The standard service weapon of this period was the .38 Military & Police, a fixed sight gun. The K-38 is the same gun, but with adjustable sights. Maybe he was assigned a standard fixed sight gun, but upgraded to a target model on his own dime when the opportunity arose. Or possibly he just borrowed a gun until he could get the one he wanted. I know police officers were not handsomely paid in those years, and the obligation to provide your own handgun would have been a financial stretch for many.

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David Wilson