The top photo shows the S&W Airweight Model 12, presumably that's what was in the survival kit. Maybe it was rare in 1964.

The SR-71 Blackbird Crew Members Survival Kit included a very rare Aluminum Gun (the Gun was made in Aluminum to keep it Lightweight)

Although no SR-71 was ever shot down, Blackbird’s pilots and RSOs had a survival kit fitted with several non-traditional items.

...Of interest is the fact that the Blackbird’s survival kit included a very rare aluminum gun! Yes, you read it right! The gun was made in aluminum to keep it lightweight. My dad, Col Richard (Butch) Sheffield former SR-71 Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO), told my husband, Rodney Miller about the gun for protection...

Complete article which has very little on the gun:

https://theaviationgeekclub.co...keep-it-lightweight/

Very interesting! This paragraph gave me a chuckle:

“According to Last Stand On Zombie Island, one long-standing joke/urban legend was that the SR-71’s survival kit contained: “One low power 38 revolver; two boxes of ammunition; four days’ concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; three pair of nylon stockings.”

I wonder if their wives knew of those provisions.

A bit more about the revolver, including the fact that aluminum cylinders proved unsatisfactory in the long run:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/..._%26_Wesson_Model_12

The lipstick and stockings were probably included as an idea for improving relations with any local women they might encounter, but condoms (which were commonly referred to as prophylactics in that era) could be used to carry water in something like a helmet.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
Very interesting! This paragraph gave me a chuckle:

“According to Last Stand On Zombie Island, one long-standing joke/urban legend was that the SR-71’s survival kit contained: “One low power 38 revolver; two boxes of ammunition; four days’ concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; three pair of nylon stockings.”

I wonder if their wives knew of those provisions.

that’s from Dr. Strangelove FYI

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
<snip>
but condoms (which were commonly referred to as prophylactics in that era) could be used to carry water in something like a helmet.

Yeah, no doubt that was the reason condoms were in the kit.

Are we having reading comprehension issues this morning?

Now, let's try this again, and thus time, please read the article and read the posts in the thread before responding. Neither are very long.

Wasn’t there a fairly rare flight deck all alloy revolver made at some point. Not just an airweight per se? Is the gun in the article the same thing or am I thinking of something else?

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:
The top photo shows the S&W Airweight Model 12, presumably that's what was in the survival kit. Maybe it was rare in 1964.

the aluminum cylinder version is super rare today also. It’s confusing because the Model 12 was adopted by the Air Force as the “M13”. With aluminum cylinders at first, though some were later changed to steel.

Some more info for any interested.
https://revolverguy.com/the-sw...n-airweight-classic/

I have a very nice condition 38 M&P Airweight with the Aluminium cylinder

The one I own was shipped in October of 1953





It is astonishingly light and while I would not hesitate to use it in a life threatening situation, I have no plans on ever firing it

By the time Smith & Wesson had transitioned to Model numbers (12 & 13) in 1957 the aluminium cylinder had been replaced with steel

^^^^^^^^
Thanks for the photos. Looks good!

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
Yeah, no doubt that was the reason condoms were in the kit.

Yes, according to the actual article, all that about condoms and lipstick was just what was rumored about the survival kit, not (according to at least one other source) its actual contents.

Such rumors may have had a bit of factual basis because I have seen references to other survival kits that mentioned things like local money or even gold coins that could have been of possible help during evasion efforts.

Jesus.

No.

No, no.

Listen:

quote:

...two boxes of ammunition; four days’ concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; three pair of nylon stockings.

Aside from the pistol, it is verbatim from Dr. Strangelove. It's a joke. J-o-k-e

The SR-71 Crew Member Survival Kit did not contain condoms, lipstick or women's nylons.

For the love of God, are we clear on this now?

Not to drift us too far, but Dr. Strangelove is an absolute classic. I think it's one of Kubrick's best.

I sure would like to have one of those miniature combination Russian phrasebook/bibles.

I want to know what was in the envelope.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
I want to know what was in the envelope.

Cyanide

I ran across one those aluminum. Cylinder Smiths at a Cabellas gun room. They wanted several hundred for it. I don’t remember exactly. It was gone when I return days later to ponder it again. I guess you have take the oddities as soon as they catch your eye. I also missed an old thumb trigger 22 rifle at a gunshow and a $1800 SCAR16 a few years ago. Snooze and loose.

Most of these aluminum cylinder revolvers were returned to the factory, where the aluminum cylinders were crushed and the revolvers fitted with a steel cylinder.

S&W also made aluminum cylinder Chiefs Specials, both square and round butt. The rarest of them all was the Centennial- only 37 made IIRC. In 1995, I bought one mint unfired from a pawn shop in Douglasville, GA, for 450.00. I called Roy Jinks to confirm. He about jumped out of his drawers after confirming the serial number. Next day, I got a call from Ray Brazile, a sweetheart of a man, just a really nice guy. I traded my Centennial to him for a Model of 1950 .44 Special 4", also mint, plus a nice little check from him, too. Working a deal like that has a tendency to go to your head, know what I mean?

How's that for a compliment from Roy Jinks? He locates one of the rarest of the rare, and of all the dealers and collectors he knew, he calls Ray Brazile to let him know about it. That tells you what Jinks thought of the man, and I share his opinion.

I also had a square butt Chiefs Special with an aluminum cylinder I bought from Chuck's Firearms in Buckhead, that also went to Ray. That one impressed him greatly because it had that little "bug" screw on the edge of the top screw on the side plate. "You just don't see 'em," he said.

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:
The top photo shows the S&W Airweight Model 12, presumably that's what was in the survival kit. Maybe it was rare in 1964.

The SR-71 Blackbird Crew Members Survival Kit included a very rare Aluminum Gun (the Gun was made in Aluminum to keep it Lightweight)

Although no SR-71 was ever shot down, Blackbird’s pilots and RSOs had a survival kit fitted with several non-traditional items.

...Of interest is the fact that the Blackbird’s survival kit included a very rare aluminum gun! Yes, you read it right! The gun was made in aluminum to keep it lightweight. My dad, Col Richard (Butch) Sheffield former SR-71 Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO), told my husband, Rodney Miller about the gun for protection...

Complete article which has very little on the gun:

https://theaviationgeekclub.co...keep-it-lightweight/

No Sr71 was ever shot down??

Did Gary Powers run out of gas over the USSR?

That was a U2 not SR71.