Just got hold of a 1959, Model 10 no dash with a 5" barrel. Seems like a really nice balance in my hands, and I think the 5" revolvers may have been a choice for LEO's back in 1959.

Anyway I've got a lot of 38 Special factory ammo laying around and I would just like to know as to what may have been a issue duty round for LEO's in 1959. I know there may be a zillion different answers as there are so many different agencies, but if any of you current or ex LEO's have a favorite, let us know.

I have a lot of following available from my ammo stash, so what might be the closest:

130 gr FMJ; 132 gr FMJ, 158 gr LRN, 158 gr FMC-F (Full Metal Case-Flat nose); 135 gr JHP+P. I've got several different brands so I didn't bother to list the OEM's.

If you were a beat cop, or cruiser/motor/patrolman in 1959 what ammo from above would you have loaded in your wheel gun when headed out for shift?

Thanks in advance for any replies. I'm just thinking I'd like to experience recoil and POA/POI that maybe LEO would way back when.

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Charlie B
SWCA#3083, SWHF#570

I wasn’t a cop until ‘84, but my dad was a cop from 64-84. He carried 158 gr LRN in his Colt Official Police.

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213th FBINA

The 158 Gr. LRN was pretty much the average LEO ammo for quite a long time. I became a Leo in 1969 and the 158 Gr LRN was the round we carried and had been carrying for the previous 10 years.

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Dogs are better than people.

158 gr LRN was pretty much cop-standard for .38 Special into the 1970s. When Super Vel ammo came out in the 1970s, things began to change, but not everywhere and not all at once. https://www.handgunsmag.com/editoria...el-ammo/137747

Until the early 1970s when the FBI load was introduced the 158 gr. RNL was pretty much universally issued by police agencies. There were a few, very few, that issued the Super-Vel ammunition, but this was the exception.

Now you (or someone else) have asked asked the same question from both ends in the past week or so! Are you a believer yet?

(It was press-1-for english on 2/10/'24.) He wanted to know what was primary issue in 1971! It was approximately 1971 when the 158 RNL was replaced by most departments by the FBI load. Here is a link to that thread: https://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...-load-38-speci

The 130 FMJ was what you would have found military and military police carrying, I believe. I saw some writers calling the 158 LRN a widow maker round and such. Not considered to be a great manstopper but I suppose it depended on where it hit and how much motivation and adrenaline your adversary had.

Well, I was only a youngster at that time.

However, I remember when my dad took his S&W .38SPL to the range, and he bought ammunition to use that was carried by police. I remember he bought the ubiquitous 158gr RNL, but he also bought the .38SPL 200gr Super Police.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

I started in 1969. We had to furnish our own sidearms then. I knew nothing about handguns then and most of the guys on the force carried 158 LRN so that is what I got to go in my model 10-3. I began studying handguns. ballistics, and such and got away from the 158 LRN and the .38 special. I got a model 19 with a variety of hollow points and sometimes mixed in a few armor piercing in cash I needed to shoot behind a wall or disable a car. Things change. I carry a variety of calibers and handguns now, mostly .357 magnum in a revolver or a 40 or a nine in a pistol. I practice with all of them.

Both WW and Remington had "Hi-Speed" loads in that era and some were issued or even privately purchased by "Gunnies" of the time.
Metal Piercing loads were available as well as the the 200 Gr. "Manstopper".

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Good shooting.

In Nashville during that era it was 158 LRN for the city police. That was issue but a lot of those guys swapped them out as soon as they left the station house for the 158 grain LSWC stuff that was much more effective.

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Grumpy Old Man With a Gun

In 1959 it was 158 LRN.

One agency I worked for was still using 158 LRN in 1983.

130 FMJ was the military round.

The bad reputation of the 158 LRN was just a ploy to sell high end ammunition just like today.

I started in 81 and I was issued 158 grain lead round nose. That was the issue load way before I got there. There wasn't much checking so I replaced mine with 158 grain lead semi wad cutter, +P as soon as I got off probation. Shortly after we were allowed to carry 357's if we bought them. There had been a case where a Trooper had shot a guy 6 times with the round nose load and ended up having to pistol whip him into submission so at that point, JHP's were allowed. 125 grain Federal's was the load I carried. The guys who still had 38's were given 125 grain JHP, +P. I still have half of the box of Remington 38 LRN that I was issued when I started.

Sadly your question is rather loaded, officially police carried what was issued to them. However many did indeed carry unauthorized ammunition all the time.

Many were smart, and used hi velocity DEWC loaded in the factory empties of department issued wadcutter ammo picked up from the range. NO ONE was going to worry if an officier accidentally loaded his gun with practice wadcutters by accident.

MANY officers that carried a magnum revolver, did the Keith and Skelton trick of loaded department issued brass with magnum level ammunition. For a fact the kieth 170 grain lswc-HP magnum load in special brass was popular in the Detroit detective department in the 50s and 60s.

In Baton Rouge , Louisiana , in 1959 , the ammo was 158 gr. Lead Round Nose , standard velocity , in nickle plated cases the rigs belt holster and ammo pouch , were black and made by Bianchi .

No hollow points , no jacketed bullets , no +P ammo and no Magnums ... those would come later , in the 1970's ... but not in 1959 Baton Rouge Louisiana .
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

Back in the 60's my father knew a person that was paid in 158 gr LRN bullets, from the Chief of Police in his town, for exchange of his services to the chief, for swaping services.

My father swaped chores with this gentleman and he also ended up with several boxs of 38 special ammo, for the few revolvers, that he owned.

I remember the date at around 1962, or so.

I’ve told this story before but here goes. I started on the job in 1984 and was issued 125 grain JHP +P rounds for my Combat Masterpiece. I remember they made an awesome flash at night.
My Dad was on the job around 1960 and was issued 158 grain
RNL ammunition. The issued holster had exposed ammo loops and Dad kept the loops filled with the duty ammo.
He carried hot hand loads and later Super-Vel ammo in the cylinder and in his pockets.
He didn’t trust the RNL stuff.