Earlier this week I bought a NIB Smith 610-3, the 3.875 inch/full under-lug barrel model. This is my fifth S&W N Frame and my first 10mm. Yesterday was my first opportunity to fire the 610. A brief report follows:
a) Moon Clips. Moon Clips lived up to my expectations; they are FAR easier to use than speed loaders and caused no problems or difficulties with two the types of 10mm and the two types of .40 S&W ammunition fired. Further, I opted to use RIMZ moon clips only. They are EXCELLENT: easy to load and unload with out any tools, flexible, durable, and well-engineered for the Smith 610.
b) Quality. The 610’s quality, fit, and finish are impeccable. This revolver compares favorable with all my other N Frames, including my 30+ year old, P&R’ed, beautiful, five-inch 27-2. Although I have only fired 220 rounds, I strongly suspect the 610’s reliability and durability will both be outstanding. In essence, it appears that Smith's revolver quality is again superb.
c) Reliability. As expected, the 610’s dependability was simply flawless. Not surprisingly, there were no failures-to-fire, no jams, and no problems of ANY sort with the approximately 220 rounds fired.
d) Accuracy. At seven, ten, and twenty yards (all indoor, it was raining heavily in the DC area yesterday), I achieved the same levels-of-accuracy with this 610-3 that I consistently attain with my other S&W N Frames and my Ruger GP-100s. Groups – with all ammunition fired – were consistently less than three inches at ten yards and under five inches at twenty yards (this is all “off hand” firing, not deliberate target firing, both single- and two-handed).
e) Ammunition. I fired 50 rounds of Federal American Eagle 180 grain .40 S&W TMJ, 100 rounds of Speer Lawman 180 grain .40 S&W FMJ, 20 rounds of Winchester Silvertip 175 grain 10mm, and 50 rounds of CCI 200 grain 10mm FMJ. All were accurate and all functioned perfectly with the Smith 610-3 and the RIMZ moon clips.
f) Other Observations. Recoil was very mild – the 610 is, after all, an N Frame, with substantial mass – target reacquisition was fast and easy, accuracy was excellent, functioning was perfect, and both the 10mm and the .40 S&W appear to be potentially outstanding self-defense and competitive (target, IDPA, bowling pin, and so forth) rounds when fired from the Smith 610-3.
To summarize, I was very pleased with this initial experience and very impressed with the 610-3. The four types of .40 S&W and 10mm ammunition I used were accurate and functioned faultlessly. The RIMZ moon clips were also outstanding: easy to use, requiring no tools, fully compatible with the S&W 610, and very durable.
a) Moon Clips. Moon Clips lived up to my expectations; they are FAR easier to use than speed loaders and caused no problems or difficulties with two the types of 10mm and the two types of .40 S&W ammunition fired. Further, I opted to use RIMZ moon clips only. They are EXCELLENT: easy to load and unload with out any tools, flexible, durable, and well-engineered for the Smith 610.
b) Quality. The 610’s quality, fit, and finish are impeccable. This revolver compares favorable with all my other N Frames, including my 30+ year old, P&R’ed, beautiful, five-inch 27-2. Although I have only fired 220 rounds, I strongly suspect the 610’s reliability and durability will both be outstanding. In essence, it appears that Smith's revolver quality is again superb.
c) Reliability. As expected, the 610’s dependability was simply flawless. Not surprisingly, there were no failures-to-fire, no jams, and no problems of ANY sort with the approximately 220 rounds fired.
d) Accuracy. At seven, ten, and twenty yards (all indoor, it was raining heavily in the DC area yesterday), I achieved the same levels-of-accuracy with this 610-3 that I consistently attain with my other S&W N Frames and my Ruger GP-100s. Groups – with all ammunition fired – were consistently less than three inches at ten yards and under five inches at twenty yards (this is all “off hand” firing, not deliberate target firing, both single- and two-handed).
e) Ammunition. I fired 50 rounds of Federal American Eagle 180 grain .40 S&W TMJ, 100 rounds of Speer Lawman 180 grain .40 S&W FMJ, 20 rounds of Winchester Silvertip 175 grain 10mm, and 50 rounds of CCI 200 grain 10mm FMJ. All were accurate and all functioned perfectly with the Smith 610-3 and the RIMZ moon clips.
f) Other Observations. Recoil was very mild – the 610 is, after all, an N Frame, with substantial mass – target reacquisition was fast and easy, accuracy was excellent, functioning was perfect, and both the 10mm and the .40 S&W appear to be potentially outstanding self-defense and competitive (target, IDPA, bowling pin, and so forth) rounds when fired from the Smith 610-3.
To summarize, I was very pleased with this initial experience and very impressed with the 610-3. The four types of .40 S&W and 10mm ammunition I used were accurate and functioned faultlessly. The RIMZ moon clips were also outstanding: easy to use, requiring no tools, fully compatible with the S&W 610, and very durable.
