U.S. Air Force Model 15-2 Combat Masterpiece

[Slufstuff]

I thought I would post another of my US military S&W handguns. This one is a USAF Model 15-2 Combat Masterpiece 4 inch .38 special revolver. It is USAF marked. It was shipped on August 6, 1965 and delivered to the United States Government Disbursing Officer, Boston, MA. It was an order for the U.S. Air Force and was marked on the frame U.S.A.F. This is info per Roy Jinks factory letter.

It is in very good condition. The grips were varnished or shellacked at some point in it's life, but otherwise it is completely original, with matching grip numbers. I was an air force munitions officer in the 1980's, and I qualified on these revolvers a couple of times. Never fired a shot in anger, it was a relatively peaceful time.

It is pictured with a scarce USAF 4 inch revolver aircrew holster, which is basically a scaled up 2 inch Air Crewman holster. The flight jacket is a Vietnam war original from an F-4D Phantom pilot who flew over 100 missions into North Vietnam.

 

[HughD1]

Very nice old revolver and no doubt a great shooter! Thanks for sharing it with us and thank you for your service!

Hugh


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[charlie sherrill]

Several years ago a local auction got some of these and a lot of other stuff from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks. I think these were the first revolvers ever issued to the "Possum Police" as these guys didn't carry for a long time. They get Glocks like everybody else now. These were Air Force Surplus, probably from Keesler Air Force Base on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. These old 15's were in rough shape and most of them sold for a little over $100.00 at the auction. Hindsight is 20/20 and I should have gotten one but didn't. I was bidding on some other good stuff they had with my limited funds.

 

[two-bit cowboy]

Nice memorabilia collection.

Well done, and thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[Bald1]

Several years ago a local auction got some of these and a lot of other stuff from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks. I think these were the first revolvers ever issued to the "Possum Police" as these guys didn't carry for a long time. They get Glocks like everybody else now. These were Air Force Surplus, probably from Keesler Air Force Base on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. These old 15's were in rough shape and most of them sold for a little over $100.00 at the auction. Hindsight is 20/20 and I should have gotten one but didn't. I was bidding on some other good stuff they had with my limited funds.

You should have bought them all. My son is an AF Tech Sgt. he’s been in for 8.5 yrs. I’ve always wanted to find a USAF marked model 15. I recently bought an in issued new in box AF holster and ammo pouch from a forum member. Picked up a belt at recent GS. All I need now is reasonably priced gun. Problem is they’re not reasonable. Lol

 

[Fishjager]

I carried one of those on duty back in the early seventies. Very nice little guns. I bought a NIB 15-3 the other day just because I carried one back then. Very nice indeed. Congratulations. I seem to remember that the Air Force paid $85.00 each for them. At least that is the value on the sign out sheet from flight armorer.

When I worked Presidential Support at Andrews we carried those with white bone grips. Blue web belt and chrome buckle, white ascots and berets. Real dog and pony show. Oh I forgot to mention white ladder laced boots!!!!!

 

[CALREB]

I have/had one somewhere !!!!! Some 35 or so years ago I bought 2 model 15s at the Academy's gun store. I think they were 110 or 115 dollars each. One was a model U.S.A.F. model 15 and the other was one with the same exact type markings only L.A.S.D.493. A year or so later the hammer stud broke on the AF one and I put it away somewhere or something thinking it would cost more to have repaired than it was worth. Been 3 moves since then and it hasn't shown up yet, still have a few boxes to go through. I put up a lot of shooting stuff over the years but finally built a shop so going through those boxes. I have the LASD one but its a bit modified. I could slap a barrel and rear sight on it and it would be back to looking original . Some reason I cant get these pictures up right.