Just your main duty weapon

I am not going to vote because I am not a current LEO. However I did work in the mid-late 1980s when the nifty 9 was making major inroads into the LEO world. Carried a 9 for two years. Was a FTO and Firearms Instructor. Moved to a 40 as a concealed carry choice after leaving the business and continue to believe that(for those who really train - not just the required dept. training requirements) it is still the best compromise for hi capacity and performance. The improvement in bullet performance, often cited in the 9, is a part of all new bullet construction, no mater what the caliber you pick, in the listed choices.

This if just my view and what I think and a banana will make me popular at the monkey cage at the zoo.

I forgot the 357sig, so add it down here if that's your choice.

Go ahead and vote GB. Your opinion counts. I know time has changed ammo, but as you said, it's changed ALL ammo so your thoughts are relevant.

Well, I've been out of active duty for awhile, but even though I don't carry one much as a retiree, I'm still going to go with the 40 S&W. We have invested enormous resources in this platform, and it represents a reasonable compromise between the .45 ACP and the 9mm, and bullet technology and powder development have made it a great cartridge.

Personally, I mostly (and I have a lot of choices) carry a very light 11 oz. S&W .357 340 PD, with 135 gr Speer Gold Dot short barrel ammo. But I am not in the same position anymore as a uniformed active duty police officer, so what works for me now is not necessarily what I would carry in a duty situation.

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Started out carrying a .357 with the Remington 125 SJHP load, and loved it. One of the best "stoppers" on the street. Then went to the 9mm with 124 JHP's, then 147's. Next was the .40 with 165 & 180 JHP's, finally ending with the 9mm and 124's again.

Given todays LE needs, I would pick a 9mm +P loaded with quality 115 or 124 JHP's. Ammo capacity, controllability, and effectiveness all favor it, in my opinion. No flies on any of the others, but I just think the 9mm, with proper bullets, is the best all arrounder. As a side note, those 1st generation 9mm 147's were a proven failure, and showed that expansion, as well as penetration is needed for reliable stops.

For what its worth, in my retirement, I carry a Glock 26 loaded with +P Gold Dots, though I have been known to slip a 1911 loaded with 230 HST's in my belt.

Larry

I see I'm the only vote for 10mm, although I own two 10mm's (a 1006 and 1076) I carry a 4040PD, have a Shorty Forty, two 411's and a 4046.

Also, I'm not a LEO so I guess my vote shouldn't count.

digiroc

I was temporarily assigned to shore patrol in the Navy. Carried a side arm.

Can I vote?

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That's just somebody talkin.

I like my 9mm and see nothing wrong with it. Today's ammo is great and I shoot it faster and more accurate than my .40 and .45cal.

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Jorge

It's interesting to see the number of votes for .45 ACP. I'm not and never have been in law enforcement (though I sent some people to jail as part of my job, over the years); but if I were, for me it would be a tossup between 9mm and .45 ACP. The former for mag capacity and controllability, and the latter for its century-plus record of getting the job done with manageable recoil. I like the tried-and-true.

I've owned a couple of .40's and liked them okay, but still would go with 9mm or the .45.

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Oh well, what the hell.

I was not in law enforcement for very long but alot of the work I did called for carrying a side arm, I was issued a 38spl S&W combat Masterpiece. I voted for the 1911 because that was the one handgun I have always shot the best.

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Carpriver.

I voted for .357 Magnum because it's what I carry as my primary. My alternates are .38Spl and .45ACP, both of which I have carried as my primary in years past. If I had to give up my revolver and carry an automatic it would be a .45ACP.

Honorable mention goes to the .357 Sig. I really like the cartridge, only drawback is it can be hard to find and costly. The Sig 229 I had in .357 Sig was the most accurate automatic I have ever owned.

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Wheel guns are real guns.

Not my choice, but we carry .40 S&W in the form of 165g Speer Gold Dots. Will be moving to 175g Hornady Critical Duty next spring. Our duty guns are Glock 22 or 23's. Detectives and admin are authorized a G27. I was initially issued a Gen 4 G22 and carried that for several years. After getting a spot as a dick, I passed on the G27 (too small, IMO) and opted for a Gen 4 G23.

I can't complain much about the Glocks or the .40 S&W round, but my 3rd Gen S&W's handle it better and are more pleasant to shoot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I voted for the .45. I'm content with the .40 that we are presently issued and it has worked well for us.

We recently had all the officers in my department test fire the SIG P320 in both 9mm and .40. The majority voted for the 9mm. In their remarks the majority cited the reduced recoil of the 9mm as their deciding factor. As a side note, of those who gave a preference on the gun, they preferred the SIG over our Glocks by an almost 2-1 margin with the trigger, sights and grip being identified as being distinctly better.

I voted 45acp because that's what I carried, but my ideal choice isn't on the list. That would be 38 Super.

No .357 Sig?

No, as mentioned, I forgot the 357sig.
If it's your choice, say it here and I'll figure it in at the end.
And, no offense, but I am looking for input from LEOs since they either have used the particular caliber or know someone or reports of someone who has so they're basing their choice on actual street use.
If you've had actual street use for your choice, but you're not LE...vote away!
This all stems from my friends' comment of " If you want advice, ask a pro".
That's what I'm doing here.
I don't agree with what he was told about the 45acp being unsuitable for law enforcement.
That's just my opinion. I want to hear from the pros.

.357 Sig. Second choice .44 mag.

Well way back in the day I was a CI for the FBI and was issued (by the Klan) and carried a .45 1911. It was a wartime Ithica and rattled like a marimba. I kept it after they all went to jail.

Gave it to a friend and wish i still had it, but I have a Kimber Ultra CDP II and an American Tactical "Fatboy" with 12 round double stack. These were my defensive handguns until I developed a renewed interest in the 3rd Gen Smiths.

I have owned a 5906 for over 25 years but considered the 9mm weak and puny compared to the then mighty .45. I still like the .45 as a defensive cartridge, but have found that the 10mm is my preferred chambering for when SHTF situations.

But I carry the .40 S&W (Short & Weak?) because a great all metal S&W chambered in 10mm is not available. Sure a Colt Delta Elite, Sig or HK chambered in 10mm is possible. Glock offers 10mm but I won't stoop so low as to carry a striker fired plastic gun.

So my choice for a duty gun is the 10mm, even though the .40 makes more sense for me to carry. My 5906 rides on but it's size dictates that it is a home defensive weapon at this time. I've made some changes to it over the years, adding a CT laser grip and putting a 3914 slide on it to make it more "handy". With Hornady Critical Defense loads in it and 17 round magazines it may become a carry gun again if the round count begins to matter more than concealment.



digiroc

I was fortunate in that I worked for agencies that allowed sworn officers to carry what they wished. The only times I ever carried a .38 special was as a back-up gun. I had a 6" M28 and a 4" M19, but those were used for qualifications, since I was issued .38 special wadcutters.

I carried .44 Specials, a .44 Magnum, a couple of .41 Magnums and several .45 Colts. Most often, an aluminum framed 1911 rode on my hip. Several .45 ACP revolvers were in the rotation as well.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Started in 1988 carrying a M-10 4in, then to a M66 4in. Small town PD.
We moved on to 9mm, 40cal, and option to 45ACP.
My vote is the 45ACP. Glock21, or Sig 220.
Off duty is a 9mm G19, but could option to a 40cal. Glocks preference.

I am currently carrying the Glock 19 in my holster. It is loaded with Federal 124 grain +P HSC jacketed hollowpoints.

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I type. Therefore I am.

I carry a Gen 4 Glock 30 (.45ACP) for duty (I work plain clothes). Most of my coworkers carry the Gen 4 Glock 21. I shoot my Gen 4 Glock 30 very accurately and quickly. In all honesty, I tear up my qualifications and training courses with it. Also those 230 grain Speer Gold Dots are no joke. Those hollow points are the size of moon craters

If I could carry whatever I want, I'd still stick with the .45ACP for duty....which is funny because all of the firearms I carry off duty are 9mm.

When I started out in LE, we carried .357 magnums, and I loved my 686. In the early 90's, my agency gave us our choice of 9mm, .40, or .45 ACP. I chose the .40 as an ideal compromise, and happily carried a Sig P229 for 20 years. Both calibers filled the bill, but if I were to start my career in today's climate, I'd choose a high capacity 9mm. It all boils down to having more ammo available in a SHTF situation.

I started with 38 spl in a mdl 66. Then they authorized carry of 1086 & I loved the gun & ammo.

I had to lighten the load on my hips/back & the department started cutting back on 10mm practice ammo, due to expense. I switched to a Glock 31, .357 Sig. Now the department is complaining about the expense there. They were issuing 40 S&W to new hires, but now it's 9mm. I figger they'll do away with officer's choice before long & we'll all be carrying the mighty 9. I really don't have a problem with it, but just prefer my .357 Sig.

Thanks to all who voted. I've been away from this thread for a bit.
It appears to, at least this voting block, to mirror my thoughts.
The .45acp is preferred.
Thanks again, it's interesting info!

I would cast a firm vote for the .357 sig. followed by the 9mm

I was remiss with the .357 sig.
I counted 4 votes, a little over 5%, for that round.
There may have been a couple more if it was listed, but no threat the the .45.

I, too, am interested in exploring the .357 Sig a little more.
I have a G22 and 27 with conversion barrels but have only shot them to confirm function.
It has some interesting ballistics.

I had two I always had to carry--AR-15 and a .357. I had no choice in the matter--but wanted to carry my Walther P-38.

I'm not a LEO , but I read the threads showing interest in the 357sig caliber. I have a Sig P320 compact in 357sig . It is absolutely " laser accurate " and I find the recoil really somewhat mild . The grip on the Sig P320 is very comfortable and a great feel . I reload and use 124gr bullets on top of a max charge of Accurate #9 powder .
I'm not a semi auto fan but this combo has become a real keeper for me. I hope this answers some of your questions .

...but I was really surprised to see how many favored the .45. What models would you consider to be every day carryable? If everybody says 1911 I'll REALLY be surprised.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I like the .45 ACP for primary duty carry. I actually carried .357 mag for all the years I served, since it was department issued during those years and I soon saw benefits to carrying what the department issued plus I'd have rather worn out their revolver and ammo than my own!

Today, if I were to carry the .45 ACP, my choice would be the FS M&P .45. I own and shoot 1911's and they shoot fine! But my head is totally programmed to draw and fire under stress without manipulating a safety lever. The striker fired M&P series allows that with 10 rounds plus one (nearly twice what I carried for years) with the added benefit of having more ammo on board for quicker reloads. Bonus is that my M&P .45 is the softest and easiest shooting .45 ACP I own. For duty, I like the trigger, and I like the accuracy of my copy. I would have no hesitation trusting my life to this gun. It has been totally reliable in my experience and fits my hand very well. So there you have my choice among the .45 ACP guns available for primary duty care.

All this said, I would have no concerns about carrying the FS M&P 9MM in the same role. With today's good ammo, it has the benefit of having a good bit more ammo on board. I also have one of these, and it resides at the head of my bed and is fitted with the Crimson Trace grip insert. It is, for me, an outstanding home defender, and it always travels with my wife and I as a dedicated vehicle defender. She shoots it as well as I do and likes it. It makes a great backup for the Shield .45 I have chosen as my EDC even though it uses different ammo. It's no trouble to carry extra ammo for either one, and we feel pretty well covered.

I had no problems with feeling adequately outfitted with the .357 mag back in the day and would not hesitate to use it today. But as far as I am concerned, today's choices for guns and ammo are better and certainly include more and better options for personal protection needs.

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So long ... Ken

Ive always loved the 1911-and have two made by John Thompson's company. Back then when I was in-I didnt have one. However-I was given permission to carry my Walther by the out-going Warden. When the next one came in? I had to stop carrying. This new warden was a tool.