S&W 610 Mountain Gun (MG)
The 10mm S&W 610 MG is as classy as it gets. Shown with
a carved Milt Sparks holster for a classic field kit.
In the late 1980s, S&W released the Mountain Gun series after popular gun writer Ross Seyfried and S&W employee Tom Campbell talked about the perfect packing gun. The gun was built on an N frame using a lightweight barrel having the contours of old 40s and 50s .44 Specials and a round butt grip frame. Hunters, outdoorsmen, ranchers, and sportsmen embraced the idea. Several other calibers were introduced after the .44 Magnum made its appearance.
Lipsey’s convinced S&W to do another release of the long-loved Mountain Gun series, but the biggest news is these new releases are sans the internal side-plate safety lock. Known as the Hillary Hole, the internal safety is deemed unnecessary while insulting gun owners. Perhaps industry is waking up to the preferences of consumers rather than telling consumers. “This is what you’re getting.”
Lipsey’s Jason Cloessner, VP of Product Development, convinced S&W the time was right for the abolishment of the dreaded Internal Side Safety Lock. First releases for the new MG series included the .44 Magnum 629 and .357 686 7-shot revolvers. If there’s any complaint on these guns, it’s that Cloessner makes it damn tough to choose which MG you need the most.
I requested the .44 Magnum MG for testing, knowing damn well I was going to purchase it. Tyler Gun Works provided the bear-hug style walnut stocks for the project. The action is very smooth, as is the trigger when shooting double action. More importantly, the gun was accurate.
A large variety of different ammo with varying bullet weights
was used for testing. The MG handles everything extremely well.
By using moon-clipped .40 S&W ammo, you can
double the versatility of the 610 MG.
10mm Bear Load
An assignment presented itself for testing some of HSM’s 10mm “Bear Load,” and I thought the S&W MG would be a great gun for testing it, along with a Ruger BH and Springfield Armory Long Slide, since the second run of MGs included the 10mm and .22 rimfire.
Again, the 10mm MG had a very smooth action. The gun comes with three stainless steel moon clips, as the 10mm is rimless, and the ejector star has nothing to grab while ejecting empties. This also means you can shoot .40 S&W in the 10mm MG. Jason told me while testing the 10mm version of the MG, they discovered moon-clips weren’t necessary for casual shooting, but for self-defense use, moon-clips are the way to go for fast reloads.
The ammo pressures are low enough for semi-autos that plucking the empties from the revolver is very easy and convenient without having to load and unload brass from the moon clips. Heck, even my bratwurst-sized fingers had no problem plucking empty cases from the cylinder.
I tested seven different loads to showcase the broad spectrum of ammunition available, including a sample of .40 S&W from Buffalo Bore. While the gun was very accurate and pleasant to shoot, its point of impact was approximately 6-8 inches lower than the point of aim.
For testing, I simply placed 1″ dots 6″ above my targets so impact would be near the target. Since this is Jason’s personal gun, he has ordered a taller rear sight blade to rectify the problem.
With bullets seated in the cylinder, there’s enough
case to grab onto to remove them
Close-up of the 10MM roll mark and the beaded front sight.
Shooting
Shooting was performed at 50 feet using a Ransom Multi Cal rest. This keeps the gun rock steady and while limiting human error to a minimal. Having seven different loads of various bullet weights, including one load being 40 S&W from Buffalo Bore Ammunition, we pretty much covered the gamut of what’s available.
Recoil of the 10mm is mild compared to bigger boomers like the 44 Magnum and may be the best choice for shooters with minimal experience wanting a gun powerful enough to discourage larger predators. For these instances I think heavier cast bullet loads like those from Buffalo Bore or HSM would be good choices. All loads were clocked with a Garmin Xero C1 chronograph.
Results
Buffalo Bore 10mm Outdoorsman
1,140 FPS 220-grain hard cast bullet. Accuracy was good with groups going just over 1″ for 5-shot groups.
Norma 170-grain jacketed
1,204 FPS. Groups just under 1″.
Buffalo Bore .40 S&W Outdoorsman
991 FPS 200-grain hard cast. Very consistent and makes the 10mm more versatile by shooting the .40 S&W. Groups were just over 1″.
Hornady 175-grain Flexlock
1,110 FPS. Groups were 1.5″.
HSM 200-grain hard cast “Bear Load”
1,070 FPS. Groups were just over an inch.
Speer 200-grain Gold-Dot
1,037 FPS. Groups ran just over an inch.
Sig Sauer 180-grain V-Crown
1,158 FPS. This may be the most accurate load with groups running .75″.
Just a pretty perfect packin’ pistol!
The Multi Cal Steady Rest practically removes
all human element from shooting.
Summation
The S&W 610 MG is a nice choice for those wanting a cartridge that can get the job done without excessive recoil. Most shooters won’t have trouble shooting accurately with practice. Moon clips are necessary for fast reloading, but use without the moon clips is possible for casual plinking or practice.
It’s nice seeing S&W once again release the MGs, especially without the internal safety lock. For those wanting to scratch that nostalgic itch, you could get your MG now if you missed the boat at the original release 30-some years ago. Having the MG chambered in 10mm is a nice mix of old and new that younger shooters may enjoy, and they already have 10mm semi-auto shooters.
