S&W Model 15 .38 as USAF Commemorative

I'd jump at the chance to get one too! My first experience with S&W's was as a SP augmentee at my first radar site (North Truro AFS, MA). My M-15 was parkerized...and very accurate. Maybe this will come to be...
 
sad news to report. i contacted one of my old friends about the USAF M15s that were shipped to Warner Robbins AFB when they switched over to the 9mm only to find out that they were ALL destroyed!!! DAMN!!! well, i guess we will have to keep after S&W to produce a commemorative model for us. sorry to bear bad news. keep the faith, and we may yet succeed. Smitty.
 
I spoke at length with the rep's at the SCI Reno S&W booth regarding commemorative M15's and Model 10's. They are still making the M15 and would produce the M10 if you meet the following two criteria:

1) They would need a distributor to order 500 units (think 1 of 500)

2) Permission from the USAF/USN/US Army to use their trademarked logos. S&W has tried before and been denied that permission by the various branches.

Someone needs to reach out to a distributor...
 
so lets all contact every distributor we know and maybe we can find at least one who will order them once they realize there are more than 500 of us who would love to own one. i will also talk to my friends in the Air Force about the logo issue. we can get this done if we all pool our resources. keep the faith, Smitty.
 
2) Permission from the USAF/USN/US Army to use their trademarked logos. S&W has tried before and been denied that permission by the various branches

How did Baretta get permission to buld their M92 tribute guns for all the branches of the U.S. Armed services?
 
Never fired the M15 while in the regular AF then I went into the active AFRES and was in a Comm.Squadron and had to qualify with the M15...SWEET! My first encounter with firing a handgun I am all for S&W to make a special run for us veterans!
 
S&W Modal 15 as USAF

I was a USAF Police Officer 74-78 and have been a civilian officer for 30 years. I still carry a 4 inch 66. I fell in love with the Smith while in the AF.

I would love to see you issue a Model 15 AF Commemorative
 
Just to point out the S&W model 15 was the standard issue sidearm for all officers in the USAF, not just SPs...I qualified on one in OTS and again when I got to Moody AFB in 1985, the next year we received Beretta M9 pistols. My dad carried a model 15 in Vietnam in 1965-66 and the ones we qualified on looked about that old..they were in good shape though and accurate. It was pretty easy to shoot expert with the model 15.
 
The M-15 wasn't standard issue for all officers. I occasionally saw a colonel or general with a S&W Model 39 9mm auto.
Of course, upper-ranking officers being so close to their desk and almost always miles away from the "lines" needed these fast-firing and fast-reloading pistols for cracking walnuts, prying off bottle caps with the trigger guard, as a paperweight in their air conditioned office, or to look cool.
Meanwhile, the SPs still carried a 6-shot revolver and weren't even issued speedloaders for them. I bought my own, and my own speedloader pouch, when I was in. Though it wasn't regulation, sergeants and officers looked the other way; they knew it wasn't an affectation.
But high-ranking officers carrying a 9mm that would almost certainly never be fired except at a range was a travesty that still ticks me off.
Some pilots carried the M-39 9mm and I don't begrudge them that. If they were shot down in enemy territory, the 9mm made more sense for escape and evasion than the 2" snubnose .38 that most of them carried.
Nonetheless, the Model 15 was still a good handgun for Security Police. It was light on the belt, utterly reliable, accurate, easy to be trained with and easily maintained.
I loved my M-15 for these reasons, but I also cringed at its capacity limitations and wished we'd been issued the S&W 9mm. Or better yet, the S&W M-59 with its 15-round magazine.
I'd still love to see a commemorative USAF Model 15 made available. It has a long history of service behind that that the S&W 9mm cannot begin to approach. I'm sentimental.
 
Niceeeeeeeee ... the Model 15 with a 4" barrel always looked all-business. But it was such a pleasure to shoot. I'm still looking for a 15-2 at a good price, to mimic the one I carried.
I still have my armory card, which I handed to the armorer at Howard Air Force Base, Panama, to get my M15 for the shift. Wish I had that old gun; someone well before me had gone into and smoothed the action until it was like oiled glass. Makes me sick to think it ended its service under a cutting torch, or at the bottom of the ocean.
 
also an Air Force Security Policeman not Law Enforcement Specalist. Qualified with M-15 twice in my career. Actually carried the M-9 Beretta and M-16 more. I have been thinking about getting a M-15 and just get some faux ivory grips and have a badge scrimshawed on them. I do have the Security Police mini badge pin and thought about picking up a less expensive m-15 and getting it inlaid to the grips. Not exactly like having an actual commerative but might look nice if i had the old web belt, holster and dump pouches to go with my beret.
Service 74-78 and 81 until early retirement in 95. Municipal LE now for 11 years.
 
my father was stationed at offutt as a sac elite. he has a 38 (chrome or nickle) in a cross draw holster with bone grips. is this the same modle that you are talking about?
 
Not exactly like having an actual commerative but might look nice if i had the old web belt, holster and dump pouches to go with my beret.
Click to expand...

ive got the black leather set of gear with the dump pouches and belt and some issue 'American' branded handcuffs...

my father was stationed at offutt as a sac elite. he has a 38 (chrome or nickle) in a cross draw holster with bone grips. is this the same modle that you are talking about?
Click to expand...

it would be nickel unless he had a blued version chromed sometime after the service. but yes, this is the M-15. it is a K frame, .38spl with a 4" barrel and target trigger and target spur hammer...

IMG_4057.jpg
 
mrg455 said:
my father was stationed at offutt as a sac elite. he has a 38 (chrome or nickle) in a cross draw holster with bone grips. is this the same modle that you are talking about?
Click to expand...

What you're describing is exactly what the SAC Elite Guard carried. Could you get pictures of it?
 
I think that these have been identified in the past as Model 10 or Victory Model revolvers (in some pictures they have lanyard loops), not Model 15s. AFAIK the fake stag grips and plating was done by the Air Force but ordnanceguy or one of the other experts may come along and correct me.

Thanks for posting the picture. Very cool. If you aren't familiar with it there is a great website that has lots of pictures and film clips of the Elite Guard: SAC Elite Guard

Regards,
Kevin Williams
 
i will go through some of his photos and hopefully find a good shot to post(pun intended)
 
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