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Smith & Wesson "Military and Police" M10 and other K-frame revolvers (USA)

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Data for current manufacture M10 revolver with 4 in (102mm) barrel
Type: Double Action
Chamber: .38 Special; some other models also .357 magnum
Weight unloaded: ca. 1000 g
Length: 236 mm
Barrel length: 102 mm
Capacity: 6 rounds

The history of one of the most successful revolver designs of all times, the Smith & Wesson's "Military And Police", began in 1899, when S&W began to manufacture its "Hand Ejector" model in .38 Long Colt caliber. In 1902, S&W introduced the .38 hand Ejector revolver in its new chambering, the .38 Special, and during the following years continued to slightly improve the design. The 38 Hand Ejector took its shape in 1915. In 1920s, Smith & Wesson renamed the 38 Hand Ejector into Military and Police model, and in 1958, after introduction of the model numbering system, S&W assigned to the Military & Police revolver a model number 10. During the century, the total numbers of the M&Ps manufactured by S&W could be estimated at rough six millions plus, give or take. This included some 1 million or so revolvers, delivered to the US Government during the WW 2, and a large numbers of revolvers, manufactured for export into British Commonwealth countries.

In general, the M&P was one of the most popular police revolvers in the USA. Some sources said, that at some time period, some 80% of ALL US Police departments were armed with M&P revolvers! These guns were also used by US Military, especially in US Air Force and US Navy. The M&P's were widely copied by numerous manufacturers in Spain, France and other countries.

Technically, all M&P revolvers are double action, swing-out cylinder revolvers. All M&P family revolvers featured similar medium sized frame (S&W nomenclature code: K-frame); All M&Ps featured dual-locked 6 chamber cylinders (one lock is manually operated by the latch, located at the left side of the frame behind the cylinder and locks the rear part of the cylinder axis; another lock is a spring-loaded one that locks the front part of the cylinder axis/ejector rod under the barrel). Standart M&Ps featured fixed front sight and fixed rear sight, in the form of the groove, cut in the top of the frame. Some target versions (sse below) featured ramp front sight with ajustable rear sights. Original material of the frame was the carbon steel, blued or parkerised; later, lightweight alluminium alloy frames and stainless teeel frames were introduced. Original barrels were from 2 to 8 1/2 inches long, of thin profile, with exposed ejector rod. Later, "heavy barrel" models were introduced. Some later models also featured barrels with upper rib and / or enclosed ejector rod.

Here is the list of the most common M&P models, manufactured during the last 100 or so years.

• 38 Hand Ejector - opriginal model. In 1899, introduced in 38 Long; in 1902 in .38 Special.
• Military & Police - Hand Ejector .38 Spl, renamed somewhere in 1920s.
• Victory model - WW2, military issue M&P's with rough finish, plain wood grip panels and lanyard ring. manufactured for US Military in .38Spl and for British Commonwealth in .38/200, with 4 or 5 inch barrels.
• Military and Police, Model 10 - M&P, numbered in 1958. Curently in production.
• Military and Police, Model 11 - M&P, chambered for British service .38/200 cartridge. In production since 1936, discontinued in 1965
• Military and Police Airweight, Model 12 - similar to Model 10, but with alluminium alloy frame. In production since 1953, discontinued in 1986
• Military and Police Magnum, Model 13 - M&P with thick, heavy barrel, chambered in .357 magnum cartridge. In production since 1973, discontinued.
• K-38 Masterpiece, Model 14 - Target version of the M&P, with 6 or 8 inch barrel and ajustable sights. In production since 1947, discontinued in 1982
• K-38 Combat Masterpiece, Model 15 - Version of the Model 14, with ribbed barrels of 2, 4 or 6 inches long and ajustable sights. In production since 1949, discontinued.
• K-32 Masterpiece, Model 16 - Target version of the M&P, chambered for .32 S&W Long, otherwiose similar to K-38 model 14. In production since 1947, discontinued in 1973
• K-22 Masterpiece, Model 17 - Target version of the M&P, chambered for .22LR. In production since 1946, discontinued
• K-22 Combat Masterpiece, Model 18 - Version of the Model 15, chambered for .22LR. In production since 1949, discontinued in 1986
• Combat Magnum, Model 19 - M&P with heavy barrel, chambered for .357 Magnum, with ajustable sights. In production since 1955, discontinued
• Military and Police Stainless, Models 64, 65, 66, 67 - M&Ps with heavy barrels (2, 4 or 6 inches long) and stainless steel frames; Models 64 and 67 are chambered in .38 Special, models 65 and 66 - in .357 Magnum. Models 64 and 65 featured original, model 10-like fixed sights, models 66 and 67 - ajustable sights. Currently in production.
  These stailess steel models replaced previous, similar carbon steel models in the following order:
  Model 13 - replaced by Model 65.
  Model 19 - replaced by Model 66.
  Model 15 - replaced by Model 67.
  Model 10 - complemented by Model 64.
  

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