Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas Star
Retired spcl. agent Larry Wack shows up here occasionally. He's an FBI historian. You may have seen him on TV in a series about famous FBI cases.
He's mentioned Bureau guns. That corresponds with what I said above.
Why was the Colt Official Police the first issued? I suspect that Hoover asked NYPD, and that was their main gun.
Oddly, the Colt Police Positive Special seems not to have been popular. If the Detective Special was authorized, why not this longer barreled version? It'd be handier and easier to conceal than the OP.
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In actuality, agents of the BOI (later re-named the FBI) were permitted to carry guns much earlier than 1934. See the following:
FBI Firearms: Myth Of The '34 Crime Bill
and
https://static1.squarespace.com/stat...0w/McHenry.JPG
Also see the inventory of bureau equipment turned in when Agent Jentzer left the bureau in 1919:
SA Roy McHenry - Evidence Of Early Handguns
As to why the Bureau adopted the Colt Police Positive, it had nothing to do with the NYPD. Director Hoover had a weapons committee study the question of not only handguns, but shotguns, rifles, and machine guns. His committee made recommendations, and the Director adopted the recommendations. See:
https://static1.squarespace.com/stat...nCommittee.pdf
Also, the first "issue gun" was not the Colt OP, but the Police Positive in 38 Special. There was apparently some push back as some wanted the .45 Auto. Another study was done, and the Bureau agreed to the 38 Special, but using 38/44 ammo with the 158 grain (mistakenly referred to as grams in the report) Keith wemi-wadcutter. Colt guaranteed the Police Positive for use with the 38/44 ammo. See the following, and note the velocity of the 38 Special, 1125 fps:
https://static1.squarespace.com/stat...ith+bullet.pdf
Clyde Tolson took the side of the agents against Hugh Clegg, who only wanted the new Police Positives to remain in the offices, checked out as needed. Here is the Tolson letter, training memo, and the initial order from Colt so that enough Police Positives could be obtained from Colt to issue one to each agent. Note that the Bureau already had a large number in stock, and those that were in good or excellent condition were not replaced, but merely supplemented.
https://static1.squarespace.com/stat...lttraining.pdf
Here is the inventory of revolvers and holsters, from which Mr. Tolson determined how many Police Positives to order:
https://static1.squarespace.com/stat...stribution.pdf
Mr. Wack is a good friend, and I had the honor of consulting with him on the article concerning the myth that agents were forbidden the use of arms prior to the 1934 Act. That article is here:
https://static1.squarespace.com/stat...46/weapons.pdf
Mr. Wack's site is a wonderful tribute to agents of the Bureau, and it is a great way to spend hours reading while enjoying your early morning coffee. I encourage all of you to go there and explore.
Also, I encourage all of you to read the book American Agent by Melvin Purvis. The account of the Little Bohemia raid in that book is so detailed you can almost feel yourself freezing on the running boards of the only cars that didn't break down as the agents traveled from the little airport through the cold night on their way to the Lodge for the Dillinger shootout.
The letters and correspondence on Mr. Wack's historical G-Man site show a side of J. Edgar Hoover that is neither acknowledged nor understood by the media, or his loud and vociferous critics.
Good show Larry Wack!