(Edit to add - a new post, from 6-5-21, regarding a SWHF letter, is at the bottom of this thread - sorry for the resurrection!)



Hi everyone, been reading this forum for a while but it's my first post.

About a year ago I bought a 10-6... here's the catch: it's a 357 magnum, pinned and recessed.

I'm not sure if it's one of the pre model 13 prototypes from the early 70's or if it's a franken gun. In any event, I love the gun, I can shoot it better than my 586.

It's not in perfect shape by any means but not horrible either...I took a chance on it and paid $700. Probably won't ever sell it.

Any insights?

Thanks.

The 10-6 was the predecessor to the model 13. That one should make for a great shooter!

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On the Oak Savannah

They are a great collectable. I had one that was over stamped 13-1.

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Don Mundell

Awesome find !
It looks to be in great shape , rub a little Tung Oil on the grips and it will look just fine .
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

According to the standard S & W reference, about 3000 model 10-6s in .357 were made, with about 1200 going to the NY State Police. A letter of authenticity would tell you it is an original gun and to whom it was sold:

http://www.swhistoricalfoundation.com/swhf_letter.pdf

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Yep. Troopers liked the heavy barrel 10-6 but wanted .357 magnum so S&W obliged. It was so popular the Model 13 was born. I know the 681 that the troopers eventually went to were marked NYSP but I don’t know if the 10-6’s were. I have 4 Model 10’s. I’d grab a .357 one in a heartbeat. $700 might be a bit higher than I’d want to pay but I doubt I would let it get away.

That one is really nice!

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-Matt

Generalmgr

The serial number is in the correct range for this one to be an NYSP gun. It is worth a letter to find out. I don't think the price was out of line.

In addition to having some historical significance, these are fun guns to own and to shoot.

Congrats.

BTW the 10-6 revolvers made for the NYSP were not "prototypes." They were special order revolvers. But the concept was so successful, especially after the FBI wanted some, that S&W created the Model 13-1 and added them to the catalog.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Also, check the serial number on the inside of the right stock panel. If it is off by a few digits, that may be another indication it came from the NYSP. The armorer there didn't care which gun the stocks came off of when he had a bunch of them on his table and then reassembled them. Stocks got switched all the time. Mine has stocks that are 22 digits off.

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Jack
SWCA #2475, SWHF #318

Fantastic find

Memory lane! I bought what I thought was a Model 13 at a gun show many years ago and came to this forum to answer a very similar question after later noticing it was a Model 10-6.

Great find!
As the owner of a K-frame 13-1, a reminder from my favorite gunsmith - carry 357, shoot 38.

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Marty 4513TSW 13-1 642 60-10

Definitivamente NO PUEDES VENDERLO. Es una auténtica joya de colección. Dado que la serie 10 se corresponde con el calibre . 38 Special. Y el tuyo fue fabricado en pequeñas cantidades como lo dice otro compañero. De hecho el mío es modelo 10-7 en calibre .38 Special, pero con cañón de 2 pulgadas, apodado cariñosamente como "Snub Nose". Pienso que el precio que pagaste fue un poco alto pero vale cada dólar que te costó. Por ser un arma limitada y de colección. Tiene pequeños deterioros en el acabado de la punta del cañón y en otras partes del armazón. Pero mandandolo a un sitio especializado le dan un nuevo acabado en negro brillante. También le puedes dar las cachas a un ebanista para que les de un nuevo acabado en el color original. Ó si lo prefieres en un tono amarilloso. Te felicito por tan bella arma. Deseo que la disfrutes mucho.

YOU DEFINITELY CAN'T SELL IT. It is a real gem of a collection since the model 10 series corresponds to the caliber .38 Special, and yours was made in small amounts as another member says. In fact, mine is a model 10-7 in .38 Special caliber, but with 2-inch barrel, affectionately nicknamed "Snub Nose".

I think the price you paid was a bit high but worth every dollar you paid as a limited and collectible weapon. Has small deterioration in the finish of the barrel tip and other parts of the frame. But sending it to a specialized site gives it a new finish in bright black. You can also give the stocks to a wood finisher to give them a new finish in the original color. OR if you prefer it in a yellowish tone.

I congratulate you on such a beautiful weapon. I want you to enjoy it a lot.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Thanks for all the replies. As suggested, I removed the grip panels to check the serial number.... turns out the numbers on the grip do match the gun, and the numbers on the crane match the numbers on the frame under the grip. Glad I did that too since there is a little rash starting under there that needs attention. Don't think I'm going to do any sort of restoration on it...in my mind the history of this almost 50 year old firearm is displayed in the condition and I don't mind that at all. Plus, if it's not pristine I don't have to feel bad about feeding it a diet of 38 special now and then.

Perfecto, esta bien. Consérvalo así entonces. Entiendo tus razones. De todas maneras se encuentra en buen estado general. Yo te lo sugerí solo como un consejo para que lo embellecieras. Pero fue sólo eso, una sugerencia no más.

About a dozen years ago I bought a used 66-6 and sent it to S&W for an action job. It came back very nice, and enclosed was a S&W business card that had hand-written on the back, just what you said about .38 and .357

Y que quieren decir con eso? Pará que llevar un . 357 y vas a disparar. 38? Cuál es la ventaja? Porque si bien es cierto que un buen cartucho . 38 +P con una buena punta es capaz de dejar fura de combate a un atacante ; también lo es, el hecho de que un .357 Magnum lo es mucho más.

It is a rare occurrence where the bottom of the forcing cone can crack by repeatedly shooting the "hotter" .357 loads of 110gr and 125gr. This is due to the thin cross section at the bottom of the barrel of 'K' frames where it extends past the frame and is cut to clear the cylinder due to the recessed chambers.

A crack in the forcing cone is very bad. Your gun becomes an interesting paperweight.

There is some thought that 158gr .357 mitigates this potential failure of the forcing cone.

So, that is why it is said - practice with .38 (or .38+P) at the range all day, but carry .357 in case you need to change the mind of an attacker.

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Marty 4513TSW 13-1 642 60-10

Generalmgr, I really like your magnum 10-6. I would love to find one for myself. Fixed sight magnums are at the top of my list. I also like your choice of a prop, an old pen gun.

The K-frame was designed for the 38 Special well over a century ago. In the 1950s it was offered with the 357 Magnum as the Combat Magnum to give peace officers a lighter carry gun. Shooting magnums is OK in small doses but not what the K-frame was designed to handle.

I noticed the pen gun too. I bet you might have carried one of those with "flare" ammo in your flight vest.

Beautiful magnum OP!

I did, in the RVN on my flak jacket and in Panama, although we were not issued flak jackets there. Just survival vests and LPU's.

AND the .32-20.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Good fine welcome aboard the forum.

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Life is short,live it fully.

One fine day, a few years ago, a similar discussion arose. At the time, having never heard of a .357 Magnum Model 10, I became very interested and one Forum member said that there was one on one of the auction sites. I'm pretty sure I hit "buy it now" because it was mine in a heartbeat after I saw it.

I have taken the Texas concealed handgun, now license to carry, shooting test at least 6 times, with 6 different handguns: Ruger P-89, S&W CS-45, Norinco 1911, S&W 586/6" barrel, S&W M6906, and S&W M10/4" barrel - .357 Magnum. I always shot a score of 246 or 248 until I used the Model 10 .357 Magnum and I finally scored 250. It is a superb weapon.

Original look when acquired:



Current look:



If you look closely you can see that in the "current look", besides the elk stocks from bgmntmn on this Forum, the gun is not as "pretty" as when I first acquired it. That's because of water damage from fire hoses that hit my safe and got inside during my 2018 fire. I sold virtually every one of the water damaged guns, all good shooters (mostly S&W revolvers and mostly K frame snubs) because I couldn't bear to look at them. I refused to part with the M10 .357 Magnum.

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Come and take it!!

Those elk grips are sweet... might have to look for some of them myself!

When I first took my model 10 to the range, I had along a Sig P226 and and S&W 586... and I was consistently more accurate with the 10. Maybe it was just luck but in any event I was sold in the gun right then.

Interesting side note... I have an inkling our pistol collections are very similar. Along with some others I have almost the exact same in my collection that you listed, except a 5906 rather than 6906.

(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!

I wonder if these Model 10s were specially heat treated to fire the .357 Magnum cartridge or was the Model 10 strong enough on its own to fire the hotter cartridge?

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.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I spoke with Dr. Roy Jinks a few years back concerning the heat treatment on a M544 and he told me that all Magnum revolvers received heat treatment.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!