Military use of revolvers

[Paul1948A]

I have seen photos of personnel manning SAC missle silos and fighter pilots wearing holstered revolvers and by the shape of the grips it obvious they are S&Ws. Being the M13s had been withdrawn by that time what model revolver were they? 2" M10, M36, M12???

Also when did the military begin buying new M10 revolvers to replace their aging Victory Models?

 

[Iggy]

Missle Security Cops in Wyoming carried Model 15s.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

So funny. I have a friend who was an Air Force missileer in the 1970s but he is so radically anti-gun that I cannot ask him this question - he would have no clue.

Too bad, too - all that hatred energy, wasted for no reason.

 

[Paul1948A]

the photos I have show them wearing the holsters designed for the M13?

 

[JP@AK]

During my 24 months involvement in SE Asia, we all carried the Model 15. Mine had the 4" barrel but some aircrewmen carried the 2" variant.

I believe the AP/SP troops carried 4" Model 15s and I know the dog handlers did.

 

[sigp220.45]

Me in my younger days, with my issue Model 15 and my non-issue target grips.

 

[Breakaway500]

My Dad carried this 15-2 sidearm during his tour in Vietnam.He was in the Air Force. My favorite revolver and a tack driver.

 

[murphydog]

If they were 2" barreled guns, you may have seen some model 56s, a rare gun in the civilian world that is similar to the 2" model 15.

There are relatively small USAF and Army contracts for post-war model 10s; the Victory Models were used well into the 1980s by report, however.

 

[MajorD]

By the time the beretta became standard, there were actually more 38 revolvers in service than 1911's! The Air Force had the m15 as standard ( I qualified with one in the mid 90's,almost ten years after adoption of the beretta!) and various investigators had j frames, the navy had victories model tens and even model 19's,the army supplemented 1911 stocks with model tens victories and various colts in aviation and mp units. There is probably a warehouse somewhere with 55 gallon drums full of revolvers stacked to the ceiling

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Never saw any new 10s.
Have carried M&Ps.
And of course CM/15s.

 

[Absalom]

I asked the same question a while ago in this thread. Might save some repetition:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1961-1980/424683-air-force-38-revolvers.html

 

[petepeterson]

Me in my younger days, with my issue Model 15 and my non-issue target grips.

Great pic! It could only be better if it captured two ne'er-do-wells sneaking along the hillside...

Thanks for sharing. Love the shades!

 

[Targets Guy]

Pretty sure it was the Model 15 but memories are fleeting. I do know that when I went to basic training in 1964 they first gave us the K22 to shoot and told us since it had the same weight as the .38 we could learn on that first. After a couple sessions with the K22 we went with the Model 15. That is also what I qualified with before deploying to Vietnam in 1970; along with the M16.

 

[SpectrePilot]

As a C-130 pilot in 1987-1992 I had an S&W M56 as my standard issue. That is a 2" k frame with adjustable sights like a M15 except without the grooves on top, the sight was smooth. I loved that revolver and have a M15 2" as my keepsake now. I believe AF destroyed most of the M56s making it very rare and expensive.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[kwill1911]

The holsters I've seen on guys in silos are the Murray holster developed for the S&W Aircrewman. They may, in fact, be wearing Aircrewman revolvers. Contrary to popular belief the M13 revolvers were not recalled and all destroyed at one time. They remained in service until they were "surplus to existing needs." There were also quite a few Model 10s with 2 inch barrels purchased by the USAF. I don't think the Model 56 will fit in the Murray holster.

 

[grover99]

At one time I was an armor in the Army National Guard It was a helicopter company and we had model 10s for the pilots to carry plus we had one Ruger.

 

[Paul1948A]

thanks everyone!

 

[kwill1911]

BTW, the shipments of 2 inch Model 10s to the USAF started in mid-1960. The Model 56 shipments were in 1962-3.

 

[smokycity]

I was an Army MP in the early to mid 1980's and I carried a 1911A1. Female MP's carried Model-10s or Ruger Speed/Service Six's in .38 Special. MPI (Military Police Investigators) had 2 inch Model-10s or Model-12's. The Beretta M9 was adopted about halfway through my enlistment, but I never saw one. They went to deployable units (82nd Airborne, 101st, etc.) first.

 

[7shooter]

What 38 special ammunition was issued for these military revolvers ?