Model 10s back at Bud's

California "Drop Test" as in drop it on the hammer?

Are CA residents allowed to own one, just not purchase one new/used?
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I think it's a drop from 40 feet. Hopefully, somebody more knowledgeable will chime in.

Yes, you can own one in CA, but can't buy one from a retailer.

Sorry that I don't have all of the details about the laws there. I was actually born and raised in CA (Bakersfield) :) , but stopped keeping up with the gun laws there when I moved away back in the early 90s.

I remember that it was frustrating for some of my old buddies there when they saw some surplus S&W revolvers that were marked CDC (CA Dept of Corrections), and couldn't buy them.
 
Quote:
The listings for the used model 10s at Buds say "Not legal in California".

Why's that?
It has to do with CA's stealth gun ban, otherwise known as their "Drop Test".

The good-old Model 10 doesn't pass the test, so it is prohibited from sale in CA.

Yup, CA managed to find a way to (sort of) ban revolvers.
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Actually, that's only part of the story. In order to make in onto CA's approved gun list, the manufacturer or importer must submit the gun for testing and pay the applicable fees. Part of the testing is a drop test.

However, just about every S&W revolver manufactured since WWII should be able to pass CA's drop test easily. The issue is that CA requires testing for every single model of handgun to be sold there, they view S&W revolvers with different dash numbers (i.e. 10-5 vs 10-6) to be different models, and the manufacturer has to pay an annual fee for each individual model to keep it on the roster.

Understandably, S&W and just about every other manufacturer will only pay the roster fees for models which are still in current production. Because the M10's that Bud's is selling are not the current dash number, and thus considered different models under CA law, and because S&W stopped paying the fee to keep them on the roster they were arbitrarily deemed "unsafe" by the State of California in its infinite wisdom and therefore no longer legal to sell there :rolleyes:
 
They were VIP only for the round butts last night. Checking just now, they seem to be back off the VIP list.

I think I'll buy a square butt 10. Mostly because I really dig K frame guns. But partly because of nostalgia. Eleventy gazillion cops from yesteryear carried nothing more than this simple gun. Piece of history. And in this case, it might be an ACTUAL piece of history. The guy I buy might be the one that saved someone's life, took someone's life, at very least protected someone's life.


Sgt Lumpy
 
I was pleased with the condition of mine. A little better than expected. Although I may have just got lucky. The grips were the worst part, but someone here gave me a link to brand new stock ones.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/51...d-w-k-l-frame-round-butt-checkered-dymondwood

ujaqegem.jpg

ta5umupe.jpg
 
Gary, that looks like a solid 80% gun to me. And since it's a turn-in, you can be confident the wear is most likely only superficial.
 
I don't know if it's because none of the dang guns they sell stay in stock long enough, or because they are too busy or WHAT, but they've gotten awfully lazy in their used pages as hardly any of the guns have pictures and many of them don't have any specs listed.

No, I don't mean the trade-in Model 10s, I'm talking about -ALL- the others.
Disappointing.
 
Garycw -

What is that little insignia on the right side of your model 10? Up high between the hammer and the rear of the cylinder?


Sgt Lumpy
 
I don't know if it's because none of the dang guns they sell stay in stock long enough, or because they are too busy or WHAT, but they've gotten awfully lazy in their used pages as hardly any of the guns have pictures and many of them don't have any specs listed.
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Yes, I have a bit of a problem with the whole process of them selling these Model 10. I want one, I do. But buying it without even knowing what you'll get? I mean, yes I did buy a Russian Nagant some time ago without seeing it. But first of all it was either new or refurbished from the storage, so as "esthetically unpleasant" as it looks by design, there was not a scratch on it when it arrived. And secondly I paid half of what these Model 10 goes for. When I spend almost $300 I don't expect it to be perfect gun, but I'd like to know in advance how imperfect it is...

I actually called Bud's today and ask if I can at least hear a verbal description of imperfections of the gun before I pay for it. The answer was "no". Then I asked, ok, can I pay a little more and have a gunsmith pick the better one from the bunch? The answer was "no".

Well, you know what... with all due respect... I am not up to it now. Owning gun in IL is too much hassle as it is with all papers and ID' checks. The time and money it will take to sell it if I don't like it, it's just not worth it. May as well pay another $100 for a privately owned one and know exactly what I am getting with pictures, description and all. After all this is a gun to be used on the range, not to hang on the wall :rolleyes:
 
I can see your side of it, but the problem in this particular situation is that Bud's is going to sell those easily anyway without your purchase, and if they "attempt" to give you some manner of a choice pick, it's not going to help them any if you later call and complain about the manner in which they chose it.

The local big gun store here in my town has gone through CRATE LOADS of these and of Model 64's and Model 65's. Being able to pick one up and choose your favorite is, as you'd expect, a much sweeter deal. The one Model 10-10 that I ended up with was one that I hand picked, and I think it was the one I liked best of the eight that I had him fish out for me.

If they had been a bit slower and I had been a bit pushier, there's no telling how many I could have "interviewed" before I made my selection.

They first offered the heavy barrel Model 10's here as DOC trade-ins, at $249+tax. When they didn't run out in the first 3 months...they dropped the price $20. (IIRC?)

Mine? Exterior not too bad (generally), and mechanically...it's AWESOME. I am ecstatic about the timing on it, and I'm overly picky in that regard. The one bitter pill is that they agency that owned it scratched some sort of 3-digit number in to the bottom of the trigger guard. And I do mean scratched. No BS here. If you took a Smith & Wesson K-frame and you locked it in a gun vise upside down and then you took a half-sharpened drywall screw and you etched a 3-digit number in to it and it rusted your artwork in to place, that's about what I'm talking about.

For all the world, it reminds me of that "Jackass" TV show segment where Steve-O gets a tattoo...while strapped to a jeep going over a 4-wheeler course that includes ridiculous bumps, hills and whoop-de-doos. If you've seen the segment and the resulting "tattoo", you might agree.
 
Oh, a post-script to the local Heavy Barrel 10-10's that they sold around here... My buddy bought two of them. One he keeps loaded in the house and the other one is a very frequent range gun that gets a lot of ammo sent through it. The one he's always hauling to the range might be one of his favorite guns.

And it shoots very, very well.

Even with the BULGED barrel that it came with, and he did not discover until after he had shot it.
 
Sevens, I completely understand: it's a market situation. If they were not able to sell them anyway, they would go a mile to pick one for me, especially since I did offer to pay extra for it. It's ok,
I really don't need another .38 Special and their "no" is a great reason for me not to spend money. Perhaps I can save some more and get a .44 Magnum. That "Dirty Harry thing" is on my mind a lot lately :-))))
 
AID_Admin said:
Yes, I have a bit of a problem with the whole process of them selling these Model 10. I want one, I do. But buying it without even knowing what you'll get? I mean, yes I did buy a Russian Nagant some time ago without seeing it. But first of all it was either new or refurbished from the storage, so as "esthetically unpleasant" as it looks by design, there was not a scratch on it when it arrived. And secondly I paid half of what these Model 10 goes for. When I spend almost $300 I don't expect it to be perfect gun, but I'd like to know in advance how imperfect it is...

I actually called Bud's today and ask if I can at least hear a verbal description of imperfections of the gun before I pay for it. The answer was "no". Then I asked, ok, can I pay a little more and have a gunsmith pick the better one from the bunch? The answer was "no".

Well, you know what... with all due respect... I am not up to it now. Owning gun in IL is too much hassle as it is with all papers and ID' checks. The time and money it will take to sell it if I don't like it, it's just not worth it. May as well pay another $100 for a privately owned one and know exactly what I am getting with pictures, description and all. After all this is a gun to be used on the range, not to hang on the wall :rolleyes:
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In not sure how far you are from Lexington or if ever in the area, but its a interesting store to visit. There's alot of guns there that say out of stock that are in the showroom. They did have some of the 10's in there that look like the one I ordered. I'm not sure if there in all similar condition or not, but mine was pretty good except the grips were about 50%. The test of gun was 75-80% cond. touched up a little holster wear at end of barrel and a little bit on cylinder. Overall good shape. If you do order, do not transfer till you look it over. Any problem call and send it back. That's what they say anyway.
 
Our safe gun roster mandates testing samples and testing fees from manufacturer. Older models may not be sold by a dealer nor imported. Any that are already in state may be sold by private parties. However our state senate is voting on a bill which will outlaw sale of guns not currently on the list.


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