U.S.A.F. 15-2 combat masterpiece

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Medicmike

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Hello all, long time lurker first time poster and thought I should share an exciting new acquisition! This past weekend we had one of our local gun shows, filled with the typical BS, over priced ammo, beef jerky, pickles, and gold and silver buyers! My uncles and I generally do one or two local shows a year and even with all the inflated prices it is still a blast! Talking with folks and harassing my two uncles who taught me about guns and collecting in the first place!

Anyway we were winding down from a 3 day show. It was late Sunday and the doors closed in about two hours. I had done good the first two days and Sunday was my day to spend so to speak. Earlier in the day I scored a 100% NIB European sales FN auto 5 and traded for a Springfield 1922 NRA sales gun I had let go of on Friday!! Don’t ask! I was up front at the concession stand when I saw a guy who just walked in and had a pistol case. I inquired what he had and if he was selling or not. After confirming he was selling he states it’s an old military revolver. That’s cool, figuring it would be an old victory or 1917 I asked if I could see the gun. He opened the case and pulled out a very clean looking smith 15-2 combat masterpiece. After talking with him for a bit we agreed upon a price and shook. I felt I took a bit of a shot in the dark as I have never seen another! The pistol is marked U.S.A.F. On the left side of the frame below the cylinder and has the target trigger and hammer, which I have never seen on a 15 but I know they did them.

After getting home and doing some looking I have not found many examples and am curious how many are in the wild? I just sent for a historical letter on it yesterday as I have read these have been faked! I would rate condition at 90-95%. Also this example in in line with the other two or three I have seen. Any info or thoughts would be great! I will post the couple photos I have snapped! Thanks and hope you enjoy!
 

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That looks legit to me. I carried a series of them in the AF and they all looked like that, as far as markings and TT/TH.

Not many are out there. I can’t venture a guess as to value.

The letter should say it was shipped to Warner-Robbins AFB.
 
Welcome. Very nice score. I can’t comment on authenticity or value as I am not knowledgeable on this variant. It does look right as rain to me though. The diamond PC magnas look appropriate. Great gun. Congrats.
 
Welcome! The gun and markings looks authentic but I suspect you will not find a matching serial number on the inside of the stocks; the originals have flat (not rounded) bottoms. Cool gun.
 
The Model 15 was the standard issue sidearm for the USAF starting in about 1962 and continuing until the Beretta M9 replaced it in the late 1980s. Many will letter to Robins AFB but some will letter to the "Boston Disbursing Center" which is really just the "bill to" address. As Alan points out it should have standard stocks (square), not the PC (rounded). Yours is a nice example. If you do a search you'll find quite a few threads about similar guns.
 
I agree with all above.
I carried them while in the USAF and owned one I sold a few years back.
The USAF contract guns shipped with target hammer and target trigger, but the stocks should be flat on the bottom.
 
For a long time Mississippi Game and Fish officers did not carry sidearms. Their first issue weapons were model 15's, not sure which dash number, that were marked USAF with a number behind that. I guess it was some kind of rack number and I'm not sure who put it on there, USAF or Game & Fish. I was told the department got them as surplus from Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Ms. but I don't know if this info was accurate. About 10 years ago they auctioned off a lot of Ms. Game and Fish inventory and confiscations that had been in storage for a very long time. There were about 40 of these old USAF marked model 15's with TT TH and all of them were in very rough condition.
 
Thanks for posting. A very good looking model 15. You don’t see many leather dump pouches or key ring with leather backer to inhibit trowser wear.
 
beautiful piece you have there. all USAF model 15s were TH TT and 4" barrels. many were held in "contingency," and never issued or fired beyond the factory. that is what yours looks like.
 
That's a great find! AF SP from 1983 to 1991 and the M-15 was the issue revolver until right before I left. The M9s didn't show up at my base until 1990, I think. All the ones I used were worn and nasty looking, but they worked just fine and were accurate. The actions were very smooth. A few of them had aftermarket grips like Pachmayers. Many of the original wood grips were beat up and chipped. I remember those dump pouches and the 18 rounds of jacketed round nose ammunition we got issued with the gun. Hope yours letters as an original, like I said that's a wonderful find.
 
I have this 15-1, marked U.S.. It letters to Warner-Robins AFB.
Have the original grips, but I put the diamond targets on it because they look so nice.
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