Viewing the TV Series "Bosch" about the LA Police Department.
Police sidearms seen are Glocks, Beretta, and Detective Bosch caries a Model 1911 (.45acp ?)
Wondering what the issue sidearm of LA PD is ?

Kimber made hay with the PR when the LA SIS section had them design a series of models for them. So LAPD did indeed use some 1911s. No clue if they still do or not.

I have all the Harry Bosch series, wonderful reading, IMO. He was a Tunnel Rat in Viet Nam in the book, FWIW.

There were/are several LAPD officers here, and (somewhat surprisingly) they sounded as though they had great latitude in what they were authorized to carry. Not too many years back they were holding a class for those wanting to carry 3rd generation S & W autos.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Yea, the 4563 was one of the 3rd Gens used at one time. I read most if not all of the Bosch novels. Great books and they did real well with the transition to screen. I'm a big fan.

Nothing better on a rainy day, than to relax with a Michael Connelly, Harry Bosch whodunnit. It must have rained quite a bit in my neck of the woods, because I think that I have read almost all of those published...

The character, Harry Bosch, is a retired US Army first sergeant. The writers may have felt the 1911 would be appropriate based on his past.

Historically accurate? Hollywood isn't known for that. Just watch nearly any western.

I just finished Bosch Legacy and enjoyed it.

LAPD started authorizing 9mm in 1987 and the S&W autos were the "go to" for most people but Beretta got the contract to supply the 92FS starting in 1989.

LAPD officers are authorized to carry a variety of pistols so if you were issued a 92FS you can buy yourself a 5906 or 4506 for use as your Service Pistol.

.38 Special revolvers are still allowed as primary handgun for those who started prior to 1989.

Right now they are issuing FN 509s. Not sure when that started, year or 2 ago. I have been retired since 2016. Revolvers issued in modern times S/W models 14, 15, 67. Till 08/09 of 89 then 92 FSs. F models were approved and many officers carried them. Probably most Fs came from transition schools that were taught between 87 and 88/89 when the FSs came out. Then Glock 22s (gun followed Chief Bratten) like it had at every other dept he was Chief. Some years later S/W M&P 9mm, then 509s. No S/W 3rd gen guns were ever Dept recruit issue. Except one experiment with 12 or so 3906s issued to female officers, because of complaints about the size of the 92s gripframe. S/W 645,4506,4566 and 4516/13 I believe were Dept issue to members of the S.I.S Detective Bureau. Swat had their 1911s. First a mix of property guns and private purchase, then the Kimber contract.

LAPD never did any entire reissue of a new weapon, like other departments. If you were issued a model 67 that, was it. You could take a transition class and private purchase any department approved weapon you were qualified to carry. S/W 9mm were approved, 4" barrel for uniform carry, all private purchase. My first semi auto was a 3914. went through 9mm school with it, carried it as a backup, to my 6" 14. Had a special pocket holster with a clip that held the gun upright in my support side pocket. Only a short bit of the butt and magazine was exposed but was black and covered by my radio and holder. So, I never got called on it even though it technically violated dept policy of exposed second weapons.

Like mentioned above if you went through the Academy with a semiauto, you could not carry a revolver as a primary duty weapon. This was primarily done because the only revolver training received at the academy was minimal for a 2" backup type weapon. It was also felt that regressing to a revolver from a semiauto was not a direction we wanted a young officer to take, simply so they could act more "OG". Once off probation you could transition to any approved semi auto if you went up to 45 caliber it required a transition school.

The S/W 45s were approved for all, with a transition school, after the North Hollywood shootout (98). Private purchase only. It was approved in quick order because it was already tested and approved for S.I.S.
The Beretta 8045 came out a year or so later and was approved, but you had to have a special, made for LAPD only (at the time) 4" barrel for it to meet our uniform standards.

Somewhere around 2008-10, I can't remember, 1911s were approved for all non-probationary officers. Colts/Kimbers/Springfield Armory. 1911 transition school was required and a monthly qualification for one year. Then regular bimonthly qual. Now all kinds of 1911 race guns RDOs etc.

When I retired there were over 90 plus models of handguns approved for duty and off duty. Being an armorer there was a great job but sometimes a real pain.

If I missed something, its late, I retired several years ago and I am also watching "Have Gun will Travel".

The books were outstanding. The TV series is pretty good and follows the books reasonably well.

Kimber TLE 1911 was harry Bocsh carry handgun . Kimbers were carried by LAPD SIS !. And this was on a TV show so many harry carried what he was comfortable with in real life !!

I don't think he is retired Army. I recall the books said he did 3 or 4 years and then got out. I also don't recall if it was a draft or enlistment, so I'm not remembering the years correctly

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Front sight and squeeze

IIRC (?) in an early episode Bosch said He, like many other LA Cops volunteered to reinlist for the "Desert War".

In the books, Bosch is a Vietnam vet.

In the TV series, he's a Gulf War vet... they essentially 're-booted' Bosch as ~25 years younger.

OH yes, the S.I.S. Kimbers. Well that's a whole story in itself. When our new Chief took over LAPD he brought in several of his cronies from NY. Mainly John Miller supposed terrorist expert (that term gets applied very easily these days). Some of those cronies wanted access to SIS records of all investigations , probably so they could write a book or go on TV. When the old school SIS Detectives refused because the records had been sealed by court orders and such. Well, do it the NY way, just replace the personnel with people that will do whatever you want. So, the first shooting incident after the refusal, people were "moved" for the betterment of the dept" yada, yada. It's good to be the King/Chief. I am sure there are some events wrapped up in this that I am not aware of, but this is some of the events leading to the S.I.S. Kimber.

The new Detectives that were moved in and were put in charge were a couple real show boaters and stab you in the back types. They were real "gun guys" because they had been to Gunsite or Front Sight. First, they wanted one gun then another then they got the deal with Kimber. Kimber was easy because SWAT already had them. Heck, they got their photos in magazines and everything. When they were registering them at the armory some had bought 6-7 of them, in different models. I remember one guy saying "I am going to send my kids to college with these". They apparently did not Kimber was making the pistol available to the public. Granted the SIS detectives guns had a unique serial number, but the guns were made basically the same way. Maybe a sight difference. All were private purchase that I knew of at that time, even though SIS did have a weapons budget that had been used to buy S/W 45s in the past.

I used to have one I bought cheap, but I gave to an old police friend's son I was baby-sitter for, on his 45th birthday. Of course, the public soon got wind of the gun and only saw the SS on the slide and went nuts.

An interesting sidenote about cronyism. One of the few times I was ever part of an internal affairs investigation was during all these events.

When Miller was brought in as a terrorist expert, he was given a civilian rank equal to a Commander. They even had a special badge made up for him and referred to him as Chief, because he was Chief of his Bureau, "an east coast thing".


His office sent a SGT. to the armory to get him some weapons. I refused because he was a civilian, as such it was illegal for the Dept to issue him weapons, he was not California Police Officer certified.

The SGT then called my supervisor another SGT. who per the captain's orders, ordered me to issue him weapons. He had not been around very long. I advised him that when Willie Williams was hired as Chief, we could not issue him a weapon, because he was not CA POST certified. The gun detail took him through the procedure; he was given a concealed weapon permit and had to purchase his own weapon.

Well, that did not matter, issue him some weapons. So, I did but I made the SGT from his office sign for them.

Fast forward a few years. Miller is stopped boarding a plane at LAX. He has a 2" revolver in his luggage or computer case. An investigation is started, even though I don't think charges were filed. Holy Cow, this weapon is registered to LAPD. Miller is a civilian, it's a felony to issue him a weapon. During the investigation the Captain of Training Div. and the Sgt who ordered me to issue the guns, denied any knowledge of the incident. The Sgt who signed for the guns denied that I told him it was a felony to give Miller (a civilian) city weapons. I believe it came out that Miller had a CCW, but still no city weapons could be issued to him under CA and Federal laws. He also had to surrender his city owned SUV with lights and siren.

There was another armorer present when all this happened and he and I told the exact same story to investigators. Even though they grabbed me when I signed in for work at 1200 and had no chance to speak to him and get our stories straight. The whole thing went away as soon as the media died down and the next BIG incident occurred in Los Angeles, about 2-3 days. Too many high-ranking individuals involved for it to go anywhere. Thats how things work most places where things are political.

Hope this hasn't been too boring, it is raining here and thought some might enjoy the story. Hey found a photo of my Kimber from years ago.

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In the books, he got out after his one & only enlistment.

I just finished watching Bosch Legacy. He goes to a funeral in uniform and is addressed as First Sergeant. Obviously the show differs from the book because you can't reach that rank in 3-4 years. The show also indicates that he was special forces.

Bosch | Real #Bosch fans know the answer—when did you first learn about his military past? | Instagram

I'm not an army expert, but according to his Hollywood provided uniform at least 15 years and all of it overseas, three up/three down and a whole lot of metal on his chest. Here's a discussion on all his ribbons, metals, etc.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Medals/comm..._do/?rdt=50197

It's just Hollywood as I said in my previous post, but Bosch and Bosch Legacy are both worth watching imo.

I am at a loss. Were is this playing?
Thanks Fred

Amazon prime.

You are correct about the books. He went straight to LAPD from the Army after his single draftee hitch.