worn areas and spots but there is no rust or pitting. The barrel is still prinstine with sharp land and grooves. The revolver is tight and smooth and is more accurate than I can shoot it. Like fine wiskey it's getting smoother as time goes by. It has had a hard life but was never abused.

This is the revolver that is in my truck all the time. I use it to shoot local IDPA matches and revolver matches. It has never fired a factory load while I've had it. I only feed my hand loads in it. I shoot it like I stole it... a lot. With an appropriate load, it will do anything that need done.

I have many pretty guns and many more expensive guns but this is the one I go to for use. It's ugly but has character (sorta like me) and while I've thought about getting it refinshed I never got round to it. I'll leave it as is for now.

Here is a pic of the revolver

Great story...and a good honest gun

It's a classic S&W with history and honest wear and it was well maintained so it's a beauty to my eyes.

Looks like one of mine. Finish wear has no bearing on how well they shoot.

Now a Glock is UGLY.

Well endowed with character works for me. Congratulations on a gun with personality and the identity that it built during its life so far.

I have pretty guns and I have beaters. One of my favorites is an old Colt .25 automatic that was my uncle's pocket gun when he was knocking about the Southwest in the 1930s. It's not pretty, but it sure looks like it has some history.

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David Wilson

Not that many years ago 95% of the law enforcement officers in this country carried M&P's either skinny or heavy barrels. These revolvers are that good. A true classic in my book.

Nothing wrong with that gun being a favorite at all.

It's nice to have a gun that you know the
history of, where it came from and how it was used.
You can pass that history down to the next owner
who ever that may be. Don

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"Don't worry be happy"

I have one of those to, but mine is a C%!+. It is a 1941 Official Police that my great uncle used as a New Orleans cop in the 50's-60's I think. It has been passed down through my family and it is the gun that turned me on to revolvers.

The best service revolver in the history of Smith and Wesson. I know I will get arguments on this but the history will shown that the Model 10 or Military and Police 38 special was in more holsters of law enforcement than any other handgun. I have a model 10 and this service revolver is still my number one revolver for home defense. I have more expense revolvers and I love them all but my model 10 will never be sold!

Walk with pride with your model 10.

roaddog28

I just purchased a 10-8 HB corrections officer trade-in from a forum member last week for $175.00 and I'm as happy as if I'd paid the same price for a brand new gun.

Like yours it has some character marks, but it's solid and it SHOOTS!

Besides, it's a square butt K frame. Nothing ever felt better in my hand.

I think I'm in love! Is it wrong that I wished my carry gun looked more like that.

Nothing to be ashamed of...One of my favorite guns to shoot is my old beat up C-prefix 2 inch .38. It's got a lot of character! One day I'll get a historical letter on it.

Each little ding, scrape, and scratch on a gun like that does nothing but build it's character. What is sad, it that as a new buyer they cannot talk and share the story.

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I am a sheep dog!
1601 (ret)

I'll take a gun with character and history, over anything you can find on any store shelf, even if it would be a 1 of 500 model. A gun with real history is one in a million.

Thanks for sharing. You have good reason for it to be your favorite.

The pre model 10 M&P is the bomb.
Just think how great she would look with period correct diamond magnas!


I have a post war 40's S prefix that has the best trigger of any Smith I own.

Hello

It is sort of funny...two others on this thread mention buying their
Model 10 revolvers for $175. Want to guess how much I spent on this one?...LOL. Here is my knackered and used circa 1966-67 era Model 10-5, like others have said...not the best looking...but I love just the same. I guess I'd rather have something that if I had to take along backpacking or what ever, I would not mind getting a bit dirty. I hope to find a Model 28 in this condition someday.




I think I have posted this photo of my Model 10-5 three times now...LOL. I'm so new to handguns, that I don't have many to talk about LOL.

Other than this, I have a S&W M&P Victory Model in .380"/200 calibre, and a post-WWII Webley & Scott Mark IV .380"/200.
Out of my massive collection of three, my Model 10-5 tops the list, one because it was my first handgun, and two...I just like it.
Thanks
Mark

That sucker looks great!! Just like a real gun Should look!
I'd imagine that if you had it refinished, you'd want to keep it perfect and wouldn't use it. What a waste, with its history.

You can be proud of that one! Thanks for the story and picture.

Jerry

This one is my favorite. A model 10-5 as well. It was carried by my father in a time and place where US Army soldiers were able to purchase and carry their own sidearms into combat.

This Model 10 went to Vietnam, as part of the 150th CHFM (Cargo, Helicopter, Field Maintenance) stationed at Vinh Long in 1964-1965.

Attached Images

DSC00062.jpg (74.1 KB, 126 views)

Hello, sir, and welcome to the revolver world. Your Model 10 is a workhorse of a handgun and one that more than a few claim as a favorite. It is definitely one of mine and I do not see that changing. Nearly 4 decades ago, my first duty revolver as a police officer was a Model 10 HB. Though I foolishly let that one get away, I've usually had one or more about in the years since.

If you enjoy and trust your Model 10 even half as much as I have mine, you'll have a fine time with it to be sure and will never regret buying it.

Best to you and yours.

Awesome. Congrats on a fine gun and a great family heirloom.

i have one just like this that i purchased from my dept.some years ago for fifty dollars...it too is from 1941

My first sidearm as a civilian LE was a dept issue S&W model 10 pencil barrel 4" (we had no latitude at the time for personal purchase). This was early 1994 and most of the other officers at the academy had semi-autos, so model 10 was by no means cutting edge. One of the instructors who had previously worked for my agency pulled me to the side and said this was a gun made the right way and nothing else in the class was superior. Qualification time the model 10 never missed a beat, while a lot of the "wonder nines" and other semi autos jammed. Shot 2nd place in class behind a recently discharged AF SP Sgt with a Beretta 92 and credit would have gone more to model 10 than me. Although I probably didn't fully appreciate the model 10 at the time, If I could find a minty model 10 in either pencil or bull barrel for a reasonable price, I would snatch it up in a minute and wouldn't hesitate for a second to strap one on for duty.

I really like guns with honest wear. I hate rust, or buggered up screw heads, or the dreaded Vice-Grips marks on the ejector rod.

But honest wear is beautiful.

I think you would really regret re-finishing that revolver. It would not become a valuable collectible, it would no longer be an unique specimen, and you would be skittish about using it for fear of marring its new finish.

I say leave it as it and keep shooting it like your stole it.

I relate to what SmithSwede says. This summer my 86 year old father asked if I wanted to take his revolvers to my house. That meant a square butt M36 with a little road rash and a LNIB M19 4" which he bought in early 1970s.

The M19 is truly like new. When I laid it out beside my gently used M15, M10, M28, and M18 I thought, "This is too pretty to drag around in a holster." The bluing and overall finish are just gorgeous.

Goodness knows I have plenty of shooters for knocking around in the mountains. I don't believe in safe queens but I expect the M19 won't come out of the closet very often. Meanwhile, the M10 will surely gain in character by honest carry and firing.

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WyoStillhunter

This was given to me about 10 years ago...it has been my pack gun for all my bird and big game hunting since the day I got it...




It has a worn finish and old, but in solid functioning condition, and shoots where I point...the only thing missing is the lanyard loop...I havn't found one yet to fit...havn't looked too hard...

Like those listed above...it just a great old gun.

Model 10's are awesome, a real piece of history, and they shoot great.