You may remember my thread last week about my "Ugly Duckling" pre-model 10 that had most of it's finish destroyed in some type of corrosive environment. It's serial number is S849xxx, dating it to 1945, as discussed last week. My thanks to all of the forum members who shared their thoughts as to what might have caused the damage to this poor gun. There was some concern from some forum members as to whether this gun would fire normally or if it was even safe. The frame has the single line "Made in U.S.A.". I felt so sorry for it I had to save it and adopt it, so I picked it up for $80 due to it's appearance:


I got it to the range yesterday and I am very happy to report that it fired quite normally, and accurately too! I wanted to take it easy on the old girl, so I fired no +P ammo in it. I fired 6 rounds of Remington UMC 158 gr LRN at 25 yards. The target was an 8.5x11 sheet with a 1" bullseye. The first two shots missed the target and then I realized the gun was shooting high and left. I corrected for it and hit with the next 4 shots (marked with a red line). I then switched to a favorite standard pressure handload of mine pushing a 158 gr cast LSWC about 860 fps from a 4" barrel. I fired 25 rounds of this load, with 20 striking the paper (larger holes, unmarked), after I figured out that this load was printing lower than the factory load. The action, especially in DA firing was butter smooth and there were no problems. The only thing was a few drops of brown goo coming out of the action from where I had oiled it. I guess the oil released some long-dried out crud. Here's the target:

This gun will make a great shooter after all. I'm not going to do anything to the finish except keep it oiled to prevent further damage. Not bad for $80!

Sounds like an excellent example for your "learning" how to pop off a side plate and disassemble and clean. If you haven't done yet, it's time. Get all that "brown goo" out of it. There are how to's on the internet, or buy Jerry Miculek's video on dis-assembly and trigger job. The majority of all S&W revolvers are so similar, once you learn one you can interior clean all of them.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Wow! Yikes! As the late, great Miron Cope might have said: ..double Yoi! That old M&P is certainly not for the faint of heart. I think that it could win an ugliest gun award, and that you deserve a lot of credit for rescuing it; I'm sorry that I missed your earlier posts. Any consideration to hard chroming or Metalife-ing it? I know that there could be some satisfaction in having an $80 shooter, but man, I do believe that at the range I would have to keep it in a brown paper bag, or perhaps bring it out only on dark nights. I hope it isn't contagious. Shame on the person that let that happen to such a great firearm, and good on you for adopting it. -S2

Pretty is as pretty does ! I think for $80.00 it is a deal.Clean up those insides, lest the damage may continue.

Lookin' good!

I always find a special satisfaction with adopting a neglected gun and shooting it.





Here's a before and after of the beat up pre-Victory I found for $140 at a Cabela's in the "guns no one wants" case. It had what looks like a Colt 2" barrel on it, and it looked like some fat guy carried it under a fat roll for 10 years.....it was covered in rust on top of old pitting, and it looks like it was scrubbed with a wire brush and then left to rust again. There's still rust in the nooks and crannies I haven't gotten to yet.

I used 2 wood blocks and a cheap vise in my garage to unscrew the old barrel, and put on a 5" .38 S&W barrel. Added a correct extractor rod, center pin, etc. Got a varnished set of Magnas at a gun show for a few bucks and a busted up T-Grip. It's still not in great mechanical shape, it seems like someone trimmed the spring for the thumblatch for some kitchen table gunsmith job, the thumblatch moves back when the hammer is cocking and "gags" the hammer a little bit. It only carries up right with rounds in the chambers, and even then, it just locks up with slow cocking. Works fine at combat speed, I don't know if it's heavily used or just loose wartime manufacturing.

I am thinking of adding a Wondersight so I can shoot .38 S&W and actually have it shoot to POA. I plan to use it as a backyard plinker....... I have 7 acres which is "just" enough to shoot some light centerfire handguns, 9mm is too loud and .38 Special is borderline, I have neighbors within earshot and don't like to blast them out. I fired a few .44 Mags one time and according to the one neighbor I talk to"something was said" about "who's doing all that shooting up on the hill", apparently. So light Magtech .38 S&W would be just the ticket to let me fire a "real" revolver, instead of my 617 all the time.

But, it works, and it's mine and I would never part with it. Decades down the road I will look at it and it will be the "S&W me and Dad rebarreled in the garage"

Nframe, what you have is $80 dollars worth of character. That truly is one ugly Model 10, but then, it's probably the only one in existence like it. I have heard that guys are taking brand new USFA Colt clones and steel wooling them to make them look antique. So I guess the 'look' is certainly worth what you paid. I think this is really a great gun and you should enjoy it for a long time. It just plain has class. I have Jerry Miculek's video on dis-assembly, assembly of S&W Revolvers, and it is really well done. Thanks for sharing this great find.

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Endeavor to persevere. <><

I have had some pretty used looking S&W Model 10s and a Model 13 that did not look quite like yours, but in that ball park. I have NEVER had one that did not shoot well...and that $80 price tag makes it look much better...


mark

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Liberals made the USA

that is ugly.... got to love her... she will never stray