Guns: S&W Model 15-7 review - A Halloween (.38) Special

Happy Halloween everyone! It's been awhile since I reviewed a gun on the blog, and what better way to celebrate this year's All Hallows' Eve than featuring the Smith & Wesson Model 15, the gun that shot Michael Myers six times (six times!!) at the end of the original Halloween?

Introduction

The Model 15, formerly known as the Combat Masterpiece, is a six-shot .38 Special revolver built on Smith's medium-size K-frame. It was once the most common police firearm in the country, but of course, law enforcement tastes have changed.  With the mass migration to autoloading handguns, it's not surprising S&W hasn't made the Model 15 in years.  My gun is a heavily used police trade-in Model 15-7 from a local gun store, complete with an old holster and speedloader pouches:

Judging by the beat-up condition of the gun, the "HCI" stamping on the holster, and the fact that street cops in my area haven't carried revolvers for decades, my (wild) guess is that this setup came from the Homestead Correctional Institution. Who knows, though? Maybe the gun belonged to officer Harold C. Irwin.

The Model 15-7 was the last Model 15 to feature the traditional hammer-mounted firing pin, which Smith phased out of all of its revolvers in the late '90s in favor of a flat hammer with a floating internal firing pin. Frankly, there's no functional difference, and I'm sure the newer hammer design is cheaper to make, but it does look "weird" in the eyes of a revolver traditionalist. Later Model 15s also featured MIM internal parts and other cost-saving measures. Again, to the extent such changes even reduced long-term durability, I figure it's a wash, since the forged parts on any Model 15-7 will be nearly 30 years old at this point.

I did check out the gun before I bought it, and mechanically, it was in great shape.  That's not surprising at all; law enforcement trade-ins often look mangled on the outside but function fine on the inside, since they are usually carried a lot and shot a little. My gun had a fairly smooth double action pull and a light, near-hair-trigger single action pull. The sights are plain black adjustable - nothing fancy, and not the best in dim light, but adequate for a well-lit prison hallway or security guard post.

Range Report

My Model 15-7 has a 4" untapered barrel, which makes the gun a little muzzle heavy but also improves practical accuracy.  The gun averaged 3" groups at 15 yards, standing offhand, with several different types of ammo. I experienced no failures or mechanical issues at all.

Magtech 158 gr FMJ:

Handloaded 158 gr. LSWC

S&B 158 gr. FMJ (this load has fairly heavy recoil for some reason)

Conclusion

The Model 15 is not the gun I would personally pick if I were facing off against the Boogeyman, but with the right ammo and the right person behind the trigger, it can still do the job even in 2025. The simple operating system and comparatively light recoil make this a fine gun to hand to a beginner - just make sure they go for the eyes.