COLLECTING PD GUNS

Not sure where I should start this, so here will be the spot until it gets moved....

Has anyone undertaken collecting STATE POLICE marked guns? Pistols, revolvers, shotguns? I wonder how difficult it would be to get a marked weapon from each of our 50 states? Do all the states mark the issue weapons for their respective police forces? Not talking cities here, STATE POLICE. I think it would be neat, but is it doable?

I have an 870 and a Beretta 92 that are marked “WSP” (Wyoming State Patrol) and a badge number, but I would think it would be VERY difficult to collect one from every State.

Dennis.

FOUND THIS...

Found this list, looks like a collection of State Police guns would be quite a bit of Tupperware. Wonder if they are all marked?

Alabama Glock 22
Alaska Glock 22
Arizona Sig P229 .40
Arkansas Glock 22
California S&W 4006TSW
Colorado S&W M&P .40
Connecticut Sig P226 .40
Delaware Sig P229 .357Sig
Florida Beretta 96D
Georgia Glock 37
Hawaii S&W 5906
Idaho Glock 22
Illinois Glock 22
Indiana Glock 22
Iowa S&W 4046
Kansas Glock 21
Kentucky Glock 34
Lousiana Sig P229 .40
Maine HK USP .45
Maryland Beretta Px4 .40
Massachusetts Sig P226 .40
Michigan Sig P226 .40
Minnesota Glock 22
Mississippi Glock 22
Missouri Glock 22
Montana Sig P229 .357Sig
Nebraska Glock 22
New Hampshire S&W M&P .45
Nevada Sig P229R .40
New Jersey Sig 228
New Mexico S&W M&P .357
New York Glock 37
North Carolina SIG P226 .40
North Dakota S&W 4506
Ohio Sig P226 .40
Oklahoma Sig P226R .357Sig
Oregon Glock 22
Pennsylvania Glock 37
Rhode Island Sig P226DAK .357Sig
South Carolina Glock 37
South Dakota SIG P229 .40
Tennessee Glock 31
Texas Sig P226 .357Sig
Utah Beretta Cougar .40
Vermont Sig P229 .40
Virginia Sig P229R .357
Washington Beretta 92F
West Virginia S&W 4566TSW
Wisconsin Ruger P89
Wyoming Glock 22

Not sure of accuracy, this list may be dated. I don't think there is a State Police in Hawaii.

I need to expand the question to ask: How hard would it be to collect A PD marked gun from each state police or highway patrol, regardless of vintage? Gotta be a lot of surplus stuff floating around out there. I read Maryland replaced Beretta 92's with CX4 Storm, I know PA replaced Beretta 96's with the new .45GAP Glock. Before that PA had S&W 66's. The stuff has to be out there.

None of the Glock 22s with the IL State Police are marked. They look like any other Glock 22.
The last duty guns that were marked were the 39-nothing. Might have been some 39-2 that were marked but I don't recall ever seeing any so marked. The 39-nothing will be stamped on the dust cover "ILL.S.P." followed by a number. The number is an inventory number and does not have any bearing as to which Trooper carried it. The state of IL at the time required a unique inventory number on every piece of equipment. The serial number would not suffice so the guns were stamped with inventory numbers.
Following the 39-2 the ISP issued the 439, 459, 469, 5904, 6904, Glock 22, and Glock 23. There were also some Walther PPK stainless issued to senior command. None of those were marked with any ISP identification and they all look like any other gun of those models.
You might find a shotgun stamped with IL State Police or some variation of the spelling. Shotguns would be Winchester Mod 97, Mod 12, Ithaca 37. They will be stamped in the butt stock fairly deep. It will look like it was branded on with a hot iron. I don't ever recall seeing any S&W 3000s with the markings but there could be some. I can't recall now if my issued 870 had the ISP markings or not. I removed the stock right after it was issued to me and carried it my entire career with a folding stock. When I retired the range removed the folding stock and returned it to me but I never saw the issued stock after I swapped out for the folder.
S&W made a limited run of 5904 which were ISP commemorative guns. They were stamped with the ISP seal and some gold inlay. Weren't too many sold. They were individual purchase, not dept purchase, and were meant for display. The ISP never purchased nor issued any of the commemorative guns.

Minnesota State Patrol had Beretta 96Ds before the Glocks.

SC State Troopers carried S&W Model 65's for a number of years, then adopted the Glock 22, then in the past year or so adopted the Glock 37 in .45GAP. It would be relatively easy to pick up a Model 65 or Glock 22 with the SC markings. The 65's had a rollmark on many, either SCHP or SCHD I believe. The Glock 22's were in a special serial number range, something like SC***, or something similar, so they are easily identifiable. I have seen both of these for sale often in SC, since the state traded them in towards new weapons. They also traded off a bunch of Remington 870's a couple years ago. Some were almost new, others were well worn. I had one like new roll marked SCHP. These are also common in SC.

Kansas and the Glock 21's, oh my.

NYS Trooper's Glock 37s aren't marked.

A lot of states, especially in the Northeast, probably destroy their old firearms rather than release them for sale to the public. Their politicians are afraid that their friends in the liberal media would like nothing better than a juicy headline saying "Former state police pistol used in gang slaying". Pity.

You are correct about police agencies in the Northeast tend to destroy their old pistols rather than release them to the public. I had a Forest Ranger I met while camping in the Adirondacks last year tell me that. New York State is one of those states. He was carrying a Sig 226 in .40 caliber and was extremely happy with it. Conservation Officers on the other hand were issued Glocks. Not sure why they do it that way, but this is New York and they do a lot of strange things when it comes to firearms. So it might be difficult trying to secure a New York State Police trade in.

Years ago the NJSP carried H&K P7s. I always thought that was a pretty cool service gun.

Missouri just recently, with the most recent issue of Glocks, quit marking them. I was lucky enough to buy a good friend's issued Glock with MO. State Police markings because there will be no more issued. As an aside, yesterday I bought an Il. State Police marked Winchester Model 12 riot gun.

This is the list that I have:

Alabama Glock 22/27/35 .40 S&W/
Alaska Glock 22 .40 S&W/180 grain JHP (Fed HST, Win Ranger, Rem GS)
Arizona Sig P229 .40 S&W/
Arkansas Glock 22 .40 S&W/
California S&W 4006 .40 S&W/
Colorado S&W M&P .40 S&W/
Connecticut Sig P226 .357 SIG/
Delaware Sig P229 .357 SIG/
Florida Beretta 96 .40 S&W/
Georgia Glock 37/39 .45 GAP/
Hawaii
Idaho Glock 22 .40 S&W/
Illinois Glock 22 .40 S&W/Win 180 grain Ranger T
Indiana Glock 17 9mm/
Iowa S&W M&P .40 S&W/
Kansas Glock 21 .45 ACP/
Kentucky Glock 34 9mm/
Louisiana Sig P220 .45 ACP/
Maine HK USP .45 ACP/
Maryland Beretta PX4 .40 S&W/
Massachusetts Sig P226 .40 S&W/
Michigan Sig P226 .40 S&W/
Minnesota Glock 22 .40 S&W/
Mississippi* Glock 22/23/27.40 S&W/Win 165 grain Ranger T
Missouri Glock 22 .40 S&W/
Montana Sig P229 .357 SIG/
Nebraska Glock 22 .40 S&W/
Nevada Sig P229R .40 S&W/
New HampshireS&W M&P .45 ACP/
New Jersey Sig P228 9mm/Fed 115 grain JHP
New Mexico S&W M&P .357 SIG/
New York Glock 37 .45 GAP/
North Carolina S&W M&P .357 SIG/
North Dakota S&W 4506 .45 ACP/
Ohio Sig P226 .40 S&W/
Oklahoma Sig P226R .357 SIG/
Oregon Glock 22 .40 S&W/
Pennsylvania Glock 37 .45GAP/
Rhode Island Sig P226DAK .357 SIG/
South Carolina Glock 37 .45GAP/
South Dakota Sig P229 .40 S&W/
Tennessee Glock 31/33 .357 SIG/Rem 125 grain GS Bonded HP
Texas Sig P226 .357 SIG/Speer 125 grain GDHP
Utah Beretta Cougar .40 S&W/
Vermont Sig P229 .40 S&W
Virginia Sig P229 .357 SIG/Speer 125 grain GDHP
Washington HK USP/USPc .40S&W/Fed 165 grain Tactical Bonded HP
West Virginia S&W 4566 .45 ACP/
Wisconsin
Wyoming Glock 22 .40 S&W/

Not one HG on that list, I would want as a collector..or in my holster!!

Agency Markings on L.E. Issued Firearms

Over the years I have seen a number of weapons in service and for sale that had departmental markings. Whether it be a roll mark with the agency letters or something more elaborate like the entire agency name spelled out or better yet a patch, symbol or badge etched or engraved. There are guns out there for sale. Sometimes they will command a premium and often it depends on the rarity of the weapon (number made and/or issued) as well as its condition.

One thing is for sure… whenever the weapon is retired from service the agency has a dilemma on its hands. Often times an agency will allow its officers to purchase their retired service weapons and sometimes even additional surplus guns. For those that aren't marked it's not that big of a deal. For those that are marked where the seal or lettering cannot be easily obliterated through bead blasting or refinishing it becomes a problem if and more importantly when the weapon is sold or traded outside of the law enforcement community. Even the old retired guy that bought his service revolver or pistol will one day pass away and his next of kin may not care for guns or worse yet have it stolen from their car or home. At that point the firearm that was once marked is now in the general public (more specifically with a criminal who either stole it or bought it or traded for it illegally) where the potential for someone BAD to come into ownership or the weapon used during the commission of a crime.

Having a weapon marked with agency markings stolen and then used in a crime is inevitable. Officers homes are broken into, sometimes targeted because of the belief that cops have at least one gun and maybe more. Or when they were secured in a vehicle that was broken into. Stuff happens. You know the media will blow it up when the PD marked weapon is used by a bad guy and then they'll want to know how the bad guy got the gun and so on.

The Smith or Glock that is more or less just like the one you buy at the local dealer with maybe the addition of the Night Sights is very generic but it won't come back to haunt you. Now, wasn't I going to get my retired 4046 engraved with my agency's badge on the slide?

To anyone who wants to undertake the 50 State Collection project, GOOD LUCK. You may succeed but it will be very difficult to do since most agencies do not mark their weapons with agency names, badges or seals.

james56 said:

Not one HG on that list, I would want as a collector..or in my holster!!

Click to expand...

James, you are a tough audience...there are some nice S&W's on that list. Maybe not collectible, but certainly dependable, reliable and worthy of carry consideration.

All the comments are great.

I suspect one would have a better chance at getting guns from all 50 states if they included revolvers as well as semi-autos. I think they marked revolvers more often in the past than they do semi-autos today. I have state police marked revolvers from 3 states without intentially looking for them.

Jerry

Can verify that Louisiana State Police recently sold a lot of Sig 220's along with some other Sig models.

None that I've seen are marked by the department. There are still some available to the public through a local retailer.

FWIW, the Kentucky State Police issue the Glock 35 .40, not the Glock 34 9mm.

james56, just out of curiosity, what would your choice be?

I've been collecting police-marked guns for years, I'm fortunate to be close to a major police supplier that gets in a LOT of trade-ins. I've never verified it, but since the vast majority are Smiths I'm thinking that extra rollmarks were a factory option on police contracts.

It's a dying practice unfortunately.

I have guns that were personally marked with officer's names and agency badge, but that's getting rarer. Nowadays they are not marked at all or have a control number of some sort. For example, my latest purchase is a 4043 from the TABC, the dust cover has the number "14537" rollmarked in it. (why they just do not use the original serial# is beyond me) No mention of agency name though.

My prize is a 4506 marked with a badge, officer #, and "Tulsa PD". I tell friends they went with the 4506 just to have the room on the slide. For that matter, other agencies used to mark guns as well. I have a Mdl 66 marked "Austin Parks and Recreation Dept" on a metal plate glued inside the the grip. (dog catcher I guess)

Don't pass up the long guns too, I have an 870 riot gun marked in no less than 5 places with "Brazoria County Sheriff's Dept #33".

It gets addicting.