Some M10 questions from a "newbie..."

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Hoppe's no.10

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Kind of new to the world of S&W but certainly intend to stay a while. What got me started was a 99% K-38 M15 2" (1981) with box, papers, tools, even the wax-paper wrapping with a great story behind it but that's another story...

My wife was looking for a really nice carry gun and I picked up a M10 #C169--, 1 7/8" barrel. Getting into S&Ws enough to go out today and buy a copy of Supica's "Standard Catalog of....." and was surprised to learn that this was an early M10 1948 - 1949 ??? Inside the "yoke" is: R4 5 597 0. Not sure what these figures mean. Here's a photo. If this post is a bit naive, sorry but I'm just getting into S&W's. Thanks in advance.

DSC_0200.jpg


Hoppe's no.10
 
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Welcome to the forum.
That is indeed a nice Military & Police revolver. Collectors refer to it that way or "Pre" M10. S&W revolvers didn't get numbered names until 1957. The serial number is on the bottom of the butt. In your picture I could almost make it out. The number you refer to inside the crane is not the serial number.
 
Inside the "yoke" is: R4 5 597 0. Not sure what these figures mean.
Click to expand...
Nobody else is either. :D
They are numbers/codes used during manufacture whose meaning is lost in the mists of time.

That's a beautiful little revolver. The bluing looks superb.
 
Here's the story....

Thanks for the nice replies. I should've known the difference between "yoke" and "crane".

Here's the story on the K-38:

Was at the gun club a month or so ago and a friend/fellow member asked me if I was interested or if I knew of anyone interested in a nice Smith. I wasn't and didn't but took a look at the revolver and within five minutes was headed home for my "stash."

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K-38 Combat Masterpiece (15-4) 2" barrel built about 1981 (Supica)
with box, papers, tools, and wrapping paper.

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A guy bought it circa. 1981 for his wife so she could "protect" herself when he was out of town on business. She hated it, wanted nothing to do with it and hid it in their basement for 15 years or so. The husband died and the widow was deathly afraid that someone would break into the house, find the handgun, load it (???) and shoot her with it. So she gave it to her neighbor (the guy I bought it from) who shot it a few times and tucked it away somewhere for a decade or so. He wanted some money to buy a tricked out .22 target pistol and decided to sell the Smith. I got it for a very, very good price based on friendship, seller knowing I would really appreciate this handgun and a "promise" not to sell it for a profit - which I have no intention of doing.

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9 o'clock and 12 o'clock were the first two shots, four in the bull the last four.

Two days later I picked up 7 boxes of Winchester .38 Special Super Match for $7.00 a box.

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Note the reflection of the ammo box in the blueing.

My wife recently got her CPL/CCW and had a DA only Ruger. She shot it the other night and hated the long, heavy trigger pull. I had brought out the K-38 to show to someone and she shot that and really loved it. I said: I don't care how much you love it you're not going to carry it and it's not going to be shot much. She said: Then go out tomorrow and dump the Ruger and buy something you think I'll be happy with. I did and she is - which is how she ended up with the M&P that started this thread.

As an aside this is my carry gun:

ry3D480.jpg


Browning Hi-Power 9mm - own two and shoot IDPA with both.

Whew - long story but I'm looking at a 6" .357 N frame Highway Patrolman that is somewhat wanting cosmetically but has a nice bore, tight action etc. - really getting into Smiths' and looking for a shooter so I'll probably be posting again. Thanks again for your nice replies.

Hoppe's no.10
 
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Welcome to the forum! A very nice find there! It all depend's if your in the S&W camp or the Colt camp when it come's to yoke's and crane's!
 
In his first post he called it a model 10. In his second post he correctly called it an M&P. I think he's doing just fine.
 
"Thanks for the nice replies. I should've known the difference between "yoke" and "crane".

Here's the story on the K-38:

Was at the gun club a month or so ago and a friend/fellow member asked me if I was interested or if I knew of anyone interested in a nice Smith. I wasn't and didn't but took a look at the revolver and within five minutes was headed home for my 'stash.'"

Where does he call it a M&P?
 
As long as he doesn't call it a Triple Lock or a "registered masterpiece", he's close enough for a new arrival to the S&W world. People cut me some slack in my first several posts, so I'll return the favor.

A couple of points:

Your snubbie M&P has a four-line address block on the frame, which points to late 1948 manufacture at the earliest. The five-digit C-prefix serial number starting with the numeral 1 is indeed early among postwar M&P production.

On the K-38, note that the bottoms of the stocks have been radiused. These are called "plainclothes" or PC stocks. They were designed to do away with a hard-edge "tell" when they were carried in a belt rig under a sport coat. And maybe to keep a guy from bruising himself when he sat down on a hard bench car seat and jammed the butt into his flank.

$7 for an ammo box is pretty good. What did the ammunition itself set you back? :D
 
Neglected to add: the stocks on the M&P are not original to the gun. The original stocks would have had uncheckered diamonds around the screw escutcheons. These stocks postdate 1968, when the diamonds were removed as a design feature.

Not that you need further evidence, but note also that the stocks overhang the frame just a bit. In the late '40s and '50s, stocks were carefully finished to match the frame on which they would be mounted. You usually find them with numbers on an inside surface corresponding to the numerical part of the serial number; the letter prefix is omitted.
 
I wish I had done as will in selecting my first S&W revolver. Actually now that I think on it my first S&W was a 1917 and my second was a nickel 2" M10. OK, I wish I still had my first and second S&W.

Anyway, I think you did well.
 
" I did and she did- which is how she ended up with the M&P that started this thread."

Welcome to the forum Hoppes'.
 
Another welcome Hoppe's No. 10. This is a great place to hang out with a lot of folks to help out. This .38 M&P shows the single line (Made in U.S.A.) and the diamond magnas that are serially numbered to the gun.
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Another welcome to the Forum.. We all started where you are at some time. Reading the SCSW3 will give you lots of information, will also cost you a fortune as you will "need" to obtain many other S&W's. I have been a shooter for >50 years, and always has a S&W. Since I retired, I have acquired a few doz. more, ranging in age from 143 years old to 19 years old. My last range trip included a 9mm revolver (940) and a .32 S&W Single Action from 1879.

This also gives me new opportunity to travel around the area, to gun shows, pawn shops, and auctions. Look forward to lots of FUN with S&W's.
 
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