My new Model 10-5

[Harley Fan]

Bear with me, as these cell photos suck.

I've been wanting a companion piece to my 686 .357 mag 4". I always thought I'd like something carry-able, and I ran across this last night, examined it, and started haggling.



I'm a beginner at pistols and shooting, but I've read up on the major things to look for. It looked like a fine firearm. Smooth action, lockup, barrel pristine.

The finish is very nice, no scratches at all. Remarkable, in fact. There is a small amount of bluing absent at the side of the barrel, but no scratches. The wooden stocks are scratched up around the bottom of the butt.

 

[Harley Fan]

I'm a fan of .38 Special, and am 400 rounds into reloading my own. This is the companion piece to my 686, and my son and I are going to the range tomorrow.



I haggled a bit more today, but when I was $25 apart, I gave up and paid the folks. I'm happy with the deal. I imagine there's not a great deal of market for .38 Specials, and I'll give it a good home.

 

[Iggy]

Looks like a nice one. You would be surprised at the demand for those rascals.

My wife carried this one on duty years ago when she was a Deputy Sheriff.
It still does night stand duty 40 years later.

Don't ever underestimate that gun. I watched a firearms instructor hit a gong 200 yards away with one.
He obviously knew where to aim to do it, the gun will do it if the shooter does his part.

 

[Isis1200L]

Hi, Harley Fan! You must be a very fast learner. That is quite a nice aquisition. Hope you and your son have fun shooting!

 

[Harley Fan]

I'm very pleased with this Smith. I looked at the lockup gap between the forcing cone and the cylinder, and there was virtually no radial play. Action seemed to be very smooth in double action pull-through, and in comparison to my 686, (with its trigger job) in single action it's just a tad bit firmer, so I suspect it's been altered.

(I have only a Ruger Redhawk and Dad's old WW-II P-38 in which to compare it to, and I can say the trigger action is much silkier on both my Smiths in comparison. I'm just gonna call this action "Smith-like")



I took the cylinder off and gave this a thorough cleaning. And boy- did it need it. I doubt the crane had ever been off. I found nothing out of order, just dry and dirty and dusty and "lint"y.

Back together, the clearance between cylinder and a nicely cleaned forcing cone it .006". With a LED flashlight, I could only eyeball barrel-to-cylinder alignment but it looked OK.

I CAN'T WAIT to get this to the range tomorrow.

 

[coltle6920]

You did good.My 10-5 has a lot of big brothers to watch over him.

 

[KLYDE]

You got yourself a very nice gun. It don't get any better than a 2" K frame.

 

[Bajadoc]

Can't go wrong with that piece. Nice.

 

[dscampbell]

View attachment 142814
This is my pre 10 from 1954. I added a BK grip adapter. Congratulations on a great purchase.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 2

 

[Harley Fan]

Thanks, folks.

I got to the range today with it, and my son and I put quite a few rounds through it. I had to adapt to the sights, but after that, I found no surprises, perfect performance, and I was very pleased at 15 foot target groups.

Happy, happy!

 

[squekydad]

Congrats on a fine 10-5. My EDC is a round butt version of same. You will soon discover the market for these old .38's is huge and its impossible to stop at just one

 

[oldafsp]

As many of us here say.."Everything you need and nothing you don't" holds true for the Model 10.

If you want a real treat, find someone who has a 10-5 with the 5 or 6 inch barrel, load it with 158gr semi wadcutters and do some shooting at 75 to 100 yds.....

Now, that is the most fun you can have with your clothes on!

Few people love the Model 10. That leaves more of them for those of us who know what they are all about.

 

[coltle6920]

Thanks, folks.

I got to the range today with it, and my son and I put quite a few rounds through it. I had to adapt to the sights, but after that, I found no surprises, perfect performance, and I was very pleased at 15 foot target groups.

Happy, happy!

Wow! 15 foot grouping? Must be the ammo! Did you try moving closer?

Sorry,Harley! Couldn't resist the pun.

 

[shouldazagged]

Few people love the Model 10. That leaves more of them for those of us who know what they are all about.

Everyone I know who has shot one likes them a LOT.

Since I can't shoot Magnums anymore due to buggered-up hands, it's the perfect balance of power and size.

I still think wistfully about a Model 19, though.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Some say the actual revolver carried by Jack Webb in Dragnet (the late 60s version on TV) was a 2 inch Model 12, it certainly looks in rare close-ups like a 2 inch Model 10.

That said, Dragnet was fiction as was Joe Friday, but the point remains - a 2 inch K frame is still a decent choice (with proper ammo) for the intended purpose.

 

[JP@AK]

I still think wistfully about a Model 19, though.

That should be no problem. Go ahead and get your Model 19. Just shoot it with .38 Special ammo. Most of the bullets that go down the barrels of my K and N frame .357 Magnum revolvers come out of .38 Special cases anyway.
This is one situation in which you can have your cake and eat it too! Life is too short to go through it without owning a Combat Magnum!!!

 

[JP@AK]

Some say the actual revolver carried by Jack Webb in Dragnet (the late 60s version on TV) was a 2 inch Model 12, it certainly looks in rare close-ups like a 2 inch Model 10.

Interesting, Shawn. In the picture you posted, it looks to me like his partner may be carrying a Combat Masterpiece. I can't see the rear sight against his tie, but the front sight looks suspiciously like a Baughman to me.
What do you think?
Jack

BTW - that picture is from the later TV version of Dragnet (1967-1970) since it shows Harry Morgan as Friday's partner.

 

[Harley Fan]

Wow! 15 foot grouping? Must be the ammo! Did you try moving closer?

Sorry,Harley! Couldn't resist the pun.

Hahaha! Yup, I would have, but the new range we visited had a 15 foot minimum!

Seriously, this new range provided the targets, and my son's enthusiastic Glock shootin' had the targets provided chewed up in nothing flat. I hoarded one, and made my own little target in the corner with a sharpie.





We're beginners....

 

[Harley Fan]

I have no way of knowing what kind of "score" this revolver would merit. Don't really care, except to say it's in remarkable condition.

The one thing I didn't like was the deep scratches on the grips. I'm sure they're original and they are maple. Now, I don't know much about firearms, but I'm a hobbyist woodworker, so tonight I went after these. Without getting into the checkerboard too much, I more-or-less successfully took off the scratches and dings by simply removing material.

Finished it off with 5 coats of Tung oil. As you can see, I took off so much stock that the butt lost the crisp lines.

There's a gun show here locally in March. I'll shop for some new replacements there.

 

[coltle6920]

Sweet job,Harley...That should certainly add a few dollars to what you paid for it.