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Old 05-18-2010, 07:27 PM
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BE Mike BE Mike is offline
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Originally Posted by The Proffesor View Post
I am one of those "Dinosaurs) In mid 1960s the Dept. issue was the mdl. 10 .38 spl. Did we feel "under gunned = YES, But Many of us switched to .357 mag.s ASAP Mine was a 4" 19 ( also carried a 6" in the "outback")

In the mid 60s,the Dept. started looking @ Semi Autos. They settled on "testing out the S&W 39 ( 9mm) They had a few of us "instructors" put them through the "paces" Our "conclutions:
1. As a Duty gun = NO
a. Not as "reliable" as a Revolver
b. 9mm rnd. = no better than the .38 spl. & def. not as good as the .357 mag.
2. Off duty ( we we req'd to carry 24/7) ok
3. Plain Clothes = ????

The Dept. did go to semis in the late 70s, but Many, (esp. the "old timers) got "waivers" & stayed with their .357 mag.s

Did we ever "feel" under gunned ?? Depends
1. In respect to a "hand gun" situation ( where we could not access our "long guns" (12ga. shoot guns or our rifles) = NO

BTW, I still most often carry a .357 mag ( occasionally a .45 ACP 1911)
Do I feel "out gunned with my .357s ?? + NO But then again I was "trained" to "put rounds on target" & NOT "s\Spray & Pray"

The Proffesor
I are a dinosaur too!

My point of relaxed agency marksmanship requirements and individual marksmanship abilities weren't intended to mean that limiting an officer to six shots improved his level of proficiency. For some reason, when my agency went to all autos the scoring rings got bigger and the distances shot were decreased significantly. The new recruits from the academy had difficulty qualifying with this easier course. The dinosaurs didn't have that problem. I shot the old course with revolver and auto (both with service issued duty ammo) and my scores were within 1 point, so lack of accuracy from the auto wasn't the problem. I just think that the fundamentals of marksmanship were never instilled in the trainees when autos were introduced. There was a new philosophy, to which I still don't subscribe.

I always liked the shotgun when going into a known "situation". In my first agency, the shotgun was handy in the car. As a general rule, in the agency where I retired, long guns weren't readily available. When I found myself in a scrape, I only had a handgun.

I do feel lucky that I received so much top notch firearms training and tactical training throughout my career. It was sometimes a pain, but we always seemed to be able to qualify with all weapons every three months. Many aren't nearly as fortunate.

While never feeling under-gunned with the .357 magnum revolver, I felt equally comfortable with a .40 S&W auto.

Last edited by BE Mike; 05-18-2010 at 07:30 PM.
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