Cabelas find - Vietnam era US marked 10-5 round butt UPDATED with letter info

[sigp220.45]

I didn't want to hijack Slufstuff's thread on his jewel, so I'll plop this here.

I saw this RB 10-5 at my local Cabela's last Friday, but didn't have them pull it out because getting yet another Model 10 wasn't at the top of my gotta-get list.

That night I saw Slufstuff's thread and figured I'd better go back and take a look. So now it's Saturday and my lovely bride is along. I tell her I'm gonna check this gun for a little mark and it probably won't have it. She decides to wait in the car. Winner winner, chicken dinner:

They gave me $20 off for my GI Joe discount and I had $16 in Cabela's bucks, so I got out of there pretty cheap. Backgrounds were running about an hour and a half, so I ply her with seafood and drop the news we'll have to stop back at Cabelas to pick up the new addition. She likes me, so she's cool with it.

The counter man said the guy who brought it in said it belonged to his recently deceased brother-in-law, a Vietnam vet. His wife didn't want it in the house.

Here ya go:

Not bad shape for a 1968/69 gun. No sign of a refinish. Grips are numbered to the gun.

I took it to the range today. No suprises there.

158 grain lead round nose shot a bit high with a 6 o'clock hold at 20 yards.

130 grain FMJ was close to POA/POI with the same hold.

I'll give it a good cleaning and let it hang out and tell war stories with my Victory Models.

Thanks again to Slufstuff for his timely post.

 

[firemanhank]

Thats another great find!!
Congrats.
Hank

 

[Slufstuff]

Great find! It is interesting it is a Vietnam vets revolver. I wonder if he was a helicopter pilot or aircrew? This just shows there are treasures out there, even in the big box stores.
OP, you might want to invest in a S&W historical letter. It is almost certainly a Vietnam contract piece, but it would be nice to document the contract and delivery info. Even with one already in hand, I would have bought that one without hesitation. I am glad my post got it into a S&W collectors hands. It could have ended up as somebody's glove box gun or worse (I am imagining it rattling around in some wet tackle box as a "snake gun").

 

[.455_Hunter]

Great gun!

Too bad it couldn't stay in the family.

 

[29-1]

I didn't want to hijack Slufstuff's thread on his jewel, so I'll plop this here.

I saw this RB 10-5 at my local Cabela's last Friday, but didn't have them pull it out because getting yet another Model 10 wasn't at the top of my gotta-get list.

That night I saw Slufstuff's thread and figured I'd better go back and take a look. So now it's Saturday and my lovely bride is along. I tell her I'm gonna check this gun for a little mark and it probably won't have it. She decides to wait in the car. Winner winner, chicken dinner:

They gave me $20 off for my GI Joe discount and I had $16 in Cabela's bucks, so I got out of there pretty cheap. Backgrounds were running about an hour and a half, so I ply her with seafood and drop the news we'll have to stop back at Cabelas to pick up the new addition. She likes me, so she's cool with it.

The counter man said the guy who brought it in said it belonged to his recently deceased brother-in-law, a Vietnam vet. His wife didn't want it in the house.

Here ya go:

Not bad shape for a 1968/69 gun. No sign of a refinish. Grips are numbered to the gun.

I took it to the range today. No suprises there.

158 grain lead round nose shot a bit high with a 6 o'clock hold at 20 yards.

130 grain FMJ was close to POA/POI with the same hold.

I'll give it a good cleaning and let it hang out and tell war stories with my Victory Models.

Thanks again to Slufstuff for his timely post.

Sig, looks like a winner! Eliza want's to know if you shot those kinds of groups when you were running the streets in Fedland? She's in PD now with 2 years to go until we can go around looking for guns too!
Regards, Chuck

 

[CLASSIC12]

Fantastic find, congratulations. I would have been all over that.

 

[sigp220.45]

Sig, looks like a winner! Eliza want's to know if you shot those kinds of groups when you were running the streets in Fedland? She's in PD now with 2 years to go until we can go around looking for guns too!
Regards, Chuck

I borrowed one of the NIS marked 4" round butt Model 19s from the vault in NO to shoot the dreaded bullseye course at Firearms Instructor school back when you could use a revolver. It took two tries and I was perilously close to making the walk of shame but I squeaked past somehow. I've had a soft spot for RB K frames ever since - I'm carrying one now!

She can do 2 years standing on her head, then its smooth sailing.

 

[Bald1]

My question is for $399 why did you walk out without it the first time? If nothing else you could clean it up and flip it. And the grip adapter is a nice touch

 

[Scharfschuetzer]

Lots of the Huey pilots carried Model 10s in shoulder holsters when I was in Vietnam.

I would have bought it in a heartbeat to go along with the rest of my military handguns from WWI to VN.

 

[sigp220.45]

My question is for $399 why did you walk out without it the first time? If nothing else you could clean it up and flip it. And the grip adapter is a nice touch

I've got a safe full of guns I bought to flip. Somehow I never get to the flipping part.

 

[Muley Gil]

When it was time for me to attend the police academy, I bought a blue 4" M19 and round butted it. I shot NRA Expert with it. Unfortunately, it wound up with an ex-wife.

A number of years ago, I bought a 1957 shipped RB .38 M&P from a fellow Forum member.

As y'all might guess, I LOVE round butt revolvers.

 

[waffles]

***! I didn't stop in because the gf was mad on our way back from Pueblo. Excellent score.

 

[KEN L]

Great find! I am very jealous, would've bought that in a heartbeat! They're still out there..................

 

[29-1]

I borrowed one of the NIS marked 4" round butt Model 19s from the vault in NO to shoot the dreaded bullseye course at Firearms Instructor school back when you could use a revolver. It took two tries and I was perilously close to making the walk of shame but I squeaked past somehow. I've had a soft spot for RB K frames ever since - I'm carrying one now!

She can do 2 years standing on her head, then its smooth sailing.

The countdown has already begun!

 

[Retired W4]

Very nice. The 10-5 I was issued in 1970 was a SB. The holster was hung on a pistol belt which was rotated between the legs when flying, for added protection. Every little bit helped. Dead serious on that.

The TO&E for assault helicopter companies called for Crew Chiefs/Gunners to be issued M-16s. Door Gunners were hand receipted the M-60s. The guys in the back didn't always carry the M-16s with them but they normally did.

 

[Jerryatric3]

Chinook (CH47) pilot 67-68 carried one back then. Wonder how he got it home??? I tried.......

 

[Retired W4]

Chinook (CH47) pilot 67-68 carried one back then. Wonder how he got it home??? I tried.......

If he was issued the piece he could claim combat loss, then pack it away in his hole baggage (personal items transported in a ships hole). Another scenario: he picked it up among the thousands of weapons laying around and put it in his hole baggage. 2 or 3 months later, after the trans-pacific voyage, the trunk with all his stuff would show up at his door step. Simple. Don't ask me how I know all that stuff. It was a long time ago and my memory is not so good.

 

[Ameshawki]

I've never seen a US marked M10. I've never even heard a rumor of one. I'd have snagged that so fast I might have hurt myself.

 

[Retired W4]

I don't know how mine was marked. The 1st unit I was in, 187th AHC issued me a Victory model complete with butt swivel.

 

[Xfuzz]

Good score.
Nice Roscoe....