Model 10-4 vs. 10-5

JP@AK

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A question occurred to me today. Perhaps someone with lots of experience of the M&P model in the 1960-1970 period can shed some light, since my collecting activities on the M&P don't go that late (I do own a few examples, but not enough to know much about them).

So here is the deal:

The 10-4 was introduced in 1962, beginning the three screw era on the tapered barrel Model 10 revolvers. The -4 continued to use the 1/10" front sight blade of the original Model 10.

Sometime in the same year (1962) the tapered barrel variant was given a wider front sight, measuring 1/8". This change was designated as the Model 10-5. The 10-5 was replaced in the lineup with the 10-7 in 1977.

We know that the 10-5 and 10-6 were made in tandem throughout the 1962-1977 period. The sight width on the heavy barrel variant had already changed before the -6 was introduced. That change went back to the -3 in 1961 on the heavy barrel Model 10.

So here is the question:
When the wider width sight was introduced on the -5, did S&W stop making the -4 fairly quickly? Or did they produce the -4, -5, and -6 concurrently for a while? In other words, did the -4 have a very limited run, made for only about a year or less?

Any commentary based on facts is welcome. For example, does anyone have a -4 with a serial number indicating production later than 1962? Speculation won't help us much. Or do I need to pose this question directly to Roy? I may do that anyway.
 
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I would love to find a model 10 with a 1/10” front sight. I have a pre 10 from 1954 2” with a 1/10” sight that Zi shoot my best CCW qualification with.


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Jack,

The 10-4 was replaced by the 10-5. It was of quite limited production, about 1 1/2 years or so as I recall.

My recollection is there were actually 4 front sight widths on the M&P, and this extended through the entire line. They were ca. .050" until 1922, then ca. .080". Next was the .100" after the war, or sometime during the war, and finally 1/8" about 1964.
 
I've seen several -4 variants that shipped over the years after the -5 was introduced, as we know S&W never discarded any parts and I'm sure some customers preferred the narrow front sight in any event. Most of the -4's seen were 3" and 6" barrels, while I've only heard of one 4" version via a member here, I never have seen one, either in the flesh or in pics. I owned a 6" barrel version for some years that shipped 6-7 years after the changeover in the engineering change to the -5.
So, to answer your question, the -4 continued to ship during the -5 years, in very limited numbers.
 
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..... Most of the -4's seen were 3" and 6" barrels, ....

SmithNut:
Did you mean 3” or was that a typo? I’m not aware of any regular 3” barrel factory versions of the standard-barrel variants.
 
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