Caliber Information

[jimmyj]

Discussion with one of my Sons who is the Firearms/Training Officer for a large Agency concerning effectiveness of Police service weapons of His Agency. This Agency went from .38 Revolvers, to 9mm Glocks, to .40 Glocks, to .45 Glocks. Issue ammo has been Speer Hydro-Shoc. The most effective caliber for OIS was the .40 S&W. I was surprised that it was not the .45acp. His opinion is that .45 Glock large grip and weight could not fit the smaller Officer's hands. The .40 fit improved quicker recovery time for followup shots and accuracy. His Agency has now gone to the 9mm Glock Model 45 ?

 

[armadillo]

When they get around to it, more rounds and milder recoil will win out. Most LEOs are not gun people - they will be better off with a gun they are not afraid to shoot and maybe can hit the target.

50 years ago, I carried a Hi-Power, but had a low opinion of the 9mm ammunition that was available - so I changed to a .45., The 9mm ammo performance today makes it an outstanding choice.

 

[Eddie Southgate]

They should be carrying whatever they can shoot the best with the most effective ammo available in the caliber they choose . 9mm is a lot more effective now than it was 30 years ago . 30 years ago I would not have wanted to depend on one and would have gladly taken a good 4" .38 Special with proper ammo over it . Now the 9mm is every bit the equal of the .38 Special with the right ammo and you have more rounds in the gun and easier , faster reloads should you be unlucky enough to be caught in a situation where that is needed. I'm a metal and wood gun guy to the core but the last couple of years even I have started carrying a Taurus G3c because it is light , accurate , has a nice DA trigger pull , and holds twice as many rounds of effective ammo as my Colt Cobra and S&W J frame . Makes sense . An additional benefit to me is not losing temporary use of my older guns if I ever have to use my carry gun.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

The most effective caliber for OIS was the .40 S&W. I was surprised that it was not the .45acp. His opinion …

Why? Did he qualify his opinion?

On my Department they approved 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 ACP. You carry what you can qualify with.

What I saw was the more savvy shooters went with the 45 ACP their situation awareness was much better and they were the officers who took additional Professional Training like Thunder Ranch, Gunsite, etc, etc.

Now all OIS are not comparable such as “suicide by cop” versus a Traffic Stop.

When we went from revolvers to pistols. It was all about what was most reliable. S&W then Beretta and then Glock. Every Rangemaster had their agenda usually based on their previous personal experiences.

 

[roundgunner]

Discussion with one of my Sons who is the Firearms/Training Officer for a large Agency concerning effectiveness of Police service weapons of His Agency. This Agency went from .38 Revolvers, to 9mm Glocks, to .40 Glocks, to .45 Glocks. Issue ammo has been Speer Hydro-Shoc. The most effective caliber for OIS was the .40 S&W. I was surprised that it was not the .45acp. His opinion is that .45 Glock large grip and weight could not fit the smaller Officer's hands. The .40 fit improved quicker recovery time for followup shots and accuracy. His Agency has now gone to the 9mm Glock Model 45 ?

I still believe the 40 S&W is a great self defense caliber. In a world full of compromising, this makes sense to me.

I was having a particularly good range day with my full size M&P 40 so I ended by going to the rifle range and shot some at 100 yards and went home really happy. I was using the grip laser, I can't pull off a target like that with fiber optics.