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Old 01-25-2010, 11:37 AM
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safearm safearm is offline
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Location: Mississippi
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Out West,
Marshall and Sanow documented a number of agencies that had less than acceptable success with the 147 grain 9mm. I believe Indiana State Police was one (Sanow is from Indiana); they went to the Glock 22, and after a number of problems with the gun, went to the Glock 17. I'm not certain, but I believe they are using the either a 124 or 127 grain round.
As I said, I never used the 147 grain round in any department I was with. However, we did go through the 9mm/.38/.357 to .40 conversion. It wasn't necessarily that any of the other calibers were ineffective, it was primarily to match what the state police was carrying, i.e., if it's good enough for the SP, then it's good enough for us.
I believe is was coincidental that failures in the 147 grain 9mm began surfacing at the same time the .40 S&W came out; it was easier for police chiefs to adopt the new round, and the guns to go with it, rather than making the ammo makers come up with a better round. The new gun/ammo combination would also calm officers' fears that they were undergunned, something that wouldn't have the same impact as just replacing the old duty round with a new one.
It's ironic that some agencies that went with the .40 are now going back to the 9mm; Topeka, and Indiana SP are two. In these instances, it was specifically due to failures of the Glock 22. Both Topeka and ISP are using Glock 17s. Chicago and New York have stayed with the 9mm (Glock 17/19) without much fanfare or problem (Chicago uses the 124 grain Winchester Ranger, NY uses 124 grain GD).
Another agency opts for the .40 over the 9mm:
Another Police Agency Adopts the S&W
In the article, the Chief says they are behind the times because they carry the 9mm.
Quoted from "The Stopping Power Debate," by Mas Ayoob, March 2000 American Handgunner:
"FBI, which first adopted the 147 gr. subsonic 9mm, has quickly backpedaled by adopting the .45 ACP for its SWAT and HRT personnel, and adopting the .40 S&W for new agents. Almost every state police agency that got 147 gr. ammo for its 9mm pistols has switched to the .40 or the .45."

Last edited by safearm; 01-25-2010 at 02:50 PM.
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