Model 60-10 "Small Hunter" S&W Factory Ported?

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Tony2much

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I just picked up this Model 60-10 with 3" barrel. It has a ported barrel and I was told that it is S&W factory original.

On Google, I found something about a 60-10 "Small Hunter" with a factory Magnaported barrel, but the only photos I could find had an inscription on the side plate.

Does anyone know if this was actually a S&W factory option for this model or was it possibly done aftermarket?
 

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It's a great gun, the M60-10 is on my list of BEST EVER.

A question. If S&W sends a gun to Lew Horton, and before it's put out for sale LH sends the gun to Mag-Na-Port, is that a "factory" MP'd gun?

I asked because LH did that a lot. Other distributors as well. Very few guns were sent direct from S&W to MP, then offered for sale, to make them "factory" MP'd. There were some, though.
 
Kernel Crittenden said:
It's a great gun, the M60-10 is on my list of BEST EVER.

A question. If S&W sends a gun to Lew Horton, and before it's put out for sale LH sends the gun to Mag-Na-Port, is that a "factory" MP'd gun?

I asked because LH did that a lot. Other distributors as well. Very few guns were sent direct from S&W to MP, then offered for sale, to make them "factory" MP'd. There were some, though.
Click to expand...

Thank you!

I don't have the box, so I can't refer to any direct factory evidence, but that does makes sense. I do remember there being a lot of distributor "special editions" back in the day.

The porting is not something I would purposely seek, but it was not a deal breaker for me. I think I'm going to really like it. It reminds me of a miniature 686!
 
From what I am reading, there are many people who dislike magnaported guns and say it greatly detracts from the value.

I am now curious as to how the re-sale value of my 60-10 with "factory" ports compares to a standard, non-ported version.

I hope my impulse buy doesn't turn out to be a mistake.
 
Sir, I think if YOU liked it well enough to buy it, then you got your money" worth, and it doesn't matter if someone else or every one else says you coulda/shoulda bought it for less. We all like to get "good" deals, usually meaning others think we stole it. But since I seldom ever buy a handgun with resale in mind, it just depends on whether I like it or not. My feelings might change with time, but not often. It costs to go to the show, and going is usually the only way YOU can determine if it was worth the cost of admission. We like for others to like our stuff, but IF I like what I bought myself, and it was my money that bought it, others are more than free to have their own opinions, which do not diminish my own pleasure because I found something I like. I have also bought on impulse, but I usually don't have an impulse unless there is a reason!!! Follow your own heart, and be happy. What you just bought would have provoked a very strong impulse for me, most likely followed by a reduction of my rat hole funds. Congratulations on a fine piece of gear!!!
 
kthom said:
Sir, I think if YOU liked it well enough to buy it, then you got your money" worth, and it doesn't matter if someone else or every one else says you coulda/shoulda bought it for less. We all like to get "good" deals, usually meaning others think we stole it. But since I seldom ever buy a handgun with resale in mind, it just depends on whether I like it or not. My feelings might change with time, but not often. It costs to go to the show, and going is usually the only way YOU can determine if it was worth the cost of admission. We like for others to like our stuff, but IF I like what I bought myself, and it was my money that bought it, others are more than free to have their own opinions, which do not diminish my own pleasure because I found something I like. I have also bought on impulse, but I usually don't have an impulse unless there is a reason!!! Follow your own heart, and be happy. What you just bought would have provoked a very strong impulse for me, most likely followed by a reduction of my rat hole funds. Congratulations on a fine piece of gear!!!
Click to expand...

Thanks kthom. I like the way you think!

I usually do my homework before buying something unusual, but this came up suddenly and I knew I had to act fast if I wanted it.

This is my first magnaported gun, so I have little prior experience with the concept. I'll know better after I get it to the range.
 
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Kernel Crittenden said:
It's a great gun, the M60-10 is on my list of BEST EVER.

A question. If S&W sends a gun to Lew Horton, and before it's put out for sale LH sends the gun to Mag-Na-Port, is that a "factory" MP'd gun?

I asked because LH did that a lot. Other distributors as well. Very few guns were sent direct from S&W to MP, then offered for sale, to make them "factory" MP'd. There were some, though.
Click to expand...

UPDATE:

I called Lew Horton Dist. Co. and they told me that it was not one of their models and I should call S&W directly.

S&W CS guy said that based on his records, my 60-10 was sent directly to mag-na-port from S&W and returned to S&W, prior to being shipped to a distributor in Florida (1997).

I am in Florida, so I guess it sort of makes sense. He wouldn't be specific which distributor originally received it.
 
Tony2much said:
UPDATE:

I called Lew Horton Dist. Co. and they told me that it was not one of their models and I should call S&W directly.

S&W CS guy said that based on his records, my 60-10 was sent directly to mag-na-port from S&W and returned to S&W, prior to being shipped to a distributor in Florida (1997).

I am in Florida, so I guess it sort of makes sense. He wouldn't be specific which distributor originally received it.
Click to expand...

Very cool! Nice find. I'm in South Florida too. Wish I would have seen it first :)
 
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I'm starting to do a little research on the Model 60-10, specifically the "Small Hunter" made with adjustable sights, no IL, and of course the full 357-length frame. Does anybody have a production number on this variant (with or without the special marking and/or barrel porting) that they can share with me? Is it very rare or is the problem just that people are smart enough to hold on to them if they find them?

Froggie
 
I was drawn to this thread because I have a 60-10 that is a superb shooter and one of my keepers, but only on the condition that I can tune my own ammo for it.

I am posting because I wonder in general how much good porting can do on a short barrel. It seems to me that to reduce muzzle rise, the port blast must have some leverage that can only come from barrel length and placement of the ports as far toward the muzzle as practical.

Porting also serves to reduce recoil, so maybe that is the real justification for porting a short barrel, say one under 4".
 
Without meaning to trash the man's thread, I would sure be interested in more info on the M60 "Small Hunter" if someone has one or knows anything about them.

Congrats to the OP on his new pistol. If you like it, it doesn't matter what someone else thinks of the MP feature. :)
 
I'm not sure about this but every factory ported S&W I've seen has a port in front of the front sight and is usually relatively large. The two small ports on either side running the same way as the barrel always say Magnaport to me.
 
lowriderfxr said:
I'm not sure about this but every factory ported S&W I've seen has a port in front of the front sight and is usually relatively large. The two small ports on either side running the same way as the barrel always say Magnaport to me.
Click to expand...

IIRC S&W calls them a "compensated" barrel....... vs. porting.........

A number of PC guns have been ported often 2 sets (4 ports)
 
As I've posted here many times; my 3 inch 60-10....... has become my "Kit Gun" when bumming around the Allegheny Mountains/Laurel Highlands of Penn's Woods......

a micro-686 good to go for all day carry hiking or ''working" around the cabin .... wad-cutters to .357s.........

uses the same ammo as my utility rifles.......in the past a Winchester Trapper ......lately a Ruger 77/357 with a Weaver 1-3X20 shotgun scope.

While I'm not into "billboards" on guns....... "Small Hunter" is very appropriate.....for the 3" 60-10............

:D
 
I just picked up a boxed S&W Model 60-10, 3 inch, product code 102430 non ported.
Your revolver is beautiful and looks brand new. Congratulations.
 
lowriderfxr said:
I'm not sure about this but every factory ported S&W I've seen has a port in front of the front sight and is usually relatively large. The two small ports on either side running the same way as the barrel always say Magnaport to me.
Click to expand...

I would think side-facing ports could do nothing but vent pressure from the barrel and affect both performance and recoil.

I have a ported 5.5 Redhawk in 45 Colt and a Rossi Interarms 671 VRC (vented rib, compensated) in 357 Mag, 4" barrel with 1" not rifled, only vented. Both have vents that point at an angle upward, allowing for the front sight between, and only at the foremost section of the barrel.
 
Green Frog said:
I'm starting to do a little research on the Model 60-10, specifically the "Small Hunter" made with adjustable sights, no IL, and of course the full 357-length frame. Does anybody have a production number on this variant (with or without the special marking and/or barrel porting) that they can share with me? Is it very rare or is the problem just that people are smart enough to hold on to them if they find them?

Froggie
Click to expand...

I don't know if the serial number would be of interest, but it's CBM446x. I believe a 1997 manufacture.

According to the S&W rep I spoke with on the phone, his records indicate it going to Mag-na-port and back to S&W before being shipped to a south Florida distributor.

It appears to be quite common to find this model with mag-na-ports. I've yet to actually fire mine, but have seen a few videos where standard .357 were fired from a 3" 60-10, and the recoil seemed fairly robust.
 
Product code for the SMALL HUNTER was 102432. I think most were shipped to Europe and were inscribed with the words SMALL HUNTER in the right side plate area. These were one of the few guns that S&W sent to Mag-Na-Port in Michigan BEFORE they shipped to the distributor.

Many thousands of S&W's, over the years, have been MP'd by distributors, then sold as new. Not quite the same thing as "factory" Mag-Na-Ported. AFAIK, S&W has no records of what guns distributors had MP'd.

The OP's CBM gun is interesting. I could be a S.H. that was never inscribed. Maybe an overrun from that order. It could of been standard 102430 MP'd by a distributor. Or, it could of been MP'd by a previous owner. Would be hard to tell, since in every case, there's one company in Michigan that does the work.

Does the OP's CBM gun have European proof marks?

The 3-inch target sighted M60-4 with the "Carry Comp", aka "Power Port" (expansion chamber ahead of the front sight) was product code 170029. The Performance Center made 300 of these in 1993 in .38 Spl.
 
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