Colt Official Police vs S&W Model 10

[VaTom]

Great Article comparing the Colt OP and the S&W Model 10.
I have both and the article is very accurate about the trigger actions and grips. I carried a Model 10 back in the day. My Colt is a 1956 vintage and the M10 is 1979. The link below will take you to the article .

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[Chuck Edwards]

I have one of each of those, though nowhere near as pretty as yours. It's like choosing between your two favorite beers - they're both great, one might be better than the other for a specific task, and it's nice to be able to choose.

 

[alwslate]

I Read the article and it is basically meaningless. Says nothing about the differences in design and mechanical integrity. Just subjective impressions from the feel in the hand and shooting at paper.

 

[.455_Hunter]

I have several Model 10's and a 1942 production OP Heavy Barrel. They are both outstanding platforms with proven track records. Huge bias towards one or the other is usually based on typical Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge fanboi screeching.

 

[SlamFire]

If the author is shooting at 25 yards, then the one group he shows is very good shooting.

I got to shoot with Phillip Hemphill, ten time National PPC Champ and two times Bullseye National Champ. Mr Hemphill used a K frame Smith and Wesson. I suspect he had lots of them, but he mentioned a Shilen barreled K frame that had 600,000 rounds through the barrel, and still shot two inches at 50 yards. That's impressive!

Mr Hemphill said he only met one individual who used a Colt in PPC Competition, and the reason was, Colt revolvers went out of time quickly. All due to their locking up as the hammer falls, whereas the S&W locked up before hammer fall. Smith and Wessons wore out cylinder stars, which required a trip to the factory. Probably all internal parts were replaced before the revolvers were sent back. Another shooter said he had 250,000 rounds through his K frame and it wore out its extractor star, and had timing issues. Barrels and cylinders seemed to last forever, as these guys were shooting lots of 148 grain LWC's with 2.7 grains Bullseye pistol powder. Mr Hemphill said he cracked a K frame barrel in matches where he had to shoot major.

Mr Hemphill also said the Colt barrels were tighter and were more accurate. He knew of shooters who had Colt barrels installed on their K frame revolvers, something he called a "Smolt". From what I have read in the printed press, Colt had 0.355 diameter grooves, whereas the S&W is 0.357".

It would be interesting to have an LEO armorer from the 1970's or earlier tell us how often Colts or S&W's came in for repairs. I suspect the Colts were in more often due to timing issues.

I have a M10 and a stainless version, both shoot outstandingly, the recoil is very controllable.

maybe some of you saw one of these during your extended stay in Georgia!

I only have one Colt Police Positive, which is a Detective Special with a four inch barrel. Because it is so light, I would have much preferred it on my belt.

As long as a Colt and Smith are mechanically good, it is six of one, half dozen of another. They both were very popular revolvers.

 

[alwslate]

I have several S&W model 10s along with various other models. I have one 4" Colt Official Police that dates to 1951 that I am fond of because it is a shooter grade gun with some bluing wear but the action is sound with great timing and no end shake. I have the Kuhnhausen manual on the older Colt double actions and the problems than can develop with them and the difficulty of repair. So I shoot my OP sparingly with standard pressure handloads to keep it functional. The S&W model 10 is a reliable work horse that is easily maintained. That's the real difference between the two.

 

[Model 15-4ever]

Considering how inaccurate, uninformed and awful most articles on DA revolvers are in the current gun media... this one was pretty good.

S&W outsold Colt primarily because it's always about money: it was less expensive to purchase, and easier to repair. The Colt exposed ejector rod was also something of a hinderance if the gun was dropped (a frequent occurrence in the real world).

S&W DA pull was also easier to train, when DA shooting became the predominate form of LE firearms training. Way back in the day, SA shooting was the common form of training and qualification, and the Colt accuracy and SA pull was better for that.

 

[chief38]

Both are GREAT revolvers! I do like the strength and features of the S&W slightly better, but the Colt is right up there!

 

[jimmyj]

I started in 1962. In 1963 I was sent to a FBI training class. The instructors reported that the FBI issue service weapon was a 4" S&W M&P or a Colt OP.
The Colts had timing issues much more than S&Ws. The Colts were sent in for repairs three times more than S&Ws.

 

[CH4]

My dad carried a 6" Official Police his entire career. It wore Harrett Shooting Stars and rode in a Bruckheimer swivel holster. My dad wasn't a gun guy; it didn't matter if his gun was a Colt or S&W. Actually, I think he was more concerned about whether his pen was a Cross or Bic. Man loved writing tickets!

 

[2152hq]

.....

..... and the reason was, Colt revolvers went out of time quickly.
All due to their locking up as the hammer falls, whereas the S&W locked up before hammer fall. ....

The Colt should lock up the cylinder before the hammer begins to drop , that on a properly timed action.

So many of the old style V-main spring style DA Colts have timeing problems.
It is so common for them in DA function to have the cylinder click around the last rotational degree to LockUp and do so just as the hammer is released, that it is often assumed, and even has been written that this is the correct way the mechanism is designed to work.
Not so.

The cylinder locks up from rotation before the hammer falls if everything is timed right.
,,one reason not many people will work on the old style DA's is that they are just plain not as easy to make them all good again.
...and stretching the Hand is not the cure-all for everything that's wrong in a Colt DA revolver timeing troubles.

Another is the lack of usable parts for repair. Though there have been some repro parts made available in recent yrs of the usual problem children which can be helpful. Fitting them correctly still takes knowledge and skill that doesn't seem to be as widespead as that in repairing the S&W's.


I did work for a shop in the 70's and early 80's that was the armorer service for 2 Town PD's that issued Colt OP's and PPSpecials at the time.
One dept had the PPSpec 4" 38spc exclusively as their main issue weapon.
Det and other plainclothes wear in both PD's, the S&W 36, 37 or 60 was in use.

You are correct if you assume there were lots of repairs to the Colts needed to 'keep them going'. The S&W's used were usually just a Clean & Check type of situation on a rountine schedule of maint.

Many of the Colt revolvers had already seen better days and should have been retired from PD service for sure.
Inspite of having original Colt Factory armorers parts 'kits' (kits is a misleading term as the wooden chest(s) assemblage of parts, repair jigs, tools and fixtures for each was a bench full), and an excellent knowledge of what and how to do the work, the guns were never what most would lable as dependable SD weapons.
Refinishing the guns to make them look good got to be the main point of sending them in. Gotta look good ya know!
..and that process is an entirely 'nother story..

 

[CajunBass]

Back when I was a young fellow, I took a part time job as a security guard. I was asked if I had ever fired a gun. Since I had hunted for years I said yes (they did not specify "handgun"). I was an instant armed guard and was issued a Sam Brown Belt and Border Patrol holster, Six rounds of RNL ammo (Remington IIRC) and a 4" Colt Official Police with faux pearl grips. Man, I would have put Barney Fife to shame. My training consisted of being told "Don't shoot yourself, or anyone else unless you have to." Years later, I wondered under what circumstances I'd have to shoot myself. I carried that OP for a couple of years, then went to another job and was issued a Smith and Wesson M&P 38. I don't know if it was a Model 10 or a "pre-10", I knew nothing of such in those days.

I never fired either of those guns. Not on a range, or thankfully on duty, but they did whet my appetite for Colt OP's and Smith and Wesson M&P's. Which one was "better?" No idea, but those faux MOP stocks looked cool.

 

[Malysh]

"Huge bias towards one or the other is usually based on typical Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge fanboi screeching."

This ^^^^

So tiresome.

 

[bobsguns]

Have both, like both.

My Smith has an advantage as it's a heavy bbl. Obviously, the OP is a skinny bbl.

But I will say the OP invokes thoughts of long ago shoot outs, police chases, bank robberies & that sort of thing. The HB Model 10, not so much.

My .o2

 

[Ameshawki]

Own multiples of both, tho far more Smiths. I consider them equal. As with any Colt/Smith comparison it comes down to which features you like and which you don't.

 

[Ameshawki]

I have several Model 10's and a 1942 production OP Heavy Barrel. They are both outstanding platforms with proven track records. Huge bias towards one or the other is usually based on typical Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge fanboi screeching.

I have one of those 42 heavy barrel OPs as well. Mine went to the Iowa Ordnance Plant. My understanding is the heavy barrel sixes are somewhat rare.

 

[.455_Hunter]

I have owned 7 post-New Army Colt DA revolvers, and still own 5, including an Agent, PP, OP, and two NS. Several of them have high round counts, but only one, a .455, had lazy timing/lock-up issues. I also had a Model 10 completely seize it's action too, so pretty even.

 

[.455_Hunter]

I have one of those 42 heavy barrel OPs as well. Mine went to the Iowa Ordnance Plant. My understanding is the heavy barrel sixes are somewhat rare.

Yup- It's a great shooter. I got right at 1000 fps with the Remington 158 gr lead +P loading, dropping them right on top of the sights at 25 yards.

 

[Ameshawki]

Yup- It's a great shooter. I got right at 1000 fps with the Remington 158 gr lead +P loading, dropping them right on top of the sights at 25 yards.

Supposedly they were Officer Model Match barrels that Colt was using up at the start of the war. Never a catalog item. Maybe, maybe not.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

Colt has done that...use up existing stocks of premium components to meet production schedules. Many Colt revolvers of the WWII era had a star marked on the face of the cylinder...it means "Special Steel" or "Machine Gun Steel" which was intended for machine gun manufacture such as .30-06 or .50 BMG. It made sense to use existing stocks of such premium steel to complete contracts rather than inject a different grade steel in inventory with its attendant risk of being fixed into another product line.