In November 1971 I was accepted into the local PD as a police trainee. I was excited and proud to be part of a LE organization as my boyhood dreams, of being a cop, were being realized. In 1971, the six-shot .38 Special, was the standard issue of many, if not most, PD's. Our agency issued the S&W Model 10-5, in blue and with the standard 4-inch barrel. I didn't realize it at the time, because of youth and undeveloped firearms knowledge, but the Model 10, all variations, was the 'finest' in six-shot .38 Service Revolvers for LE use. In 71, my rookie year, the Colt Official Police had been discontinued around 1968, but many were on the used gun shelves in GS. Colt had given up the .38 market down here and surrendered that market to S&W. The Model 10-5 and a blue steel, 4-inch Colt Official Police were my service/duty revolvers in the early years of my career. The OP was a postwar model and a little more 'bulkier' than the S&W I was issued. The only aftermarket grips available in those years was the beautiful walnut Herrett Grips. The Herrett 'Shooting Star" Target Grips was my choice for my Model 10 and OP. The 4-inch S&W Model 10 or Colt OP.38 service revolvers was a common sight on a cop's hip in 1971, with a lot of Herrett Grips being on those six-guns. The Model 10 with the standard 4" barrel was 'the' cop six-gun here, in 71! No heavy barrel models were observed by myself in my youth, even though these bull bbl. guns had been around since 1959. The 10-5 was the all-around sidearm with our PD, even with some of our plainclothes officers who perferred the larger six-shot 4" wheelgun over the 2" snub nose Model 36 or Detective Special.

Well, its almost 43-years later in my LE career. The revolver was surrendered, save one, in 1992 for the S&W 4586, and now with the S&W M&P .45 Pistol. Our SO, save one, issues the Glock 21 and I'm still hanging on to the Colt OP, mentioned earlier. Grand-fathered in, you might say, but still holding on to something, still viable, from the past. Like the six-shot .38 Special, in my trained hands, still serving & protecting. My duty sidearm was just one of many in past times, now, highly uncommon! Just an old cop here hanging on to a 'tool' that still works! Thank you my friends and sorry for the length.

David

I have a number of more modern and expensive guns but somehow this old M&P gets carried the most and does nightstand duty. I was told at the gunstore a older woman brought it in and said it was her fathers gun as a cop in the early 1950`s. It had goodyears on it and I put the stags on. As a lockheed guard we were issued 4" colt offical police`s. Later they went to 586`s and ruger speed six`s. I mostly carried the colt for 35 years.

Still a few gray-haired coppers on the LAPD and NYPD carrying revolvers. My 2" .38, given to me while on probation, is my carry gun in retirement. Great post.
Bob

That sure is a handsome M&P.

I've engaged in some friendly conversation with a few Philadelphia officers still carrying revolvers, S&W 64HB's or 65's. They were older veterans. Don't remember the load they were using but I think it was .38 Spec +p, 125 JHP. Not certain. Reasons that I can recall cited: Can hit what I'm aiming at; Totally dependable; If you need more than six rounds, you need more range time; Too many problems with issue Glocks .

I went to the range 2 days ago with my pencil barrel 10-6 that was a VA DOC gun. I carry that gun to and from work often. It shoots better than i can.

There are a few old "dinosaurs" on the force who talk of the old days of revolvers. One in particular played a part in my love of the .41 Magnum.

Well it might be a model 10-9 but I would not carry anything else.



Enjoy

Pete

Was born in 1957 and just turned 57 this September. I grew up with revolvers; carried and competed with them. My favorite indoor gun was a model 14 K38. TH, TT 6" Bbl. and a trigger as smooth as silk! My PPC guns were 4" & 6" model 586's. Unfortunately, all those have been gone for a lot of years. In 2011, my dad passed away and I inherited his LNIB Model 10-8, 4" HB, in Nickel finish. My fiancé even bought me a nice wood presentation case to put it in. It has never seen the inside of the case. It resides in a nicely worn leather holster and gets taken to the range with my other pistols. That way, I get to spend some range time with him.

I would never feel under-gunned with a revolver on my side, and as far as a 38 Special, you'd be hard pressed to do better than a S&W Model 10. Truth is, I think the revolver is still a better choice for new LE recruits just starting out. Less to learn, less to worry about and more apt to be accurate starting out. Just my opinion here.

And to all those Officers, past and present, who still choose "To Protect and Serve"; Thank You...

I started my career in 1972 with a ca. 1957 pre-Mod 10. It is factory nickel and has hammer, trigger, and cylinder release GOLD plated. ( I didn't do it. It was that way when I bought it.) This was fairly common when and where I started. it also has well worn stag grips. I don't actually carry it anymore but it still makes it to the range once in a while. It is still a very accurate revolver. It gets a lot of stares from the rookies too. Looks a little different from their Glocks.

__________________
Retired Dep Sheriff & Armorer

And Thank You, for all your years as a LEO. There ought to be a special holiday , thanking all Police and Fire Departments for their public safety services.
Unfortunately, in 2014 our country's moral status has deteriorated to a point that ......... well, as Merle wrote, a snow ball rolling down hill heading for Hell.

Please let me second that!

I understand the attachment. I carried several Smiths on the job, mostly a model 19. In later years we went to Glocks (also good weapons). In retirement I own, shoot and carry numerous Smiths. Have a heavy barrel 10 that is one of my best shooters. I still find myself shooting, polishing or dry firing one of my 19s almost everyday.

It's a nice thought, but I'll bet we don't all get to take the day off!

Revolvers are excellent and I wouldn't have an issue if mandated to carry one. I did in fact retire carrying a revolver although it was a 625 in .45 acp. I went to a combat handgun class with a bunch of slick sleeves and got the usual catcalls that old timers get wearing " black powder guns " and " antiques ". I always practice reloads with my " moon clips ", and in the end I was able to out reload and win the "El President' ", shoot off against the rest of the class armed with semi auto's. It doesn't make me the best,... lord knows I'm not but when you practice and know you have to try just a tad harder because your limited to 6 rounds before a reload I feel it makes you more confidant.

About a decade later I started with a 4in pencil bbl , even though in the years since been issued more of 4in HB , and M15 .

Actually in my region in the early '70's , there was still substantial use of 6in pencil bbls ( and swivel holsters of course). By the late '70s the 4in HB was dominate.

For my personal druthers I'd prefer .357 or .44spl , but you could do a lot worse than a 4in .38 for default issue weapon for the marginally trained , infrequently practicing rank and file. [ Of course in my dream world , I would also let those so inclined and skilled to use larger , if seperatly qualified with them.]

I was issued a Model 10-6 HB when I hired on in Sept. 72. Could have bought it when we went to Model 66's, but I didn't. Regretted that decision, so I have a like new in the box 10-6 residing in my safe. Haven't fired it yet.

Did buy my 4" and 2" Model 66's when we went to the the Sig P-226. That was given to me when I retired.

In 1971 I finish my Military Service, left the 82nd and went home and finished my last year of college. I then entered Federal Service. The Agency I worked for issued us S&W or Colt .38s or we could carry our own handgun as long as it was a "Good Quality American Made Revolver" ie. S&W or Colt and had a 2, 4, 5 or 6 inch barrel. I had bought several revolvers while I was in the Military so I carried my 4 inch Model 19 and a 2 inch RB Model 36. A couple of years later I had to go to a place off and on that had Mr. Grizz living there and I started carrying a 4 inch Model 29 as my duty revolver. Later when I left Federal Service and became a Chief of Police I carried a 686 L Frame with a 3 inch barrel. We switched over to Semi Autos and my Revolvers went into the Safe.

I'll never forget, in my fist job in Federal Service, I ask once if I could carry a semi auto, either a Browning HP or a 1911. The looks on my Supervisor's and Chief's Face should have been preserved for posterity. Gross Blasphemy was not tolerated.

Funny how we ended up for the most part in everybody carrying Semi Autos.

Rule 303