Were the mod. 17's used by USAF shooting team marked in a certain way? If not would the ser # tell that?

I have heard of and seen model 14s used by the USAF, but not model 17s.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I checked my copy of Pate's book and none were listed in documents going through 1953. However, page 272 does mention "some" "special guns" prepared for the government, including a K-22 with a 2" barrel going to Lt. Col. Rex Applegate from S&W. Now that is a K-22 I would like to stumble upon!!!

The government (don't recall which branch) purchased several Colt Woodsman 22's along with very small numbers of Pol. ***. Target 22's, and OP's in 22. H&R and Iver Johnson got into the action with 22's but not S&W.

It's possible the USAF purchase 17's but I doubt it.

The USAF bought K-22 revolvers in the early 1950s, not for the shooting team but for survival kits. (The survival school was at Hill AFB at the time.) The shooting team did buy a lot of K-38/Model 14s and the standard issue sidearm after 1962 was a 4-inch Model 15.


I think the Applegate gun is owned by a forum member.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

Kevin, how were the K-22s marked ?

They did not have any "extra" markings from S&W. I don't know if the Air Force marked them but I think probably not.

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Kevin Williams SWCA1649 HF208

Cool receipt for 125 K22's.

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S&WHF #946
S&WCA #3824

Through the 50’s and 60’s there were lots of odd ball small quantities ordered off off the shelf pistols for various purposes.
I recall the USAF spec’d out a special order version of the colt woodsman for arctic survival kits. Also not military marked in any way.
I am sure some military shooting teams also got approval to buy stuff in limited quantities.
The S&W model 46 ( sort of the highway patrolman equivalent of the model 41) was specifically developed at the request of the USAF for a less expensive target gun for military teams also

I shoot skeet with a gentleman that was on the Air Force pistol team and he shot S&W 41s for rimfire.

I was not Air Force but U.S. C. G.
Our match weapons were Colt Woodsman Target for the .22, Colt Officer Model Match for .38, and Colt Model 1911A1 for .45. This was the era between Korea and Vetnam.

I'm the custodian of a M-14 that is U.S. marked. If I remember right 1000 were ordered for the US Army pistol teams. When the Army was done with them they were shipped to the Oklahoma State Police and were Marked on the bottom of the grips (in red letters) OSP. I've see one other.
SWCA 892