Eight six shooters: Your Thursday morning Smith & Wesson medley
For your express firearms dedication, this morning we start with an assiette of shortarms & for no particular reason I can think of, I chose the most excellent products of Mr. Horace Smith, Mr. Daniel B. Wesson & their successors
So without further ado, lets kick off with Model 10 Victory revolver so named for the "V" prefix which was placed before the serial number & represented "Victory" against the Axis powers in World War II
In 1957, Smith and Wesson began a convention of using numeric designations to distinguish their various models of handguns. The M&P was renamed the Model 10. The M&P/Model 10 has been available in both blued steel finish and nickel finish for most of its production run. The model has also been offered throughout the years with both the round butt and square butt. Beginning with the Model 10-5 series shown below
in the late 1960s, the tapered barrel and its trademark 'half moon' front sight were replaced by a straight bull barrel and a sloped milled ramp front sight
For those whose tastes demand something a little more meaty, beaty, big & bouncy there is the .357 Magnum Highway Patrolman
In the late 1940s & the first part of the 1950s Smith & Wesson was the only American gun company manufacturing a .357 magnum revolver. Since this was the only revolver available for this cartridge at the time, police departments & individuals could not "shop" around for better prices. Many police departments, as well as individual officers & private shooters, requested from Smith & Wesson a more strictly utilitarian "budget" .357 magnum revolver. S&W responded with the Highway Patrolman (later changed to the Model 28 in 1957). The manufacturing changes made for a more affordable revolver. Mechanically the Highway Patrolman is the same as the more lavishly produced Model 27.The Model 28 was in production from 1954 until 1986. For most of its production run it was a very steady seller with both police officers & civilian shooters
357 Mag a little too much gun? Well then there are always the little snub nose Airweights in .38 Special
Simply perfect for say popping into your pocket when you are off to discuss expenses claims with your local Member of Parliament - also the Airweight Model 37 available in stainless steel which doesn't stain from blood splatter once you have had to explain to your MP exactly how displeased you are with what he (or she) has been claiming on expenses
If you would prefer something a little larger that comes with a cast iron manufacturers guarantee that it
will cause sphincters to dilate if it is produced at exactly the right moment during a drunken post dinner climate change conversation ... or if there are only five faux-environmentalists around the table then the 5 shot .38 Chiefs Special might be just the ticket
Now I know that this post is called "eight six shooters" & the Chiefs Special only holds 5, but its late/early & besides being short one round of .38 S&W is not as bad as this little gold plated number
I thought that we would finish up with it in the true spirit of inclusiveness that has long been the hallmark of this blog but let’s be absolutely crystal clear about this, golden guns are fine if your name is Scaramanga but other than that NO. No excuses or exceptions, even if you hark from da hood !
Comments
Actually, Colt also made some guns in .357 during that time frame, most notably, in the early years the New Service. But the round is forever wedded to the S&W name. You cannnot have too many Smiths and the serious collector will have them in about the same multiplicity as your average phone book.
Posted by: Hughjimbissel | June 25, 2009 3:41 PM
As I recall, the front sight on the old M&P and the notchy little rear sight were pretty well covered by the thumb piece of the hammer. I guess the theory was that you used the sights for single action only. The sights on Webleys and, especially, Enfields, were much better. Postwar, S&W seems to have realised this, and reprofiled the hammer so that you could actually see the bloody sights.
Posted by: John K | June 25, 2009 6:54 PM
Ah, Nostalgia.
When I joined the West Australian Police in 1974 the issue handgun was a 5" Victory model in .38/200. The frame was stamped "Property of the USA."
These were replaced in about 1977 with 3" Model 10s.
By the time I retired in 2008 I was carrying one of those plastic Austrian things but I have fond memories of S&W wheelguns, having owned several - Model 19, K22, model 66, Model 29, Model 586.
By the way FM, I grew up not far from you, with a view of a 404' spire from my bedroom.
Posted by: Oscar Foxtrot | June 25, 2009 11:11 PM
Have a couple Model 10's but would I love a Colt .357 Python. My New Service is a 1909 from the Philippine Insurrection in .45 Colt to compliment the M1898 Krag...
Posted by: DirtCrashr | June 25, 2009 11:45 PM
Being in need of a a S&W means you have moved too far from your tank.
Cheers
Posted by: J.M. Heinrichs | June 26, 2009 6:09 AM
About a year ago I happened onto a S&W .38/200, British proofmarks and all, in the local Cabela's here in central Texas. It now lives in my pistol rack near the Model of 1950 .357 Magnum I inherited from my father.
Posted by: Roger | June 28, 2009 1:23 AM
I've got a Smith & Wesson 640-1 hammerless snub-nose .357 magnum as a concealed self-defense piece.
The first round stings.
The second round hurts.
The third round really hurts.
The flash and report of one round, in the dark, are enough to scare your target to death and leave you blind and deaf for 5 minutes.
I've got to load it with .38 special +P just to get off all five rounds without breaking my wrist. Despite fixed sights and a heavy trigger pull, I can still put all five rounds in the heart at 7 yards. I can hit the chest five times in rapid fire, but it takes a lot of practice.
It's the only weapon that has ever frightened me to fire.
Posted by: POWinCA | June 28, 2009 5:06 AM