Todays little trip to the local Gun Show was an unexpected success. I went to the show primarily to handle one of the little pocket .380's (a Taurus TCP to be exact) and saw one but this caught my eye instead. When I first passed it on the table of an area pawn shop I thought the tag was mis-marked ($269.99). The 15-3 was wearing some natty Pachmayr Grippers but the action was perfect with no endshake and minimal radial play at lockup. It has the tiniest bit of holster wear at the muzzle and yoke frame but is perfect otherwise. I think it was carried but not shot beyond some minimal qualification. I bought and brought it home and installed some K-frame Magna's and Pachmayr grip adapter I had laying around (grip allignment pin was removed for some reason). When I was filling out my paperwork one of the guys working the booth walked past and told the other "I told you we priced that one too low".

I assume L.A.S.D is Los Angeles Sherrifs Department and I have a few other Department marked revolvers so if it is not I am not disappointed. SN is 6K863xx, can anyone give me an approximate born on date?

Looks like a 1975 date. Nice deal and good looking Mod 15.

Thanks jpwhel, that makes it 10 years older than my oldest daughter (and mother of my grandson). I think it will make a very good shooter.

I think it will be a great gun to enjoy with your grandson in a few years. I have a Mod 34 and 18, both 22LR that I shoot with my granddauaghter. Have to wait a few more years to shoot the 38 spls with her. A few grandsons follow her so I will have a busy time showing them the ropes around the S&Ws.

Extremely great buy and gun!

You are correct that is a Los Angeles Sheriff revolver. I retired from that department and purchased mine which is also a 15-3 in the 6K7 series. The LASD mark is in the correct location.

Xcop, that is great news. The issue # on mine is 1490, any idea how many were issued? When were they discontinued?

They started training cadets with Berettas in roughly 1986. Prior to that the last issue was model 67's. I would estimate that something in the range of four thousand Model 15's were issued. I purchased another from a guy I worked with and its serial number starts simply with K so they were issued for a long time. Not all were marked LASD . The guns were only sold to active deputies at the time of 9mm conversion and as such were recycled whenever someone left the department.

I laughed until I thought coffee was going to come out of my nose! If I had been actively looking I would never have found a deal like this.

Thanks for the extra info Xcop. I did some on-line searching about the department and found that it was the largest County agency in the country. Something like 8,000 officers. I thought my agency was big but I have been put in my place.

Right now it is a hair below ten thousand full time sworn.

Congratulations on a beautiful M15. Was that at the Longview show? I ended up buying a West German surplus SIG P6 there.

Actually, I went through the LASD academy in late 1988-early 1989, and we were issued Model 15's. We were one of the last classes to be issued revolvers. I don't think mine was marked. Some patrol deputies were still transitioning to the Berretas at that time, I believe.

TxShooter, it was the Longview show (Ace of Pawn exhibitor).

Yaktamer, more interesting information. Somebody somewhere knows who that number was issued to. The history of the piece makes it all that more interesting to me.

My guess would be that it was issued to more than one deputy over time. The one I was issued looked like it had plenty of miles on it, though well-maintained.

Enjoy that 15, one of Smiths jewels. I have one as it was the first firearm issued to me in law enforcement, and probably the best all around revolver over the last 30+ years.

Hi,

Great looking model 15. The model 10 and 15 are the best 38 special revolver ever made in my opinion.

Enjoy,
roaddog28

Congrats on your new Model 15.

My 15-4 is still the most accurate gun I own... or use to own because my wife took it over and she is deadly with it. So watch out for your wife or girl friend because she will take it.

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Srigs

Srigs, I think the model 15 is safe. My wife has a 3" model 66 with her name professionaly engraved on it and she is very very good with it.

Ivanhoe Guns (Interstate Arms) had these in MA for $180 back in the early 90s, along with 4 inch Model 67s and 6 inch Model 68s from CHP (overstamped OBP) for $175 and $225. Wish I'd bought a boatload back then!

nice model 15 you did great.

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God save the SOUTH

Just a side note. I was in the third class (LASD Class 269) to get issued the Beretta in October of 1990. Three classes before me were still issued the Model 15. My wife was in class 258 and bought hers. So it looks like the recruit classes started the transition in early 1990.

I love PD marked guns - that is a great find at a steal of a price. Congratulations.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”