Hello Forum,

When I got hold of my Model 28-2 Highway Patrolman, it came to me with a nice blue & gray coffee mug with VA State Police emblem and shield. I always hoped that I could trace it to an active/retired VA State LEO.....still trying!

I started into research on the VA State troopers duty weapons through the years and saw other threads on the Forum about State cop guns from all around, but very little on Virginia, and nothing about their possible issue of Model 28's.

Anyway....I did find some neat history on Virginia State Police and thought I would relate some of the "duty weapon" dates and comments recorded on official Virginia State Police records:

1967: The six-inch revolver and swing type motorcycle holster were replaced with four-inch revolver and stationary holster.
1974: All Thompson .45 submachine guns in inventory were sold. They had been in use since the 1930's.
1990: Revolvers were replaced with 10mm semi-automatic pistols.
1993: The Sig Sauer 9mm replaced the troublesome Smith & Wesson service pistols.
1997: The 9mm Sig Sauer semi automatic was replaced with the Sig Sauer .357 semi automatic handgun because it was determined to be a ballistically superior weapon.

My 28-2 shipped in 1974 so fits right in with the timeline and could very possibly be one issued to Va State Troopers before switching to Sigs in 1990. At least hope springs eternal.

So.......this is neat history....all I have to do now is track down the retired trooper that had my 28-2 and trade him back his coffee mug for one of those Thompsons he probably bought from the department!

__________________
Charlie B
SWCA#3083, SWHF#570

Good luck with that!

Ivam

Interesting bits of Virginia HP history. Thanks for posting it!

How were the 10mm's "troublesome"?

The lines taken from the Virginia State Police historical files are just that: one or two liners that I quoted....no other details and/or explanations shown, so I really have no idea what caused them to write "troublesome" about the Smith & Wesson semi's but they did use the words "troublesome Smith & Wesson", as I quoted.

Also as quoted, they did switch from 6 inch revolvers to 4 inch revolvers, but the historical does NOT define any brand or model number so it is only wishful thinking on my part that they may have been S & W Model 28 . It could have also been that other brand that has the cylinder rotating the wrong way

__________________
Charlie B
SWCA#3083, SWHF#570

Dunno, but I went to a Criminal Justice college in early '70's. Had a classmate in USAF in MP, issued M15 Smith revolver. Saw an article in the paper regarding an event in VA near WV border. He was Lieutenant Ronald Boatwright. Fine man. Wish I could get in touch

The 10 mm were probably the same type of S&W auto that the FBI dropped, too, because of tolerance problems causing jams and trigger sticking. This was called "tolerance stack-up".

Some former FBI agents here may want to add more.

The Bureau replaced their troublesome S&W's with SIG 9mm's and have also allowed .40 and .45 SI'Gs. Now, all Glocks, currently in 9mm.

I don't know what VA uses. If they still have the SIG .357's, it is probably a wise choice. I think TX DPS issues SIG P-226 in .357 SIG. Dallas PD mostly has 9mm P-226 and some P-228. Officers wanting a .357 SIG can also buy P-229. The officer I asked said he preferred the .357 SIG because Dallas issues 147 grain 9mm and he wants more velocity. The .357 will also penetrate some barriers, like cars, better than will subsonic 9mm.

My P229 .357 SIG has never failed me. I have experienced jams
with .40 S&W though!

I wanna get a Bar-Sto 9mm barrel for practice though!