Not sure where to post this to get the most responses but it seems like firearms in this era trace back to law enforcement agencies and/or individual peace officers quite a bit so thought I'd give it a try.

Purchased this M38 some years ago



In the box was a completed, but unsubmitted registration card for the District of Columbia, dated in the late 1960's. On the registration card it gives the owners name and other vital statistics including the purchase date and location which IIRC was 1963 at S&W in MA.

Also on the card the owner listed his employer as "United States Treasury Department".

Based on the information provided the owner would have been right at 65 years of age when he filled out the card so I've always figured he picked up this particualar revolver to carry after his retirement though for all intents and purposes it looks like it was never carried or fired outside of the factory before I purchased it, not even a turn line.

I've googled his name but haven't found any connection to the Treasury Department though I have found some info on his birth and family. Is there any way you all know of, such as an association for retired Treasury or federal agents that could provide any info on a particular individual?

Given his age it's possible that he could have worked in Treasury from the 1920-30's into the late 1960's. Ever since I've owned this particular gun I've wondered if it's previous owner was a member of the SS and if so what Presidents he might have protected or as a Treasury agent, what gangsters he chased? Of course it's probably just as likely that he was an accountant or something equally mundane though beneficial to the agency.

Any ideas on where I could dig up some info? TIA


P.S. The T-Grip was my addition as I carried the gun a few months before deciding to to retire it as just too nice to take a chance on messing it up. Besides, I already had an M49 for that job.

Sounds like you have a lot of good information already. Congratulations on getting that far. If you haven't found a date of death, try SSDI, the Social Security Death Index. It's online and easily found with a search. If his last known address is outside of the DC/MD/Northern VA area, you might have a pointer to a retirement location, and more info might be found there.

Good luck. Beautiful revolver.

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David Wilson

I actually got an email a few years ago from a family member who was googling her uncle, or perhaps great uncle and found a post I had made on another forum with his name. As I recall she said he passed away in the 1980's.

Unfortunatley I lost her email so have not been able to get back in touch to see if she knew anything about his career with the Treasury Department.

Now that I think about it she didn't email me. She found my post and joined that particular forum to send me a PM. Later on that board went down and when it came back on line all the old info was gone so I couldn't get back in touch.