Raised in western New York, south of Buffalo, the only handguns I ever saw were the .38 Special Colts and Smiths on the town's police force.
I went into the Air Force at 18 and qualified on the Smith & Wesson Model 15's then in service. Four days total on the range, two with the Model 15's and the 2nd two with the M-1 Garand. This was in '64, and long before the M-16 went into the inventory, circa 1966.
The Model 15's stayed around though, and I was issued one on arriving in Vietnam, in January of '70. Mine stayed in my foot locker after the first month in country however, and I got a 1911a1 from the Special Forces guys I was flying and living with. A far better gun for close up work in the trenches and fighting positions on the camp's perimeter.
Later, a Browning Hi Power came my way and I carried that for the rest of my 1st tour in that hell hole of a country. Best Regards, Rod