Quote:
Originally Posted by lawandorder
This just an uneducated guess . Part of it may be that the cost of the M&P in .22 caliber reduced the profit margins for S&W. Also lots of cheaper choices for .22 plinkers for general market .
The other part is that training is expensive. Hourly costs incured by Officers and Instructors, ammunition costs, range construction, outfitting and maintenance can add up.
Then also training time away from duty can run departments short on shifts.
It seems like since TR first mandated revolver practice for NYPD ,LE Administrators have viewed sidearm training as a necessary evil. Of course not realizing always that lack of proper training increases the government entity's, the department's, and those same administration's liability greatly.
If S&W ever does decide to resurrect the Model 45 I hope it occures after the funeral of the lock.
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Until the US Supreme Court decision in Garcia v San Antonio (1985), local and state governments were generally thought to be exempt from having to pay overtime or even comp time. Some agencies had agreed to do one or the other in union contracts but most said "thank you for showing up for training/qualification, we appreciate your dedication but you won't get paid a nickel more.". The Model 45 was long gone by 1985. The rest of the costs are correct. until, you factor in how cheap practice 22 compared to even reloaded 38 in those days was.
Some officers looked at their sidearm like a carpenter does a hammer and did the absolute minimum. Even today that attitude prevails, the more dedicated ones supplement dept. minimum with skills acquired on their own time.