Cabelas find - Vietnam era US marked 10-5 round butt UPDATED with letter info

[Retired W4]

Also bear in mind this was the standard issue handgun for Army aviators world wide, so it could of just as easily been in fort Campbell it's entire service life.

At Campbell it would have been out of the Arms Room only on certain occasions. In the RVN we took them to bed with us.

 

[BillyMagg]

Interesting

Great find! It is interesting it is a Vietnam vets revolver. I wonder if he was a helicopter pilot or aircrew? This just shows there are treasures out there, even in the big box stores.
OP, you might want to invest in a S&W historical letter. It is almost certainly a Vietnam contract piece, but it would be nice to document the contract and delivery info. Even with one already in hand, I would have bought that one without hesitation. I am glad my post got it into a S&W collectors hands. It could have ended up as somebody's glove box gun or worse (I am imagining it rattling around in some wet tackle box as a "snake gun").

My Dad had me buy a Colt Cobra which was like the one he carried in addition to an M2. He worked out of the US embassy during the TET offensive.. but he wanted a Cobra... He also bought a Browning BDM, in memory of the cases of Browning Hi Powers without serial numbers used by the MACVSOG gents.. he was offered a couple??? but passed due to their lack of serials.

 

[BillyMagg]

I got the letter back already - fast work by Don at the SWHF!

No surprises, but its nice to confirm it is what it is. February of 1968 was a hopping time to be a Smith headed to Vietnam.

DCASR is the Defense Contract Administration Services Region.

My Dad was in Saigon from the fall of 1967 to the fall of 1968,, so lots of .38 revolvers were in circulation with GI's in country.

 

[Retired W4]

My Dad had me buy a Colt Cobra which was like the one he carried in addition to an M2. He worked out of the US embassy during the TET offensive.. but he wanted a Cobra... He also bought a Browning BDM, in memory of the cases of Browning Hi Powers without serial numbers used by the MACVSOG gents.. he was offered a couple??? but passed due to their lack of serials.

The MACV/SOG guys pretty much got whatever they wanted, some with SNs that did not exist, according to the former president of the HSCA (High Standard). Their air support was close to the vest as well. Not all Air America helicopters were blue and grey and the Sea Wolves didn't just carry Navy Seals.

 

[Slufstuff]

I got the letter back already - fast work by Don at the SWHF!

No surprises, but its nice to confirm it is what it is. February of 1968 was a hopping time to be a Smith headed to Vietnam.

DCASR is the Defense Contract Administration Services Region.

Good info! Yours is right at 1 1/2 years older than mine, and about 180,000 apart by serial number.