No Idea What I have...Plz Help!

[dixie67stang]

Hi everyone! Not sure if I'm posting in the right area because I'm not familiar with the specifics of guns, though I am a pretty accurate shot and am safe with my firearms. My Dad passed this gun down to me a few Christmases ago. It was-oddly enough-found in a hat box in my church-going great grandmother's house with an old crumbling leather wallet with Confederate money in it. No case, no holster, just the gun, loaded with old rounds. (I still have the rounds). I have uploaded a few pictures of it, some are blurry, but I can tell everyone what the numbers are on the barrel and grip. It is real pearl handle and nickel plated.

Barrel says "Smith & Wesson" other side says "38 S. & W. Special CTG"

Under the revolver part above the trigger it says
"MADE IN U.S.A.
MARCAS REGISTRADAS
SMITH & WESSON
SPRINGFIELD, MASS."

Has the scrollwork insignia right above the pearl handle on the grip.

Inside the revolver portion under the barrel it says "MOD 10-5"
On the arm part of the revolver it says "22580" with a sideways X and under that it says "G10".

The serial number is D484518. Please tell me what I have! Rumor is my great grandmother was friends with the sheriff of the county she lived in and bought the gun possibly from him for protection after my great grandfather died in the late 50's. I have no idea how old it is or how much it is worth. I have been told by LEO friends of mine that it was possibly one of the first LEO issued guns and he offered me $1700.00 as soon as I opened the case. Thanks for any help!

 

[10/22]

What you have

What you have is a model 10 S&W, 4inch barrel .38 special in nickle with pearl grips built in 1962. Nice find and a very nice piece indeed.
10/22.

 

[ronnie gore]

model 10

not real pearl grips, look like jayscott grips.
i would go back to the guy that offered 1700.00 and let him have it, most model 10s in that condition without the original grips go for $300.00 to $375.00 in my area.

 

[Allen-frame]

Welcome Dixie.
The nickel model 10 you have is indeed dated to the early 60s'.,

The simulated mother of pearl grips have little value and actually detract from the package from a collectors standpoint.
That the gun was your grandmothers is the best part of the whole deal

The value of your gun as it stands with a bit of rust on the hammer and the non original grips would be in the $300. to $500. range
depending on the part of the country you are in and who is selling and who is buying.

Keep the gun and honor your Great Grandmothers memory with it.

Good luck
Allen Frame

 

[10/22]

What you have addendum

By the way, unless you are attached to it...take the money!
Model 10's are quite common in themselves. And yeah they ain't real pearls.
Merwin2.

 

[pharmer]

"Book" says 1972-73: D420001-D510000. Joe

 

[dixie67stang]

Thanks everyone for your replies! Didn't realize they weren't 'real' pearl grips But I am definately holding onto it, her memory is worth more to me than any value of the gun. I figured she had bought it in the 70's as that's when that particular LEO was sheriff. Appreciate all the responses, now I know what I have!

-Amanda

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

"Inside the revolver portion under the barrel it says "MOD 10-5""

Howdy

I suspect the place you actually found that marking is under the cylinder crane. The crane is the piece that is hinged and pivots when you swing the cylinder out. Smith and Wesson revolvers of that era always have the model number stamped there and that is exactly what it was telling you. It is a Model 10 dash 5. The dash number indicates what level of engineering changes had been incorporated at the time the gun was made, specifically, changing the front sight width from 1/10" to 1/8". The Model 10-5 first appeared in 1962.

The Model 10 is probably the quintessential law enforcement handgun of the Twentieth Century. Prior to 1957 it was known as the Military and Police model, and the design goes back to 1902. There have been modest changes in the design along the way, but the the mechanism of the gun remains essentially the same today. It is still in the S&W catalog today.

Your Great Grandmother's Model 10 looks like it still has the original factory nickel plated finish, it does not look refinished. It has a four inch barrel which was very popular in law enforcement circles. Just so you know, the 38 S. & W. Special CTG marking on the barrel simply refers to the 38 Special cartridge, in case you want to shoot it.

Yes, you have posted this question in the wrong forum, the gun is not old enough to be in the antiques section, but nobody is going to shoot you for it. Your post may be moved by the moderators to the 1961 - 1980 section though in case you are looking for it.

Congratulations on a nice old Model 10. I would certainly keep it, given the family connection.

 

[twaits]

As stated above it was not made in 1962 but in the '72-'73 range.
Around here the gun could be had for about $300-$400
I'd get some correct stocks for it and shoot it. Model 10s are a true American classic and they are a joy to shoot.
As for selling it to that guy for $1500, I wouldn't be able to do that in good conscience. But it sounds like you are going to hang onto it anyway.
Congratulations on a great gun.

 

[Elmer]

Ahhhh family lore can add hundreds, or thousands to the "value" of a gun.

When I worked a retail gun shop counter, we used to get quite a few folks in with amazing historical guns. Civil War K98 Mauser's, (from both sides!), WWI High Standard "Trench Guns", genuine NYPD issue 1950's Iver Johnson's, H&R Topper 12 gauges used by Green Beret snipers in Vietnam, and quite a few WWII German Ruger Standard Auto's, etc.

To say nothing of the guns owned by famous significant figures, President Lincoln's Winchester pump .22, (with initials!), used by a shooting gallery for many years after he was assassinated, and then discovered by the lucky owner's Uncle at an auction, FDR's Marlin Model 81 he set national shooting records with as a high school student, Himmler's personal 1960's era Walther PPK, etc.

To avoid offending them, we didn't even try to buy these treasures, as they were far more valuable than our ignorant minds could ever conceive.

 

[10/22]

As stated above it was not made in 1962 but in the '72-'73 range.
Around here the gun could be had for about $300-$400
I'd get some correct stocks for it and shoot it. Model 10s are a true American classic and they are a joy to shoot.
As for selling it to that guy for $1500, I wouldn't be able to do that in good conscience. But it sounds like you are going to hang onto it anyway.
Congratulations on a great gun.

Sorry if I misspoke about date of manufacture, but my book does not break out serial numbers and states that 10-5 came out in 62, 10-6 in 62 and 10-7 in 77. So I did the unthinkable and assumed if it was a later gun it would carry a higher dash. Again, sorry.
10/22.

 

[sw44spl]

funny you should mention those historic guns elmer,I have a model 15 that was used at the alamo by travis.

 

[moosedog]

"funny you should mention those historic guns elmer,I have a model 15 that was used at the alamo by travis"

Impossible! Everyone knows they were using Walther PPKs and Gyro Jets back then.