What unusual or unlikely guns have you seen used buy LEOs?

[Wyatt Burp]

Every couple of years I ask this here because new people come up with real interesting examples. Around 1973 in front of a Winterland (S.F.) rock concert strutting the sidewalk among all us long hair kids was a husky security guard in an all black police uniform including hat, black shades (at night!), a black mustache, and a black TWO GUN Sam Brown style police rig. He packed a 4" N frame S&W on one side and a short Ruger Blackhawk on the other. Man was he cool! What unusual or unlikely gun or guns have you seen LEOs, security guards, etc. carry?

 

[THE PILGRIM]

The most guns of one model that I ever owned were RedHawks.
Got them from a guy who thought he would become a Police Dealer and equip NM Sheriff Depts with big boy guns.
That didn't work out!
He was running on borrowed money and needed to dump the Hawks.
So my buddy and I bought them.

 

[Wise_A]

They don't let mall ninjas carry guns around here. But I know some moneytruck guys that just love those ultra-light-for-caliber metallic bullets--you know, 64-grain 9mms doing 1700 fps and dumb stuff like that. I imagine they've moved on to Polycase ARX by now. Because sectional density is apparently no longer a thing.

 

[Mule Packer]

Back in 1972, a local police officer in our town always packed a Ruger Blackhawk in .357 magnum with stag grips on his hip with a .22 magnum derringer in his boot.

Can't remember any other LEO's at the time carrying single-actions, but they let him do it.

A detective in the same town was the one who told me either to carry a single-action or a double-action but never a semi-auto. In his words, "They shoot when you don't want them to shoot and don't shoot when you want them to shoot." He carried a Smith and Wesson snub-nose in .38 special.

Of course, you've got to remember, this was in the late 60's early 70's.

And about ten or fifteen years ago, the old chief of police in the community just south of where we used to live used a High Standard .22 magnum derringer as his off duty weapon. Kept it in his front pants pocket.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Back in 1972, a local police officer in our town always packed a Ruger Blackhawk in .357 magnum with stag grips on his hip with a .22 magnum derringer in his boot.


Of course, you've got to remember, this was in the late 60's early 70's. How times change.

Wasn't there a 70s TV show ...... where some Sheriff or Marshal from out west got sent to NY for 3 or 4 seasons ..... that carried a Single action Colt????

 

[S&W629]

Wasn't there a 70s TV show ...... where some Sheriff or Marshal from out west got sent to NY for 3 or 4 seasons ..... that carried a Single action Colt????

If memory serves...it was called .."McCloud" ......from Taos NM...

 

[Texas Star]

I like the Ruger 5.56 mm rifles carried by CRS and other French cops. Their pistols are SIG 2022's. (9 mm)

Saw a guard here with a Ruger Old Army cap and ball revolver!
He said it was what he owned and they didn't pay enough to buy a better gun.

I used to carry Ruger and (mostly) S&W .357 revolvers when I worked security. Today, I think I might lean toward my Beretta M-92FS 9 mm or a CZ-75B 9 mm.

 

[Rpg]

In the early '80's, I knew a LEO who carried a M15 Smith.

Not so odd except that he'd dropped the thing breaking off the hammer spur and springing things so the cylinder wouldn't lock in the frame.

He could shoot one shot single action. Then the cylinder would pop loose so he needed to reposition it before attempting another shot.

He wasn't a gun guy and seemed indifferent to any problems his sometimes functioning revolver might present on the job.

He ultimately retired without needing a functioning gun.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

If memory serves...it was called .."McCloud" ......from Taos NM...

Memory serves well. I remember that show, because my father, who had NO interest in guns, asked me if McCloud's attachment to his SAA had any basis in reality. Of course, I replied that it did. Not my choice of action, but there are plenty of folks who are better with them than I am with my S&W.

I have never gotten very worked up over ammo choice, but I think almost anyone would have to rate McCloud's .45 Colt over NYPD's .38 Spl RNL.

 

[VictorLouis]

I had a savvy gent on my old department who toted a H&K P9S in .45. The Assistant Chief had a 1911 with the Caraville Double-Ace rear-end squeeze-cocking conversion.

 

[BAM-BAM]

I was at the station one day after school mid- 60s....... about 5 minutes to 4:00 the Bank alarm went off..... Dad (Capt) generally carried a 2" colt DS.... grabbed his 6" .357 Colt New Service out of his desk.......... patrolman came down the hall from the armory with a Thompson sub-machine gun.

It was right at shift change so daylight and evening shifts were all in/around the building.....bank was 3-4 doors down the main street.........false alarm....... but must have been a sight!

Dad's last words to me were "Stay here!"

 

[olcop]

We had one officer who carried a Colt Peacemaker, Nickle, and a 30-30 rifle
while walking a beat---needless to say, it was a rough section of town.
olcop

 

[cmort666]

I don't think he was actually a cop, but when I went to see "Enter the Dragon" on opening day in Chicago at the Beverly Theater, they hired an armed security guard to control the crowds.

His firearm? A Webley Royal Irish Constabulary revolver. I had recently purchased a copy of Boothroyd's "The Handgun", so I asked him about his gun. I believe he said it was chambered for .455.

 

[UncleEd]

I have never gotten very worked up over ammo choice, but I think almost anyone would have to rate McCloud's .45 Colt over NYPD's .38 Spl RNL.

I remember one episode when McCloud confronted a
crooked cop who drew his J-frame .38. McCloud warned
the guy that despite the possibility of
even-steven hits, the cop was badly outclassed.

Now back to the question at hand, the odd guns seen
in LEOs holsters: the Glock.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

Memory serves well. I remember that show, because my father, who had NO interest in guns, asked me if McCloud's attachment to his SAA had any basis in reality. Of course, I replied that it did. Not my choice of action, but there are plenty of folks who are better with them than I am with my S&W.

I have never gotten very worked up over ammo choice, but I think almost anyone would have to rate McCloud's .45 Colt over NYPD's .38 Spl RNL.

McCloud would never have existed if Clint Eastwood didn't make "Coogan's Bluff" first to inspire it. He was from Arizona, though. I forgot what he packed, though. Great pool hall fight scene in it.
Another one. As a kid I went over and talked a security guard in Sears. He was a tall lean black gentleman packing a SA in a buscadero western rig which contrasted with his grey cop like uniform. He told me it was a .38. I forgot what it was but it wasn't a Ruger.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Not exact LEO's as we know them, but the Swiss Guards at the Vatican use a variety of arms and armor that span six hundred years.

Happy Easter: Guns of the Vatican's Swiss Guard, the world's oldest continuously serving military unit

 

[fiasconva]

Not really LEO's but a couple of years ago I was at my bank and the armored car company that the bank used were all carrying Ruger GP100's.

 

[Toyman]

When I was a LEO I was training officer and armorer. New hires had to supply their own gun and leather. A new gut recently mustered out of the Army applied and was hired and was about broke when he reported for his first day of work.
He showed up with a brown Lawrence holster and a RG revolver. I took him home and made up a leather set from leather I had and loaned him a used S&W model 10.
He asked about buying it do I told him $20 per check until he got it paid for and if he ever bought new leather I would like the leather set back.
He worked out fine as an officer and his wife got a job so he was able to pay me and eventually got new leather.

 

[johngalt]

In the early '80's, I knew a LEO who carried a M15 Smith.

Not so odd except that he'd dropped the thing breaking off the hammer spur and springing things so the cylinder wouldn't lock in the frame.

He could shoot one shot single action. Then the cylinder would pop loose so he needed to reposition it before attempting another shot.

He wasn't a gun guy and seemed indifferent to any problems his sometimes functioning revolver might present on the job.

He ultimately retired without needing a functioning gun.

I guess if the bobbies can do the job unarmed...

 

[Higganum]

Back around 1976, I had some sort of errand to Winchester in New Haven. The black, uniformed security guard at the gate was wearing a black leather duty rig and what I was sure was a 25 auto.