EFFECTIVE RANGE – 19 m (21 yards) Law Enforcement average for all barrel lengths
OPERATION – Manual repeater, double action
TYPE OF FIRE – Repeating revolver
RATE OF FIRE – 24 rpm
FEED DEVICE – 6 round cylinder
TOTAL ROUND WEIGHT – 14.71 g (227 grains)
FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – 0.088 kg (3.1 oz) Six rounds of 158 grain lead semiwadcutter
BASIC AMMUNITION LOAD – 18 rounds
LOAD WEIGHT – 0.265 kg (9.4 oz)
MANUFACTURER – Smith & Wesson, Springfield Massachusetts
STATUS – In production
SERVICE – Sales to the Military and commercial markets, wide law enforcement use
The Model 10 is the longest running production gun (with occasional modifications) of anything in the Smith & Wesson line. Known as a K-frame (for the size of the blued-steel frame) this weapon has been produced continually since the original model came out, the S&W .38 Military and Police 1st Model (Model 1899 Army-Navy Revolver). The numerical designation was the .38 Military & Police in 1946 when post-war production began for what had been the Military & Police Victory Model. In 1957, the new designation for the line was Smith & Wesson Model 10. A designation with a dash and number (such as Model 10-5) indicates the engineering change in the series. The Model 10 was continued in production until 2010.
The basic action is that of a solid frame, double-action revolver with a six-shot swing-out cylinder. Over the life of the design, which is still continuing, over six million of the Model 10 and its predecessors have been produced. It is a straightforward, no-frills design that has proven utterly dependable through two World Wars, untold military actions, and in the hands of police officers for decades. The weapon has been made with barrels as short as cm (2 inches), generally used by Intelligence and Counterintelligence Units as well as being a favorite among police detectives. The round butt version removes about 1.3 cm (0.5 in) from the overall length and 0.01 kg (0.5 oz) from the weight