found a model 10-5 in SS. Can I .357 it?

[klover]

SS is very strong stuff.

Say I ream the cylinders deeper and leave the last very little bit (say .050) un reamed. Then if the .357 rounds are too long, I'd trim the cases and reload
my own version. This might ruin the gun for .38 style cases, and require my custom ammo hence forth.

Or, I suppose I could simply get a box of +P+ .38 somewhere.

From what I've read on THR, doing a change in case lenght can in some instances create higher pressures. As I recall, both .357 and .38 have lots of room for too much powder. What are my issues here?

I haven't bought this gun yet. I intend to bring a .357 round with me to figure the fit next time I visit this K frame.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I'd recommend against it. The chamber work will be a few dollars, if you can find someone to do it (liability issues will scare off many gunsmiths.) It would probably be cheaper to sell the gun and buy a .357.

Just use +P ammo, if you want to keep the gun and get a little more power.

 

[P95Carry]

Not IMO worth even considering - too many factors would make me uneasy.

Much better to bide time and save and find say, a GP-100 in which to light of some nice ''hotties''. I rarely can find good reason to tweak a gun in such a way - only exception I might make is a rebarrelling excercize - to allow for something shorter sometimes. But cylinder mod's? Nope, not ever.

Only my 2c tho.

 

[Johnny Guest]

A 10-5 in stainless?

Ummm, no. According to the information recorded in Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, vol. 2, the Military & Police revolver, Model 10, was made only in blue steel and nickel plate. A slightly dulled nickel plate might be confused with stainless steel. Does the revolver in question have a case harden color trigger and hammer, and a blue extractor star? That's what you normally have with factory nickel finish.

The model 10-5 shows to have been started in 1962, and continued concurrently with the Model 10-6 (heavy barrel) until introduction of the 10-7 in 1978.

The same revolver made of stainless steel was called the Model 64, and was introduced in 1970.

klover, might you have read the 10-5 model number on another revolver? The stainless M&P .38 Special should be marked "MOD. 64," possibly followed with a dash, up to 64-6.

Another possibility is that you have a 10-5 which was refinished outside the factory with an electroless nickel plating, some of which are nearly indistinguishable from stainless.

If you want to give the serial number from the bottom of the grap frame, perhaps substituting XX for the final two numerals, we can probably figure out when that revolver was produced.

As to the original question, I really believe it would be a bad idea to rechamber ANY .38 Special M&P/model 10 to .357 magnum. The +P .38 Special, especially the 158 gr lead SWC hollow point load, is really fairly powerful. If you need more power than that, please, choose a different revolver.

Best,
Johnny

 

[sgt127]

May find there is a difference in the heat treat when it lets go on you. For another $15-$50 bucks you can buy a Model 13 (Blue) or 65 (Stainless) that is actually chambered for the .357.

 

[klover]

Trusting my memory of the five minute look see, I think Johnny may have it right as a factory nickel finish which was dulled out.

I am so glad there's such a wealth of ready information on THR!

It's good to know that cylinder mods are frowned upon by those in the know. I thought it might have been a goofy suggestion.

Still it is a nice piece....

Probably I will hunt down what I really want. A model 649 ss body guard.

Thank you all for keeping me honest.

 

[BluesBear]

Ream a model 10 cylinder to .357??

The closest term I can think of that would be allowed on THR would be WRECKLESS!

If you want a .357 then BUY a .357.

I just can't understand why people keep insisting on trying to make a gun something it isn't.

 

[Brian Williams]

I always wanted a tapered barrel to be able to shoot 357s so I found a pencil barrel from a mod 64 38 spec and had it put on a magnum frame. I used a model 65, a stainless mod 13 which is a 357 version of the mod 10, round butt frame and had a gunsmith fit that barrel to the frame. This make for a great shooting gun and it handles just like my 3" 13. If you want to shoot 357s get a frame that has been built and hardened to the pressures of a 357 don't use a 38 frame. According to the many folks and a guy at S&W about a 38 spec barrel vs a 357 barrel they all said the process is the same for barrels but not for the frames.

 

[thatguy]

No stainless M10s. The stainless models were the 64 and 67.

Some people say the K frame magnum cylinders are heat treated differently than those for the Specials. I called S&W and nobody would or could talk about it. I have heard some people say the same for the barrels. I sorta doubt that and again, I cannot get a definitive answer. I do know that a large number of S&W and Colt 38s were bored to 357 over the years (I saw quite a few back in the late 1960s and early 1970s) but I have no idea if there were a lot of problems with them. I wouldn't do it and I wouldn't recommend it. I don't know off the top of my head, but are the 38 and 357 cylinders the same length? Cartridge length would likely be an issue if not.

Your idea of some custom cartridge is really unnecessary. Why spend the money when you can just load the .38 Special to its full potential (my carry load is a 125 JHP at 1,200 FPS -from a 1970 Speer manual-) and if that's not enough, just swap it and buy a Model 13 which seems to be what you really want, anyway.

 

[HankB]

From what I've heard - third hand, fourth hand, whatever - there are really just two .38 Specials which can be safety reamed out to .357. Ruger DA .38s are supposedly OK, as are the Colt Pythons that were made up in .38 Special. (Years ago, Colt supposedly DID make a few Python .38s for a PD that didn't want its officers carrying those evil Magnums.)

Considering the quality of my information (and the likely collector's value of a .38 Python) I wouldn't do it, I wouldn't have it done, and I don't recommend anyone else do it, either.

 

[BluesBear]

S&W .38 Special cylinders are NOT safe for .357 pressures!

The barrels are OK. There is some debate as to frame heat treatment. There MIGHT have been some .38special revolvers built on frames originally heat treated for .357 guns. But the CYLINDERS are different.
They are differently sized.
They are differently heat treatmented.
They are NOT SAFE.


It amazes me. On one hand you have people wringing their hands wondering if it's safe to fire a single round of +P ammo in their beloved revolver without splitting it from arse to elbow.
And then you have those who want to shoot .357 magnums in it. :banghead:

If you want a .357 magnum then buy a real .357 magnum.
Spend the extra $20 ya damn cheapskate.
Or is that all your eyes and fingers are worth to you?

 

[gringolet]

not

I'd not do it. wait and get a 65 if you want a 357 in basically same gun.put yours up for sale on gunbroker and buy another! or, just be happy with a fine 38 special. I fixed a model 10 blue for 357 many years ago..and it was a mistake...has not blown up or anything, but I darn sure don't shoot any more 357 through it either!

 

[Beachcomber]

Making a .357 out of a S&W Model 10

Like SGT127 said:

May find there is a difference in the heat treat when it lets go on you.

On one of the Smith & Wesson boards there was quite a dither about the recall on the Smith & Wesson stainless Model 624 (.44 special) due to S&W finding out that a few of the revolvers had been shipped with improperly treated cylinders. From what I can understand, S&W replaced the Model 624 cylinders specifically with Model 624 cylinders and when they ran out there was (unsubstantiated) reports of S&W offering new Model 629's (.44 magnum) to the owners rather than replace the cylinder on the 624 with a cylinder designed for a 629. What this tells me is that there is a difference in the heat treating of the standard caliber weapons as compared to the magnum versions.

As a result... I do not think it would be safe for you to magnumize your Model 10.

-Rick

 

[thatguy]

Beachcomber- There may or may not be a difference in tempering between the 624 and the 629 cylinders. I still don't know for sure. The main reason the guns use different parts is length. The 624 cylinder is shorter for the 44 Special cartridge. If S&W put 629 cylinders in 624 frames they had to also shorten the barrels at the shank where they come through the frame.

Note the larger space at the front of the cylinder in the Model 24 below compared to the Model 29 above. The 29's cylinder is longer.

 

[Beachcomber]

Thatguy...

I agree that the cylinder is longer on the 29/629 as compared to the 24/624 (As your photos clearly demonstrate)

But, based on the assumption that S&W did offer to exchange the 624 for a 629???... wouldn't it have made more sense, both financially & logically, for S&W to have shortened the .44 magnum cylinder (leaving the 624's barrel at factory length) allowing it to remain a .44 special or to have shortened the forcing cone end of the barrel, leaving the 629 cylinder at its original length and therefore converting the 624 to a half-breed "624/629" (no insult intended) .44 magnum if both weapons were heat treated equally?

-Rick

 

[klover]

Ok, Im convinced I want a 649.
Thanks everyone for your safety concerns.
Yes, it is a nickeled model 10.




Now forgive me while I bore it out to .500 S&W