A Police 10-5

[peterdeb]

This came out of Michigan a few years ago. It is a Detroit Police revolver, a 10-5, in nickel with a 5" barrel. Appears not shot much but carried quite a bit as the grips are a bit banged up. I used semi-chrome to polish, renaissance wax and Howard feed and wax on the grips. S/n is in the D565xxx range, making it a 50 year old gun.

 

[Charlie Foxtrott]

I have one also.

I think that I paid about 170 bucks for it.

 

[Bald1]

Every now and again those pop up on GB. Cool guns for sure.

 

[JP@AK]

An unknown (to me) number of M&P revolvers were shipped to the Detroit PD in 1947. I have identified a few of them, most with a 5" barrel but at least one with the 2" barrel. These were S prefix revolvers and all of those I've seen were marked with department identification.

 

[Baxter6551]

Post 1 and 2 those are beautiful revolvers.

 

[Truckman]

It is a Detroit Police revolver, a 10-5, in nickel with a 5" barrel.

I have one those, same configuration, marked Detroit PD with (I think) a rack number on the backstrap...It's still on my to-be-photo'd list......Ben

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Interesting Detroit PD bought nickle plated revolvers for the officers.

The Department I retired from only issued blue revolvers with one exception. A Chief wanted a two inch Model 10 in nickle. For personal carry you could buy a nickle or stainless steel.

But when we adopted the 9mm they got the 659s and if you wanted blue you had to buy your own 59 or 459.

 

[peterdeb]

I think that I paid about 170 bucks for it.

I paid a bit more from a friend for this one.

Question: Do I keep the banged up magna's or buy a real nice set off ebay. These have the diamonds which I think on this D565xxx should have just the non diamond magna's. I'm leaning just keeping what's on it.

 

[VaTom]

Nice. Brings back memories. My first issued revolver was a nickel Model 10 with 5". Went through LE Basic in 1976. Carried it for a couple of years until all 5" revolvers were replaced with nickel 4" Model 10s. I think the 5" nickel must have been a popular revolver for departments back in the 50s and 60s. At the time nickel finish was more durable than blue. Stainless service revolvers were yet to come. Picture of my 4" nickel Model 10 exactly like what I was issued after the 5" was taken out of service. Shown with a 4" Colt Official Police from 1956. Took me several years to find a nice one. Nickel polished up well with flitz and ren wax

 

[CajunBass]

I paid a bit more from a friend for this one.

Question: Do I keep the banged up magna's or buy a real nice set off ebay. These have the diamonds which I think on this D565xxx should have just the non diamond magna's. I'm leaning just keeping what's on it.

I always like to keep a gun just the way I bought it.

I got this one, a 1955 M&P 38, that has a badge/rack number from somewhere stamped on the grip frame. It came with a well worn set of Sile grips that I thought about replacing, but decided they're part of the guns history. They're beat up, but then so is the rest of the gun.

 

[JB4570]

You did a really nice job on cleaning that old classic up, Kuddo;s on a job well done !

 

[Baxter6551]

OP I can't speak to which are the correct grips but the ones that are on there match the gun perfectly. I would keep them on there.

 

[MajorD]

From what I can tell, the 5" nickel was a standard for Detroit PD in the 50's through the end of the revolver era. They seem to pop up for sale fairly frequently. In the last ten years or so a fairly big batch marked Wayne county also popped up. If I ever come across one at a decent price ( going rate is at least double what the poster who said he got his for $170 for)

 

[Goony]

Question: Do I keep the banged up magna's or buy a real nice set off ebay. These have the diamonds which I think on this D565xxx should have just the non diamond magna's. I'm leaning just keeping what's on it.

I'd concur that that those diamond magnas predate the gun. It's a matter of conjecture as to why they ended up on it. I don't know if DPD had a specific policy either allowing or prohibiting individual officers putting rubber grips such as those made by Pachmayr on their issued duty sidearms, but it's at least possible that might account for the absence of the original magnas. The photo I've attached below of a DPD issued snubnose suggests that at least the fitting of a T-Grip was permitted.

 

[.455_Hunter]

I lusted over one of those 5" nickel Detroit PD Model 10's when I was a penny-less teen in the early 1990's. I will eventually have to fill that void...

 

[peterdeb]

If I ever come across one at a decent price ( going rate is at least double what the poster who said he got his for $170 for)

I paid $400 to my buddy for it almost 5 years ago. I thought it was a fair price then and still do today.

As far as the diamonds, I agree, they do pre-date the revolver. I have to believe the original grips were taken off (Packy's put on?) and when the revolver was turned in, these grips were put on it. They are s/n'd 167357 with black spacers. They will stay with the revolver, that's the way it came to me. Purchased a period correct box and that is where it hibernates.
Thanks for all your replies and information.

 

[Charlie Foxtrott]

Those guns just have their own brand of cool to them

I paid a bit more from a friend for this one.

Question: Do I keep the banged up magna's or buy a real nice set off ebay. These have the diamonds which I think on this D565xxx should have just the non diamond magna's. I'm leaning just keeping what's on it.

If it ain't broke, why fix it?

 

[charlie sherrill]

The 5" model 10's were "academy" revolvers. That's what they were issued and trained with. Many of them went into the sock drawer after the academy as the officers were able to carry other private purchase revolvers (mostly .357 mag from what I've been told) until the bottom feeders came along. I found a nickel 5"Detroit marked 10-5 a few years ago at a show in South Mississippi. I mentioned it here and received a request from a retired Detroit officer asking if I would sell it to him. I got it for $350.00 and sold it to him for the same price. He then asked if I would let him make two payments over two months. He paid on time and after the second payment I shipped the revolver to him. I did this because I once did this for a local (to me) gun and I figured he wanted the Detroit revolver more than I did. My GP doctor's Dad is retired Detroit PD and has several of these in different configurations. I'd really like a snubby.

 

[PhilT]

WOW...what a beauty!