In the late 1980's I became a member of the U.S. Customs Special Response Team in Los Angeles. At the time the U.S. Customs Service allowed for an agent to carry many different personally owned weapons. Since I had been in the Military Police, I was very comfortable with a 1911 pistol. I carried one for about six years before transferring to the Los Angeles area. After my second year on the team, the policy was changed, and we could no longer carry single action autos.

I went to a 645 almost immediately, and it was a great pistol, especially in a tactical role. I carried in a thigh rig, so concealing it was never an issue. I also purchased a 4516-1 as a concealment gun, and it worked just as well as it's larger counterpart. I carried the 645 and 4516-1 until Glock came out with the Glock 21. With it's high capacity, I soon retired the S&W's.