610 Performance Center?

[John_M52]

I keep looking at a 4" 610 at a LGS. I don't need a 10 mm. I don't own a 10 mm but I have a few .40 revolvers and semi-autos so I have ammo, and you can feed it .40's.

It's big and heavy and unnecessary. If it came in a PC then I could somehow "need" it.

But it keeps calling my name. Were/are there any "special" 610's that I should search or wait for?

 

[Protocall_Design]

There is a 646 that is 40 S&W and not big and heavy. Those are pretty special.

 

[huthike]

In my humble opinion, all the 610’s are special. Big and heavy and unnecessary and very shootable. Brings a big smile to the lips. Buy it and enjoy it.

 

[tlawler]

I think the ND’s in 5” are the most special and I wish I had one. I’ve got a 6.5” ND and I really like that big, heavy revolver with it’s “unnecessary” full lug. It’s a great shooter and I shoot it often. Next would be the -1 Non-MIM, then the -2’s which are MIM. Least desirable are the -3’s that are MIM with the IL.

 

[John_M52]

There is a 646 that is 40 S&W and not big and heavy. Those are pretty special.

I have a pair of 646’s. Yes I have an addiction!

 

[John_M52]

There is a 646 that is 40 S&W and not big and heavy. Those are pretty special.

I think the ND’s in 5” are the most special and I wish I had one. I’ve got a 6.5” ND and I really like that big, heavy revolver with it’s “unnecessary” full lug. It’s a great shooter and I shoot it often. Next would be the -1 Non-MIM, then the -2’s which are MIM. Least desirable are the -3’s that are MIM with the IL.

Sorry Sir, I’m confused. The new one I’m looking at has case hardened trigger and hammer and the dreaded IL. Not sure what the ND version is but I guess I need to do some more searching and find a pre lock -1 or -2 mim trigger and hammer version at a much higher price? This website is costly.

 

[tlawler]

The ND means no dash. There were around 4500 5 and 6.5” revolvers produced 1989 to ‘91 in the first no dash run (I don’t have my SCSW handy, so the numbers and dates may be off by a little). It looks like someone may have swapped a CH hammer and trigger into the one you’re looking at. I wasn’t sure they would fit, but that’s my explanation.

 

[SmithNut]

Projects can be fun and get you what you want....

....snip...... Were/are there any "special" 610's that I should search or wait for?

If you want a "special" one you might just need to make it yourself.... I'm personally not aware of a PC version, but who knows.....

About 10 years back I was hankering for a nice M610, but the options were not of interest to me, i.e., unfluted, longer barrels, case colored parts.... etc.

When a buddy of mine located a "challenged" M610-1 I decided that it was time for another project.

The action had been worked on by a previous owner, it had issues (I've described it as "broken" before)... It also had a 6" barrel, case colored parts and an unfluted cylinder, so what the heck let's rebuild it to something I would like....

I rounded up flash chromed hammer and trigger (narrow trigger for DA shooting), had the cylinder fluted by SDM machining back east, called S&W to see if they had any 4" barrels (they did )..... Also got Craig Spegel to make me a set of Cocobolo "short" RB to SB Targets with medallions....

Sent all the parts to the Performance Center for the rebuild, re-do the finish with a satin bead blasting and action work, this is what came back....

Pretty happy with the results, it's a shooter.... and with the Classic front sight I can pretty much tailor the front sight to meet my needs, but settled with a gold bead on a Patridge....

Just a quick update, the timeframe for this build was a bit older than my memory remembers, took the Spegels off and see that they are dated back to 2007.... so this project was a bit older than 10 years ago..

 

[DesertFox]

No PC model I've ever seen. 310NG prolly the closest thing you'd find to a PC model.

 

[colt_saa]

There never was a Performance Center version commissioned.

Probably the hardest to find is the 3" 610 (SKU 148120) which was a Lew Horton Exclusive offering. With only 300 ordered, it is probably the scarcest produced. I do not think I would wait for one.

By comparison there are Lots More Night Guards out there than 3" 610s. The problem with the Night Guards is nobody that owns one wants to sell it

In your shoes I would buy the 4" if the price is right and enjoy 10MM shooting until one of the ones you are waiting for comes along. You can always sell that first one if you decide you just can't own two 10MM revolvers

I think the first one I acquired was my 6 1/2" 610 and it was a shooter. It had GoodYears on it. When I saw this set of Hogues, I know right where they were going to be mounted. I opened up the cylinder on the 610 so that it can fire the 10MM Magnum as well as the 10MM Auto and 40Smith & Wesson cartridges. I have done this to all of my 10MM Smith & Wesson revolvers

For those that are not aware of the 10MM Magnum, it was a cartridge created for the Auto Mag IV. The pistol never took off so that left the cartridge to those T/C Contender shooters that lengthened their chambers. Some of the boutique ammunition makers still offer it and Starline still makes brass for the hand loaders so it is not dead, just unknown. The Magnum adds about 200-400 FPS to the cartridge depending on which projectile you are working with

It was the 10MM Magnum that Taffin was talking about in that old article where he compares it to the 41 Magnum in Performance. That is often misquoted as the 10MM having the same power. People presume it was the 10MM Auto cartridge that was written about


I do not own one of the 4" Model 610s, but I do have a 5" version.

Eventually I will add a 4" just to round out the stable

 

[jcelect]

10MM

You might want to rethink your problem! The 10MM is getting close to the 41 Mag in the different loadings. I shoot 180gr bullets at about 1225fps in bowling pin matches. This produces a little more recoil than a 40 S&W. The full underlug N frame helps absorb the recoil.
jcelect

 

[John_M52]

Thank you everyone for the education. Wow a few very beautiful revolvers!!!

The new production version has the ugly lock and I'm not sure what dash they are up to at this time (thank you tlawler for the explanation) and rubber grips. Guess I'd really like a pre-lock 610 but maybe as colt_saa suggested I should buy the 4" and continue the never ending search! I'm just not a huge fan of the Scotch-Brite finish sometimes. I don't mind brushed but it seems sometimes it is not done with aesthetics in mind - more like they are hiding manufacturing marks.

Probably need to trade out for some nice wood grips and ignore the beating my hand will take.

 

[pacecars]

I have had numerous 610s from the first ND with 5” barrels and 6 1/2” barrels and non fluted cylinders but o have never had the new one with the lock. My current favorite is a 5” ND that has a little customization and is also a 10mm Magnum

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Apple to apples

All things being as equal as they can be, the 10MAG is closer to the 41MAG than the 10AUTO can ever hope to be as it (10MAG) holds just 6% less powder than the 41MAG.

A 10AUTO case (S-L) can hold 24.1gr H²O.

A 10MAG case (S-L) can hold 31.8gr H²O. (~32% more than 10AUTO)

A 41MAG case (W-W) can hold 33.8gr H²O. (~40% more than 10AUTO)

Fill them up with a max load of med-slow powder (AA#7), using similar weight bullets (10mm@ 165gr & 41MAG @ 170gr), and shoot them out of revolvers with the same barrel lengths.

How can the 10AUTO match the the 41MAG?

That's like saying more cubic inches don't make an engine more powerful, everything else being equal.

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[Hairtrigger]

I have offered my 5” ND for sale a couple times at a reasonable price and have been turned down.
I’m guessing mine is not that special!

 

[tlawler]

I have offered my 5” ND for sale a couple times at a reasonable price and have been turned down.
I’m guessing mine is not that special!

How much were you asking for it? I haven’t priced ND’s in a while, but I’m guessing they’re going for upwards of $2K with box and tools.

 

[Hairtrigger]

How much were you asking for it? I haven’t priced ND’s in a while, but I’m guessing they’re going for upwards of $2K with box and tools.

I was selling on the 5” barrel. Did not push no dash
I was below 1500 IIRC

 

[Dave Lively]

I was selling on the 5” barrel. Did not push no dash
I was below 1500 IIRC

I sold my no dash 610 with a 5 inch barrel and the wooden combat grips a few years ago. IIRC it sold for about $1300. When S&W started making 610s again and Ruger started selling 10mm revolvers too the value of used 610s took a hit, even no dash 610 with a 5 inch barrel.

 

[CH4]

I am not familiar with a 610 from the PC, but have a 5” ND and 6.5” -1. I am a 10mm fanboy and appreciate the ability to shoot 40 and 10mm from a revolver. I bought both here from forum members. I don’t think the introduction of the -3 had much effect on the value of the earlier versions.

6.5” -1 with box $1100 in May 2020
5” ND complete package $1500 September 2022

 

[John_M52]

Merry Christmas everyone! I have some 8 3/8" bbl Smiths and while I also like the 4" bbl it seems a bit neutered on this frame. Anyone have any experience with balance and feel of 4" vs 5" 610? Love some of the customs posted here. Maybe I need to start searching for a ND or a beater to customize!