Smith & Wesson's
Model 610 10mm Auto
Too Good To Keep Down!
The 610 can be loaded and unloaded easily with the aid of moon clips.
A few months ago I stumbled across a couple of Smith & Wesson Model 657s in .41 Mag. One was a 6.5″ version while the other wore a 7.5″ barrel. Both had full underlugs and unfluted cylinders. The more I shot these revolvers, the more attached I became. I started looking for a discontinued Model 610 in 10mm to go with them, but they were hard to find. When I did find one it came with a hefty price tag. I wanted one badly — but not bad enough to cause my wife to throw rocks at me.
This clean living must be paying off because S&W just reintroduced their Model 610, and I ordered one immediately! The 610 will be offered in two barrel lengths, 4″ and 6.5″, and since I would be hunting, the longer 6.5″ model was my choice.
The gun arrived in a blue, hard case with three moon clips provided. The frame, barrel and cylinder are stainless steel and the black synthetic grips feature a slightly textured surface with subtle finger grooves. Those grips surround a round butt grip frame. The Smith & Wesson Model 610 is chambered in 10mm Auto and built on the large N-Frame with a 6-round capacity. You can also shoot .40 S&W in this revolver in case you have some ammo gathering dust.
The smooth, wide target trigger is conducive to careful single action shooting.
Benefits
Several features of the gun are standard on many S&W models, including an interchangeable black blade on the front sight. Depending on the shooter, some prefer the solid black blade over colored inserts. The fully adjustable rear sight wears a classic S&W white outline.
My test gun weighed a pretty hefty 50.1 oz. but balanced perfectly. The target trigger is wide and smooth, made for single-action shooting, consistent with the wide, checkered target hammer. I like the full underlug and I only wish the gun came with an unfluted cylinder. Perhaps in the future we will see other variations of the 610 become available.
Without a doubt, the 10mm Auto has seen a resurrection in recent years gathering more and more market-share. I often wonder what drives the interest in this cartridge. Is it handgun hunting, recreational shooting, home or personal defense, or a combination of these and more? Whatever the reason, the 10mm Auto has made a remarkable rebound.
Jan Mladek, General Manager of S&W and M&P brands said, “With the recent increase in interest in the 10mm Auto cartridge, we felt it was important to offer a 10mm revolver for personal protection and handgun hunting. The N-Frame has long been a staple in big bore revolvers, and the 10mm is a natural caliber addition to the line.”
HSM’s 180-gr. JHP load performed well out of the 610 — that’s a 25-yard group.
An Odd Combo?
I frequently hear some ask why chamber a revolver with a cartridge designed for a semi-auto pistol? I have shot and own several semi-autos in 10mm and they certainly have a place. Those high-capacity magazines are mighty handy if you need extra firepower for some reason. To be honest, you can reload a revolver pretty darn fast, with practice, using moon clips. And quite frankly, I don’t really enjoy chasing brass all over the range when shooting the semi-autos, so the wheelgun makes sense there too.
The 10mm cartridge is a good round in any platform, including single shots like the T/C. It’s perfectly capable of doing double-duty as a personal protection round or for handgun hunting. The S&W N-Frame handles the recoil of the 10mm with ease and it’s very pleasant to shoot with both 10mm and .40 S&W ammo.
The UltraDot L/T is a great choice for an optic on the 610 revolver, here in
a Weigand Machine and Design Mini-Mount.
Optional Optics
Before I headed to the range for a lengthy shooting session, I fitted the 610 with an optic. In good lighting conditions I can see iron sights well enough to shoot targets at close range. But with aging eyes like mine, that’s about as far as I get. Since this revolver will be a hunting rig for me, I need optics in order to place a bullet where it belongs. This is especially true for early morning and late evening opportunities.
For years I’ve enjoyed various red dot sights by UltraDot. These units are rugged, being able to withstand consistent, brutal recoil. I have some friends who use UltraDots on their rhino-stomping, big-bore revolvers producing teeth-jarring recoil. They continue singing praises on the reliability of UltraDot.
I mounted an UltraDot L/T reflex sight on the 610. The L/T is a very compact sight and does not appear obnoxious. It has 10 brightness settings too, allowing the shooter to adjust the brightness of the dot depending on the lighting conditions. This is extremely valuable for hunting since you’re apt to encounter different situations. The 4-MOA dot size will show up nicely when placed on the shoulders of a big mean hog too. The UltraDot looks as if it belongs on the 610 — and it does for me.
Mounting the reflex sight on the 610 was accomplished without the services and expense of a gunsmith. Believe me, the gunsmithing tool I use most frequently is my checkbook, so if I was able to mount the sight, anyone can in a matter of minutes. The new mini-scope mount from Weigand Machine and Design is just the ticket. This Weig-A-Tinny mount comes in silver or black and is available for all K-, L-, N- and X-Frame S&W revolvers. It’s only 2.5″ long, is clean and sleek looking and it doesn’t protrude over the barrel. This was a great choice
S&W’s new Model 610 with a 6.5" barrel is prime hunting power,
with lots of new 10mm ammo available.
Does It Shoot?
DoubleTap, Hornady, HSM, Winchester, SIG, Federal, Underwood and other ammos were tested. No doubt, there’s plenty of premium ammo designed for multiple purposes and like any gun, I was curious to see if my 610 had any strong preferences. After the first few shots, the red dot was easily adjusted.
Since a variety of ammo was being tested, in different bullet weights, the point of impact changed some but I was more interested in group size for the moment. The 610’s size and weight made it easy to shoot, and when shooting for groups, I did all my testing from a sandbag at 25 yards.
My initial groups were better than I expected. The trigger of the 610 was on par with other S&W models I’ve shot, breaking clean and crisp. At the end of the day, HSM 180-gr. JHP load put four rounds touching and the other two almost touching. Other factory loads shot well, and the 610 wasn’t picky. Loading and unloading the revolver was painless thanks to the moon clips. And I didn’t have to go looking for brass all afternoon.
For personal defense, there are many loads available, including a 135-gr. Nosler JHP offering from DoubleTap. As for hunting, several great choices come to mind depending on the game sought. Buffalo Bore’s 220-gr. Hard Cast Flat Nose, 230-gr. Hard Cast from DoubleTap, Hornady’s 180-gr. XTP, Federal’s 180-gr. Trophy Bonded JSP and Underwood’s 200-gr. XTP would all be good options for the field.
Diamond D Custom Leather offers their Guide’s Choice chest holster —
great for field use or even while just doing farm chores.
Friendly Carry
Carrying the 610 around with the reflex sight was a concern. Thanks to Diamond D Custom Leather and their Guide’s Choice holster, packing the revolver around all day is a non-issue. The Guide’s Choice holster carries the gun across your chest in a most comfortable manner. Getting in and out of the tractor, UTV, or vehicle is not a bother at all. This holster is well made and well designed with the hunter and fisherman in mind. You couldn’t ask for more.
If I were looking for a personal protection handgun, the 4″ version would be a solid choice. For hunting, I’m well satisfied the reintroduced 610 will be ideal for deer and hogs. It has found a secure spot in my hunting handgun battery. Now if S&W would reintroduce their model 657 with full underlug and unfluted cylinder I’d be tempted again!
For more info:
www.smith-wesson.com
www.diamonddcustomleather.com, Ph: (907) 631-4212
