In the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson there is a reference on page 175 to a Model 10-5 3 inch tapered barrel for the French Police (D828XXX range). There is also a reference to a special run of 3 inch "standard barrel" guns in 1967 for H.H Harris, Chicago. Another references a Model 10-7 3 inch for the Australian Police. A 10-7 typically is a tapered barrel and a heavy barrel is typically a 10-8. All of these references seem to indicate that a 3 inch tapered barrel was produced.

Does anyone have a photo of a 3 inch tapered or "standard" barrel for a Model 10.

Thanks,

Steve

Here's a 3" M10-5; SN 3D02xxx. An obvious re-import, I believe from Australia. J&G had them real cheap a few years ago (...like around $170, IIRC):


I guess this thing has a medium weight barrel. The photos don't show it well, but it is somewhat tapered. It's been refinished, been rode hard and put away wet, but it's a surprisingly easy gun to shoot well. While I prefer the looks, ergonomics and concealability of a round-butt in M10's (in 2" to 4" bbl, that is); the square-butts sure do shoot better. -S2

Thanks for the quick response!

I can't quite tell from the photo but is the top of the barrel round where it meets the frame, or does it have a small rib? It almost looks like the frame has a small rib on top where the barrel screws in. On most tapered barrel frames, this area is rounded.

Steve

Steve, you are correct. There is a small barrel rib at the frame interface; not a bit flared like a standard tapered, dare I say "pencil" (not wanting to incur the wrath of Dr.Pig or any of the other the semantics police ) barrel. -S2

Thanks, Speedo2

Would you say that the small rib on the frame is the same size and type of rib that is on a normal "heavy" barrel frame? I am trying to determine if there were only two types of frame contours. One for tapered barrels (10-5, 10-7) and one for heavy barrels (10-6, 10-8) etc. In your photo it appears to be a slightly tapered 3 inch barrel on a standard heavy barrel frame. Would you agree?

I appreciate your help on this question.


Steve

Steve, definitely not the same as a M10-6 heavy barrel. The only 10-6 that I've got is a 4", so I'm probably not making the exact comparison that you're asking for, but the 10-6 appears to have more mass at the frame/barrel interface and consequently the rib is much wider and more integral with the barrel than on the m10-5. Here's some additional photos of the M10-5 barrel rib:






The barrel diameter on the 3" M10-5 tapers from approx. 11/16" at the frame to approx.5/8" at it's muzzle (not much of a taper). However, the rib tapers from approx. 5/16" (wide) to 3/16", which sort of enhances the tapered appearance of the barrel. I cannot accurately measure the height difference, but I would estimate the rib to be around 1/32" higher at the muzzle than at the frame.

The heavy barreled M10-6 has a 3/4" diameter barrel with a straight rib width of approx.5/8" and an overall height of approximately 1/16".

Here's some photos of a M10-6 barrel and rib:





Please excuse my meager photo results; as a photographer, I'm a hellofagood mechanical engineer. The frame on the M10-6 is just a bit more massive at the barrel interface than the M10-5. Consequently, the sight groove contour appears to be a little deeper on the M10-5 as can be seen in the above photos. Hope this helps. -S2

nice gun
I would love to have one like it.
what is the usual price for one?

Thanks again for the additional photos! That shows the specific area I wondered about. It looks like there were a number of different frame contours - depending on the actual barrel type.

Steve