Smith & Wesson Model 10 The Smith & Wesson Model 10 , previously known as the Smith & Wesson . 38 Hand Ejector Model of 1899 , the Smith & Wesson Military & Police or the Smith & Wesson Victory Model , is a revolver of worldwide popularity . It was the successor to the Smith & Wesson . 32 Hand Ejector Model of 1896 and was the first Smith & Wesson revolver to feature a cylinder release latch on the left side of the frame like the Colt M1889 . In production since 1899 , it is a six - shot double - action revolver with fixed sights . Over its long production run it has been available with barrel lengths of , , , , and . Barrels of are also known to have been made for special contracts . Some 6 , 000 , 000 of the type have been produced over the years , making it the most popular centerfire revolver of the 20th century . History . In 1899 , the Army and Navy placed orders with Smith and Wesson for two to three thousand Model 1899 Hand Ejector revolvers chambered for the M1892 . 38 U . S . Service Cartridge ( aka . 38 Long Colt ) . With this order , the Hand Ejector Model became known as the . 38 Military and Police model . That same year , in response to reports from military sources serving in the Philippines on the relative ineffectiveness of the . 38 ( Long Colt ) cartridge , Smith & Wesson began offering the Military & Police in a new chambering , the . 38 S & W Special ( aka . 38 Special ) — a slightly elongated version of the . 38 Long Colt cartridge with increased bullet weight ( 158 grains ) and increase in powder charge from eighteen to twenty - one grains of gunpowder . In 1902 the . 38 Military & Police ( 2nd Model ) was introduced , featuring substantial changes . These included major modification and simplification of the internal lockwork and the addition of a locking underlug on the barrel to engage the previously free - standing ejector rod . Barrel lengths were 4 , 5 , 6 , and 6 . 5 inches with a rounded butt . Serial numbers for the Military & Police ranged from number 1 in the series to 20 , 975 . Most of the early M & P revolvers chambered in . 38 Special appear to have been sold to the civilian market . By 1904 , S & W was offering the . 38 M & P with rounded or square butt , and 4 , 5 , and 6 . 5 - inch barrels . The . 38 S & W Military & Police Model of 1905 4th Change ( introduced 1915 ) , incorporated a passive hammer block and enlarged service sights that quickly became a standard across the service revolver segment of the industry . Heat treatment of cylinders began in 1919 . Victory Model . The S & W Model 10 military revolvers produced from 1942 to 1944 had serial numbers with a " V " prefix , and were known as the Smith & Wesson Victory Model . It is noteworthy that early Victory Models did not always have the V prefix . During World War II over 570 , 000 of these pistols were supplied to the United Kingdom , Canada , Australia , New Zealand , and South Africa under the Lend - Lease program , chambered in the British . 38 / 200 caliber already in use in the Enfield No 2 Mk I Revolver and the Webley Mk IV Revolver . Most Victory Models sent to Britain were fitted with 4 " ( 102 mm ) or 5 " ( 127 mm ) barrels , although a few early versions had 6 " ( 150 mm ) barrels . In general , most British and Commonwealth forces expressed a preference for the . 38 / 200 Smith & Wesson over their standard Enfield revolver . The Victory Model was also used by United States forces during World War II , being chambered in the well - known and popular . 38 Special cartridge . The Victory Model was a standard - issue sidearm for US Navy and Marine aircrews , and was also used by security guards at factories and defense installations throughout the United States during the war . Some of these revolvers remained in service well into the 1990s with units of the US Armed Forces , including the Coast Guard . Some Lend - Lease Victory Model revolvers originally chambered for the British . 38 / 200 were returned to the U . S . and rechambered to fire the more popular and more powerful . 38 Special ammunition , and such revolvers are usually so marked on their barrels . Rechambering of . 38 - 200 cylinders to . 38 Special results in oversized chambers which may cause problems . The finish on Victory Models was typically a sandblasted and parkerized finish , which is noticeably different from the higher - quality blue or nickel / chrome finishes usually found on commercial M & P / Model 10 revolvers . Other distinguishing features of the Victory Model revolver are the lanyard loop at the bottom of the grip frame , and the use of smooth ( rather than checkered ) walnut grip panels . However some early models did use a checkered grip , most notably the pre - 1942 manufacture . Post - World War II models . After World War II , Smith and Wesson returned to manufacturing the M & P series . Along with cosmetic changes and replacement of the frame fitting grip with the Magna stocks , the spring - loaded hammer block safety gave way to a cam - actuated hammer block that rode in a channel in the side plate ( Smith 1968 ) . In 1957 , Smith and Wesson adopted the convention of using numeric designations to distinguish their various models of handguns , and the M & P was renamed the Model 10 . The M & P / Model 10 has been available in both blued steel finish and nickel finish for most of its production run . The model has also been offered throughout the years with both the round butt and square butt ( i . e . grip patterns ) . Beginning with the Model 10 - 5 series in the late 1960s , the tapered barrel and its trademark ' half moon ' front sight ( as shown in the illustrations on this page ) were replaced by a straight bull barrel and a sloped milled ramp front sight . Late model Model 10s are capable of handling any . 38 Special cartridge produced today up to and including + P + rounds . As of 2012 the Model 10 was available only in a 4 " ( 102mm ) barrel model . The Model 10 ' s stainless steel ( Inox ) counterpart , the Smith & Wesson Model 64 , is also available with only a 4 " ( 102 mm ) barrel . . 357 Magnum variations . After a small prototype run of Model 10 - 6 revolvers in . 357 Magnum caliber , Smith and Wesson introduced the Model 13 heavy barrel in carbon steel and then the Model 65 in stainless steel . Both revolvers featured varying barrel weights and lengths — generally three and four inches with and without underlugs ( shrouds ) . Production dates begin in 1974 for the Model 13 and end upon discontinuation in 1999 . The Model 65 was in production from 1972 - 1999 . Both the blued and stainless models were popular with police and FBI and a variation of the Model 65 was marketed in the Lady Smith line from 1992 - 1999 . Use . Many of the Model 10 revolvers were captured and used by some of the police forces , such as the Austrian Police during the occupation after WWII and some captured from the allies used by the pro German Milice française during WWII . The weapon is currently used by Armaguard , French cash couriers and banks , Disciplined Services of Hong Kong , Myanmar Police Force officers and other Burmese paramilitary units , Peruvian National Police and other police units . Copies of Smith & Wesson Model 10 are produced in Israel by Israel Military Industries ( IMI ) , in the name of Revolver IMI 9mm . The weapon is chambered in the 9x21 mm caliber instead of . 38 Special , the original caliber chambered . Replacement . The S & W Model 10 revolver was a popular weapon before the semi - automatic pistol replaced the revolver in many police departments as well as police units and armies . Certain units of the Ireland ' s Gardaí ( Irish Police ) had replaced the Model 10 by the SIG Sauer P226 and Walther P99 C semi - automatic pistols while the New Zealand Police replaced the revolver by the Glock 17 . The weapon was used by Norway ' s Home Guard until 1986 and the Norwegian Police Service until 2008 , being replaced by the Heckler & Koch P30 , along with Portugal police ; which was replaced by the Walther PP , subsequently by the Glock 19 . The Model 10 was formerly the standard issue for firearms - trained police officers in the United Kingdom and they were replaced by the Glock 17 , and the weapon was used by United States Army and United States Marine Corps , only to be replaced by the M1911A1 and the M9 pistols .