Happiness is a smooth Model 15

This is one we gifted to the son-in-law about 4 or 5 years ago for Christmas.


I have one just like it with the original box.

Ron

EMC45 said:

I have a lowly 67...I can't contribute.

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I'm thinking of one of them...

It's my personal favorite revolver of all times,,,
Probably because it's the revolver I carried when in the USAF.

I spent a lot of hours at the base range(s) shooting/qualifying with this gun,,,
Since then (70's) I've fired a ton of different brands of revolvers,,,
Nothing feels as good in my hands as a S&W K-Frame.

None please me as much as my personal Combat Masterpiece,,,
It feels just as good in my hand now as it did 50 years ago.



Here is "Stella" and her baby sister,,,
Didi, the Model 18 in .22 LR.

At the ripe old age of 70 I've started to sell/gift a lot of my guns,,,
I'll probably pare the number down to 4-5 guns total.

This pair and my Mom's venerable Colt Frontier Scout,,,
Will never leave my ownership.

Aarond

.

I was watching the movie "The Shack" last night and saw the revolver in the movie was a 4" model 15. I hadn't noticed that when I watched it for the first time several years ago.

All these Model 15 photos sparked me to bring out the Model 18 and 15 yesterday and teach my son how to shoot a DA revolver.

He didn’t do badly at all. It took him a bit to get used to the long DA trigger of these K-frames. (His only other handgun shooting over the years has been shooting the Ruger Standard auto and Wrangler rimfires.) After several cylinders of .22 he started shooting the model 15, his first-ever centerfire handgun experience. He was thrilled to keep all but one within the 10 ring at 5 yards, all in the 8 ring at 10.

Model 18:



Model 15 at full recoil:



(148 gr RNL over 3.5 gr Unique. My favorite plate-rack load for my 686+.)

Soon he’ll step up to the 44 Spl. and .357 Mags.

Thanks for the idea to go out and exercise the 15, we had a great time.

Stay safe.

Shaft reference reminded me of another Smith 15 movie appearance. Homicide (1991).

wcwhitey said:

left to right 66 No Dash 4”, 66-2 6” and on the bottom is a Rossi Model 511 4” .22 LR (Crazy little gun, pinned and recessed, stainless sights with red insert). Big gun on the right is a Ruger SBH .44 Magnum.

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My Rossi 511. I remember getting it from a LGS and thinking I did horrible ($200) a couple years ago. Its probably one of my favorites to shoot.

Good post, OP. Brings back some memories. A model 15 Smith was my issued sidearm for my first tour in Vietnam, January of 1970. That's it on my hip, while loading 2.75" WP rockets on my trusty steed at the Special Forces "B" camp, An Loc lll Corps, about 5 k's from the Cambodian border, north of Saigon.

Issue ammunition was round nose FMJ...150 grain if I recall correctly, and we also had a half dozen flare rounds for it....used for signaling purposes, they could be shot up through the jungle canopy, and wouldn't be confused for ground fire, by rescue acft.

Thanks for sharing your good time with an aged warrior. Best regards, Rod

A 1948 offering, and a 1972 edition.

I bought a model 15 bureau of prisons trade in, back in 2015. It was on a table covered with model 15's. They all looked like hell with scratched and scrapes where the guard tried to engrave their badge or I.D. numbers. I picked up one with HOGUE grip's and squeezed the trigger. It was great. It was also $279.00! I ran over to the nearest sales man and asked him to show me the gun since they had one of those gun show alarm wires running through all the guns. I tried the trigger again and checked the lock up and it was perfect. I paid for the gun and went to the range a couple of days later and liked it so much, I went back for another one.

It is still one of my favorite range guns and one of them also serves as my back up house gun.

It is simply one of the best balanced revolvers I have ever shot or held. Loaded with FEDERAL HST or DOUBLE TAP +P, it is also a very effective defensive handgun.

Only downside is that the sights are hard to see against a dark background if the area is not well lit. Still, I would recommend them highly.

Jim

Dang, since this thread was resurrected, I'm wishin' I'd been able to find another Model 15 or so to add, but alas, it seems everyone is on to just what awesome revolvers these were and are (dang this internet thingie, in the old days there just wasn't the competition out there for used guns) -- if any of my LGSs get one in (usually from a widow or estate, 'cause no thinking man sells his), it usually sells the same day it's put under the glass counter.

Old Dog said:

it usually sells the same day it's put under the glass counter.

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After buying the one I posted earlier for my son in law as a Christmas gift what you describe happened. Hanging out at my local gun shop haunt a fellow came in and sold them a sweet little model 15 in the box. Jimmy the owner wasn't halfway down the counter when I stopped him and asked the out the door price. I bought it with two other people ready to pounce on it. The gun never got to a display case.

Ron

The 15s have gotten worth so much that I'm not likely to get my hands on one, but I do have this 1985 model $333 OTD 67-1 that I acquired from a LGS in 2015 (upper left). It was a consignment gun and was a great price even back then. I'm ashamed to admit, and regret to this day, that they had a pristine 3" Model 64 that I could have also gotten for $285 plus tax, but didn't do it, just trying to exercise some restraint.

Is that a Glock 15?

(I think it was the Glock 19 of its day)

My first ever handgun was a 1987 M15 (with target grips such as the photo in post #4). I bought it used, and gave it to a couple friends who were in need of something to carry around the rural property they lived at. They were not gun people, and back then I can't exactly say I was either.

As far as I know, they still have it. It certainly was a sweet little revolver.

I carried one in the usaf as a sp shift commander. I separated and missed it. I found one 10 years ago for a good price. I wish the usaf marked ones would hit the market. Maybe some day.

kbsrn said:

I carried one in the usaf as a sp shift commander. I separated and missed it. I found one 10 years ago for a good price. I wish the usaf marked ones would hit the market. Maybe some day.

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When I was in DaNang the AP guys carried S&W Model 10. That's what I think they had anyway.

Ron