Dumb question: Is there such a thing as a .40 cal snub nose?

andywhite.net · Post by **andywhite.net** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 10:15 am

Dumb question: Is there such a thing as a .40 cal snub nose revolver? If not, why not? Just curious. (I'm a relative newbie.)

Thanks.

Greybeard · Post by **Greybeard** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 10:42 am

.40S&W itself has been around for just under 20 years. The short version is it started out as as full blown 10mm (same diameter - .40) semi-automatic pistol cartridge considered by the FBI, but was downsized to 40 "short and weak" as a compromise between 9mm (.355) and .45ACP.

The ballistics on the .40 are so close to .357 Mag. revolver rounds that have been around for some 70+ years that I suspect the mfgrs. do not see a very good ROI to tool up for such a model. (Particularly when the .41 Mag. revolver, if even still in their product line, has been struggling for market share for decades.)

G.C.Montgomery · Post by **G.C.Montgomery** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 11:12 am

Not necessarily a dumb question. You won't see many revolvers chambered for .40S&W simply because it's a rimless case requiring moon clips for headspacing and extraction if used in a revolver. .38/.44Special, .357/.41/.44Magnum and other such cartridges all have a rimmed case specifically designed to provide headspacing and extraction in revolvers.

Greybeard · Post by **Greybeard** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 12:00 pm

Now there's ya two different quick answers, one from a guy with a degree in Marketing and one from with a guy with degree in ..... Engineering?

Mike1951 · Post by **Mike1951** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 3:21 pm

But there are and have been various 10mm revolvers, such as S&W 610.

The 10mm would fire .40 S&W in the same manner as .357/.38 Spec.

However, the shortest barrel length I see for the 610 is 4".

KBCraig · Post by **KBCraig** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 5:04 pm

Mike1951 wrote:But there are and have been various 10mm revolvers, such as S&W 610.

The 10mm would fire .40 S&W in the same manner as .357/.38 Spec.

Nope. It wouldn't headspace. The firing pin would never reach the primer.

Kevin

Mike1951 · Post by **Mike1951** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 5:32 pm

Prior to my post, I double checked with the 610 description in the 28th Blue Book of Gun Values.

After your response, I got out my Standard Catalog of S&W,3rd ed.

The caliber is given as 10mm auto/.40S&W.

The auto cartridges require half moon clips, supplied by the factory, but are still like the .357/.38 in that the shorter cartridge works in the longer chambering.

KBCraig · Post by **KBCraig** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 7:33 pm

Mike1951 wrote:The auto cartridges require half moon clips, supplied by the factory, but are still like the .357/.38 in that the shorter cartridge works in the longer chambering.

Ah, you're right, my apologies. I wasn't thinking of moon clips; I was thinking of cylinders cut for .45 ACP, which obviously wouldn't work with .45 GAP.

G.C.Montgomery · Post by **G.C.Montgomery** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 9:00 pm

GreyBeard, I've got about a quarter of an ME degree and I'm kicking myself for not finishing it. I'm returning to school this August to fix that but it will most likely be a BBA in computer information systems because I only need 30hrs to finish.

Mike1951 and KBCraig, as you mentioned, cylinders on 610â€™s and 625â€™s have been turned down at the rear so cases headspace properly when mounted in moon-clips. SOMETIMES, youâ€™ll still get positive ignition of rimless cases without moon-clips because the case happens to sit close enough to the breech-face for the firing-pin to contact the primer. The case may fire but, you still wouldnâ€™t have the ability to extract the fired cases without the moon-clips.

Sadly, the 610 is not in this yearâ€™s S&W catalog. It appears it has been discontinued for the time being. The shortest barrel I ever saw for the 610 was actually 3-inches. I saw it at a Saxet gun show several years back. It was marked as part of a special run for â€œLew Horton.â€? Seems like Iâ€™ve heard the name Lew Horton attached to special versions of just about every gun ever made.

HighVelocity · Post by **HighVelocity** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 9:06 pm

There were a few 10mm snubby's made and they can fire 40 S&W ammo. I've seen these guns bring over $1000 on various gun auction sites.

http://marina.fortunecity.com/harbour/347/10mm03.html
S&W has manufactured a very limited run of 3" 610s. The run, produced in 1998, is only 300 610s and should make for a nice addition to any 10mm enthusiasts collection. The cylinder is unfluted and the rosewood grips are the new style that S&W is putting on their revolvers. The sights are fully adjustable and would make a great carry gun. Of note, the 3" 610 has the new firing pin system where the hammer no longer has the firing pin as apart of the hammer. The firing pin is captured in the frame of the gun and is actuated when the hammer hits the firing pin.

G.C.Montgomery · Post by **G.C.Montgomery** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 10:03 pm

HighVelocity wrote:There were a few 10mm snubby's made and they can fire 40 S&W ammo. I've seen these guns bring over $1000 on various gun auction sites.

http://marina.fortunecity.com/harbour/347/10mm03.html
S&W has manufactured a very limited run of 3" 610s. The run, produced in 1998, is only 300 610s and should make for a nice addition to any 10mm enthusiasts collection. The cylinder is unfluted and the rosewood grips are the new style that S&W is putting on their revolvers. The sights are fully adjustable and would make a great carry gun. Of note, the 3" 610 has the new firing pin system where the hammer no longer has the firing pin as apart of the hammer. The firing pin is captured in the frame of the gun and is actuated when the hammer hits the firing pin.

That sounds like the gun I saw.