Smith & Wesson Model 10
- Category
- Pistol
- Barrel
- 102 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.02 kg
- Introduced
- 1899
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Smith & Wesson Model 10 is a six-shot, double-action/single-action revolver chambered in .38 Special, built on Smith & Wesson's medium-size K-frame. Originally introduced in 1899 as the '.38 Hand Ejector Model of 1899,' it was later known as the 'Military & Police' (M&P) before receiving its numeric Model 10 designation in 1957. It is the most-produced handgun of the 20th century with over 6 million units manufactured. The standard configuration features a 4-inch heavy barrel, carbon steel construction with a blued finish, fixed blade front sight, fixed notch rear sight, and wood grips. The double-action trigger pull is approximately 10 pounds (44 N) with a clean single-action pull of approximately 4 pounds (18 N). The revolver incorporates a rebounding hammer with internal hammer block safety and two cylinder locks for secure lockup. Standard barrel lengths have included 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 inches over its long production run, with the 4-inch heavy barrel being the current production standard. The K-frame design established the template for the modern medium-frame service revolver.
The Smith & Wesson Model 10 defined the concept of the modern police revolver. For over 70 years, from the early 1900s through the 1980s, the M&P was the standard by which all law enforcement sidearms were measured. The Victory Model variant armed Allied forces throughout World War II, with production running around the clock to meet wartime demand. The transition from revolvers to semi-automatic pistols in U.S. law enforcement during the 1980s and 1990s ended the Model 10's reign as the dominant police sidearm, but it remains in limited production as a classic.
The Model 10 is one of the most historically significant firearms ever produced, serving as the standard-issue sidearm for countless police departments worldwide for over 70 years. Its WWII production variant, the 'Victory Model' (distinguished by a 'V' serial number prefix), saw approximately 570,000 units produced between 1942-1944, chambered in both .38 Special and .38/200 (for British Commonwealth forces). The transition from the M&P name to the Model 10 numeric designation occurred in 1957 when Smith & Wesson standardized its model numbering system. The current production model (Model 10-14) features a 4-inch heavy barrel and weighs 36 ounces. The Model 64 is the stainless steel version. Base specifications listed are for the 4-inch heavy barrel model. Weight varies significantly by barrel length and profile: 2-inch models approximately 28 oz (794g), 4-inch heavy barrel 36 oz (1021g), 6-inch tapered barrel approximately 31-32 oz (879-907g). The loaded weight estimate includes six .38 Special cartridges at approximately 12.6g each.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Smith & Wesson
- Category
- Pistol
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1899
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 102 mm
- Overall length
- 226 mm
- Height
- 135 mm
- Width
- 37 mm
- Sight radius
- 140 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.02 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 1.10 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Double action
- Firing mechanism
- Double action single action
- Trigger
- Double action
- Trigger pull
- 18.0 N
- Capacity
- 6
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Carbon steel
- Barrel
- Carbon steel
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 264 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 282 J
- Effective range
- 45 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
K frame
Fixed sights
Blade front sight
Notch rear sight
Heavy barrel
Exposed hammer
Six shot cylinder
Wood grips- Counter clockwise cylinder rotation
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 25 .38 Special pistols | 1.02 kg | 595 g | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,911 pistols | 226 mm | 196 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 26 .38 Special pistols | 102 mm | 51 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 26 .38 Special pistols | 6 | 5 | Holds more rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Smith & Wesson Model 10
How much does the Smith & Wesson Model 10 weigh?
The Smith & Wesson Model 10 weighs 1.02 kg (2.25 lb) empty and 1.10 kg (2.42 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Smith & Wesson Model 10?
The Smith & Wesson Model 10 is chambered in .38 Special.
How many rounds does the Smith & Wesson Model 10 hold?
The Smith & Wesson Model 10 holds 6 rounds.
How long is the Smith & Wesson Model 10?
The Smith & Wesson Model 10 is 226 mm (8.90 in) long overall, with a 102 mm (4.02 in) barrel.
Who makes the Smith & Wesson Model 10?
The Smith & Wesson Model 10 is made by Smith & Wesson (United States).
When was the Smith & Wesson Model 10 introduced?
The Smith & Wesson Model 10 was introduced in 1899.
How does the Smith & Wesson Model 10 operate?
The Smith & Wesson Model 10 uses a double action, and its firing mechanism is double action single action.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- United States Armed Forces
- 1899
- U.S. Law Enforcement (Various Departments)
- United States
- United Kingdom Armed Forces
- 1940
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Canada
- Australian Armed Forces
- Australia
- Israel Defense Forces
- Israel
- French National Police
- France
Provenance
Confidence in this record
90%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/smith-wesson-model-10' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "smith-wesson-model-10", "name": "Smith & Wesson Model 10", "manufacturer": { "id": "smith-wesson", "name": "Smith & Wesson", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1852, "website": "https://www.smith-wesson.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "6e259a578cb1b21d72610d761d652c983ff25806b9e736e2db8d2938596e9202" }, "category": { "id": "pistol", "name": "Pistol", "description": "Handguns designed to be fired with one or two hands" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1899, "barrel_length_mm": 102, "weight_empty_g": 1021, "action_type": "double_action"}