Army & Air Force Exchange Service

[hsr]

I bought an almost mint 1950's Colt Government Model and couple of months back. The finish is 99+%. The only thing I could see that was not original was that it has what looks like pre-WW 2 walnut grips rather then the correct Bakelite/plastic ones. As I usually do I sent for a Colt Factory Letter figuring it would say "shipped to Sam's Hardware, Oshkosh, WI", but hoping it would say walnut grips. It got the letter today and it didn't say either. Type of Stocks is "Not Listed", so no special order there, but sold to is;

Fiscal Officer 216
Army & Air Force Exchange Service
Finance & Accounting Branch
New York, NY

and shipped to is

Exchange Officer
Central Exchange Warehouse
APO 828, c/o Postmaster
New Orleans, LA

in a shipment of 1. Anyone care to interpret this for me? I the Exchange Service the same as the Post Exchange (PX) or is it something more interesting?

Thanks
Howard

Information

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[Johnny Peppers]

Don't know about the shipping address, but the grips are seldom listed on earlier pistols. Even on the pistols like the SAA which could be ordered with a variety of grips, they almost never listed. When the finish was changed from blue to phosphate on the Colt Pocket Hammerless pistols ordered by the military, the finish continued to be listed as blue.

[Thaine]

hsr,

The exchanges were basically know as PX for Army, BX for Air Force and NX for Navy. At least that was what I always heard them called during my "time" (67-88 USN). I have worked for the Air Force since 89 and they use BX for Base Exchange. The Exchanges used to sell firearms, until sometime in the late 60's or later. They are currently doing that again and there was a lot of press about it around a year ago in the BXs. At one point in time (and maybe still) the PX/BX was run by a seperate group know as the Army Air Force Exchange System (AAFES) and the Navy was the Navy Exchange Syatem (NEX). The address is and APO one so I would suspect it was going to an overseas base.

Thaine

[hsr]

Some pictures

[DaveN]

They are currently doing that again and there was a lot of press about it around a year ago in the BXs.

Hey I'll have my 80 year old dad (the colonel) take me to the base to check it out? Or I'll ask him first if they sell firearms on base. He never liked guns but flew in NAM with a M-16 and a 38 (never fired of course) I would have to guess his moto was I won't shoot them but I'll bomb them? or why shoot them when you can bomb them. kinda like Mohamed Ali..... I'll beat them up but I won't kill them.

He actually flew an observation plane and the guns were in case he was shot down.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

He actually flew an observation plan and the guns were in case he was shot down.

Those FAC's (Forward Air Controllers) had nerves of steel to do what they did. They went ahead of the fighter/bombers/gunships and called in the air strikes. They would often fly low an slow to get the bad guys to shoot at them so they could mark the spot to strike. They were shot down often, but many of them survived to fly another day. Their small aircraft early in Vietnam (O-1 Bird Dogs) were small light weight aircraft and they mostly went down when their engine took a hit, but they could often glide for a ways or nurse their engine to get farther away. All the other type of helicopters to Fighter/bombers valued and respected the FAC's and they did everything humanly possible to get them picked up.

They began to get O-2 FAC's aircraft with an engine to pull and another to push with twin booms behind and it gave them more speed and another engine for security. They were Cessna aircraft in their civilian life, but they were made specially for for their military roll. I have the deepest respect for all of the FAC's. Their only protection was plastic headgear shaped like a baseball cap.

[hsr]

It doesn't look like who ever got it ever used it

[Duane Hansen]

You need to keep your eyes open for an original type set of grip panels for your pistol. The wood grips that you have now are not only the wrong type but are way too beat up to match the wear on the pistol. The piece would look very nice if you get rid of the trashed grips that are on the pistol now.

[A. F Medic]

I would be interested if the BX does sell firearms again. I have been on the web site but never saw anything mentioned about firearms.

From personal experience, it is cheaper to go to Walmart then buy at the US BX. That only applies stateside. Good thing is they do not charge for shipping. At least they didn't before.