AFPG M41/46s & 52s

[Homie]

Gents,
I loaned a friend recovering from a knee replacement my copy of "U.S. Military Match and Marksmanship Automatic Pistols" by Bill Jenkins. While talking to him the other day he asked me what the Lackland shop could do to upgrade those guns. Not knowing, I thought I'd pose the question to the wizards- anybody know for sure?

TIA, and good shooting.

 

[woreout]

I have a little experience there. To my knowledge there was no SOP for dealing with those guns. As Bill said they were generally "local purchase" items both by the USAF Marksmanship School or base units for their teams.

The "AFPG" stamp was on a bench in the shop and could have been put on by anyone.

The primary job of the gunsmith shop was the production of AFPG 1911 pistols that started as GI guns or, sometimes, turned in Springfield NM pistols used at Camp Perry and then distributed throughout the USAF for marksmanship activities.

The shooters on the three official USAF Pistol Teams (silver, blue and gold) were supported by Bob Day and had the choice of S&W or High Standard 22s. If one of them wanted a .38 it would have been a 38 Super conversion built by Day. If the shop worked on M41 or 52 pistols it probably would have been just trigger jobs.

Their .45 pistols, both wadcutter and hardball were built on local purchase commercial Colts and not specially marked.

I don't know if a base could send in local purchase guns for work, but when shooters came in for the All Air Force matches they got any work that was needed.

 

[Homie]

woreout,
Thanks for your input. I thought that might be the case but didn't really know for sure. I also thought that possibly there was some work with the 52 barrels for 50 yard stabilization. I was too busy shooting an AFPG M1 ('06) in those days to worry about the pistols, but practiced on gallery ranges with the base pistol teams.

If you don't mind me asking, when were you assigned to Lackland?

Take care.

 

[woreout]

1959-62

I know we made barrels for the 38 conversions by sleeving a fast twist blank into a scrap barrel but if anything was done with the M52 it was after I left.

 

[civil1977]

"U.S. Military Match and Marksmanship Automatic Pistols" by Bill Jenkins

I have this book too and it's very interesting. I've always thought the modified grip of the Brinkerhoff 1911A1 shown on pages 19 & 20 looked fantastic.

Also, page 80 says that at one point the Air Force was actually using S&W made barrels in their 45 cal 1911s and presumably beating the Army with them because it didn't take long for the Army to find out and acquire their own S&W barrels.

 

[woreout]

While it is true that S&W made some 1911 .45 barrels I always thought it was because we had better shooters and guns... yes, I know I'm prejudiced...