OK,
It's like CHRISTmas in August.  I dropped by my FFL yesterday to pick up my 610.  A stainless steel "N" frame 6-shot revolver with a 6.5" barrel and a none fluted cylinder chambered in 10mm Auto.  Very much like my 686+.

Observation #1.  It's big, and heavy.  (duh)
#2. It has a hair trigger, way lighter than the factory trigger on the 686.
#3. The hammer spring is lighter, it takes less effort to cock it "single action" than the 686.
4. The 10mm loads seem to kick more than my hot 357's.  
Here's the comparison:
.357, 10.7 grains of BLUE DOT pushing a 158 grain Plated Hollow Point
10mm, 10.4 grains of BLUE DOT pushing a 180 grain Plated Hollow Point

So my 10mm load has 14% more bullet and 3% less powder, yet it seems to have a sharper recoil despite the slightly heavier gun.

#5.  It's a tack driver.  Once I got the sights zeroed it was pretty wicked.  No surprise there.

#6.  I knew the purpose of a rimmed case, used to determine headspace.  I now see why it's so important.  I didn't have any moonclips and I had a lot of light primer strikes on my shots, maybe 25% not going off.  Turns out the 10mm cases were too short for the cylinders, and I found that some cylinders are shallower than others.  There was one cylinder that would set off round when they refused to fire in any others.  NOTE TO SELF: Get some damn moonclips.  This will let me shoot 40 S&W too.

#7. I'd love to find someone to ream my cylinder out to hold 10mm Magnum Cartridges.

#8. Get some Tritium sights

686+ on top, 610 on the bottom.

Very nice, I'd like one with a 4" barrel. Would go nicely with my 1026.

Any Idea of the velocity you were getting?

Beautiful gun.  

Quoted: Very nice, I'd like one with a 4" barrel. Would go nicely with my 1026.

You got a 1026, kewl.  There were two up on Gunbroker last week, but I was stretched out on this one.

Quoted: Any Idea of the velocity you were getting? Beautiful gun.

Thanx for the compliment.  I have no clue.  I don't have a chrono.  I was using the data from Alliant's website. 1,220 fps they claim.  I don't like the Blue Dot in this load.  There were a lot of unburned powder grains floating around in the barrel and cylinders.  I also have this trouble with .38 loads, but not .357 loads.  Bummer.

Quoted: You got a 1026, kewl.   I have no clue.  I don't have a chrono.  I was using the data from 1,220 fps they claim.

180gr bullet?
I'm using VV N105 which should be pretty close to Blue Dot.
Using a similar amount of N105 as listed for the Blue Dot I got about 1270fps from my 1026 for a 180gr bullet. Mind you, that was my starting load
Highest velocity I've achieved with a 180gr bullet is 1360 fps
1235 fps for a 200gr bullet.

Sweet. I MUST have a Smitty 610
Now go buy some Double Tap Ammo!

Quoted: Very nice, I'd like one with a 4" barrel. Would go nicely with my 1026.

Equipment Exchange »  Handguns »  Smith & Wesson Model 610-3 10mm Revolver (4")........pics up

Equipment Exchange »  Handguns »  WTS- S&W 610-3 10mm revolver. HARD TO FIND! REDUCED PRICE!  

They stopped making them a while ago. Great caliber in a solid frame. Try the heavier bullets, e.g., 200 gr. There is a ammo maker in TX that makes 200 gr. 1,300 FPS ammo - and they aren't the only ones.

Shooting .40 will be like using a .22 lr drop-in barrel. There is also a FBI light load. The old Ranger bullet in 180 gr with a barely sub-sonic speed out of a 4" barrel - the longer barrel could get it a bit too fast for its proposed ballistic performance.

There was also some sub-gun ammo made that would probably do very well out of the 610. It was made for the H&K MP 5-10, which was developed for the FBI when it was into 10MM with the 1076. Back when excessive recoil to the agent meant that it was a kick-butt bunch of cops.

F