They weren't at one time, but the overruns have all been sold off and Janet REno torched the ones we had to turn in, so they are getting harder to find...especially the 3" versions.
Hello, though registered here I have never posted anything. I do however love looking and admire so many of the collections. I do own a couple of S &W's...Model 19-5 and Model 38. I am more inclined towards my Colt's. This pic above captured my attention in that my Father was a Customs Inspector, he has passed but would be 101yrs old. I do not recall an "issue" gun that he had. I do however remember a nickel snubbie he took to work. I guess my question is, were all inspectors issued or was there some latitude as to what they could carry? Perhaps the snubbie was a back-up? He would have been from the era when Customs Insp. were not armed, then transitioned.
78PT.F.A. Back in the day going armed was optional for Customs Inspectors. Most, especially on the Mexico border went armed, but there was no official issue gun. I'm not sure when they began to actually issue revolvers, but I think it was in the early 1980's. When I came on board in 1988, you were required to carry a gun and we got the S&W Model 686 CS-1. We still could carry privately owned handguns, but all that changed in the mid-1990's when Ray Kelley became the commissioner and banned this practice. We were teh issue Glock 17's in 9mm.
Guns were issued starting in 1979. Ray Kelly was the best Commissioner we've had, IMHO. I'm still looking for a reasonably priced CS-1, I didn't get to buy mine back. My Inspector badge was 34999.
johnsonl...unfortunately, you won't find a reasonably priced CS-1 anymore, especially one with a 3" barrel. My inspector badge was #27907, I made Sr. Insp., Sup. Insp. and Port Director before retiring with 30+ years Federal service.
