OLD Model 10

[Magnumdood]

I think I have one of the oldest surviving Model 10 .357 magnum revolvers in captivity. It has buckhorn hand grips. Most of the finish is gone. I inherited it from my Dad this year. How would I find out the history of this revolver (date of manufacture, general use, i.e., was is a common police issue...)?

Thanks ahead of time!

 

[Retired W4]

M-10's in .357 are somewhat unusual, I believe. NYSP comes to mind. Is it marked M-10 under the yoke? A serial number would help ID the gun. You could request a Letter of Authenticity from S&W for a fee. I'm sure others more knowledgeable that I will post. Some pictures would also be very helpful.

Your question might get moved to another section, because if it is a Model 10, they were not called that until 1957.

 

[Magnumdood]

It is marked "10 5" under the yoke. The serial # is D372878. The barrel is marked 38 S&W Special. It's just hard to see; it's almost rubbed off. Below are a couple of quick photos I took.

 

[jumbeaux]

10-5

Magnumdood......you have an excellant gift from your dad. The 10-5 was a very popular revolver (just as were all Model 10's)....many police departments issued Model 10's for duty weapons. The D prefix serial number dates it to the 1971-72 time frame.....it is chambered in .38 Special as the barrel marking shows. I would have it cleaned and checked by a qualified gunsmith and just enjoy the fact that I was using my dad's revolver....

rick

 

[Dragon88]

Why do you believe this gun is chambered in .357?

 

[Art Doc]

Yeah, that is what I was going to ask. The M10-5 was a 38 Special gun and the barrel is clearly marked 38 Special so why do you believe it's a 357 magnum?

That serial would be from around 1971-72. As you noted the finish is in pretty poor shape but if mechanically OK it would be a fun shooter (with 38 Special ammo).

Sorry about you losing your dad. His Model 10-5 is a great keepsake.

 

[Art Doc]

Oh, and those grips are plastic reproductions.

 

[Magnumdood]

I believed it was .357 because my knowledge of S&W revolvers as a whole is rather limited, and I had to don my 10x magnifiers and get it under a good light to read the 38 S&W Special. It has almost been rubbed off of the barrel which leads me to believe at some point this was an issue weapon for a P.D., and then my Grandfather bought it (where and when are lost to me) and he passed it on to my Dad who passed it on to me. It still locks up well, the timing seems to be fine, the hammer won't push off, and much to my delight, the trigger is like butter. It's smoother than anything else I own. Whoever owned it before my Grandfather obviously abused it, because neither he nor my Dad allowed rust on a gun. You got to go to bed after the firearms were cleaned and properly lubed and wiped down. It's a habit that has stayed with me.

 

[Dragon88]

It's great that you have this revolver with family history. Few on this forum recommend refinishing a gun, but I would consider it in this case. The gun is obviously rough in appearance. A buffing and refinish would reduce the roll marks even more, but the real value in this gun is sentimental not monetary. You could restore it to essentially it's original look, add nice correct grips, and have a piece to pass down in your family another 100 years if you choose.

 

[bmcgilvray]

My old favorite Model 10 has a serial number of D360XXX and was shipped from Smith & Wesson in June of 1971.

That longer barreled variation would be nice to shoot at the range. Hate to say this but it sure does look bled all over too me. I'm not generally a fan of refinishing but this one looks like a candidate. A 'smith that knows what he's doing could probably save the markings better than you would think.

 

[Mag1974]

I have a Model 10-5 Nickel plated 38 Spl 1&7/8" barrel, serial number has a D in it too. I called S&W and they told me 1975? Anybody know for sure?

 

[jumbeaux]

Mag1974

Sir post the serial number with the last 3 digits X'ed out....example
D398XXX and I will look it up for you....

rick

 

[Magnumdood]

Refurbish

Can someone recommend a person or a shop that specializes in refurbishing S&W Revolvers?

 

[David LaPell]

You are going to spend a few bucks more than some local reblue, but Bowen Arms would be able to do wonders with that gun. I have had and seen the work done by Hamilton Bowen, and he is an artist and a fine craftsman, every cent you spend will be worth it.

 

[Magnumdood]

Ballpark it?

Do you have any ballpark figures on what he would charge? The name is very familiar to me, I've just never had the pleasure of owning one of his revolvers.

 

[kbm6893]

Send it back to S&W and let them do it right. Cost should be around $250 including shipping. You can fed-ex it directly to them. I've considered re-blueing guns in much better shape than yours. I would not hesitate to have yours re-done. Matter of fact, I wouldn't own a gun that looked that abused. Think of it as a tribute to your Dad. Since you didn't pay for the gun, $250 is not a lot to invest in such a good gun.

 

[woad_yurt]

Consider this before the refinish:

If I had a hand-me-down in similar condition from my father, I'd leave it as it was when he had it for sentiment's sake. It's a relief to shoot away without worrying about blemishes, too.

Those old K-frames with the longer barrels can be real tack-drivers and it'd be cool to whip out Dad's ol' beater 38 out at the range to show some folks what a great old gun can really do.