What kind of 22 pistols did the military use during the Vietnam war?

Answer 1

The USAF airmen did have .38 snub nose revolvers available to them as an issue weapon. By various trade methods, those revolvers did make their way into ground troop's hands, as well as USMC & USN airmen's possession. The standard US Military sidearm during the war was the model 1911A1 Colt .45 auto-pistol; all US Army/Marine tank crewmen, infantry officers, etc. carried .45's.

The NVA packed K54 pistols, both Chicom (Chinese Communist) & Soviet versions. The term Chicom was officially used in both verbal and written US military reports. Most enemy equipment in the 1970's; from ammunition to the weapons themselves were of Chicom manufacture. The Soviets had to land supplies thru Haiphong Harbor...the Red Chinese simply trucked them across the border; consequently, more Chicom war material reached the hands of the NVA than did Soviet equipment. With the one exception of MiG21 jets and SAMs, the vast majority of those weapons...if not all of those weapons were of Soviet manufacture and landed in Haiphong Harbor...which is one of the reasons those particular weapons began to "dry up" during the final stages of the war, due to extensive usage and loss rates.

Answer 2

Very limited use of Ruger automatic pistols. These were the Standard Automatic with a heavy barrel, threaded for a suppressor.

There was also a very limited use of the High Standard HDMS suppressed pistol.

Both were used by Special Operations personnel, and not as a primary combat arm.