U.S. Air Force retires the last of its S&W Model 15 revolvers

[glenncal1]

"Though the M15 has been an available option as a blank-firing training aid, one has to imagine the costs and complexities of continuing to use a small number of these revolvers, and the ammunition to go with them, has grown over the years. No other service still uses these guns or any other weapon chambered in .38 caliber. Having the AFSFC's K9 program use the same pistols as everyone else can only make things simpler all around."

I have to agree it is next to impossible for me to keep my K frames running and getting .38 caliber ammunition is a real chore (tongue firmly in cheek).

 

[Muley Gil]

"I could have had one. I worked an RF-4C crash just outside Bergstrom AFB in Austin, TX. The plane was scattered all over the highway, and I was trying to get a cordon around it. The pilot had punched out just in the nick of time and parachuted into a trailer park, losing his Model 15 in the process. A civilian guy came walking up to me, holding it arm's length with two fingers, like a dead rat. I doubt anyone was too concerned about a .38 revolver as there was a disintegrated highly-classified plane tying up traffic, but I turned it in, since I'm not a thief. Would have been cool to have one, though."

I once worked a wreck on I-59 where a semi loaded with chickens was in an accident. Fryers were all over the highway. I could have had a chicken or two.

"I didn't realize they would have TH, TH"

I believe General Curtis LeMay ordered them that way.

 

[reddog81]

So here's my question to those of you with a better grasp of the US military bureaucracy:

At what level can these decisions about releasing military guns to surplus dealers actually be made?

There are the probably tens of thousands of US Victorys that shipped originally to military destinations, plus all the other 1911s and longarms, and actually the USAF marked Model 15s already out there, all of which seem to change hands legally (including here in Oregon, where every gun is run through the national database upon transfer).

So obviously they weren't all stolen or "unofficially taken home" by departing service members.

They also can't all have gone through the CMP. So where can surplus sale be authorized? The Pentagon? The individual branch departments? The various commands? Bases?

No one in the Military just gets to decide what to do with them. The the sidearms would go to the army as they're the branch in charge of storing and handling the disposition of old guns. There would have to be legislature allowing the sale of the guns. The legislative branch could in theory enact any law conceivable. The most likely option for them to be sold to the public is that they would go through the CMP.

 

[CALREB]

Bought one at the Academy gun store, 115.00 many years ago. The hammer stud broke and I parted out the internals and stuck the gun away somewhere.
Ive looked for that gun many times, one day I will find it in a box or somewhere. Have the same thing from L.A.S.D., but changed it a bit.
Cant seem to get this right side up , sorry.

 

[CALREB]

Not trying to jump this post, But it is related kinda !!! Know there are several Air Force guys here.
Many years ago some guys from Air Support came to the Academy and told me they had a Retired AF General that wanted to shoot a 1911, as he hadn't shot one in years. I had one there and took it to the range , To say I was surprised was an understatement. One of my favorite heroes for sure.

 

[Targets Guy]

Not trying to jump this post, But it is related kinda !!! Know there are several Air Force guys here.
Many years ago some guys from Air Support came to the Academy and told me they had a Retired AF General that wanted to shoot a 1911, as he hadn't shot one in years. I had one there and took it to the range , To say I was surprised was an understatement. One of my favorite heroes for sure.

What a thrill that must have been for you. I was lucky enough to meet General Yeager at Nellis AFB in the summer of 1966. Last I knew he is still very active on twitter.

The Model 15 is the first revolver I qualified expert with in 1964. All those years of shooting my Dad's K22 came in quite handy for me.

 

[Birdgun]

Well, my wife won't be "ditching" her Model 15 anytime soon. She absolutely loves her Combat Masterpiece, which she keeps in her nightstand and carries in the car when she travels.

The Model 15 is an excellent firearm still today for personal defense and I consider it the finest revolver ever made in .38 Special.

My wife's S&W Model 15-4 "Combat Masterpiece" in .38 Special

Thanks for looking at my wife's Combat Masterpiece.

God bless,
Birdgun

 

[JayFramer]

Would rather have an old M15 than the newfangled M18 plastic pistol!

Six for sure instead of twenty one maybe!

 

[murphydog]

Agree, there would have to be Federal legislation authorizing release of the surplus model 15s for sale, likely to the CMP.

However, under the current House of Representatives leadership, this is about as likely as BGEN Chuck Yeager showing up on my local range to shoot a 1911.

On a more practical note, if the military K9s still need to have blank-firing training, I wonder how this will happen with the M17? Maybe the Air Force will have the dog handlers just yell "BANG!" really loud.

 

[sw282]

As a kid l grew up at the end of Charleston AF Base runway on Midland

Park Rd... Mama worked at Base Supply for MATS. Got to go on base

many many times too. Anyway we always had to stop at the gate for

the APs to check ID.. They even had girl Air Police!! Lady APs carried

round butt 38spcl S&W revolvers on a lanyard.. Guys had Colt 1911s.

 

[ABPOS]

"Though the M15 has been an available option as a blank-firing training aid, one has to imagine the costs and complexities of continuing to use a small number of these revolvers, and the ammunition to go with them, has grown over the years. No other service still uses these guns or any other weapon chambered in .38 caliber. Having the AFSFC's K9 program use the same pistols as everyone else can only make things simpler all around."

I have to agree it is next to impossible for me to keep my K frames running and getting .38 caliber ammunition is a real chore (tongue firmly in cheek).

I think I have to respectfully disagree with this quote. On another forum there is a wheelgun guy that posts that is still an armorer for Spec Ops and was in some of the Army Spec Ops for most of his career. I do believe he said there are still wheelguns in the armories today. Would be SF armories but still there nonetheless.

It's possible that SF doesn't use the same rules and aren't included in the normal channels. But shouldn't be discounted I don't think.

I would think if the CMP could get 1911's they could get M15's. I wonder if one of us shouldn't say something to them....... Or all of us. Then they would know there is interest.

Civilian Marksmanship Program |

email: [email protected]

 

[ABPOS]

I just emailed them.

 

[sfcjcl]

Question????
I'm retired Army, so I know that what is standard operating procedure isn't always what happens. Having said that, were all the U.S. Airforce Model 15 revolvers marked "US Airforce"???
Also, did the Airforce every order M15s in Nickel?????

 

[austintexas]

I have one that is marked U S , It was presented to an Air Force general in Washington, DC and he got to keep it when he retired.
SWCA 892

 

[Breakaway500]

This 15-2 was issued to my Dad before he left for Vietnam. We were stationed at Robins AFB in Georgia at the time. I've got the holster and ammo pouch as well.It letters as one of the 2k that went to Robbins at the time.. Although some say the target grips are not "correct"...my Dad says that's how it came out of the box when issued to him. He had his choice, and chose the one with the "big" grips. Good choice Dad. Being an officer he was allowed to bring it back with him. He's 84 and lives in the free state of NH. The photos show him in country, circa 1967.

 

[kwill1911]

Breakaway500, some of these were shipped with the 3Ts. Your dad's is probably one of those. A letter would probably confirm the configuration.

 

[TheHobbyist]

Sorry to hear that they are coming up at the end of the trail. I do have to comment though that I am surprised they are/were still being used. Not taking anything away from the firearm, but it is ancient technology by comparison. Again, not 'picking' on it and I am a huge 1911 advocate, just surprised now in 2019 they are being transitioned out. That's all.

 

[S-W4EVER]

As a kid l grew up at the end of Charleston AF Base runway on Midland

Park Rd... Mama worked at Base Supply for MATS. Got to go on base

many many times too. Anyway we always had to stop at the gate for

the APs to check ID.. They even had girl Air Police!! Lady APs carried

round butt 38spcl S&W revolvers on a lanyard.. Guys had Colt 1911s.

The weaponry makes me think they were Army Military Police.

 

[Farmer17]

I've bought about 30-35 guns off the internet and the only bad deal I got was on a M-15 a few years ago. When received it looked a lot worse than in the pictures, it had a chipped hammer spur and a mangled rear sight leaf like it was dropped from a second story on to concrete and the gun had been refinished in a do-it-yourself type of black finish. I only paid $220 bucks and I immediately sold it for slightly less than that, but now I wish I still had the gun and I would just put a new sight blade on it, shorten the hammer spur a bit, and have it Ceracoted, because I REALLY like M-15s!

 

[SG-688]

Somewhere I have an article - American Rifleman, I think - about 1980's USAF experiments in converting model 15 revolvers to 9 mm. My recollection is that rather than installing new cylinders, they attempted rechambering .38 cylinders.

added:

I still think there was an article in AR but I found a May, 1977 Shooting Times on the subject: Converting the Combat Masterpiece to 9 mm by Major John Edgar. Modified .38 cylinders with half-moon clips.

The author says the S&W model 59 was being tested with the revolver conversion intended as a supplement to a new auto pistol.