It’s a “holy grail” item in the revolver collecting fraternity, and it’s pretty much unobtainium for even the most well-heeled collector. It’s the Smith & Wesson “Baby” Aircrewman revolver, and Brownells Gun Techs™ Keith Ford and Steve Ostrem show us one recently offered by Rock Island Auction Co. Smith made the Aircrewman for the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s to serve as a lightweight sidearm for pilots and other crewmembers of combat aircraft. This J-frame is chambered in .38 Special, with the frame AND cylinder made of aluminum, so the Aircrewman weighs only 10 oz.! It’s unofficially called the “Baby” because there was also an M13 Aircrewman built on the larger K-frame. The Air Force’s standard-issue .38 Special load generated too much pressure for the light J-frame, which led to failed frames, cracked cylinders, and even a few guns blowing up.
Only 605 Aircrewmen revolvers were made before the Air Force took them out of service and destroyed them. About 10 guns evaded destruction and instantly became among the most collectible Smith & Wesson revolvers ever made. Was your Great Uncle Ned in the USAF in the ‘50s? Did you inherit an oddly lightweight snub-nosed revolver from him? Keith explains how to identify a genuine Aircrewman. Since they were “salvaged” U.S. Government Property, some surviving Aircrewman had their markings ground off them. Keith shows us where to look for hidden identifying marks.
30 июн 2022
