FBI issued .38 Special ammo in 1986 was Winchester 158 grain SWCHP +P. In .357 Magnum it was Winchester 145 gr Silvertips. My Model 13 was issued to me with factory wood grips and a Pachmayr grip adapter. As mentioned earlier, the issued holster was a Bucheimer Concealer. Also issued was a Bucheimer 2x2x2 ammo pouch and a Safariland speed loader with Safariland belt pouch.
Model 13-2 FBI and LE questions
- Thread starter Benjamin9
- Start date
Wow this thread turned out to be much more informative than I anticipated.
It sounds like pachmayr compac grips seem to have been most common for FBI carry. They sure are easy to carry. Would it be worth it to track down some legit round butt k frame stocks?
Now, are these VZ grips sacrilege on such a sought after fightin' pistol? Or should I have gotten the black and red? They feel good in the hand and magnum recoil is stout but manageable with the exposed backstrap. **Trigger warning I don't mean to scare any hardcore S&W enthusiasts.
Lastly I want to say thank you to any and all former law enforcement or military that have replied. Thank you for your Service.
Benjamin
It sounds like pachmayr compac grips seem to have been most common for FBI carry. They sure are easy to carry. Would it be worth it to track down some legit round butt k frame stocks?
Now, are these VZ grips sacrilege on such a sought after fightin' pistol? Or should I have gotten the black and red? They feel good in the hand and magnum recoil is stout but manageable with the exposed backstrap. **Trigger warning I don't mean to scare any hardcore S&W enthusiasts.
Lastly I want to say thank you to any and all former law enforcement or military that have replied. Thank you for your Service.
Benjamin
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Benjamin - great acquisition. The VZ grips look good on there. I had a question are they the original “320” model or the “tactical diamond”? If they are the tactical ones how is the aggressiveness of the texture ? Especially when firing magnum loads ?
Not an M-13 but an example of the Pac Compac grips on a 19-5 that was shipped to the U.S. State Department, Security Detail with the Compacs. I guess they were popular for LE K-frames of the era. BTW, the odd finish is described in the letter as bead blast blue and is what prompted me to letter the gun in the first place,
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From an "Old Cop" and revolver carrying guy:
In the nice condition the Model 13 is in I would think it was not a LEO weapon.
In the nice condition the Model 13 is in I would think it was not a LEO weapon.
Thanks and good question. They are the "tactical diamond" variety grips. I find them to be a perfect hold for any 38 special round but they can be a bit abrasive after firing a few cylinders worth of magnum loads. I enjoy them but someone with softer hands may not like them because of the texture.
SGT ROCK 11B
Member
Jimmy, it sat in an Agent's top desk drawer. Most Agent's were Lawyers and Accountants, not exactly street cops like us. Sarge
SGT ROCK 11B
Member
I had a similar branded S&W holster. The Pachmyr grips were the first thing we did to a new revolver.
Thank you for sharing, it added some nostalgia to my day.
Open backstrap on those grips make them "Compact Professionals"
The factory round butt target grips aka Banana grips, see post #6, are real comfortable
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SGT ROCK 11B
Member
Another popular way to load your revolver was the first two .38 Special and the last four .357 Magnum.
Two thoughts on loading that way. 1) was if the first two did not stop the bad guy, he needed more 'medicine' or he may have made his way to a getaway car. The Magnums will make the difference, especially shooting thru the car. 2) if the bad guy takes your revolver from you, he may shoot you once or twice. You have a better survival chance with the .38 Special.
I worked drug task force cases out of my local FBI office and partnered with an accountant agent.
His Model 13 rode in his trunk wrapped in a sock. He only took it out for qualification.
sigp220.45
US Veteran
The “mostly lawyers and accountants” thing hasn’t been true for decades.
The “I” in FBI stands for Investigation, so that is what most FBI agents do. Investigate stuff.
Depending on what an agent is assigned he/she may not have much use for a gun. If your area is Foreign Counter Intelligence you may work one case for a few years that culminates in some spy being declared PNG and getting kicked out of the country.
I worked violent crime my whole career - bank robberies and fugitives for the first 8 years and Indian Country the next 17. Murders, rapes, serious assaults, and a lot of child sexual abuse cases. I’ll put my numbers up against anyone’s.
Back in the "Day" officer s that carried .357 Magnums in my area was common practice to load the first two chamber with .38 spls and the last four chamber with .357s. The thought was that quickly drawing your weaon and firing the less recoil would assist in keeping on target. Then if the BG was still upright than the .357s would be employed. I began in 1962 with a .38spl, than a .357, than a 45, and ended with a .44 magnum. However the last 10 years of a 45 year career I was required to carry a Sig-Sauer P-229 .40.
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Here's my contribution to this great discussion:
Model 13-3 which I picked up on Gunbroker a few years back. One of my all-time favorites that I think for sheer good looks shares the spotlight with a 4" Model 19:
Model 13-3 which I picked up on Gunbroker a few years back. One of my all-time favorites that I think for sheer good looks shares the spotlight with a 4" Model 19:
My Department issue Shotgun was a Mossberg Model 590-1 12 gauge with rifle sight, speed feed butt stock and a sidesaddle for addition rounds. The barrel was 14" (factory) When I picked up my 12 gauge I had 15 rounds total. I sighted it in with rifled slugs at 50 yards. The first and second rounds in the magazine were #4 buckshot and the others were rifled shugs. Each of the Department shotguns came with a sling. I was always a Remington Model 870 fan but these Mossbergs were nice. They were classified as Class 3 weapons due to the 14 inch barrels.
lol
When I started in the mid 80s, we still had a few of the old timers carrying 2 armor piercing, 2 bird shot and 2 JHP or some similar variation in their Pythons. I loved listening to their individual rational. lol All 18 of my rounds were 145 gr Silver Tips.
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Unlikely that yours is a FBI issue as the government began destroying weapons instead of trading them in under anti-gun Attorney General Janet Reno and her anti-gun boss, President Clinton. The Model 13 shipped with PC Magna stocks. Holsters would have been up to each officer, if individually purchased, or up to each agency, if purchased by the agency. The FBI used the Bucheimer Concealer holster and the Bucheimer 2x2x2 spare ammo pouch.
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Hey Bam-Bam, you made me go down and look. I guess what threw me off is they are just marked on the bottom Pacmyer (sp?) Compacs. They probably didn't have room to put the full name on them. The back strap is open. The gun has a smooth trigger and the original box has Special printed on it.
I took it to the show last weekend and it caused quite a stir. When asked how much I wanted for it I just said "A lot." It's one I really don't want to sell, w/factory letter, box and EC. I haven't decided what "A lot" is yet.
Rodan
Member
I carried an M13 on-duty for about 6 weeks. A motorcycle mishap had left me with a broken collarbone and my right arm in a sling. I couldn't rack the slide on my usual duty piece (Colt Commander), but I could manage to shoot off hand with my left hand and reload with a speedloader with my trussed up right hand. I passed our duty qual left handed with my Performance Center quad-port M13, and carried it while I was on light duty. I never liked the ports on the PC 13, but I couldn't find a 'regular' M13, and got it cheap when I bought it. I eventually sold it, but wish I hadn't considering the current values!
Our sheriff didn't like "magnums", so we were always restricted to the Federal .38 +P Hydrashock for duty ammo.
It was only a couple years after that my agency removed revolvers from policy as an option for primary duty guns.
Recently, I picked up a very nice M13-3 that wandered into the LGS.
Our sheriff didn't like "magnums", so we were always restricted to the Federal .38 +P Hydrashock for duty ammo.
It was only a couple years after that my agency removed revolvers from policy as an option for primary duty guns.
Recently, I picked up a very nice M13-3 that wandered into the LGS.
