LEOs: Revolvers for Duty in 2019?

Is the revolver still an effective police sidearm in 2019?

  • Yes

    Votes: 134 55.4%

  • No

    Votes: 108 44.6%
  • Total voters
    242
J

JayFramer

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Friends, this one is mainly directed at our large group of Law Enforcement members, past and present.

2-AB02-B79-813-E-4-BD2-BBC9-ABC98-EFD3-CCC.jpg


I am aware that some agencies allow revolver carry as an option, but don’t know any that issue revolvers as standard anymore. Still from time to time I’ve read of folks running into officers carrying revolvers in the present day. I’ve only ever personally seen various security guards and corrections officers carrying revolvers, but my main question is:

For uniformed LEO use, is the service revolver still effective in 2019?

Just wondering, gang. Thanks!

-Jay
 
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I am no longer wearing a badge. When I did wear one, I was also the assistant RO. I got to meet and train a lot of cops. Most of them treated their sidearm as just another piece of equipment to weigh their belt down. Some understood why they had such an item and a few should not have been issued a sharp pencil.

I feel there is still a solid need for a revolver in uniformed Police work. If I were to go back to LE work, some version of a 45 ACP revolver would be ideal.

Kevin
 
I was “on the job” during the move from revolvers to autos. The investigators were the first to get autos and during the following qualification, they kicked butt against all the uniformed revolver shooters. The revolvers were S&W 66’s and had seen better days... they were beginning to show the typical signs of timing and end shake issues. The autos were HK P7’s. The 66’s were seriously outclassed and never had a chance... As time passed, everyone had an auto and nobody looked back. New officers were indoctrinated into the world of autos and a revolver was looked upon as primitive. Very few guys even took advantage of the trade-in buy back offer on the 66’s at $185. There were a few NIB 66’s still in the armory that went for $225.
 
Last revolver I saw carried openly by a police officer was OHare airport, Chicago Police, about for years ago. The officer was old, not at all fresh and his never shined leather holster was listing out at 45 degree angle. Looked to be Model 10, with the right hand stock appearing to have hit 10000 door jams. My assumption was the cartridges were all green based on the overall package.

The only place I see “police” with revolvers is the District of Columbia Special Police. Effectively they are armed licensed security officers anywhere else. Over the last few years, I seem to only see about 50% of them carrying revolvers, almost always Taurus guns. Glocks are very common now and I noticed an external vest for the first time recently.

In my department, the last officer carrying a revolver was a plain clothes juvenile detective/SRO with *ahem* issues. He was in his last two years before retirement but couldn’t carry a revolver in uniform. That was also 19 years ago.

The last uniformed officer that I knew and friendly with was carrying a revolver was a Major in decent sized department. He retired in 2006, now 14 years ago. He was carrying the same gun that dated to Richard Nixon being President.

The revolver’s time passed in the Reagan era. I would question the competence of any uniformed officer and department that still widely issues revolvers - we don’t see 1970s Diplomats patrolling the streets nor police call boxes for communication. Law enforcement evolves, has a standard of care/training and revolvers are outside the reasonable standard equipment.
 
I find the overwhelming amount of people that think a revolver is still an adequte sidearm for police work alarming. It's likely those that voted in that manner have absolutely no experience with modern law enforcement profession.

Don't get me wrong. I love revolvers and carry them almost exclusively while off duty. Part of me even lauds you gentlemen for yalls unwavering fandom.

However, in a situation that sometimes requires one to gain firepower superiority with a handgun, capacity matters. Especially when the option is 8 rounds of .357 magnum or 18 rounds of 9mm; that's over twice as many rounds. You don't want to be reloading while the other guy is still shooting; trust me when I say, it's one of the worst feelings in the world.
 
THEmodelof1989 said:
I find the overwhelming amount of people that think a revolver is still an adequte sidearm for police work alarming. It's likely those that voted in that manner have absolutely no experience with modern law enforcement profession.

Don't get me wrong. I love revolvers and carry them almost exclusively while off duty. Part of me even lauds you gentlemen for yalls unwavering fandom.

However, in a situation that sometimes requires one to gain firepower superiority with a handgun, capacity matters. Especially when the option is 8 rounds of .357 magnum or 18 rounds of 9mm; that's over twice as many rounds. You don't want to be reloading while the other guy is still shooting; trust me when I say, it's one of the worst feelings in the world.
Click to expand...

Agree, I had to reload my revolver under fire during a gunfight in ‘74 and ran out of ammo after firing twelve rounds. It definitely changed my perspective.
 
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I voted no. While i think they are perfectly adequate for Joe Q. Citizen to carry for self defense or to have for home defense, I think there are much better higher capacity options for those who chose to take a career path that will always run towards danger.
 
I carry a revolver as my EDC but voted no. The primary reason is that the criminal element has changed tactics and crimes are many times committed by a gang. The speed of auto loading and capacity could make the difference.
 
There's an old timer, I think Philly PD, who I see at Phila Airport carrying a 4 inch revolver in uniform. Two speed loaders. It has what looks like uncle mike's rubber grips. Looks very cool.

That said, when the bad guys had revolvers, a revolver made sense for a lawman. When the bad guys have a Glock 17, or an AK47, a revolver does not make sense for a lawman.

I've spoken to a neighbor whose been with Philly PD for a long time, started with the revolvers. After encountering thugs armed with a MAC-10, he realized that the bad guys had more bullets *in their guns* than he had on his entire person with a revolver.

Different times call for different equipment.
 
Some years ago there was a post wich stated that if you need more that 2 shots, you start a war. Yes, maybe. But outlaws use guns wich can handle more than 2 shots. You should be prepared on that. I am a revolver guy for sure. The only pistol I do have is a Colt model 1903 in .32acp. Rest are all revolvers. But when my life depents on it I hate to say it. I do need a pistol with a bigger capacity then my only 6 or 8 rounds of a good revolver. Did I already say that I hate to say this? No? I hate to say this. But time and development overruled my trusty revolver.
 
Well, I'm one of those guys who carry a revolver most of the time, but voted "no". I'm no longer active duty police, and the needs of an armed citizen vs an on duty police officer are different.

I like the comment above about Jerry Miculec...if we could all shoot a revolver like him, we wouldn't need semi autos at all!!

But I still love my revolvers!!

Best Regards, Les
 
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Like many, I started with a revolver and ended with a semi auto. I voted no. I don't think the revolver is the best choice for front line safety forces. I think they are satisfactory for bailiffs, security, corrections, probation and parole. In these agencies handguns are predominantly used for self defense. First responders need to be equipped for potentially anything from bank robbery teams to terrorist attacks. You will have to respond with what you have on you. It's easier to carry extra ammo for the autoloader than for a revolver. A glock with 2 extra mags is lighter and more compact than most revolvers with 4 speedloaders.
A revolver requires more training and practice, more fine motor skills and maintenance to achieve proficiency than the modern autoloaders. As a former firearms instructor for my agency I found it easier for personnel to learn and maintain a higher level of skill with a glock than with a model 10 .38spl. The annual re-quals proved it.
Don't get me wrong. I understand it is the Indian, not the arrow. If someone is skillful with a revolver, they are no less prepared or deadly. Mindset is more of a factor than the tool. But for general agency issued weapons for first responders, the modern semi auto pistol gets the nod in my opinion.
 
I was listening to the Primary&Secondary podcast while working midnight shift at my PD job last night. The host and guests made some very telling points about snubbie revolvers for backup use while on duty. The points were so telling that I am now considering a SW M638 for backup use.

Having said that, for primary duty carry, the revolver's day is long past. One of the guests in the podcast, Darryl Bolke, is a former LAPD (IIRC) patrol Officer and is now a well known trainer. He was the one that brought up most of the excellent points for a revolver for backup use. He said that there are two types of guns, guns to get you into trouble (primary guns that you use when responding to calls for service) and guns to get you out of trouble (guns that you use when you get mugged, robbed, when your primary fails, etc). Even he admitted that in this day and age, revolvers aren't good for primary guns. Very limited capacity and very slow and awkward reloads doom revolvers when used as primary carry guns. In this day and age, multiple perps are becoming more common, and God forbid you run into one of the ANTIFA protests. A lot of determined perps also aren't running away at the display of a gun anymore like they used to. When you look at the current trends, a high capacity, low recoil, quick to reload auto only makes sense as a primary gun.

I am the head firearms instructor at my PD and the Chief and I are in the process of updating the firearms policies. As part of the update, revolvers are no longer permitted as a primary gun. You can carry one as backup or off duty, but not primary anymore. I hated to do it, and no one has even asked about carrying one as a primary for many years, but it was time.
 
I'm not and never have been a law enforcement officer. I sold my last autoloader twenty years ago. I carry a .38 special J-frame. But if I were a police officer on today's streets, I would want a handgun with a minimum of fifteen rounds and at least one reload. And a shotgun and maybe a patrol rifle in the car.

When you may be up against guys with AK's and AR's and extended-magazine handguns, six rounds and a couple of speedloaders would seem less than comforting.
 
No. I started out with revolvers in the '70s. I'm still a very big fan of revolvers, and as a retired old fart, I still enjoy and carry them regularly. However, as a range master for most of my career, I came to recognize the advantages provided by the semi-auto over the revolver. I was even a big proponent of the change-over, and pushed for my department to go to the S&W 645 when they first came out. As time went on, that evolved to Glocks, then Sigs, then Glocks again.

I have plenty of Glocks and M&P plastic framed pistols in all sizes and shapes. They are all effective defense firearms. I rarely find a need these days to carry the higher capacity, larger guns, but I have the compacts for carry. And as I have said before, I ALWAYS carry a spare magazine or two. Being retired, though. I carry a revolver regularly. If I'm on the road, or going to a less that hospitable area, I carry something with more capacity.
 
Minorcan said:
I carry a revolver as my EDC but voted no. The primary reason is that the criminal element has changed tactics and crimes are many times committed by a gang. The speed of auto loading and capacity could make the difference.
Click to expand...
^^^^^^
I am in this camp

I happily and confidently carried a 4” 686 for the 7-8 years of my career, before the department switched to Glocks. At the time, I never felt disadvantaged, but as times changed I was content sticking with 10+ round automatics as my duty weapon; still carried a M60 for my BUG.
 
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