With the ever growing popularity with the 40 S&W round why does S&W not currently offer a revolver in that caliber? Does it have something to do with the ballistics of the round when fired from a revolver?

Or is it just not that popular? I would think it would be more popular than the 610 that they made.

Skip

With the 610 you have the option of shooting both 40 and 10mm, just like a 38/357. What I am surprised is there isn't a small J or K-Frame 5 shot backup style gun available, but then again they see no need to make the 940 anymore either.

Bean counters. If they don't sell they drop them like a hot potato.

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NRA Benefactor Member

What ever happened to the Model 310 Nightguard, it was announced over a year ago, but I have only seen one or two for sale about 6 months ago. I asked my dealer about them, and he told me there were none in stock at his supplier.

i have a 646 i like it nobody wanted them when they made them now the non pc models are going for about $900 just like the 940 they was not selling them good now look at them i think a 9mm and a 40 S&W revolvers would sell alot better now then they did in the past

I had a 646 non PC. Picked it up for about $525 NIB at a local store. Shot it in the IPSC revolver class. Loved it,was a fool to sell it.

I happen to agree. I have a 6 1/2 inch 610 that I use nearly exclusively for shooting the 40 S&W. One look at the cost difference between the 40 caliber and the 10mm will reveal that only a hand loader will be running the 10mm in the 610. At over 38 dollars for a box of 50, about the only time I shoot 10mm at the range is when I am sighting it in for deer season, the rest of the time it's a 40 caliber.

The problem with using the 40 caliber in the 610 is that in my case the headspace rim in the cylinder chambers were shaving jacketing from the bullets. This caused a torn lead surface to be exposed to the barrel and caused some pretty severe leading in my particular sample. I would caution any 610 owner to pay particular attention to leading when using the short case 40 caliber, if you don't it could be a safety issue. In my case I removed most of that headspace ledge by hand stoning it and mine is now problem free with the 40 caliber. However, it was a lot of fine tedious detail work to get there and I would only recomend that an experienced Tool & Die maker attempt this, anyone else should just notify S&W of the issue. Perhaps if enough complain, they'll make the 610 moon clip only again and remove this issue.

I have also had to turn my 620 into a safe queen because it was getting too expensive to shoot. One of these days there will be primers available locally and it'll come out of the safe. However, one local dealer I asked about primers was told that the minimum size lot he could order was 1 million primers, so it may be a while before I see any primers.

In addition, Smith & Wesson could make a lot of 686 and 620 owners very happy by simply offering a 9mm, moon clip drop in conversion cylinder assemblly for these models. Frankly, I really don't think that a 0.001 inch difference in bore diameter would have much effect on accuracy with a jacketed round such as the 9mm. However, the difference in cost is great enough that many shooters could pay for that cylinder with just one year of savings on ammo.

BTW, ammo costs in my area.

The 9mm I would have to estimate because I don't have any 9mm guns, however I expet 10 to 11 dollars per 50 is probably reasonable. However, I have seen any 9mm locally at Walmart for over a year and recently the only 9mm that my range has been able to stock is Federal Range Safe at 22.99 per 50. Makes me glad I shoot the 40.

The 40 S&W is 13.97 per 50 at Walmart and I've bought a bunch of it since it came into stock in September.

The 38 spl. is currently 21.99 at my local range which is the only place I've seen it in stock for over a year.

The 357 Magnum is 26.99 per 50 at the same range. BTW, the range isn't marking it up much, I've seen his invoices and he's only marking it up by 1 dollar per box over what he pays his distributors.

The 10mm is 39.95 for a box of 50 from Double Tap and my range only carries it for their "best" customers. However, he has real problems getting any 10mm in case quantities and it's kept under the counter for those who know to ask. I've also seen unmarked, backroom 10mm reloads at one local gun shop for 29.99 per 50. Needless to say, I don't shoot someone else's reloads.

Another problem that I find shooting my 646 is the rim thickness on some cases. My gun really likes PMC, R-P, and federal, every thing else I have tried in it binds the cylinder up. I am using RIMZ moonclips and they are made to match the thicker of the two types of clips that smith included. Luckily I have an M&P 40 that will shoot anything so whatever the 646 doesn't like gets fed to the M&P and it will eat it up without a hiccup.

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Drew

I enjoy shooting my S&W 646 and 610. I have used the Ranch Products moonclips with my S&W 646 and 610 with mixed brass and have not encountered any problems. The Rimz moonclips are fine for informal practise but I prefer the Ranch Products moonclips for competition.
I believe the S&W646 was designed for IDPA competition and was introduced jsut before IDPA chaged the rules placing all moonclipped revolvers in a new class. That new IDPA classification for moonclipped revolvers elminated the need for the S&W 646.

How odd that this topic has come up. I just ordered a 3 7/8" full lug 610. I have been waiting for this to come in stock since September.

Good things come to those who wait!

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Doug "N Frame Addict"
CO