Been looking hard for a model 610. Why are they so hard to find?

There are two of them available on Gunbroker right now.

If I want some bad, off to gunbroker I go.

Finding them is not really difficult. Finding them at a good price is the hard part. Been trying to find a 4" prelock to add to the collection for quite some time. The 3" & 4" are the most popular. Just depends on what you are willing to pay. Be prepared to spend around $1000. Missed a heck of a deal on a 4" 610 and a Bloodwork .357 just recently.

Hmmmm, they are and they aren't.

I had it in the back of my mind that I wanted a first issue 610
for my collection of 1989 stainless N frames.
I looked on gunbroke and scoured the shops and shows.
Then one day on a Sunday, small show, there was a 610 5" no dash.
I asked to handle it and checked it mechanically right there in front
of the seller. When I showed him it had 'push-off' and made an offer
I got it for the price if $600.
A new trigger rebound spring fixed the push off.

The question here is; how much time are you willing to spend in your search?
If you have money then you can find one right away.

Good luck
Allen

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NRA cert.instructor&R.S.O.

Well price is no problem as long as it's not insane and in my neck of the woods most prices are insane which is the very reason I'm planning a trip home with stops in as many gun shops as I can.

I checked out gunbroker and wouldn't buy one like that as it looks like someone took steel wool to it to clean it.

I am extremely...no, insanely jealous! (smile)

Dave

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RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

The 610 may follow in the footsteps of the once discontinued model 57 - when S&W figures the pent up depand is starting to peak - it may re-issue the model as it did a few years ago. They aren't going to miss sales on something that is no more than a bit of tooling revisions to once again offer it! The barrel and cylinder aren't unique parts per se.

I paid 700 for my no dash. Save your money though. I have seen them with locks go for 1k and no lock versions go for over $1200. It's starting to get silly with 610 prices.

They offered a 3" 610? I didn't pursue this but I've come across a 4". Do the 4 inchers tend to command a greater premium than the 6"?
I hope it's not gonna be $1000.

I've only recently gotten back into guns. Now I can't get enough. I stumbled upon the S&W 610 after renting a Glock 10mm, gasp! I was actually looking for another gun. They're no longer made, so that will make your search harder. But I did see the same 2 you thought were steel wooled & thought the same of the finish.
For me, price is a factor, but so is a quality piece.

Not mine but here is a link to a pic - Lew Horton #610 - AR15 Armory.com.

I was searching through my pics and don't have any. There were issued through Lew Horton. Also had a 625 at one time in the same size that was a Lew Horton.

Usually the 3" and the 4" models will bring higher money. Also if they are prelock models.

I was wondering what's the deal w/. these lock vs prelock guns?
The prelock has greater value, right? (fits old saying, what consumer is willing to pay). But function the same, begs question, lock version has a flaw as it relates to weakness? Not sure, but today before I joined this forum, I quickly researched this, & here's what I found, perhaps I need to do more sleuthing. So what are these documented cases spoken of below, as S&W says it doesn't affect reliability. Is there somewhere or somehow I can see pics like a red circle or arrow around mechanism for this internal lock vs no lock? I'm intrigued, I try to buy superior products whenever I can & can afford to as well.
Or some good reading, w/o reading 4 billion posts & going on just as many websites. Kind of a "in a nutshell" synopsis would suffice. As it may affect my thoughts on value I place on a "potential" firearm purchase going forward.

Internal locking mechanism
All Smith & Wesson revolvers have been equipped with an internal locking mechanism since the acquisition by Saf-T-Hammer. The mechanism is relatively unobtrusive, is activated with a special key, and renders the firearm inoperable. While the lock can simply be left disengaged, some gun enthusiasts prefer "pre-lock" guns. Smith & Wesson has repeatedly stated that the locking mechanism does not affect reliability, although several cases have been documented.[31]

Smith & Wesson announced in March, 2009, that it would begin phasing the internal lock out of its revolver lineup.[32] Smith and Wesson is now producing the original model 442 and 642 without the internal lock.


Read more: Smith & Wesson: Definition from Answers.com

The locking mechanism is a hole above the cylinder release button. It is on the left side of the gun. Do a search on the forum for "The Plug". A member here made a plug to fit in the IL hole. He also has pics on how to install.

I know there has been cases of them sticking or jamming. I could not tell you either way because all of my wheelguns do not have them.

My 610-3 looks the same way, suppose thats how they finished em?




Mark

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NRA BENEFACTOR MEMBER

My brother just paid $1K for one with a 6 1/2" barrel.

I really like M610s. Every once in a while you see one in the Forum Classifieds. They go quickly though!

I can't comment on the IL since I never have never owned one with that "feature".

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They lack our altruism.

I have a 620, 610-3, and 625 JM with the lock and haven't ever had a problem with it in any of them. IMO the lock is mainly a problem in the featherweights when shot allowing a massive amount of muzzle flip. Since none of these 3 are definately NOT featherweights I really don't ever expect to have a problem with the lock and if it ever did malfunction I'd just remove it.

Thanks for info Simmy.

Gotcha.
I should have a 625JM in about 2 wks. I can't wait.

I have four model 610's. A no dash 5", a 6 1/2" -1, a 3" -2, and a 3 7/8" -3. All are excellent shooters and great guns. I joke about the 3" because it's the hardest to find and I bought it sight unseen without knowing the barrel length and would have sent it back but it came on December 30, 2000 which was the last day we could purchase "not unsafe" guns from out of state. Sometimes I think I'm the poster boy for the "blind squirrel".

A couple of years ago I was trying to find a new 610 in 4" to use in IDPA/IPSC revolver. S&W had them on their website which, at least to me, that they were being manufactured. I tried to special order one through several different shops and nobody could get one. My assumption then (and now) is that they had been discontinued for whatever reason. I wish they'd produce some more.

That's a funny story.

I think I'm the poster boy for "buying two years too early"!

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They lack our altruism.

Bwwahahahah..

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Rolan Kraps
Gainesville, Ga

They are out there, but they don't come cheap. Over the last 6 months I bought both a 6.5" and 5" version. Both are no dash models, and both came through private party purchases. I wanted them for use in the local Icore matches. I originally started out thinking about a model 625, but when I found out about the capabilities of the 10mm, I decided that a 610 could do double duty for close range deer hunting and competition. On the first gun, I went through all the back and forth e-mails working out the deal for the 6.5" model, all the while telling my son about the deal I was working on. Well as it turns out he talked me into letting him buy the gun for Icore since I already had a model 627 that I was using. So I caved. After seeing how well his 610 shoots, I knew I had to find another one, so I posted some wanted to buy ads here and on a few other forums. I really expected my search to take several weeks, but as luck would have it, someone needed money to fund another gun, and saw my WTB ad. Since he had one stashed in the safe that wasn't being used, and would give him quick access to the cash he needed for his new project, he contacted me the day after I posted the ad.

Like I said, they are out there but they don't come cheap. I'd call paying $800 a good deal, up to $900 a fair deal, and between $900 and $1000 an average deal depending on condition. I have no problem buying a gun with the lock, especially if it will be used for competition, as opposed to being carried for protection. My 627 has the lock, and I have never had any issues with it. Of course if I'm buying a gun with the lock, I expect to pay less than a no lock version. To my way of thinking, the only drawback on models with the lock is the reduced number of people interested in your gun when it comes time to sell, so I expect to pay less when I'm buying.

I picked mine up at Scheels for $600+tax last year. The clerk that I bought it from had sold it to the original owner who wanted to take a deer with it before he quit hunting altogether. He got his deer and sold it back to Scheels for about $300. I bet he would kick himself if he knew he could get 700-1000 for it.

I stumbled on it not knowing much of anything about it. Glad I did.

Here's mine...favorite gun in the safe by far. Picked it up on gunbroker a while back and that's where I recommend you look if you want one.

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paid 850 for 610-3 3 7/8 in with combat wood grips and nite sights. it also has s&w houges. did they market some of these with nite sights from the factory?

If I ever spring for a long-nosed 610, it will join my 5-inch 610 as a no-dash from the initial run. Shooting4life, that is a great picture of what I can only imagine is an AWESOME gun.

Oh the Shame, locking that lovely gun up in a dark box and never letting it out to "play". I know the 4 inch 610's are fetching a high price today, however I wouldn't lock mine up and never shoot it, in fact my 6 1/2 inch 610 gets out to "play" on nearly every range outing. However it has been a bit neglected recently because my new 625 JM is every bit as much fun to shoot.

I was looking at a first run 6 1/2" at a local show yesterday. He had either $1000 or $1100 on it (didn't really look that close when I saw 4 digits). All I could remember thinking was, man maybe it's time to sell some guns.... After seeing the discussions here about 3 1/2" Model 27-2s for over $1000 I think I'll be looking through the safe today....

If you want to feel wealthy, just check out the 27-2's and such at Cabelas gun library!!!

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

There is some good suggestions and feedback here in this thread, but some folks need to look up the definition of "market value" again, in my view. There is a group on this forum who throw prices around, for all kinds of guns, that I would line up to buy, given the oppurtunity, but I'm looking-and talking to buyers and sellers quite a lot-some every day, and the only place I hear those prices being bantered about is on here! Maybe those are the crazy prices? Flapjack.

Who said I never shot it? I take it out to the range just about every week. I just meant it's the favorite of all I own. I don't buy guns for them to just sit in a safe....haha!