Were you law enforcement in the 70’s-80’s? What did you carry?

I started as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff in 1969 with a S&W Heavy Duty that I bought from a Sergeant for $50.00. It had been a suicide gun he'd bought from the widow. When I got hired full time in 1971, I sold that HD to another recruit in the academy for $65.00 to help finance the purchase of a new 6" Model 19 for $119.50, police price. I carried the 6" Mod. 19 even after the dept. issued 4" Model 19's in 1974 because I worked the desert and felt like the 6" was an easier gun to shoot at distance. While rangemaster in 1978, a dept. turned in their 4" Model 57's, and since I knew the west coast S&W distributors for S&W, they handpicked one out for me and put a 6" barrel on it. I carried that one in a Hoyt high rise front break holster while in uniform through Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain and then Commander. That Hoyt holster was one of the finest ever made for law enforcement. When I was put in charge of Internal Affairs, Litigation and Personnel in 1993, I wore a suit behind a desk (hated that job!) and they issued Glock 22's and made those the only duty guns. I hated the Glock and made the decision to not carry it, except in my briefcase. In public, nobody knew I was a cop anyway. I retired in 1995, and was able to purchase a 4" Model 19 in new condition, and a Model 59, also in new condition, from the dept. The 19 was $125.00 and the 59 was $140.00. I've still got them both somewhere in one of my safes.

Until they issued Glocks, my department issued either Model 19's or Model 59's, Deputy's choice, but you could carry personal authorized double action handguns from S&W, Colt or Ruger that were .38, 9x19, or above in caliber. Ammunition was always +P JHP in both .38 and 9mm. Qualification ammunition was full power ammunition in both calibers and we qualified to 50 yards. That was a change I made while rangemaster and they stuck with it, thankfully. In my Model 57, I carried Winchester Silver Tips, and for quite awhile, the .38 and 9mm duty ammunition was Silver Tips, which is an excellent round. In autopsies, the recovered bullets always performed as advertised. While carrying my Model 57, I had to furnish my own practice and qualification ammunition, and it was loaded to full power.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
Started in 1972 and was issued a new S&W Model 10 with heavy barrel. Went to the Model 66 4" and Model 66 21/2" for plain clothes. Next was a Sig 226 with night sights for patrol and a 229 for plain clothes. Retired in 1997 and, per our contract, I was allowed to keep my 226. I also bought my 4" and 2 1/2" 66's when we went to the Sigs.
 
Jonzim said:
[C]arried a S&W Model 66 with two speed loaders.
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I, too, started carrying a S&W Model 66 on road patrol, shortly after they first appeared. But, in order that it have the CHP-required 6" barrel, well before S&W starting offering them that way, I had a heavy stainless steel PPC barrel made and installed on mine, to match the modified Model 15 I used in PPC competition as a member of the CHP Pistol Team. The heavy barreled Model 66 fit perfectly in a CHP-approved Hoyt break-front holster and was very fast coming out, too. It looked much like this Model 686, which I recently put together:

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…, except that it had a plain, flat black, Patridge-style front sight, and wore S&W walnut target stocks.

It shot as good as it looked, too. I managed to get myself a couple boxes from the test lot of Winchester +P+ 110 gr. .38SPL "Treasury Loads," which had recently been approved for duty use, but not yet issued. I flopped myself down into prone position at 50 yards on the CHP Academy range and single-actioned all six Into the 10-ring of a B-27 target from the heavy PPC barreled S&W Model 67 I was by then carrying. I believe I then became the first CHP officer in the State to actually carry that ammunition on road patrol duty.

Once, a fleeing auto thief I'd taken out of the bushes at gunpoint, with my heavy barreled, stainless steel duty revolver, asked me with eyes wide, "Is that a f-ing silencer?" "Yes, yes it is," I lied. "Why you got a f-ing silencer?" "Well," I replied, "if I should shoot you, even by accident, I can just walk away with no muss, no fuss and no reports." He couldn't have been more cooperative after that. I can only imagine what he might have told his new roomies later at the Grey Bar Hotel.
 
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Well, this is one of my favorite subjects! Started in 1978 at mid sized central California PD. At the time they issued a 6 inch model 14, as if the model 14 came in anything other than 6 inches!?
We had the option of carrying a .38 or .357, blue or stainless, in either a Colt or Smith & Wesson, in a 4" or 6" (though I suspect the 3.5" model 27 would have passed the test, too. The finish was specifically blued, stainless or, Armoloy (the company out of Ft. Worth Texas. No nickel was allowed-nor, ornamental stocks!
Although I was issued the model 14, I immediately switched over to my 6 inch Model 27-2. I carried that until the LGS had a used Browning high power. I picked that up, carried that for a while; but, didn't like the magazine disconnect/non drop-free mag feature. The Dept. Would not look too favorably on removing that mag disconnect.
Thus, I went to a 6" model 66 ($212.00 out the door-$200 for the gun, and $12.00 California sales tax), and carried that in a Safariland model 29 thumb-snap, hi ride holster in patrol and on motors (6 years on the bike).
We could carry model 39 or model 59 Smith & Wesson's or a 9 mm 1911 by Colt. For some reason they didn't allow the 1911 in .45 for ordinary cops, as that was reserved strictly for the SWAT guys.
Traveling to Gunsite in 1988, (and '89, and '90)I learned that the 1911 was a pretty fine fighting pistol, so I started carrying the series 70 9mm until I got on SWAT, at which time I was able to switch over to a true 1911 in .45.
I carried the 1911 in a Bianchi Auto Draw for awhile, getting some attention from other motorists while stopped at red lights…"Officer? (Yes), "your gun is COCKED" (yes). The light would turn green, and I would ride off…obviously those motorists were NOT real Americans, since they did not know how to properly carry a 1911…
Smith & Wesson introduced the 645, and that became a rage with our department for a while.
The policy stayed pretty open until one of the guys had a ND into the neck of a parolee, who was proned out during handcuffing after a foot chase.The officer was holding his Browning hi power, cocked; but, unlocked. The parolee survived, though some dental work was needed at the taxpayers expense.
Of course, at that point, our new chief took away all single action semi autos, wanting to transition to Beretta 92s (as he had come up from LAPD).
Being on the firearm staff, the union approached us and we recommended they go to a system, such as SIG, which would allow the P225, 226, 228, 229, and 220. This way, our smaller officers would have a gun they could use (P225 single stack) vs. the large size of the grip frame on the model 92's, which was met with less than stellar enthusiasm.
We stayed with SIG for years, as I carried the 228 as a detective, then the P245 (compact), then to a P220 "Carry", when I went to P.M.'s as a uniformed sergeant for my last four years until I retired in 2010. They then went to the Glock 17 as a standard issue. All in all, it was a wonderful journey through a variety of different firearms used in the career.
Wishing any of you, who did NOT lapse into a come, while reading this entire treatise, all the best!
 
Army MPs in the 1980s, of course, mainly carried the 1911A1. But female MPs were issued the S&W Model 10 in .38 Special, with 4"-barrels and round frames. Smaller hand size and lower recoil tolerance were the reasons given at the time for the disparity. Needless to say, women did generally shoot better with the revolvers than they did with the 1911s. Ironically, hand size was not a concern when the M9 Berettas were issued in 1987-88. Despite having a grip size slightly larger than the 1911, they were issued to everyone across the board and the M10s were withdrawn. And yes, in my unit some women -- as well as some men with smaller hands - experienced difficulty adjusting their hold to the new sidearms. Qualification scores dropped.

Interestingly, some MPs in Alaska carried S&W Model 29s in .44 Remington Magnum in case of encounters with bears. And some CID and MP Investigators carried the S&W Model 36 with a 2" barrel. I have no idea when these revolvers were finally withdrawn from service. I did, though, find two Model 36s in my arms safe when assigned to Fort Sam Houston in the mid-1990s. Both were in exceptionally poor, well-used condition. If there were other sidearms issued to MPs in that period, I am unaware of them. Cheers
 
I carried a S&W model 28 of my own for a few years. I had it brushed hard chromed (blued finishes don't do well in Florida). At another agency I was issued a Ruger Security Six. After I showed my superiors that it wiggled when holding the barrel and grip, they tried to issue me a Colt Trooper. It had a terrible double-action trigger. I finally convinced them to allow me to carry my personally owned S&W model 28. There was a little hem and hawing because of the hard chrome plating as it was technically against the rules (they wanted no shiny guns), but the chief said that it looked so close to a stainless steel finish that he would approve it. Later I carried a 4" S&W model 66. After I transferred (same agency) we worked mostly plain clothes and I carried a Charter Arms Undercover with 2" barrel. After an experience, serving a warrant, where I had to confront a suspect who had a S&W M&P in .32-20 and a S&W model 29 laying within reach on a bed, I bought a 2 1/2" S&W model 66! After another transfer (same agency) I continued to carry the 2 1/2" S&W model 66 and later an agency issued Ruger Speed Six with 2 3/4" barrel. Both shot well for me. BTW, I gave away the personally owned revolvers that I carried on duty. They went to my daughters. I wrote about each of them and some of my experience while carrying them. I guess that they call that provenance. One daughter still has the guns that I gave her. I doubt that the other daughter still has the other ones (one was a bring back Russian SKS from RVN).
 
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In 1980 I started as a reserve officer in at our state's largest municipal PD. ROs were issued uniforms, gunbelt, cuffs, and old S&W K38s (but no ammo!) Then in 1982, I was hired full town by a neighboring small town/rural department. The department's firearms trainer and my FTO was a certified gun guy (and great guy all around) who taught me almost everything about patrolling and guns. He'd settled on the S&W M686, 4" with Pachmayr grips as the ideal patrol gun of the day. Off-duty we could carry whatever we wanted, so I went with a M39.

c.1992 a new chief decided that Glocks were the future, and he retired all the 686s. I had the Glock about a two weeks, when it popped out of my holster as I was putting on my gunbelt. It hit the wood floor and broke. (Lesson: Crap holster and crap gun. Don't buy for economy when your life is on the line.)

Since I was second-in-command of the department at that time, I went into the chief's office dropped the Glock pieces on his desk, and announced I'd rather carry a squirt gun made by Mattel as it would be a better weapon. We compromised: I'd carry an semi-automatic as per policy, but it would be one that I chose and bought; ditto for the holster. I switched to an HK P7 after that.
 
usmcsgt said:
So cleaning up the gun locker today and got my S&W Model 57 (no dash) 41 MAG out to clean up. I purchased it as a blue steel new in the box with target hammer and wide target trigger when I was on Embassy duty in West Germany in 1975. The wiesbaden Air Force Base had a gun store back in those days and of course we always hit the gun store when we had to pickup supplies. I really wanted a model 29 (thanks Dirty Harry), but they we just impossible to get then.

When I got out of the USMC in 1978 I was hired by a small Midwest police department- they furnished everything but your underwear, boots and gun. The gun requirements were it had to be 38 special or larger, Colt, Smith & Wesson, or Ruger and you had to be able to qualify with it. If you carried a 38/357 Mag the department supplied you with a 1000 rounds of 38 WC reloads per year. So the training Sgt found me a well worn N Frame holster and I was off carrying my 41 mag.

Factory ammo was very expensive on a cops salary so most of us were carry our own reloads on duty- I settled on a Lee cast lead 240 grain SWC (Elmer Keith recommendation) with a gas check and pushing about 900 fps. Speed loaders on my belt had 210 grain jacket hollow points loaded hot to punch through vehicles was the idea.

So after about a month of wearing short sleeve shirts and the Model 57's checkered target hammer rubbing the skin off the underside of my arm- it became a bobbed double action only Model 57. A few months later I had the gun Magnported and not only did it help with recoil but helped my night shooting scores go up.

Summers in the Midwest getting in and out of air conditioning was tough on blued guns in leather holsters, so I sent it off and had it and it coated with a new metal product that was being used on oil drilling bits- sorry can't remember what they called it. No more surface rust- yea.

I carried the gun during my tenure as a city cop and later as a Sheriff's patrol deputy all the way until I made detective- it was too heavy to wear in a shoulder holster for a 10 hour shift in plain clothes.

So for all you old timers who were cops back then what were you carrying? In the Midwest in the 1970's and 1980's and the agencies I worked for it was most S@W and Colt, and folks were very vocal about what they carried. Lots of Colt Python guys and lots of S&W Model 19, 27 and 28 guys, I also loved the 3 inch round butt Model 13 heavy barrel when I was a Detective.

Cheers,

Jeff
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Sounds like you had a great career ..of course much of what you did & carried back then would be unthinkable in todays tightly controlled LE world
Thanks for your service
 
I started in 77 with my personal 19...a yr later the agency lawyer was concerned with personal firearms, so the Sheriff purchased 64's for everyone stoked with the (then) proven Remington 125 +p jhp which was quite effective from a 4" barrel. When the Wundernine craze hit, we were among the very first to trade years of stored firearms to Glock for a zero cost transition to the G-19...all leather, training mags, nite sights, everything but ammo...then when the '40' craze hit one of our bean counters decided it would be great to trade up...again at zero cost to the taxpayers...so we turned in hundreds of the arguably best 19's Glock ever built, the gen-2's...for the 23...qual scores plummeted immediately and complaints from "smaller" officers began in earnest. That's when I retired. Afterwards they elected a "gun guy" for sheriff and he reinstated personal platforms...45's flooded the ranks, until maintenance in our humid climate became a big issue with the 1911's... subsequently they dabbled with the 320 Sig platform, but bailed when the controversy emerged. Heck now I don't have a clue what they are doing...they may have retroed back to revolvers for all I know...which in totality, might not be such a bad idea...just sayin
 
I had a long career as a pipefitter in the natural gas industry. Along the way about 1982 I was extended an opportunity to join the County Sheriffs posse/Search and Rescue as a reserve officer. The plus was that the County [8 man department with about 1800 same square miles] SO bought practice ammo if you were shooting on the Reserve team and we took first three years running at the State and National conventions. As a reservist, I remember 3 categories. 1 was ride along observer. 2 was ride along active participant. 3 was work alone.
As a Category three I carried a 4" model 19, nickel, called by friends "Da pimp gun".
 
October 1974 went to work for a Sheriff's Office in NW Oklahoma. We furnished everything but the badge. I purchased a S&W HB 10 and loaded it with Remington 158 gr jhp. Then in 1976 went to a mid-sized police department. They issued model 19 and Remington 125gr jhp 357. I didn't care for the 19 and purchased a model 65 and a model 60 from another officer for $225 for the pair. In 1982 went to the local Sheriff's Office and was issued Ruger Security Six 4" 357. In 1986 we transitioned to Glock 17. I carried the 17 until 1993 when I transfered to the Multi-County Drug Task Force and was issued S&W 1086 10mm and Federal 200 gr hp ammo. This is what I carried carried until retirement in 2007. Today I shoot mostly a variety of Smith & Wesson revolvers and my everyday carry is a 3" model 65 with Remington Golden Saber 125gr+p ammo and two speed strips.
 
I started out as a reserve officer in 1970. We had to furnish our own weapons. Only revolver I had was an old S&W 357, 6 1/2" barrel. Later when I got hired full time by a small town PD I had to buy a semi auto. We were the first PD in Oregon to require all officers to carry a 9MM semi auto. I chose a Model 59
 
After 6 years in the Air Force, I joined the U.S. Border Patrol in 1988. We were issued S&W 686, 4" 357 Mag, revolvers. Maybe 4 years later I slipped and fell working the train yards. The rear sight was damaged (as was I) and I was issued a new Ruger GP100, SS, 4" 357 Mag, revolver. With a little work that GP100 became a fantastic shooter.

I still have and shoot several GP100's including a Match Champion 10mm revolver.
 
Started out in 1978 with a small department, maybe 10 FT, 15 PT (paid 3 days per week, and another 10+ reserves.) All had to buy your own guns. I went thru the academy with a 6" Python. No stainless were allowed, no custom grips only factory and rubber grips. Years later and I'm full time (now 28 FT and 10 reserves) . We now have a basic police academy and I'm the dept/academy head firearms instructor. Old chief is gone and we are switching to semi auto pistols. We are now going through the accreditation process. I write the firearms policies to allow any DA/SA autos in 9mm or 45 acp (pre 40 caliber) with safety and or decocker. Most carry a S&W or Glock 9, or the new 645. I carry a SIg P228.
 
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I started in 1986 as a reserve officer for a mid size department in Southern California. I was issued a brand new Smith 66-3. I was hired as a full time officer 2 months later. The range master took the -3 and issued me a beater -2. That -2 was one of the best duty weapons I ever had. They took it away when we went to our personally purchased semi autos. They refused to allow us the opportunity to purchase our old revolvers.
 
Greyman50 said:
Was finish " Armaloy"? Had a BHP done back in mid 70s. Most cities in Tidewater Va. required 38 Spl or .357 Mag. Knew 1 patrol Sgt that carried a Mdl. 58 but he got caught in an surprise inspection, had to go back to Mdl.10. One Detective carried a 6" Python in shoulder holster, do not remember what ATF, FBI, Treasury Dept. and Military CID carried.
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Armoloy was the name, but later others started producing the same finish. There was a shop in Houston that did oil field equipment and guns if they were completely disassembled. Had several refinished to beat the Texas humidity. It was very durable.
 
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