S&W Model 10-6 .38 Special police trade in

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lmartin

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Hi all, I recently purchased a 10-6 in .38 special that was a police trade in. I was wondering if any one here has any idea on how hard it would be to dig up the history of this fine old revolver. Things I would like to find out.... What department it was part of,
when it was put in service, roughly how long it was in service, and maybe find out if it was used by more than 1 department.
Interesting thing I was shown at the gun shop when I purchased it is in front of the trigger guard is stamped JF then 1423, I was told that 1423 was the badge number it was issued to and possibly that JF were the officers initials. Does anyone know if this sounds plausible? Thanks in advance for any info
 
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lmartin said:
.....
Interesting thing I was shown at the gun shop when I purchased it is in front of the trigger guard is stamped JF then 1423, I was told that 1423 was the badge number it was issued to and possibly that JF were the officers initials. Does anyone know if this sounds plausible? Thanks in advance for any info
Click to expand...

Are you sure it was JF and not JP?

Your description of the location in front of the trigger guard sounds a lot like a large batch of heavy-barrel Model 10s that were re-imported from a foreign country’s police force. They were all marked with JP and a four-digit number in front of the trigger guard.

These guns have been discussed here before. I don’t think there was a definite answer as to what the JP stands for, but the Jordanian Police was the most often referenced suspect.
 
It is a heavy barrel model, I re-inspected the stamping it is clearly JF
Also if it helps anyone here is the serial #3D10484
 
Here is my 10-6 Bull barrel on the right. It was issue for Boise PD officers
in the late 1960s and 1970s. On the left is my 10-5. The plain cloths cops
got the 10-5. No PD markings of any kind on either revolver.
 

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3D prefix would date it to 1978, at least according to the SCSW catalog. On the other hand, according to the same source, the factory had started making version 10-8, "Gas ring change from yoke to cylinder on heavy barrel model".

If it was reimported from outside the US, it might have the name of the importing FFL or wholesaler etched somewhere on the gun.
 
lmartin said:
It is a heavy barrel model, I re-inspected the stamping it is clearly JF
Also if it helps anyone here is the serial #3D10484
Click to expand...

The 3D serials should indeed fall into 1978 and are just around the transition from 10-6 to 10-8, so the gun is whichever of these two is stamped in the yoke cut.

If it is indeed JF and not an unevenly struck P, your only hope is likely to pay for a history letter. That may tell you whether the gun shipped to a specific department. Of course, if it went by way of a regional distributor, that would be the end of the road.
 
I want to thank everyone for the responses, I am happy to learn what year it is.

Absalom, it may be a poorly shaped p, I just really thought it was an f
but it would make sense knowing that a large batch was brought back from another country. Thanks for the help
 
Most likely shipped around May 1978. A letter of authenticity would likely tell you where it shipped, but may not be worth the added cost........
 
crazyphil said:
Here is my 10-6 Bull barrel on the right. It was issue for Boise PD officers
in the late 1960s and 1970s. On the left is my 10-5. The plain cloths cops
got the 10-5. No PD markings of any kind on either revolver.
Click to expand...

Was Shapels the purchasing agent? :)
 
crazyphil said:
Maybe. I never really knew. I sure do miss Shappels though.
You must be an old-timer if you remember them.
Click to expand...

I'm fifty-two, but I bought a few guns there during the shop's final years. I've been with Caldwell PD for the past twenty years.
 
I picked up one late last year, too, when AIM Surplus had a bunch on sale pretty cheaply.

attachment.php


Serial is 3D11XXX
 

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Recently purchased S&W 10-6 HB police trade-in marked 'JP'

lmartin said:
Hi all, I recently purchased a 10-6 in .38 special that was a police trade in.
...in front of the trigger guard is stamped JF then 1423, I was told that 1423 was the badge number it was issued to and possibly that JF were the officers initials. Does anyone know if this sounds plausible? Thanks in advance for any info
Click to expand...

I too recently purchased a "police trade-in" S&W Model 10-6 HB that has "JP" over the number "550" stamped just forward of the trigger guard. Additionally, this revolver bears a re-import mark: "C.A.I. GEORGIA, VT" over "MADE IN U.S.A." stamped into the barrel flat above the ejector rod. After review of opinions from various collectors, and a couple different distributors, the consensus appears to be these are re-imports from the 'Jordanian Public Defense Force' (Jordan National Police).

Mine has a 2D89xxx which, according to S&W, was made in 1978; the transition year from the S&W Model 10-6 with pinned barrel to the Model 10-8 with the crush-fit barrel.
 

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