Source: ATF P 5300.11 · Curios or Relics List · Jan 1972 – Apr 20253,573 entries · 4 sections
The C&R RegisterA finding aid to the ATF Curios or Relics List, for Type 03 collectors
C&R · II · 526

S&W M13 Aircrewman

Section II: curio or relic, still subject to the Gun Control Act

Official wording

ATF P 5300.11 · APRIL 2025 EDITION · SECTION II · VERBATIM · PDF P. 17 ↗

Smith & Wesson, U.S. Air Force contract M13 Aircrewman, cal. .38 Special, 5-shot J frame revolver, 6-shot K frame revolver, all variations.

What this entry requires

  • ATF REQUIRESMade or imported as stated: “U.S. Air Force contract M13 Aircrewman”
  • INFOATF states no date; production was about 1951–1957.

Editorial facts · Our research

Country
United States¹
Manufacturer
Smith & Wesson
Type
Pistol
Action
Other²
Caliber
.38 Special
Made
1951–1957production; ATF states no date³⁴
Service
Military
Search listings ↗Check a specific gunReport an error ↗

Source

Official wording
ATF P 5300.11, April 2025 edition · Section II · PDF p. 17 ↗ · ATF original ↗
Entries
1 line
Verbatim check
Checked against the PDF text before every release
Editorial facts
Confidence: High · Last revised 18 October 2026 (Evidence pass) · How we rate confidence
References
  1. Wikipedia, “Smith & Wesson” ↗, country: Wikipedia: Smith & Wesson is an American firearm manufacturer, founded in Norwich, Connecticut / Springfield, Massachusetts
  2. Wikipedia, “Smith & Wesson Model 12” ↗, action
  3. gunvalues.gundigest.com ↗, years: Gun Digest: USAF M-13 (Aircrewman) "Manufactured from 1951 to 1957 for the U.S. Air Force on the thinner Model 12 aluminum K-frame"; Baby Aircrewman (J-frame) listed alongside
  4. Wikipedia, “Smith & Wesson Model 12” ↗, years: Wikipedia: "In 1953, the United States Air Force (USAF) ordered" the M13 (sources differ on the start year)
Fact tags
  • ATF the ATF wording states it.
  • REF ¹ an outside reference supports it; the number points to the list of references.
  • ESTIMATE an approximate or indirect reading, for example the production range of the base model.
  • NO CITATION we haven’t attached a reference for this fact; it’s our editorial reading, not ATF’s.
Source checked
20 October 2026: ATF’s page still lists the April 2025 edition
Corrections
1 change · see below

Correction history

  1. Evidence passYears: 1953–1954 → 1951–1957. Gun Digest (Standard Catalog) gives M13 Aircrewman manufacture 1951–1957; Wikipedia dates the USAF order to 1953 — widened to cover both

All corrections · How corrections work

Historical context

Smith & Wesson Model 12 (base model shown for S&W M13 Aircrewman)
Shown: a Model 12 Airweight, not this Air Force M13 Aircrewman.

Image: Wikimedia Commons, “My .38 SPL S & W model 12-2 (5).jpg” by Mesinge2, CC BY-SA 3.0. Retrieved October 2026.

Summary: Wikipedia, “Smith & Wesson Model 12”. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.

FROM WIKIPEDIA

The Smith & Wesson (S&W) Model 12 is a .38 Special revolver on Smith & Wesson's medium-sized K-frame. It is an aluminium alloy-frame version of the Model 10. It was made from 1953 to 1986 in both two-inch (50.8 mm), 17 ounces (482g) and four-inch (101.6 mm), 19 ounces (539g) configurations. Early models used an aluminum cylinder as well as frame.