Smith & Wesson Model 10

In 1899, during the Spanish-American War, the US government ordered three thousand new revolvers from the Smith and Wesson factory, one thousand of which was intended for the US Army , and two thousand to the navy .

The concept of a revolver on an integral frame with a double-action firing mechanism and a flip-open drum was first used in the last decade of the 19th century . Developed the concept in 1879 by Iver Johnson , and at the Colt factory, it was first introduced on production revolvers from 1889–90. Smith and Wesson also decided to apply this concept in their new revolver. Since in the revolvers of that time, the carrier frame with the barrel hinged down with the drum (which automates the process of ejection of the sleeves to reduce the recharge time) was massively used for servicing and recharging, so the S & W called the “Hand Ejector” for a more obvious difference, and the model platform of the revolver was designated by the factory index “K” (“K-frame”).

The first model M & P release in 1899. The core of the extractor was protected by a short influx at the bottom of the barrel in later versions

However, the war managed to end before the first unit was made. But the order was not canceled, and the first batches of weapons were delivered in early 1899. By this time, the revolver was already known as the “.38 Hand Ejector, Military and Police Model”. The military version had a 6.5 inch (165 mm) barrel and a handle with walnut cheeks. The civilian version of the revolver was equipped with a barrel shortened to 4 inches (101 mm), and the handle had corrugated cheeks made of hard rubber ^[2] . On all versions of the revolver, the drum was thrown back to the left side, and the aiming devices were as simple as possible and represented a fixed front sight on the trunk and a rear sight in the form of a longitudinal groove on the upper surface of the frame.

Already produced 20,975 pieces, when in 1902 the Hand Ejector underwent the first major modification ^[3] . The changes concerned a significant modernization of the internal USM scheme in order to simplify it, as well as add a small influx at the bottom of the barrel to protect the core of the liner extractor from being accidentally pressed. The revolver of this modification also allowed the use of the new .38 S & W Special cartridge (or simply the .38 Special, .38Spl), developed in the same 1902. In the course of an easy upgrade of the .38 Long Colt cartridge, the bullet was slightly lengthened, its weight increased from 9.7 g to 10.2 g, and the powder charge was increased from 18 to 21 grains (from 1.112 g to 1.3 g) ^[4] . The use of an extractor with a larger diameter rod also made it possible to use the .32-20 cartridge ^[2] . Over the next two years, about 13,000 more revolvers were produced.

The next modification of 1905 received a new version of the handle - with a trapezoidal shape. In this version, aiming the revolver at the target turned out to be more convenient. Also, this modification could be equipped with a barrel length of 4 inches (101 mm), 5 (127 mm), 6 (152 mm) or 6.5 (165 mm). Bronze or nickel-plated versions were available for both .38Spl and .32-20.

Various modifications at the end of 1905 concerned only barrel lengths and coating options. In 1908, minor changes were made in the design of the trigger. In the last, fourth, modification of the sample of 1905, the revolver was made from 1915 without any significant changes, until in 1940 it was necessary to make them because of the outbreak of World War II .

Victory model

Produced in the period from 1940 to 1945, the army version of the S & W Model 10 had the prefix number “v” and was known as the Smith & Wesson Victory Model. During the Second World War, more than 570000 pcs. This model, manufactured under the British .38 / 200 cartridge, which has already been used in Enfield revolvers No. 2 Mk-I and Webley Mk IV, was leased to the UK , Canada , Australia , New Zealand and South Africa . Most of the Victory Model transferred to the UK were equipped with barrels 4 and 5 dm long (101 and 127 mm), although some earlier versions had a 6-inch (152 mm) barrel ^{[5] [6]} . In general, in the armed forces of Great Britain and other countries of the British Commonwealth of Nations, preference was given to Smith & Wesson .38 / 200 over their standard Enfield revolver ^[7] .

In the US Army during the Second World War, the Victory Model revolver was used with the well-known and popular .38 Special cartridge. Victory Model standard execution was the personal weapon of soldiers and officers of the US Navy and naval aviation, they also equipped the guards of factories and defense facilities throughout the United States during the war. A number of these revolvers remained in service in the 1990s in units of the US Armed Forces , including the Coast Guard . Several Lend-Lease units of the Victory Model, under the British .38 / 200 cartridge, were returned to the USA and converted to the more popular and powerful .38Spl cartridge, usually such revolvers have a corresponding designation on their trunks. Alterations chambered for .38Spl led to an increase in the size of the chamber, which could lead to problems.

Anticorrosive protection of the metal parts of the Victory Model was carried out, as a rule, by pre-sandblasting phosphating, which was markedly different from higher quality bluing , nickel-plating or chrome plating , which was commonly used for commercial M & P / Model 10 revolvers. pistol belt at the bottom of the handle and smooth (without notches) cups of the handle itself.

The only upgrade Victory Model underwent in 1944, as a result of which the revolver received an improved trigger. The numbers on revolvers of this modernization began with the prefix VS ^[2] .

Post-World War II Models

After the end of World War II, the Smith and Wesson factory resumed production of the M & P series. Along with cosmetic changes and the introduction of the Magna handle, the spring-loaded safety device gave way to a cam mechanism set in motion in the channel of the cheek handle (Smith 1968). In 1957, Smith and Wesson switched to the numerical designation of weapon models, with the result that the M & P was renamed Model 10.

M & P / Model 10 was available in two versions - blued or nickel-plated. Also for many years, a model with a round or square handle (i.e. handle cheeks) has been proposed. Starting from the Model 10-5 at the end of the 1960s, the tapered barrel with its “calling card” - a crescent-shaped front sight - was replaced with a cylindrical trunk with a trapezoid front sight. The latest Model 10s is compatible with any .38Spl cartridge that is still being manufactured, including a series of high-pressure cartridges up to the + P + level.

As the name implies, the S & W Military & Police revolver was designed for use in the army and police. In this regard, Model 10 was very successful and its production continues today. Model 10 is also popular among civilians in countries where private gun ownership is allowed.

Options for the .357 Magnum Caliber

After releasing a small batch of a prototype Model 10-6 caliber .357 Magnum, Smith and Wesson introduced the Model 13 heavy barrel (carbon steel) and then the Model 65 stainless steel . Both revolvers were equipped with barrels of various weights and lengths - usually 3 and 4 inches with or without bottom inflow. Production of the model 13 was started in 1974 and lasted until 1999. Model 65 was produced from 1972 to 1999. Both models of blued or stainless steel were popular with the police and the FBI, and the model 65 version, presented in the Ladysmith line, was produced in 1992-1999. In 2005, S & W ceased production of .357 Magnum revolvers on a standard K frame, completely switching to using frame L.

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• List of revolvers

• Leverguns.Com: Jim Taylor The Workhorse by Smith & Wesson
• Modern Small Arms - Pistols and Revolvers - Smith & Wesson Military and Police revolver (K-frame)
• Gunblast.Com: Mike Cumpston The First M & P
• Guns In Movies - The Internet Movie Firearms Database: Smith & Wesson Model 10

• Jim Supica. Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson. - Iola WI: Krause Publications, 2001. - ISBN 0873492722 .
• C. (Capt) Shore. With British Snipers to the Reich. - Boulder CO: Paladin Press, 1988. - 408 p. - ISBN 0935856021 .
• Roy F. Dunlap. Ordnance Went Up Front. - Samworth Press, 1948. - ISBN 1-88484-909-1 .