Viet Nam 38 HB

[Poland]

Took in a Parkerized 38 in 4" heavy barrel. He said he carried it during tour of Nam. Came with black holster belt and ammo in rings. I asked: What he knew of revolver. He said: S&W took a lot of older guns, added a HB and parkerized them for Nam. Later I saw a Gun Digest Collectors Guide 2009 with picture of gun exactly like ours,, EXCEPT it had regular barrel.
Any one know what is correct..al

 

[whitecoyote]

 

[Scary Gary]

I wan't to see this too .
I think we had Mod. 10's with the heavy barrel in the NAVY .
I carried a 1911-A1 and realy didn't pay any attention to the wheel gun's that the other guy's chose to carrie .

 

[Poland]

Sorry on "Pic's" This ole man of 81 don't have a camera
Check: Gun DigestThe Magazine presents COLLECTOR'S GUIDE 2009 PAGE 30. BEST i CAN DO

 

[Poland]

Nam S&W 38.

Took in a Parkerized 38 in 4" heavy barrel. He said he carried it during tour of Nam. Came with black holster belt and ammo in rings. I asked: What he knew of revolver. He said: S&W took a lot of older guns, added a HB and parkerized them for Nam. Later I saw a Gun Digest Collectors Guide 2009 with picture of gun exactly like ours,, EXCEPT it had regular barrel.
Any one know what is correct..al

I have exact same rig. Same story. Now we have 2 so makes story real? Mine was brought home by vet who did not need it anymore.Serial is C9152xx

 

[gunfish]

Unless the guy has documents to back up the story....it's just a story.

 

[Retired W4]

I think if S&W modified Model 10's for the government there would be records of that. Secondly, I seriously doubt that a military armourer would have made that modification without getting some attention. Even in RVN there was a little document called the MTOE, and while there were plenty of different things done to weapons there, I don't think the action mentioned was sanctioned. As someone who carried a .38 special S&W in RVN, along with most of my other helicopter pilot buddies, I know how the Army works (after a 32 year association) when it comes to those things. I'm not saying it did not happen....but nice story.

Other skeptical WO1's who carried .38 special S&W's in RVN.

 

[KEN L]

I have exact same rig. Same story. Now we have 2 so makes story real? Mine was brought home by vet who did not need it anymore.Serial is C9152xx

Okay, so let's see pics of yours!

 

[Texas Star]

I'm not sure the heavy barrel fits frames not machined for them. I've never seen such a gun, but haven't seen everything S&W.

Apart from Victory Models, I've never seen a Parkerized finish on an S&W .38 that wasn't refinished by military armorers. The Combat Masterpieces that we had in the USAF were originally normal blue. I think some were refinished in Parkerized.

I'm not sure if the Army didn't buy some HB M-10's, along with std. barrels. I know they had some rnd. butt normal bbl. M-10's, too. The most likely answer is that either the Army or S&W refinished some HB M-10's.

Do these guns have any US stampings on them?

 

[BE Mike]

I saw Victory model .38 SPL revolvers that were parkerized that were issued to the troops in 1968. I got a brand new in the box S&W model 10 round butt, 4" pencil barrel. It wasn't stamped "Property of the U.S. Government". I never saw a heavy barrel carried by air crews. Stories are stories. Documentation is everything.

 

[Sebago Son]

Nice story, but untrue. The barrel rib widths on the heavies will not match the frame grind. You can go the other way by adding a tapered "light" barrel to a frame prepped for a heavy, but it looks rather odd.

I recently saw a re-parked victory that the seller swore was refinished at the factory. He even claimed he had the S&W receipt that clearly said "Re-Parkerized". Normally I ignore idiots, but this guy was pushy, in my face and obnoxious. He stated that if I "really knew my Smiths" that I would know that his was correct. When he produced the photocopied 'factory invoice' for refinishing, dated in the 80's, it was a clear cut forgery. You should have seen the look on his face when I pointed out that "revolver" was spelled incorrectly and that S&W didn't have phosphate finishing capabilities in the 1980's.

Buy the gun, not the story.... There are alot of BS artists out there trying to talk up their guns.

Drew

 

[DWFAN]

Every gun that wasn't in the Civil War went to Viet Nam.

Regards.

Bob

Just about.
DW

 

[THE PILGRIM]

MAGNUM IN SEA

I do know of a Model 19 that flew on over 300 combat missions in SEA. Reason I am so sure is I took it over and I brought it back!
Been trying to remember if some of our K-38s were parkerized. Seems like some of them were. Here it is my blue Model 19 hanging with his nickel buddy.

 

[Retired W4]

Thank you for your service PILGRIM, and welcome home. I think the difference between what was smuggled into SAE and what was issued may be what the OP is talking about, or at the very least, what I'm talking about. I would like to have been issued a CAR-15, but I brought no weapons into RVN, and a M-19 would have been better than the .38 special my unit issued me.

BTW, how did you get it home?

 

[mkk41]

It's been said that 'tunnel rats' prefered the S&W .38 to the .45 because of the blast in the confines of a tunnel. I have no doubt that .38 wheelguns that may have been issued to airfield , ramp & hanger guards might have made it into combat by hook or crook (trade & theft). Could have even have been purchased stateside and taking over , and passed on thru a unit when members left.

Then again , I was offered a "GI .45 automatic" that someone swore was carried in Korea or 'Nam , by their father. In the brown US flap holster was a Llama with 1975 proofmarks.

 

[digi-shots]

Here's a standard barrel 10-5 I picked up a few years ago. The backstrap is fairly worn but you can make out the "U.S. PROPERTY" stamping. There's also a "P" proof mark on the left side of the frame near the trigger guard.

It came to me with return "papers" and the in-country made watter buffalo hide holster rig as seen in the photo. The fellow that brought it back in 1972 was a Captain in the US ARMY, MACV in Qui Nhon. It was previously carried by another Army Captain who was with the 1st Air Brigade, 101st AB, 1st Cav, 5th Special Forces and also MACV.

This blued model 10-5 letters to the U.S. Army base in Boston. It was part of a U.S. Government contract order shipped on August 28, 1963.

 

[CH47gunner]

Here's a standard barrel 10-5 I picked up a few years ago. The backstrap is fairly worn but you can make out the "U.S. PROPERTY" stamping. There's also a "P" proof mark on the left side of the frame near the trigger guard.

It came to me with return "papers" and the in-country made watter buffalo hide holster rig as seen in the photo. The fellow that brought it back in 1972 was a Captain in the US ARMY, MACV in Qui Nhon. It was previously carried by another Army Captain who was with the 1st Air Brigade, 101st Cav, 5th Special Forces and also MACV.

This blued model 10-5 letters to the U.S. Army base in Boston. It was part of a U.S. Government contract order shipped on August 28, 1963.

This is exactly the rig I wore as a CH47 Crewmember - we were given a choice between the M10 or a 1911. Most chose the .38 as the .45's had a dark reputation. Besides, the revolvers were just cooler especially when we purchased the gunfighter rig at the local VN store.

Bruce

 

[dcopper]

SEA S&W Returns

Welcome home BROTHERS, you and your Model 10's!!! Fellow Viet Vet!

 

[moosedog]

What a great post and nice piece of history.
Thank you fellows for your service.

 

[phubai8]

As noted, documentation is everything. Digi-shots, thanks for a great post.