I've been following a thread here regarding the Model 15s the USAF carried for years. I was a nuclear weapons specialist at FE Warren AFB from 72-76 and I'm postiive I carried a Model 10when we convoyed, but we used Model 15s to qualify. I think we used the pistols in the armory to qualify with.

I asked some old buddies if my memory is right and they also remember that we carried revolvers with fixed sights.

Does anyone else remember these?

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USAF AMMO!

Hi Critch,

During the Cuban Missile Crisis I was in a base in Florida with a load of paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division on my plane ready to drop into Cuba. I was issued an S&W .38 Special Military and Police. I seem to recall it had the pre-war long hammer throw rather than the post-war short action. I think it would be termed a pre-Model 10. Like you, I was trained on the USAF version of the Model 15.

Hope this helps.

Bill

It is well documented that the USAF bought some 2" Model 10s and both the Army and the Marine Corps bought 4" Model 10s and pre-Model 10s. I'm not aware that the Air Force bought any 4" Model 10s but maybe others will weigh in and document such purchases.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

Hi Kevin,

I believe mine may have been a Victory Model left over from WW2 so it would not have been purchased, at least not in the standard manner. Of course, I did not know enough about them at the time to make note of it being a Victory or not. I seem to recall it was Parkerized rather than polished blue. It did not help that the pilot was anti-gun and promptly collected our weapons and turned them in. As you know we eventlually stood down so I never saw the gun again.

Bill

Would those Mode 10's have been marked "USAF" as the M 15's were?. And thanks to all of you for your service!

Critch,

Did you have DOD Police at FE Warren? If so, DOD supplied Model 10's at some bases.

When I was assigned to the SP IG's Office, my armory inspections at bases in
CONUS revealed a small number of Model 10's. But most all were USAF Model
15's and 56's.

DOD Police were prevalent at some installations with a large civilian workforce.

Griffiss AFB was one of them, due to RADC (Rome Air Development Command).AKA the Skunk Works East.

I never encountered any SP personell armed with anything other than the 15.

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Take your time..quickly.

We did have some DOD cops who helped on convoy, we also had some Federal Marshalls. The SPs were the 2nd largest squadron on base, back them they were split between LEs (gate Gumbies) and the missile cops. It seems to me that the WSA cops were also separate from the bigger SP squadron. I was part of the 90th Missile Maintenance Squadron which was huge.

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USAF AMMO!

I was Air Force Security Police from 1967-1971. I was never issued any handgun other than the model 15. I never saw one marked "USAF" but of course that doesn't mean there weren't other handguns issued to other units.

Stateside (Beale AFB) in '66 the grunts got Victory models, with Navy markings. Same mix at Malmstrom in '68 as I recall. And clapped out M2 carbines both places.

In SEA it was M16s and M15s though.

I was stationed at McCoy AFB Fla 1964-1967. We had pre M10's, M10's and later M15's. We also had Colt Official Police revolvers. All, with exception of the M15's, were marked Property U.S. Navy.

cjtraining, my oldest brother sent me a similar picture of McCoy's AFB's gate in 1963 when he was there. He was a medic.

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USAF AMMO!

I am pasting this from another thread on USAF M15's, so I would not have to retype it!

I wanted to comment on the origin of M15's in civilian hands. It seems to be "accepted" among collectors that there have been no surplus sales of any handguns since the 60's, but I can tell you for a fact that this prohibition was not followed uniformly by the services. In the early 80's, a fairly large number of USAF surplus revolvers were sold by Warner-Robbins Air Logistics Center in Georgia. I do not know the exact date, but I did buy two like new S&W Victory models from an FFL dealer who had about two dozen Victory Models for sale from that surplus lot. He told me he had a few Model 15's as well, but they had sold out within days of him offering them for sale. He had obtained them from a distributor that had bid and won the entire lot sold by the USAF. He had some copies of release paperwork from the distributor, but at that time I was not a "collector" so to speak, I just liked the nice looking Victory models he had. The Victory's did not carry USAF markings, one I bought was US Navy marked on the top strap, the other a standard US Property marked. I really wish I had found him before the M15's had sold out.

Have carried both 4 and 2 inch M+P model 10 or pre model 10 revolvers in the Air Force. Don't think they had any special markings.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER