I worked for Arizona DPS from 1972 to 2008 and our linage goes back to 1931, when the Arizona Highway Patrol was formed, one year after California Highway Patrol was founded. From 1931 until 1969 it remained a separate state agency, but in 1969 the Department of Public Safety was formed. DPS folded the highway patrol, state narcotics, state liquor control, state crime lab and state criminal history records (which was housed at the Arizona state prison in Florence) into one mega state agency headquartered in Phoenix. The highway patrol was the main source of staffing and remained largely the same, all sworn badges were still a seven pointed star and had the rank of Patrolman, Sergeant etc. on an rocker below the state seal. Our patrol cars still had the door star with Arizona Highway Patrol written on it and the truck lid still stated Arizona Highway Patrol. Only two things changed on the uniform, the shoulder patch was redesigned in the shape of Arizona and it was lettered with Arizona Department of Public Safety. The other change was the uniform cover, from a military to the campaign cover which is still worn to day.

Although it had state wide police authority we followed tradition and referred to ourselves has a highway patrol instead of state police. It remained that way until a just few years back when the nomenclature on the badge, shoulder patch, and patrol cars was changed to State Trooper.

As for service weapons, prior to 1969 officers purchased their own S&W K frames in either 38 special or 357 magnum or a Colt revolver in the same caliber. When we became DPS the agency now began to issue the S&W model 15 to new officers, like me, and all ammunition was standardized with the introduction of 38 caliber 110 grain Super Vel hollow points. Older officers still carried their personally weapons and with in a few years they too were replaced with agency issued model 15's.

Some time around 1981 the department allowed officers to carry 357's with 125 grain Remington hollow point magnum ammo, but the officer had to purchase their own weapon again, and they were required to qualify with said weapon with magnum or carry their issued model 15. The majority of the officers still carried the model 15's, maybe 20 percent of switched to 357's some time during that period some model 66's were issued to our motors due the weather and conditions that the riders were exposed too. Things remained that way until when the agency transitioned to the Sig autos, up to maybe around the late 1980's, we were still issued the six shot bullet loops, although by then speed loaders were authorized, again at the officer's own expense.

I hope that this answers the original question.