S&W Mod 10 Custom - The Firearms Forum

Shooter45 · 09-02-2004, 03:32 PM

My favorite revolver has always been S&W due to smooth trigger pull and accuracy. I never leave anything in stock form for very long. So, when I found this old Model 10 PPC revolver a few years ago, I jumped all over it.

The pistol had alot of features I liked such as a Bo-Mar adj sight rib, ball and detent lock-up, numbered and camfered cylinders, Clark bull barrel w/11 deg target crown,bobbed hammer, light , smooth, double action only, well, you get the idea. The price was right so I bought it.

The first trip to the range, the pistol would not fire any brand of ammo. Replaced the strain screw and went back to the range. It shot everything I fed it. Very accurate, fast shooting and the shot recovery,........the gun never left the target due to the weight and the light smooth,trigger.

Had a nice pair of custom wood grips that were too slick to hold so I put on a set of Hoage grips. I still can't believe the difference. I have put a few thousand rounds thru the old .38 and it will still shoot a 1" group @ 25 yds if I do my part. Not bad for an old Mod 10.

Everytime I think of having another S&W 686 custom built, I shoot this one and the craving goes away for a while.

I have a couple of nice Colt revolvers, but you just got to love an old S&W.

inplanotx · 09-02-2004, 06:04 PM

That's one nice lookin pistol Shooter45!

SouthernMoss · 09-02-2004, 06:44 PM

She's purdy!

stash247 · 09-09-2004, 01:04 AM

Even with a fat barrel, it's still a K-frame, and it's hard for me not to like her.
Spend all that you want,even buy a Korth, and there is no better wheel gun than the K-frame Smith- My model 10, with a factory barrel, and a "slightly" worked action, will shoot the same scores as a really expensive .45,(my work, colt pistol, 100% reliable, and pretty!)
We shoot bowling pins, two weeeks out of four, as a match, where I live, and if I could find a better sweeper, i'd shoot it; my m-10 can and does bring home the silverware, time and time again, with no apparent connection to my lousy shooting habits;it has eyes far better than mine.
My dilemma: I like the 1911, and trust her, but score as well, or better, with the smith; what do I do, now????

CountryGunsmith · 09-09-2004, 08:33 AM

Sam, on the left side of the grip frame, under the grips, is there a stamped 'AP' followed by 3 numbers?

Shooter45 · 09-09-2004, 08:58 AM

Andrew, No there isn't but under the barrel is stamped "H Paul". The pistol came out of Arizona. I haven't found any info on H Paul. It would be interesting though.

Shooter45 · 02-13-2005, 09:54 PM

Still no info on the pistolsmith who built this Mod 10. I've checked books and the internet and still nothing. I guess I'll never know.

Xracer · 02-14-2005, 08:06 AM

That's one sweet piece Sam.

Y'know, us 1911Nuts keep saying what a historical firearm the '11 is, but that Smitty-10 goes all the way back to 1896 and the first Hand Ejector model. Even served this country (and it's allies) well in WWII as the Victory Model.

punchie · 02-15-2005, 02:47 PM

Xracer, very well said!
I had one of Louis Ciamello (sp), Maryland Gunworks ( way before he semi-retired and moved to FL) Model 10s that was as close to perfect for a Bianchi Cup/PPC gun as I have ever held. I kick my butt every time I think about it but my favorite uncle wanted it REAL bad and I reckon I'll get it back one day.

Hanover67 · 07-01-2007, 01:25 AM

My first revolver was a Model 10. It was a police training gun and the full-cock sear had been filed off the hammer, so it would only work double action. About the same time I read an article about the Smith & Wesson repair shop, so I sent them the pistol and asked them to replace the hammer with a wide-spur target hammer, which they did.

Like most Smiths, the lock-up is tight and its very accurate...more so than I am.

southernshooter · 07-01-2007, 06:51 AM

That is a good looking gun

polishshooter · 07-01-2007, 07:37 AM

What's funny is when I started shooting in the 1980s I first shot in some PPC matches and everybody was using tricked out DAO Model 10s with bull barrels and powder puff loads and shooting one-holers at just about any range while my .45 made targets that looked like I was using buckshot...

Butus "Young Guns" (at the TIME

) ALL denigrated those revolvers as '"impractical...."

When IPSC became the vogue, PPC lost it's lustre, and you could pick up PPC Model 10s for a SONG, and of course I DIDN'T...

THEN came NRA "Action Pistol" with it's .38 RNL factory as "floor" and QUCKLY those Model 10s came BACK, although this time with Aimpoints, and they kicked my @ss AGAIN!

But of COURSE by the time I went looking for my OWN "Cheap" ex-PPC gun they were all gone, magically transformed into the now EXPENSIVE "Bianchi Cup" guns....

09-02-2004, 03:32 PM	#1
Shooter45 Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001 Contributor Posts: 8,753	S&W Mod 10 Custom My favorite revolver has always been S&W due to smooth trigger pull and accuracy. I never leave anything in stock form for very long. So, when I found this old Model 10 PPC revolver a few years ago, I jumped all over it. The pistol had alot of features I liked such as a Bo-Mar adj sight rib, ball and detent lock-up, numbered and camfered cylinders, Clark bull barrel w/11 deg target crown,bobbed hammer, light , smooth, double action only, well, you get the idea. The price was right so I bought it. The first trip to the range, the pistol would not fire any brand of ammo. Replaced the strain screw and went back to the range. It shot everything I fed it. Very accurate, fast shooting and the shot recovery,........the gun never left the target due to the weight and the light smooth,trigger. Had a nice pair of custom wood grips that were too slick to hold so I put on a set of Hoage grips. I still can't believe the difference. I have put a few thousand rounds thru the old .38 and it will still shoot a 1" group @ 25 yds if I do my part. Not bad for an old Mod 10. Everytime I think of having another S&W 686 custom built, I shoot this one and the craving goes away for a while. I have a couple of nice Colt revolvers, but you just got to love an old S&W. Attached Images -->

09-02-2004, 06:04 PM	#2
inplanotx Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 8,897	Re: S&W Mod 10 Custom That's one nice lookin pistol Shooter45!

09-02-2004, 06:44 PM	#3
SouthernMoss Admin Tech Staff Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: SW MS Contributor Posts: 10,651	Re: S&W Mod 10 Custom She's purdy! __________________ My Second protects your First "I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand." - Susan B Anthony

09-09-2004, 01:04 AM	#4
stash247 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Central Texas Posts: 2,815	Re: S&W Mod 10 Custom Even with a fat barrel, it's still a K-frame, and it's hard for me not to like her. Spend all that you want,even buy a Korth, and there is no better wheel gun than the K-frame Smith- My model 10, with a factory barrel, and a "slightly" worked action, will shoot the same scores as a really expensive .45,(my work, colt pistol, 100% reliable, and pretty!) We shoot bowling pins, two weeeks out of four, as a match, where I live, and if I could find a better sweeper, i'd shoot it; my m-10 can and does bring home the silverware, time and time again, with no apparent connection to my lousy shooting habits;it has eyes far better than mine. My dilemma: I like the 1911, and trust her, but score as well, or better, with the smith; what do I do, now???? __________________ Don't start no s**t and there won't be none, Terry

09-09-2004, 08:33 AM	#5
CountryGunsmith Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Deep Piney Woods of East Texas Posts: 5,116	Re: S&W Mod 10 Custom Sam, on the left side of the grip frame, under the grips, is there a stamped 'AP' followed by 3 numbers? __________________ The autonomic nervous system provides for involuntary muscle function - the work of breathing, digestion, and so forth. On some folks, that's a pure waste of ingenuity.

09-09-2004, 08:58 AM	#6
Shooter45 Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001 Contributor Posts: 8,753	Re: S&W Mod 10 Custom Andrew, No there isn't but under the barrel is stamped "H Paul". The pistol came out of Arizona. I haven't found any info on H Paul. It would be interesting though.

02-13-2005, 09:54 PM	#7
Shooter45 Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001 Contributor Posts: 8,753	Re: S&W Mod 10 Custom Still no info on the pistolsmith who built this Mod 10. I've checked books and the internet and still nothing. I guess I'll never know.

02-14-2005, 08:06 AM	#8
Xracer TFF Admin Staff Mediator Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Minn-eeee-sota, ya, sure, you bet! Posts: 9,144	Re: S&W Mod 10 Custom That's one sweet piece Sam. Y'know, us 1911Nuts keep saying what a historical firearm the '11 is, but that Smitty-10 goes all the way back to 1896 and the first Hand Ejector model. Even served this country (and it's allies) well in WWII as the Victory Model.

02-15-2005, 02:47 PM	#9
punchie Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Chesterfield, VA Posts: 784	Re: S&W Mod 10 Custom Xracer, very well said! I had one of Louis Ciamello (sp), Maryland Gunworks ( way before he semi-retired and moved to FL) Model 10s that was as close to perfect for a Bianchi Cup/PPC gun as I have ever held. I kick my butt every time I think about it but my favorite uncle wanted it REAL bad and I reckon I'll get it back one day. __________________ AN ARMED SOCIETY IS A POLITE SOCIETY

07-01-2007, 01:25 AM	#10
Hanover67 Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Alamo, CA Posts: 33	Re: S&W Mod 10 Custom My first revolver was a Model 10. It was a police training gun and the full-cock sear had been filed off the hammer, so it would only work double action. About the same time I read an article about the Smith & Wesson repair shop, so I sent them the pistol and asked them to replace the hammer with a wide-spur target hammer, which they did. Like most Smiths, the lock-up is tight and its very accurate...more so than I am.

07-01-2007, 06:51 AM	#11
southernshooter Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Deep South Mississippi Posts: 5,943	Re: S&W Mod 10 Custom That is a good looking gun __________________ Only you can see this

07-01-2007, 07:37 AM	#12
polishshooter Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Indiana Contributor Posts: 7,863	Re: S&W Mod 10 Custom What's funny is when I started shooting in the 1980s I first shot in some PPC matches and everybody was using tricked out DAO Model 10s with bull barrels and powder puff loads and shooting one-holers at just about any range while my .45 made targets that looked like I was using buckshot... Butus "Young Guns" (at the TIME) ALL denigrated those revolvers as '"impractical...." When IPSC became the vogue, PPC lost it's lustre, and you could pick up PPC Model 10s for a SONG, and of course I DIDN'T... THEN came NRA "Action Pistol" with it's .38 RNL factory as "floor" and QUCKLY those Model 10s came BACK, although this time with Aimpoints, and they kicked my @ss AGAIN! But of COURSE by the time I went looking for my OWN "Cheap" ex-PPC gun they were all gone, magically transformed into the now EXPENSIVE "Bianchi Cup" guns.... __________________ The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living. Last edited by polishshooter; 07-01-2007 at 07:57 AM..