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My duty weapon was that awful little .38 - the "M15." An issue weapon should be something that one has faith in. I had zero in that thing. The SF types we worked with promissed me they'd bring an extra M16 if it came to that.
When the Army received the pistols they were simply tools. Enlisted troops with crew serviced weapons often received them. Those would be passed down again and again. Being rebuilt repeatedly. Others served as qualification weapons being shot daily - hard wear.
When Officers purchased them the wear patterns vary even within that group. A finance officer would likely have one seeing a lot of holster wear as he went through his routine. Air crew also likely would put a lot of holster wear on them.
For Officers in sundry staff positions the pistol was more uniform decoration. Very rarely worn.
I attended an estate sale many years ago. In addition to bad art and expensive furniture there was a uniform and a Remington-Rand in the box. I took it. Looking around at the rest of the estate it painted a picture of a semi-refined gentleman sitting in his den in front of the fireplace drinking from a delicate glass which his wife insisted on using a coaster under. The pistol likely sat in the closet with his wife referring to it as "that pistol George brought back from the war."
My uncle had the same situation. His pistol was an ETO capture. Sat in the holster in the closet for decades until he passed on.
They're out there.
When the Army received the pistols they were simply tools. Enlisted troops with crew serviced weapons often received them. Those would be passed down again and again. Being rebuilt repeatedly. Others served as qualification weapons being shot daily - hard wear.
When Officers purchased them the wear patterns vary even within that group. A finance officer would likely have one seeing a lot of holster wear as he went through his routine. Air crew also likely would put a lot of holster wear on them.
For Officers in sundry staff positions the pistol was more uniform decoration. Very rarely worn.
I attended an estate sale many years ago. In addition to bad art and expensive furniture there was a uniform and a Remington-Rand in the box. I took it. Looking around at the rest of the estate it painted a picture of a semi-refined gentleman sitting in his den in front of the fireplace drinking from a delicate glass which his wife insisted on using a coaster under. The pistol likely sat in the closet with his wife referring to it as "that pistol George brought back from the war."
My uncle had the same situation. His pistol was an ETO capture. Sat in the holster in the closet for decades until he passed on.
They're out there.
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