Air Force Combat Masterpiece

sigp220.45 said:
Check out these cool Jay Scott's:

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Nice doggie.......

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Oddly cute:

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Brad-

Many thanks for these photos. I had not seen the holster in the last photo. The ones I saw were swivel designs. Most of the fellows liked them, because the gun sat easier on a car/truck seat.

I bought my own holsters which were hi-riding Threepersons designs. The Border Patrol style like she has would be preferable to the older issued ones, I think.

You can see ANYTHING on TV, but I noticed a holster like this one worn by a Marine MP once on, "Magnum, PI". But it was for a .45. It may or may not have been used by Marine MP's in real life.
 
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Texas Star said:
Many thanks for these photos. I had not seen the holster in the last photo. The ones I saw were swivel designs. Most of the fellows liked them, because the gun sat easier on a car/truck seat.
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Texas Star, the holster in the last photo was being issued when I started in late 1971.
It was made by S&W, and pretty much sucked for a couple of reasons.
I, too, used my own. I had a Safariland high-ride and a Bianchi border patol style. Nobody cared much in those days, lots of guys had their own holsters, especially overseas.
 
Muley Gil said:
On a similar note, I saw female MPs at Ft Benning carrying M15 S&Ws. This was in the '70s.
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Are you sure they weren't M-10s? During my Army MP service in 1973-76, I only saw female MPs carry newly purchased M-10 M&Ps.
 
A.f.p.g.

My brother has one that is marked A.F.P.G. and was a 6 inch barrel but has been cut down to a 4 inch. Someone told him the stamping stands for Air Force Precision Grade and some were actualy sent to Smith and cut down to 4 inches. Not sure of a value but it shoots great. Anybody have any info on the A.F.P.G.'s?

J.B.
 
"Are you sure they weren't M-10s? During my Army MP service in 1973-76, I only saw female MPs carry newly purchased M-10 M&Ps."

I'm 99% sure they were M15s, as I remember commenting to the passenger in my car that the revolvers had target rear sights.

The military kept all sorts of stuff in inventory. The .38 Long Colt cartridges were still on the books as being available in the '70s, though I never saw any.
 
Nard said:
My brother has one that is marked A.F.P.G. and was a 6 inch barrel but has been cut down to a 4 inch. Someone told him the stamping stands for Air Force Precision Grade and some were actualy sent to Smith and cut down to 4 inches. Not sure of a value but it shoots great. Anybody have any info on the A.F.P.G.'s?

J.B.
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The initials stand for AIR FORCE PREMIUM GRADE and was used on the guns accurized at the aforementioned facility at Lackland.

Good shooting!
 
As a lawyer, I'd say that the statute of limitations on theft has probably run out on a 1960s gun by now (not legal advice though).
 
michael thornton said:
well mine is a 14-1 afpg (air force premium grade) it is a 4 inch, and i have lettered it, it is a tack driver!
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I would love to see a picture.I have a 4" barrell with patridge sight
that is new that I bought several years ago and could never figure
out what it went on.All markings are right with a diamond stanp on
the under side and notched for retaining pin.
 
it has the partrige front sight, im not sure if it was cut down or rebarreled, jinks only said it was sent back to the factory as a 6 inch and changed to a 4 inch, ill try to get some pics up soon, mike
 
Michael Thorton and Nard:

A fellow member of the S&WCA (and USAF veteran) is currently engaged in an effort to have the USAF AFPG Model 14 and Model 15 guns declared as Curios and Relics by the BATFE. He is preparing the necessary paperwork and has amassed quite a bit of supporting data from the USAF Museum and other S&WCA members.

Would you both mind sharing with me the serial numbers of your two revolvers? You can do so by PM or by emailing me off-forum at [email protected] and remove the NOSPAM, of course. The numbers would assist in getting C+R status conferred on these interesting martial guns. (No names are associated with this data.) My own USAF Model 14 AFPG marked revolver and USAF Model 15-2 are included in this Database as well.

By the way the factory re-barreled a number of the AFPG guns. The Member behind this effort owns one of those 4" guns.

Thanks in advance for this information.

Regards,
Charlie Flick
S&WCA #729
NRA Life
S&WHF Member
 
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The USAF 15's were indeed aquired by several different LEO agencies. I was at an auction where 12 of these were sold by the Mississippi Game and Fish. All were marked USAF followed by a three digit number. They were rough and went cheap. They supposedly still have some in inventory but I can't verify that.
 
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The sidearm in this photo is probably a Model 10, possibly a Victory model. The first guns used by the Combat Defense Squadron, later the SAC Elite Guard, were chrome plated and had plastic stag grips. Most pictures from the early 60's show lanyard loops on the butt of the the chromed revolvers. By the time I arrived at SAC (1980), the Elite Guard was using the blue Model 15, just like every other Security Police unit in the AF.
I have a set of Ajax Staglite grips for my Model 15-4 that are a very close match to those in the photo.
 
i have the one nard is talking about, there is only one not two, it will out shoot any thing in the house! send me a e mail and we will talk, still need to take some pics, as i said i have a factory letter ill look it up too, thanks mike
 
One of these revolvers is for sale on gunbroker right now. It shows pictures of the DOD box and storage bag along with the pistol. Asking price If I remember is $2500.
 
The one on GB sure looks like the real deal. $2500 starting price, no bids so far.

Auction number is 134092360.
 
Cyrano said:
In the early 1960s I was in the Army but served on three Air Force Radar Squadrons. The Air Police there carried Combat Masterpiece revolvers. I presume they were marked USAF or something similiar. When these became obsolete (with the adoption of the Beretta 92?) did any of them make it out into the civilian market or were they all destroyed?
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My Uncle is retired USAF and he told me a story about the transition and asked if he could purchase his S&W. He could but the cylinder, barrel & frame were torch cut first. Such a darn waste.
 
my 14-1 was shipped to lackland afb texas on march 28 1961 it was shipped with a 6 inch barrelth tt checkered target grips, this shipment was for 50 units, some were returned to the factory and the barrels changed to 4 inch,
 
I don't consider myself a collector....having no interest in engraved guns, etc. I've always considered firearms to be used. But...if I could get myself a Mod 15 that could be verfied to have been used by the air force and stamped with the USAF I would jump at the chance!
 
Still have my SP Shield that was issued to me upon graduating from training at Lackland back in 1980. When I retired in 2000 I turned in two others that I had been issued but was allowed to keep my origional that I wore through out my USAF career, spent 20 years in the Security Police. Sure wish I could get my hands on one of those M-15's, just because. Never did really care for the M-9. I would have prefered if the SIG 226 had won the contract. I think it's a better firearm. However politics will prevail in the end.
 
My shield was issued at the academy and was retired with me after 27 years of Security Police/Forces duty. 13 active, 14 reserve. I retired in 1997.

The gear here is original AF issue, including the S&W AF Law Enforcement holster. The short billy was courtesy of the 380th SPS, Plattsburgh AFB, NY, used on town patrol in the late 1950's.

Best to all of my brothers in arms here.

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I used to shoot NRA Hunter's Pistol Silhouette matches at the old K.I. Sawyer AFB outside Marquette, MI many years ago. The gate guards had what looked like M15s from my truck. They were all long-barreled, never saw an M56.

Most looked in pretty good shape but one I used to notice was visibly rusted.

When the base closed the range we shot on was destroyed. This despite the fact that the local police academy was setting up shop
on the old base. The rationale was lead contamination.

I figure it was just a bunch of bureaucratic types wasting our tax
money.
 
FWIW I've got to insert my 2c. I would love to have an AF Marked M-15. I spent 22 years in the Air Force and the first time I was issued a M-15 was as a Butter Bar Pay Master (beck in the days when we paid in cash). Most of my AF time was as a Special Agent in the AFOSI. When I first entered OSI our issue weapon was the M-15, most with 4" barrels. I saw a few 2" barrels and just assumed they were M-15s although they may well have been M-56s. Part of the AFOSI mission was to investigate major crimes in and against the Air Force. One case type was "Theft of Government Property" and I am aware of several cases where theft of M-15s was the issue. I personnaly investigated several. While we got convictions on occasion, our recovery rate of the revolvers was not high. When investigated as "theft" the SNs were entered into the NCIC. I'm sure there was "leakage" as mentioned above and have no knowledge of whether those were entered or not, but there are some hot ones out there. There are also some legitimate examples out there also. I have no knowledge of any being provided to civilian LE, but it is entirely plausible. I do know that some were sold/given to foreign LE agencies and it is also possible that some of those have returned home. As I said, I would love to have one, even a comemorative. Keep shootin' and check 6.
 
I bought mine for 110.00-125 from a Police Supply store in late 80's early 90s, they had about 4-5 on display, so doubt they were stolen. Mine is in storage somewhere , I used the target hammer /trigger in another gun, may have to switch them back now that there is such an interest in these.. Bob
 
Air force model 15 found in Sweden

handejector said:
T-Star,
You don't know that they were stolen.
We believe the AF transferred some to civilian police departments. From there, they made their way into the open market when the departments probably traded them to a wholesaler for new guns.
One that I owned came throough a full bird that retired from Warner Robbins.
I doubt he stole it.
Perhaps he bought it.
Perhaps someone with enough rank said "write it off".

Likewise, we often have S&W's turn up that won't letter because they are open on the books, meaning no record of shipment. That does not mean they were stolen.
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I got the one in Sweden for a real bargain price a few years ago, previous owner died and sold by a small gun shop. Got a permit for it so it was screened in the Federal Swedish Police Database so not reported as stolen over here. I'm real curious how it made it over here. Checked the S/N recall it was made in 1967. Exterior parkerized, read that those with bad finish were parkerized by the AF. Slight visible external pitting, however perfect bore and internally no signs of corrosion. Action smoth as silk. Generally nice condition, however, at removal of grips I detected that frame under grip panels was severly corroded, pin completely rusted away. Moisture or corrosive substance must have been trapped here over time. Anybody that got an idea where it came from and what happened to it, tropical environment, salt water exposure?
 
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