USAF Model 15s

[ladoniacop]

looking at a Model 15 that has been parkarized that falls within the range of the 15-3s the AF bought according to the Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson. However it is not USAF marked. Were there 15s that were not marked?

 

[murphydog]

Welcome! Anything is possible, especially with a refinished gun that may have had stampings removed, but every verified USAF model 15 I have seen had either U.S. or U.S.A.F. markings.

 

[Hair Trigger]

Apparently so, since you're looking at one. There were many M15's that didn't go to the USAF; that must be one of them, maybe it was Parkerized to try passing it off as a military-owned gun. The serial number range the M15's were within also included other K- frame models than M15's so the SN's aren't consecutive with any given model. To know the precise history of the gun, you'd need to have it lettered by SWHF.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Welcome to the forums from the Wiregrass! I believe all the AF guns were blued. So, a Parkerized gun would have an incorrect finish if USAF marked. And, I don't believe S&W offered a phosphate finish as special order done in-house. So, it is highly unlikely to be an original commercial finish on a non-USAF marked gun. Bottom line: it has little to no appeal to a collector and should be priced as a shooter.

 

[H Richard]

I was in the USAF in the early 60's and the 15 was being carried. None in base were park'd, all were blue.

 

[majick47]

Same here while in AF 67-71 all our M-15s were blue. Unless USAF marked I'd say not an issue 15.

 

[sigp220.45]

I was issued a succession of Model 15s in Uncle Sam's Air Force - none were parkerized and all were marked USAF.

They all had magnas, except for the cool guys on EST (AF SWAT) who had Pachmayr Presentations. I stuck a pair on mine, which the armorer would take off and then explain I couldn't use them. This went on for a while until he got exasperated and said "Damn, Lt - you gotta have wood grips!" I put some targets on and when I turned it in he said: Hell, I give up.

 

[Homie]

IIRC, Tom Ferguson, who wrote for GUN WORLD, did an article about the AF gunsmiths at Lackland and included some remarks about the M15s being refurbed there.
They were all new when I was in!

 

[Engine49guy]

There was a good thread a few years ago detailing USAF Model 15's.
My memory isnt what it used to be but IIRC the USAF 15-2 (&-3?) 's were pulled from existing (made for civilian consumption) inventory then had the USAF mark applied.

I'm not certain but my foggy memory is they had a wide TT/TH with Magna stocks,
Also seem to recall an article saying that Uncle Sam seemed it fit to dump large amounts of them into the ocean .

IIRC Lee knows alot on this topic.

 

[sigp220.45]

Legit, marked, lettered USAF Model 15s are pretty rare birds on the civilian market. Some leaked out through theft, and some were surplussed to police departments and then escaped.

I could have had one when an RF4-C crashed outside the base I was at. Both fliers punched out and came down ok. I was trying to get a cordon set up when a civilian walked up holding a Model 15 by the end of the barrel. I stuck it in my pants and went about my business. I later turned it in at the armory because I'm not a thief, but I doubt anyone was concerned about an old revolver with all kinds of classified airplane parts laying on the road.

 

[biku324]

I picked up several 2" M-15s from DRMO at Ft. Bliss in the '90s for a department I was working for. All were NIB, blue, and all had lanyard swivels. They might have been Army or Air Force, as the DRMO there handled all DOD in the region, then the DRMO moved to Holloman AFB about '98.

 

[Seven High]

I served in the USAF as an air policeman from 1964 to 1967. We had M15s issued to us. They did not have any USAF or US markings on them. I am guessing that as the war progressed M15s had to be refinished by parkerizing them.

 

[richcory]

I'll have to get mine out for some better photos. My 15-2 was shipped May 26, 1965

Cory

 

[banger]

Sorry, duplicate post.... Double tap.

 

[banger]

I picked up several 2" M-15s from DRMO at Ft. Bliss in the '90s for a department I was working for. All were NIB, blue, and all had lanyard swivels. They might have been Army or Air Force, as the DRMO there handled all DOD in the region, then the DRMO moved to Holloman AFB about '98.

Funny you mention this.

I was just explaining to someone a few days ago how I pricked up a half dozen Full Auto M-14's through the program.

Now the laugh.... each rifle cost us, $6.71.

I took the M-14's because they were available immediately.

M-16's would have taken a couple of months.

They would give us the rifles... but, postage was too much for them to handle.

 

[biku324]

Well, we also got 7 M-14s with the selector switches removed; they cost nothing, as we picked them up. All were still full of cosmoline. We cleaned and tried them all; the most accurate we had drilled and tapped for our countersnipers with the rest issued to inner perimeter SRT who covered entry teams.

These all had Bakelite upper hand guards.

 

[cjtraining]

I was stationed at McCoy AFB, Orlando Florida, from 1964-1967. When I assigned to security, we were just getting the M16. We still had the M1 carbine until early 1965. I was assigned to base police from mid 1965 until my separation in September 1967. Our service revolvers were old Colts marked "Property U S Navy".

 

[CheyenneBodie]

I was an SP from 1973 to 1993. All the M15 revolvers I carried during my 20 years were blue steel with service stocks, TT and TH. When I was a member of HQ USAF Security Force at the Pentagon in the early 1980's we had M15's with Pachmayr grip filler adapters and some with the Target Stocks. Even had some with Pachmayr "Presentation" and "Gripper" rubber grips. When the Beretta 92 came into service in the late 1980's there were some M15's issued that were parkerized--probably arsenal rebuilds. At my last Base before retiring some of the female SPs continued to carry the M15 revolver mainly because they were having a very difficult time qualifying with the Beretta due to its size and long "trigger reach"

 

[kwill1911]

A search will get you lots of threads about the USAF Model 15s. Pictures too:

 

[bgrafsr]

I have a 15-1 marked U.S. I have the Factory Letter stating it went Warner-Robbins AFB, Ga.
It came with the Magna stocks, TT and TH. I had a set of Target stocks that I put on it, as I think it looks better.

 

[michael1000]

I worked small arms training from '76 to '79, and I recall the ones in use by SPs were all blue, most marked "USAF." We did see some parkerized ones that were refinished "old Viet Nam guns." They were usually in storage, long term, for "contingency." Maybe some were issued to flight crews.

 

[JWM]

Late to the thread. I was DOD Police from 1983-89, at Otis ANGB, MA. We were running short of model 15's to issue out, a request was submitted to Warner-Robins AFB for more revolvers, about 1986. We received a crate of model 15s, all parkerized finish, target hammer, target triggers, and magna stocks. I'm pretty sure they were stamped USAF on the frame.

 

[S&W Fan]

No follow up from the op-another one post wonder?

 

[Retired W4]

Late to the thread. I was DOD Police from 1983-89, at Otis ANGB, MA. We were running short of model 15's to issue out, a request was submitted to Warner-Robins AFB for more revolvers, about 1986. We received a crate of model 15s, all parkerized finish, target hammer, target triggers, and magna stocks. I'm pretty sure they were stamped USAF on the frame.

I was told there were a lot of 15's stored at WRAFB and I know Ft Rucker had many 10's in storage at one time. Don't know about today.

 

[CH4]

I was an Air Force cop and all the M15s I saw were 4", blued and stamped USAF.

 

[MajorD]

While I spent the majority of my military career with the army, I did spend a few years in the Air Force Reserve in the early 1990's. I got the chance to do the qualification course for the revolver ( at that point the active duty Air Force had transitioned to the beretta, and only a few reserve component units still had revolvers. When we got in line and were handed a revolver to use ( my job was not specific to carry of small arms, so we were not assigned guns just randomly given one from a rack to carry to the firing line) I distinctly recall a mix of blued and parkerized guns. One would imagine like all other military small arms, that having been in service through the 60's with a good number having served in Vietnam, that they would have gone through an Arsenal rebuilding program where they were refinished

 

[Thuer]

About 20 years ago, I did work in a gunstore. The nice thing was that we have had a pile of guns wich where stored by their owner. If the owner did not pay his storage fee, the gun came on the market. So I could buy this Smith and Wesson model 15 marked U.S.A.F. The price was very nice. 250 Dutch guilder at hat time. It is still in my collection. I treassure it. The revolver is in company by a last production model 15. This one was given to me from a collector who did collect Vietnam eara revolvers. He could not buy mine model 15 so he bought a brand new one. It is in my collection now to.

 

[bgrafsr]

While I spent the majority of my military career with the army, I did spend a few years in the Air Force Reserve in the early 1990's. I got the chance to do the qualification course for the revolver ( at that point the active duty Air Force had transitioned to the beretta, and only a few reserve component units still had revolvers. When we got in line and were handed a revolver to use ( my job was not specific to carry of small arms, so we were not assigned guns just randomly given one from a rack to carry to the firing line) I distinctly recall a mix of blued and parkerized guns. One would imagine like all other military small arms, that having been in service through the 60's with a good number having served in Vietnam, that they would have gone through an Arsenal rebuilding program where they were refinished

I've posted this before but I'll do it again:


A buddy of mine was in the Army Reserve and had to go to Camp Perry for week-end duty and qualification. He asked if I wanted to go along and I said yes.
A bunch of Reservists were taken to the firing range to qualify with revolvers, which were S&W Model 15's. There were a lot of misfires and guns that were not working like they should. The Lt. in charge was getting very frustrated and angry. My buddy told him I was an S&W Armorer for the PD I worked for, and he asked if I could check the guns over.
I did, and found many problems that I was able to correct, and the guns worked fine for the qualification after that.
The Lt. was so happy and he asked me what type of gun I wanted to shoot. I told him that I would like to shoot an M60, as I had not shot one since VietNam. He told one of the men to take me to a rifle range and give me an M60 and all the .308 ammo I wanted, and told me to shoot to my heart's content. I shot the qualification course with the miniature targets and was a happy camper.

 

[kwill1911]

Is that Holster also listed with that gun from the Air Force???

Yes. It is not the most common type of USAF holster but it is a legit example.

 

[Greyman50]

GI in our unit in Vietnam " acquired" a A.F. Mdl 15, never asked how he got it but had it in his hootch. It was blued with regular wood grips.