bmcgilvray
Member
A little time capsule to share with y'all.
Seems like full list price (or even a little better) was charged for this 6-inch Smith & Wesson Model 10-5 when it was purchased just a few months over 46 years ago. It's another off-beat gun show find that sucked up the income from the gun show security gig back first of this month.
Been doing this security gig eight years ago since about the time I retired the first time. I began to meet and chum with the exhibitor regulars right away. The exhibitor who sold me this revolver has been my "M1 Carbine bud" for the entire eight years. We always visit about M1 Carbines, his favorite collecting field, at each of the three different show locations I tend to. He's been diplomatic about praising my ratty Underwood and has ooo'ed and ahhh'ed over my dad's original Quality UMC.
He had dug this one out of his safe and stuck it out on his table. Priced way too high for my wallet, he came way off for me when I displayed interest in it. I kinda' wonder if he hadn't brought it along just for my benefit. The original owner, he purchased it brand new in the first month of 1970. Says its unfired. It probably hasn't been shot. It isn't un-turned however and it's apparent from a hint of a turn-line that someone has cycled the action a few times over the years since he brought it home from the Dixie Drug Store. Still, it's "almost, but not quite nearly," a condition rarity and has the original box and stuff to boot. Only the moisture-proof paper is missing.
As it was purchased in January of 1970, it's reasonable to assume it's a late '60s production. The box's end label is stamped 7-69. Don't know if that's a factory stamp or something that a distributor or drug store itself stamped there.
I've had a 6-inch Model 10 in the distant past, but haven't had a 6-inch .38 Special of the Smith & Wesson persuasion in some time. I don't think about the 5-inch and 6-inch Model 10s, produced after Smith & Wesson hung that Model 10 moniker on them, as being hard to come by, but they aren't found in large numbers on GunBroker and are scarcely ever seen "in the wild."
Very elegant it feels, to sight it one-handed across the gun room. Love the classic vintage Smith & Wessons, even from the Bangor Punta days, which was where Smith & Wesson was when I first sampled their new wares. We'll not see this quality again. Why is that? Mostly because the market doesn't care.
The gun show exhibitor and I laughed over the accompanying bill of sale. He was a bit rueful about having traded in that Winchester Model 63, noting that it'd have been the better investment to hang on to.
I'd given it a coat of RIG when I got home with it. Could have done a better job of wiping the preservative grease off before taking the photos.
Seems like full list price (or even a little better) was charged for this 6-inch Smith & Wesson Model 10-5 when it was purchased just a few months over 46 years ago. It's another off-beat gun show find that sucked up the income from the gun show security gig back first of this month.
Been doing this security gig eight years ago since about the time I retired the first time. I began to meet and chum with the exhibitor regulars right away. The exhibitor who sold me this revolver has been my "M1 Carbine bud" for the entire eight years. We always visit about M1 Carbines, his favorite collecting field, at each of the three different show locations I tend to. He's been diplomatic about praising my ratty Underwood and has ooo'ed and ahhh'ed over my dad's original Quality UMC.
He had dug this one out of his safe and stuck it out on his table. Priced way too high for my wallet, he came way off for me when I displayed interest in it. I kinda' wonder if he hadn't brought it along just for my benefit. The original owner, he purchased it brand new in the first month of 1970. Says its unfired. It probably hasn't been shot. It isn't un-turned however and it's apparent from a hint of a turn-line that someone has cycled the action a few times over the years since he brought it home from the Dixie Drug Store. Still, it's "almost, but not quite nearly," a condition rarity and has the original box and stuff to boot. Only the moisture-proof paper is missing.
As it was purchased in January of 1970, it's reasonable to assume it's a late '60s production. The box's end label is stamped 7-69. Don't know if that's a factory stamp or something that a distributor or drug store itself stamped there.
I've had a 6-inch Model 10 in the distant past, but haven't had a 6-inch .38 Special of the Smith & Wesson persuasion in some time. I don't think about the 5-inch and 6-inch Model 10s, produced after Smith & Wesson hung that Model 10 moniker on them, as being hard to come by, but they aren't found in large numbers on GunBroker and are scarcely ever seen "in the wild."
Very elegant it feels, to sight it one-handed across the gun room. Love the classic vintage Smith & Wessons, even from the Bangor Punta days, which was where Smith & Wesson was when I first sampled their new wares. We'll not see this quality again. Why is that? Mostly because the market doesn't care.
The gun show exhibitor and I laughed over the accompanying bill of sale. He was a bit rueful about having traded in that Winchester Model 63, noting that it'd have been the better investment to hang on to.
I'd given it a coat of RIG when I got home with it. Could have done a better job of wiping the preservative grease off before taking the photos.
. Enjoy!
