Smith Wesson 610 Mountain Gun 10mm Revolver – Potent 4 in. Tapered Barrel, Moon Clips, 6 Shot

Description

The Smith Wesson 610 Mountain Gun is the odd one in the Mountain Gun family and the one enthusiasts hunt for. A 10mm Auto revolver sounds like a contradiction — it is a rimless cartridge — and it works because the cylinder is cut for moon clips. What you get is a stainless N-frame that shoots a genuinely powerful cartridge and reloads faster than any conventional revolver.

Moon Clips: The Reason This Works

Ten millimetre Auto is a rimless cartridge, which means an extractor has nothing to grab in a revolver cylinder. Moon clips solve it — a thin steel disc holds six rounds by their extractor grooves, drops into the cylinder as a unit, and ejects as a unit.

The side effect is that the Smith Wesson 610 Mountain Gun reloads faster than almost any other revolver. A moon clip loads all six at once with no fumbling, which is why competition revolver shooters adopted the system. Buy plenty of clips; they are cheap and they are the thing you will lose.

Competition shooters worked this out years ago, and the Smith Wesson 610 Mountain Gun inherits the benefit whether you compete or not.

10mm From the Smith Wesson 610 Mountain Gun

Ten millimetre in a revolver behaves differently from 10mm in a pistol. There is no slide cycling to absorb energy, so recoil arrives more directly — sharper, though the N-frame weight keeps it manageable. Velocity is comparable to a semi-auto with the same barrel length.

The cartridge itself is genuinely capable: flatter shooting than 45 ACP, more energy than 357 Magnum in many loadings, and effective on deer and hogs at revolver distances.

For a woods gun the Smith Wesson 610 Mountain Gun sits comfortably between a 357 and a 44 Magnum in both power and recoil.

The Mountain Gun Barrel on the Smith Wesson 610 Mountain Gun

A 4-inch tapered barrel with no underlug takes several ounces off the muzzle of a full N-frame. That makes the Smith Wesson 610 Mountain Gun a revolver you can wear on a hip or a chest rig for a day in the woods without resenting it. The trade is more felt recoil with heavy loads, which is the Mountain Gun bargain in every chambering.

Stainless throughout, so weather and sweat are not a concern.

Smith Wesson 610 Mountain Gun Specifications

Who the Smith Wesson 610 Mountain Gun Is For

Two groups, mostly. Hunters and outdoorsmen who want serious power in a revolver they will actually carry, and shooters who already own a 10mm semi-auto and like the idea of sharing ammunition with a revolver. There is also a collector market — 10mm revolvers are produced in limited runs and clean examples hold value.

If you want the simplest possible revolver experience, a 357 like the 686 Plus Mountain Gun is less fuss. Moon clips are a small ongoing commitment.

It also completes the Mountain Gun set alongside the 629, 686 Plus and 617, which is why some buyers of the Smith Wesson 610 Mountain Gun already own one of the others.

Living With Moon Clips

Keep more than you think you need. They bend if mishandled, and a bent clip binds the cylinder, so inspect them. A moon clip tool makes loading and unloading far less tedious and costs almost nothing.

The Smith Wesson 610 Mountain Gun will not run without clips — rounds will chamber but the extractor cannot pull them. That is worth knowing before you get to the range.

Ammunition and Practice

Full-power 10mm is expensive and stout. Lighter target-velocity 10mm loads exist and make practice considerably cheaper and more pleasant. Some owners of the Smith Wesson 610 Mountain Gun handload for exactly that reason, since the cartridge rewards it.

Confirm zero with the load you intend to carry; velocity spread in 10mm is wider than most cartridges.

Ordering and FFL Transfer

We ship to your local FFL after we receive a copy of their license. If you have a preferred dealer, tell us at checkout and we will coordinate directly with them. Pennsylvania buyers can complete the transfer with us in Collegeville.

Browse more handguns in stock at MAG5 Firearms, or see the manufacturer page for the Smith & Wesson line.

Every firearm we ship leaves our Collegeville, Pennsylvania shop through a licensed FFL dealer and must be transferred to you by an FFL in your state. Questions about moon clips, ammunition or holsters? Call or email us before you order.