Curious Mod 10-5

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Prophammer

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I picked up a Mod 10-5 a few months ago as a project. It was rusted, and very well worn pretty much everywhere that was exposed to air. My curiousity is with the US marked back strap and rough hand stamp serial number on the butt. It's a round butt tapered barrel model.
My question is how old? Could it be one of the USAF contract guns?
 

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A curosity for sure. Is the number on the butt the same number
stamped on the frame under the crane? My first impression is that it
looks like it might have been altered from SB to RB.
 
Clearly an altered serial no. That piece is probably a felony to possess.
Hope I'm wrong, but I don't think so.

Larry
 
I carried the exact gun in the Army as a helicopter pilot. I don't recall anything about the markings on any of the ones I was issued, so I'm of no help there.

We had both the S&W Model 10 or Ruger Service-Six in every arms room it seemed. You pretty much got to choose if you wanted a Ruger or S&W.

The Rugers were marked "Service-Six" but had round butt's like a Speed-Six. They also had lanyard loops, but the Model 10's did not. The S&W's were exactly like what you have in the pic.
 
lebomm said:
Clearly an altered serial no. That piece is probably a felony to possess.
Hope I'm wrong, but I don't think so.

Larry
Click to expand...
I'd be reluctant to try to file a case on this. Whole number altered or filed off, sure. Proving beond a shadow of doubt that this wasnt some craftsman placing his mark on a weapon he was working on and was off center would be problematic.

From the desk of Cpl. Coffman (Retired)
 
gkitch said:
If there is an unaltered serial number in the crane you are good.
Click to expand...

Not really, since the Model 10-5 has no serial number in the yoke/crane area.

Whatever that number on the butt is, it's NOT the original serial, which had a C or D prefix. Someone could have copied an assembly number from the crane (I have one with a five-digit one) assuming that was the serial.

Either way, it's weird. And I don't think by that time the additional serial number stampings on barrel, cylinder, etc. were still practiced, so probably no way to check.
 
grcoffman104 said:
I'd be reluctant to try to file a case on this. Whole number altered or filed off, sure. Proving beond a shadow of doubt that this wasnt some craftsman placing his mark on a weapon he was working on and was off center would be problematic.

From the desk of Cpl. Coffman (Retired)
Click to expand...

I'd be reluctant to assume that the BATFE would agree with that logic...
 
Just between you and me, put that gun in the shop in the bottom of a bucket for now. Do not bring it out and show it until the mystery gets resolved. These spurious Sns can open up a hornets nest. I knew one gunsmith that cut the bottom of the frame off and used it as a fitting jig.
 
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Absalom said:
Not really, since the Model 10-5 has no serial number in the yoke/crane area . . . And I don't think by that time the additional serial number stampings on barrel, cylinder, etc. were still practiced, so probably no way to check.
Click to expand...

True . . . the serial numbers on the barrel and cylinder were discontinued circa 1957 . . . but the s/n on the underside of the extractor was retained much longer.

Since it's not "on the frame" as required by ATF regs, any s/n on the extractor won't serve as the official number but it will likely tell you what the original number was/is.

Russ
 
Let's start at the beginning.....

I picked up a Mod 10-5 a few months ago as a project
Click to expand...

What does "picked up" mean?

It's an interesting question. if you stop by my house and I hand you one of my old beater guns that I use as decoration that's one kind of pick up but if you stop by the LGS or a pawn shop and buy it, even CHEAP CHEAP, that's another kind of pick up, or at a gun show - FFL or private sale?

If you bought that gun from a federally licensed firearms dealer and there is a paper record of the same/4473 with SN I would argue that you did what the law requires, and if the gun has an altered serial number it's neither your fault nor your problem. That's an "iffy" argument but I think it would prevail with the gendarmerie and most prosecutors. But if you acquired that gun from a non-dealer, yeah, if the SN is altered it's definitely on you.
 
Thanks for the replies. I purchased this at a local, very reputable shop. 4473, NICS check and all. It was call traced through local PD when the shop brought it in to verify it at least currently isn't on any "hot" list.
There are no assembly numbers on any other part, and the butt looks to be original, not cut down. As well comparing it measurement wise to my other round butt, doesn't look like it was "altered", as in had the original SerNo milled off, or filed for that matter, all the profiles are the same. No other marks besides the model number under the crane(which matches factory mark), and the US on back strap.
Cash wise I've very little into it. I bought it as a parts donor/project piece to practice gunsmithing and refinishing on. Shame to have to cut it up, it's a wonderfully smooth and very accurate shooter.

Edit... I found that number stamped inside the side plate, don't know why I hadn't looked there before. So it looks like someone copied the assembly number?
 
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No numbers on either the cylinder or crane. I'm guessing replacements sometime in the past...
 
Prophammer said:
Thanks for the replies. I purchased this at a local, very reputable shop. 4473, NICS check and all. It was call traced through local PD when the shop brought it in to verify it at least currently isn't on any "hot" list.
Click to expand...

Of course they would have run the gun with the assembly number as the serial, so any result is meaningless if the gun was reported stolen with its original serial number. But if that original number is nowhere to be found anymore (did you check the back of the extractor star?), that connection is severed forever anyways.

Prophammer said:
......... and the butt looks to be original, not cut down. As well comparing it measurement wise to my other round butt, doesn't look like it was "altered", as in had the original SerNo milled off, or filed for that matter, all the profiles are the same......
Click to expand...

I wondered about that, too. Someone went through a lot of trouble removing a serial number and getting the butt flat to look that untouched and pristine, if that's what happened.
 
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Yes, neatly "scrubbed." And all that work thrown away with a crooked hand stamped number, preceded by something that had just as well be the Sanskrit inventory mark.
 
Definitly went through a lot of trouble to clean it up, polish it, and make it look pretty, only to re-stamp it so roughly. My theory is it was reworked at some point by a pro, or a pretty good amateur, the re-numbered. But who knows?
 
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