I'm looking for some input on my "new" CDC trade-in I got. It's a model 10-10 with 4" heavy barrel and round frame. It came with the Pachmayr grips. Nothing really different or special here. The grips don't feel too bad, but I like the looks and feel of the smaller original wood diamondwood grips. I'm still looking for a set.

Anyway, I bought this pistol from a company advertising them as in Very Good to Excellent condition. I even paid the extra $10 for hand picked. It may be I paid more than I should have for this particular piece. I'm hoping to get some input, yeah or nay.


There is some definite holster wear on the left and right side of the muzzle and thinning of the bluing around the frame area.



Some minor "daily use" scratches and edge wear is present, as well as a small patch of "scratch" located on the left side just under the cylinder. I have no problem hitting that little spot with bluing touch-up or leaving it alone, either way. I guess I'm just wondering if this really qualifies as VG to Excellent. I suppose it's possible I could be being too picky.



So do you seasoned S&W veterans think I made a bad choice, or did I make a good buy? With the hand picked fee, I paid $359 plus shipping and what not.

Can anyone provide any manufacture dates or other information based on the SN? (BHN2217)

Thanks for any help

Beautiful gun. Good catch.

I'd guess 1991. Not an expert but I'd say Good to Very Good. I would say you did not overpay but are in the top half of the draw. My guess is you got a good shooter and you will love it.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Thanks. That helps me feel a bit better. Hate it when I make poor decisions. Seems as a get older, those happen more often.

Another quick question I was wondering about. Is it okay to dry fire these pistols in dry fire drills, or can that cause damage? I'm talking LOTS of dry fire practice.

I'd read the manual on dry firing. I wouldn't do it without snap caps. But someone will be along more than likely that really knows.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

I do think you did fine. I have a 10-8 that I paid $250 for but yours is in much better condition cosmetically. I can tell you that my 1981 10-8 is a very good shooter and is one of my favorite revolvers to take to the range. It comes right back to the point of aim with that heavy barrel.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

A few years ago one of my kids called me at work to tell me about an ad they saw for police trade-ins. S&W Model 10's, 4" Heavy Barrels @ $209 ea. They had heard me talk about wanting to get back into reloading and I was wanting to try my hand at double action point shooting with two revolvers. This sounded like this would fit the ticket. We talked it over, I would take two, one son, he would take two and the other son, who never seems to have any money but is always finding great deals, would take two also. I told both of them that if I was a betting man that I bet these revolvers had been carried a million miles but shot very little. More than likely the bluing would be worn off but in all practicality they would be more than serviceable for what we wanted. We found a gun shop that would handle the paperwork for $10 ea. A few days went by and we got a call to come down and pick our revolvers up. We took them home and each one of us picked out the two we wanted. They all had rubber grips on them and they had to come off to see just what we had purchased. I picked first ( I furnished the financing ) , I picked out a 10-6 and a 10-10, both square butt, firing pins in the hammer. Second pick was two round butts with frame mounted firing pins. The other pair was round butts with frame mounted firing pins but one had the famous S&W lock on it, but it did have a 43 stamped in the side and the one son who got that one was fine with it because he had number 43 in school when he played ball. We called a forum member who sold elk grips, we put elk grips on everyone of them. From another forum member, we purchased holsters and belts. These are some real sharp looking outfits. Right now we are saving and pooling our money to take them up to a man in the North end of the state to be engraved. All in all, when all is said and done, when we are finished with our police trade-in's, they will be worth more than what we have in them where as if we had purchased new and done all of this, we would have had more invested than what they would have been worth !!! We have been more than satisfied with our purchases and are now talking about doing it again, yes they have increased in price but we feel it is still the best deal around.

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and everything Kentucky !!

I appreciate that write up Ky Cowboy! A friend of mine made the same observation, that they probably got carried a lot and shot a little. I suppose I am not upset at the condition of the particular pistol I got, although I would have much rather had a round butt, just because I like they way they look better. Actual range time may prove the square butt to be better. I have no other round butt to compare to though. From the looks of the barrel and cylinders, and the lock up, this gun should be a good shooter. I am taking it outside today for it's first test run. Cleaned it up last night and oiled it. Just really need to replace these rubber grips. I'm thinking either original diamondwood with the small round tops, not wide "target" tops. Any suggestion who on this forum has what I'm looking for? I might want bone but depends on what it looks like. I prefer a more subdued texture than the real rough texture with dark grooves.

I didn't realize there was a chance of getting one with the internal lock system, especially with "police trade ins?"

Check out Altamont. They have a nice selection for K frames.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Gotta try that one: pick up 6 10s at one time... I was more than pleased with the 2 HB casino 64s I picked up 5 years ago. Basically unfired, but what I DID find was a lot of dried lubricant in the actions of both guns. Seems like every so often, someone would spray some lube inside the actions.

I don't mind the handling scratches on the guns at all. I also don't mind the sweetest DA pulls on any of my revolvers after cleaning out the lube/gunk.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

P.S. The late gunwriter/retired cop Tom Ferguson bought enough LE turn-in model 10s to have one secured in each room of his house. Although the nabe in San Antonio (IIRC) declined, he did not want to leave the home he loved.

I may need to disassemble and clean the innards. DA pull seems pretty stiff. SA is nice and crisp though. Here's the results of my first firing at 7 yard. POA was 6 o'clock on the green dot.

Not bad for dirty old UMC 130 gr. metal cases bullets.
I next let my 14 year old fire six from same distance. He did great, opening his group up a couple inches due to his wobble. Practice will fix that. Only problem I experienced was trying to eject his six spent cases. They wouldn't. I used a metal rod to push the cases out and found the culprit.

Split case. Joy.
Next my 10 year old shot. After his second shot I had to fire one tested in my target (reason for 7th hole up in green dot). I wasn't sure he was hitting paper. His next shot confirmed that his second shot went through same hole as first. His third shot was just a bullet width away from the first two. Last two shots pulled away an inch or so since his small arms were starting to wobble. He was happy though cause he beat his big brothers group size by half an inch or more. A very nice first outing with this 10-10. Very proud of my boys first experience with a S&W 38. I'm sure some good wad cutter loads will only improve on the group sizes. Time to start reloading.

Use some good spring loaded snap caps for dry firing.....some say it's OK to dry fire, but I don't believe that. It's hard on the gun, why take the chance of battering it. Snap caps are cheap compared to broken/peened part replacement. Call it life insurance for your gun.
Gary