Model 10-9 Snubbie

[45NUTT]

I made a PDF of three pictures in that silly .avif format that will not upload. It needs a little love, but then it's 63 years old like me! It was listed as a 10-9, but it's stamped 10-5.

 

[Norton 750]

As soon as you get away from pocket carry (with a holster of course) or ankle holster, my interest in the J frame wanes. Once you go to an inside the waistband holster, the K Frame snubby really shines. It is easier to shoot well than a J frame, easier to slick up, better grip, better sights and an extra round for a small increase in bulk, which I don't notice on the belt. Try a three inch! It has the full length ejector rod and a three inch barrel on the belt is as easy to carry as a two inch.

 

[Okie Red]

Great score. Much easier to shoot than a j frame.

 

[seabright60]

Great score. Much easier to shoot than a j frame.

I'm a dead eye from 3 yards,3 seconds,3 shots

 

[seabright60]

I'm a dead eye from 3 yards,3 seconds,3 shots

 

[skipcress]

Any thoughts? Good, bad, indifferent? I have been wanting a 6 shot 38 special snubbie and I found one at a decent price. I would rather have a 10-2 to 10-5 just because those were made earlier, but the 10-9 was made in 1988 so it should be okay.

What say you? Truth be told I'd rather have an HE snubbie, but you guys have already socked those away in your safes!

I think it's a great idea. I believe it was Massad Ayoob who said that in the post-WWII era Smith & Wessons were preferred overwhelmingly as duty guns, but there was a large contingent of police officers that would choose the Detective Special over the Chief for off-duty carry since the Detective Special was disproportionately more ergonomic and easy to shoot over the Chief relative to the size difference, and that's why the 2.5" Model 19 was so detrimental to Detective Special sales. The way I figure it, the only reason that dynamic existed in the first place is because Smith & Wesson invented the Chief, and therefore was more inclined to market and produce Chiefs than short barreled Model 10s. The 2.5" Model 19 represented the first time since the introduction of the Chief where Smith & Wesson really pushed a short barreled K, and the Detective Special's days were numbered. I think the fact it was chambered in .357 Magnum was actually only a secondary consideration.

All that to say that a short barreled Model 10 is bigger than a Chief yes, but it's a better shooter's gun by a long shot

 

[seabright60]

5 rounds of 158 grain 357 is more than enough for me to feel safewith this jframe beast

 

[Dave Haynes]

10-9 is the first year without a barrel pin, is or has this ever been an issue?

 

[45NUTT]

I think it's a great idea. I believe it was Massad Ayoob who said that in the post-WWII era Smith & Wessons were preferred overwhelmingly as duty guns, but there was a large contingent of police officers that would choose the Detective Special over the Chief for off-duty carry since the Detective Special was disproportionately more ergonomic and easy to shoot over the Chief relative to the size difference, and that's why the 2.5" Model 19 was so detrimental to Detective Special sales. The way I figure it, the only reason that dynamic existed in the first place is because Smith & Wesson invented the Chief, and therefore was more inclined to market and produce Chiefs than short barreled Model 10s. The 2.5" Model 19 represented the first time since the introduction of the Chief where Smith & Wesson really pushed a short barreled K, and the Detective Special's days were numbered. I think the fact it was chambered in .357 Magnum was actually only a secondary consideration.

All that to say that a short barreled Model 10 is bigger than a Chief yes, but it's a better shooter's gun by a long shot

I have a 2.5" 19-5 on me right now. I love it, but wanted a model 10 too

^^^ It's actually a 10-5.

 

[James74]

10-5 snubby for sale locally for $699. Beautiful piece but a little rich for my blood.

I scored a 10-7 2" snub at auction for a comfortable $425. Local, so no shipping or FFL fees.

 

[MikeTS]

I like the K frame snubs a lot. My 2.5" m66-1 is very quick, but my fixed sight 2.5" m10s are even handier. I also find the m10s to be more accurate than my J frame snubs.

 

[jdlii]

Snub models are hard to resist. Kind of like potato chips.

 

[Law-dog]

I have an 8 shot 357 s and w snub 327c and a m and p 340 357 j frame , , 3 shots,3 seconds, 3 yards is 90 percent of self defense situations for a civilian. Follow up shots and capacity is for cops ,military and criminals imo

so why do you have 8 shots?

 

[Law-dog]

We carried the models 19 and 65 in law enforcement, the model 36 and 60 were second or backup guns. The 4 inch was standard and what we qualified with.

The short ejector rod was a problem with the 2.5 inch 19 and 65. At qualification, occasionally rounds did not clear, same in competition. So, when the FBI wanted a wheel gun, the 3 inch gave a little more ejector rod, just enough clearance to solve that problem. And we see 3 inch guns offered now by SW in several calibers including the 44 mag, the longer ejector rod and sight radius is said to be the perfect match.

As stated a above, with training, we held the gun skyward, hit the ejector hard and it was not a problem in clean guns, mostly a perception problem. However, there were cases where police had problems with a fast reload when the guns could not be raised, and it was still an issue.

For CCW as a retiree, I have zero problems reloading a J frame or short K frame. But I am not dealing with 2 or 3 kids armed with Glocks, like happens in the world today. Even if I were, what are the odds I would survive long enough to fire 5 or 6 shots and need a reload?

One of the interesting things about competition with wheel guns is that it solves problems, like the short ejector claim. For those that compete, the 38 Short Colt has become the round of choice. It can be loaded to 38, 38 Plus P or 357 level pressures with caution being as to which gun they go in.

Starline makes the cases, and certifies them to 357 pressures, not rocket science, but it commands a knowledge of reloading and discipline not to let these rounds end up in a weaker frame, such as an original model 10 or 36 or Colt Detective Special or Cobra. The risk is very real.

Here is a picture of my model 60 SW, 3 inch 357. The long rounds are factory Federal 180 grain bullets. The short ones are 38 Short Colt loaded as training rounds for a grand daughter and others. These are loaded to only 38 special power levels. The point is, as a reloader you can load any bullet you like to whatever power level you choose for defensive use, and have no issues with ejecting these short cases. And they work great in all the J frames and Colt Detective Specials and Cobra and all of the many copies, like those from Taurus and Rossi and any of the 1 7/8 and 2 inch barrels, and so on. Nothing more simple to reload that the 38 special class ammo.

 

[W.E.G.]

Model 10

Been around for about 100 years.
How many in circulation? About a million?

Unless a reliable 6-shot double-action revolver somehow doesn't meet your requirements, there is no question here.

 

[L-2]

The Mod. 10-9 2" is the one gun I most regret selling. I can't even go back to take better/clearer photos and don't know who I sold it to Back then, I'd carry my Mod. 66-2 instead, of which I still do have.

Researching my records further, my photos were taken in 1999 with my old Kodak DC3200 digital camera which I later used for work when my LE department discontinued using 35mm film a few years later. The camera had only a 1 megapixel resolution and I suspect the lens was fairly low quality. Today, I'd surely laugh at my early 2000s crime scene photos of that era for the low quality resolution.

 

[JohnRippert]

It turns out it's a 10-5 circa 1962 my birth year.

Nice, that would be a birth year gun for me as well.



A 2inch Model 10 with factory magnas and a Tyler T is as perfect for my hands as you can get. Really like my beat up 10-7.

 

[KenTheHunter]

I'm one, that if it has the firing pin on the hammer I'm good. My favorite is my 64-5 from that exact same era. 10-9 would be my main point to buy

Know what you mean, as I don't like MIM parts, transfer bars, and extra holes in the frame

 

[Igiveup]

I bought two of the M-7's that were imported without barrels for about $150 each. I replaced the 2 inch barrels, cerakoted them and they are great. Also did spring jobs on them and put .375 inch hammers on, which i tend to do on most of my revolvers. On one I put a set of big mtn man elk horn grips. This is my BBQ gun.