Duty guns & Etc., musings.

oink · Nov 12, 2020

I was just trying to remember the guns I've carried over the years as sanctioned Duty, BU or OD guns. No good reason. First you need to realize I only worked at agencies that were strictly BYOG or you could BYOG. It wasn't an intentional choice, it just worked out that way. My last agency started as strictly BYOG but was an issued gun only when I left, except for those grandfathered.
OK:

4" 66 DG with a 60 as a BU/OD.

4" 66 DG with a PPKS as BU, 60 as OD (Went back to the previous after trading the PPKS for a Dillon 450, dies, tumbler, etc.)

659 DG with a AMT Backup as BU and the same aforementioned 60 as OD.

Same 659 DG with the AMT as BU and a 669 as OD

4" 686 DG with the 60 as BU again and the 669 still as OD (The AMT left).

6" 629 DG with 60 as BU and 669 as OD but the 669 often also playing BU role in a nylon shoulder rig under my velcro rip opening shirt.

6" 686 did serve as relief DG when the 629 had to go home to mother a couple of times. Same holster if looser fit.

669 DG with no BU unless the mini-14 on the console counts (boat). 669 OD as well.

629 DG with Kel tec P32 BU and 669 OD.

Somewhere in here I used a Gen2 G21 as DG with a Kel tec as BU and the 669 OD and BU, but I went back to the 629 fairly quickly.

Edit to add: a Gen2 G23 did get a fair amount of use as an OD from about this point (Gen2 Era) on.

629 DG with Kel tec P3AT and 669 BU and G23 OD.

Kimber 1911 DG, with the P3AT and 669 BU and G23 OD.

I probably forgot some stuff.

I'm obviously not very loyal.

Edit to add: It occurs to me that over the years the 669 has seen more time serving in one form or another than any other gun. Not that it was ever my favorite gun, which it wasn't. I guess it was/is a useful all around tool. It currently doesn't see much use.

dscampbell · Nov 12, 2020

Personal ly owned
Model 28 6”
38 M&P 2”
Model 15 4”
Model 13 4”
County issued
S&W model 59 for a month then replaced with Model 66 4”
Still carry the 38 M&P 2” as a retired deputy

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

mdf9183 · Nov 12, 2020

38/44 4in Nickel Duty gun issued by PD mod 36 3 OD
Mod 27 4in Nickel Duty gun issued by PD Browning HP OD
Mod 19 4in Blued personally owned as a Det. Browning HP OD

WCCPHD · Nov 12, 2020

Model 66-1 2.5 inch
Model 66-2 four inch
Model 13-3 three inch
Model 60 ("undercover" gun)
Beretta 92F
Sig P229 (.40 S&W)
Sig P239 (.40 S&W)
Kimber 1911 three inch
HK USP Tactical .45

Personally owned-agency approved (backup, undercover, off duty)
19-3 2.5 inch
Model 60
Model 342ti
Kahr PM40
Model 940
Sig P365

AlHunt · Nov 12, 2020

Rough dates for some of these lists might be interesting as how your carry guns evolved over the years. (38/44? probably not very recent)

Sevens · Nov 12, 2020

Many (most?) AMT guns got a reputation for spotty quality and questionable function. It’s been my experience that not all AMT were bad, some were VERY good depending on your luck.

The .45cal Backup was a very attractive package, lots of firepower in a ln extremely small space and ahead of it’s time. Function-wise, their reputation specifically was not at all good.

Was yours a reliable tool? Or was it more hopeful rather than a known quantity?

mk70ss · Nov 12, 2020

Beretta 92F 9mm 10 years.

Beretta 96D .40 4 years.

Sig 229DAK for 5 years.

S&W M&P 9mm for 3years.

Those were my issued duty guns from our PD

LoboGunLeather · Nov 12, 2020

Department-issued handguns are a fairly recent development. My LE career included 3 agencies, and all 3 required employees to provide their own handguns and equipment (although one provided an allowance annually, and eventually decided to provide issued handguns).

In my experience, there was always a standard set and usually a list of authorized weapons. Back in the early 1970's I was required to provide and carry a revolver, Colt or Smith & Wesson, 6-shot, blued steel, 4" barrel, either .38 Special or .357 Magnum. Some of the older officers were "grandfathered" to permit them to continue carrying the handguns they started with; the .44 Special was fairly common, and a few .44 and .41 Magnums were seen.

We were required by regulations to always be armed, on-duty and off-duty. Off-duty weapons were generally discretionary with little in the way of regulation. I regularly carried a Browning Hi Power or Colt .45 pistol while off-duty, others carried .38 snubs, .380 and .32 autos. "Back-up" guns were prohibited as a preventive against claims of officers using "throw-down" guns to justify a bad shooting.

In more recent years the majority of LE agencies have gone to issued weapons and ammunition, everything standardized, everything as regimented as possible based upon some normative value in someone's playbook. The goal appears to be allowing as little room as possible for lawyers to attack with claims of negligence, oversight, improper training or supervision, etc, etc, etc.

mckenney99 · Nov 12, 2020

All primary duty weapons were issued weapons with no variation and only agency issued ammunition permitted.
Beginning in 1980:
Well used & reblued S&W HB M10 .38Spl (Speer 125gr SP +P)
S&W M681 .38Spl (Speer 125gr SP +P)
Beretta 96D (various lowest bid JHP ammos)
Sig P226 DAO .40 S&W (various JHP ammos) until retirement in 2006

Secondary/backup weapons were not encouraged nor discouraged, had to be officer provided, had to be range officer approved and sample bullets/casings had to be collected and retained in the agency files.
Beginning in 1980
S&W 2in M64
S&W M49
S&W M649
Star Firestar .40 S&W
Glock M27
Kahr Arms MK9

Off duty carry was permitted but not encouraged. Officer provided weapon of choice. No agency issued weapons, ammo or other equipment could be carried off duty.
S&W M64
S&W M49
Walther PPK/s
S&W M649
S&W M669
Glock 19
Star PD
Colt Officer's .45
Beretta 96D (personally owned weapon)
Star Firestar .40 S&W
Glock 27
Kahr Arms K40
Kahr Arms MK9
Custom Colt Government Model .45
Custom Colt Government Model .40 S&W

oink · Nov 12, 2020

Sevens said:
Many (most?) AMT guns got a reputation for spotty quality and questionable function.....Was yours a reliable tool? Or was it more hopeful rather than a known quantity?

My original AMT 380 was reliable with HB or I think Remington HP which was essentially HB with a little hole. I foolishly traded "up" to the new double action model when it came out. Big mistake! Total garbage.

Buford57 · Nov 12, 2020

All of my career in uniform was with a personally owned M28-2 4" with the exception of a 6-month flirtation with a 6" Colt Official Police which ended when I had to draw it from a sitting position one night. Then back to 28, which still came out for stakeouts after I made detective. BUG/OD was a 2" Colt Lawman III in the winter and a 2" Colt Agent in the summer.

In investigations I carried the Lawman with the Agent as BUG. Later went to a 39-2 and the Agent. Tried a 469 briefly but could never shoot it as well as the 39 and reverted until my last 6 months or so when I returned to the Lawman and a Cobra, which had replaced the Agent somewhere along the line.

For a one-year assignment with the Vice Presidential OCDETF during the Reagan administration I carried a .45 Combat Commander and a High Standard .22 Magnum Derringer since I was far out and in deep.

Moo Moo · Nov 12, 2020

I only had Police Issued handguns. Pretty boring;-

- Smith & Wesson Model 10 with 3" barrel square butt
- Glock 22
- Glock 23

Old cop · Nov 12, 2020

1. Colt Official Police (1968)
2. S&W Model 10
3. S&W Model 15
4. Colt Detective Special
5. S&W Model 10 2”
6. S&W Model 64 2”
7. H&K P7/M8
8. Glock 19
9. Glock 23 (Ret/1997)

sigp220.45 · Nov 12, 2020

I’m the only guy I know who carried the same gun for a full career.

Personally owned Sig P220. 1991-2016.

I had a Model 36 as a second gun until about 1996, then replaced it with a Glock 27. I gave all three to my kids when I retired.

31FordA · Nov 12, 2020

When I got hired by the county in ‘97 I bought a brand new 4” 19-7. A few months later I added a used 2” 36 as a backup/off duty gun. I carried those for several years, with the occasional substitution of my Colt 1991A-1.

Over the course of the following 23 years I carried a variety of personally owned firearms at different times as either a primary or backup/off duty
P-32 KelTec
10-5 4”
Colt Commander
13-3 3”
GP-100 3”
Detective Special
SP-101
19-5 2.5”
M&P 2”
640ND
60-7
442-1
340 M&P
64-2 2”
12-2 2”
65-3 3”

Currently I carry either the SP-101 and the 340 M&P or the 64-2 with the 12-2. I also qualified with two pistols this year, a Glock 32 and a Colt Gunsite Pistol. I still rely on the revolvers most of the time, unless I’m visiting Philly.

I still own almost all those guns. The few I don’t still own are with family or friends.

Buford57 · Nov 12, 2020

sigp220.45 said:
I’m the only guy I know who carried the same gun for a full career.

Personally owned Sig P220. 1991-2016.

I had a Model 36 as a second gun until about 1996, then replaced it with a Glock 27. I gave all three to my kids when I retired.

A former coworker spent his entire year career in uniform and carried a 6" Highway Patrolman the whole time. When he retired in 2000 he was the last in the department to carry a revolver. I admire consistency, but can't quite manage it.

medic15al · Nov 13, 2020

I moonlighted as armed security while working as a paramedic.(1991-2006)

Taurus PT-92 bought in 1990 (Last few pre-decock models)
Taurus M-66 blued for revolver only posts. (Purchased same time)
4in S&W M-13 blued
S&W M-19 4in
Browning Hi-Power 9mm MK-III
Colt M1991 Old Roll Mark Commander 45 Auto
SIG P-220
Glock 31 357sig

BUGs:

Taurus M-85 Concealed Hammer .38 spl
S&W M-38
Walther PPK .380
Glock 33 357sig

As a police reserve:

Glock 31 357sig
SIG P-226 357sig
SIG P-226 E2 9mm

BUG:
Glock 33 357sig

Both security and reserve PD I had a personally owned and dept approved and qual Rem 870 or Mossberg 590A1

Ruger Mini-14 at remote security posts (didn't ask, didn't tell)

Ammo in '90s security was Cor-Bon 9mm and 38 spl 158 grn LSWCHP +P+
and Federal 357 Magnum 125 JHP.

45 ACP was.. Of course.... 230 grn Hydra-Shoks

Later the 357sig ammo was either Ranger-T or HST whichever the PD could get for me.

Duty guns & Etc., musings.

oink

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