Is this everything a cop needs?

[kennethg]

OhDannyBoy,

jimmyyj is correct. The gasbilly fires a cartridge about the size of a .410 shotshell. "The Iron Claw" was used as a come along. It worked in most instances but not all.

 

[scootergirl69]

Iron Claw

I can remember using these back in the 70's in the state prison. Outlawed long ago. Handy item if it could be applied quickly and correctly.

 

[pawncop]

I transferred from the sheriff's office to the local police department back in 1984.

All the deputies I knew had saps or blackjacks, and one carried a 3' (36") hickory stick. I had a brand new sap, hadn't EVEN been broke in good.

When I was at one my first social events, a "street dance" and had my sap in my back pocket. Carried a model 19 in uniform back then.

Anyway, my new chief, spots my sap and in record time I had the watch sgt. telling me to lose the sap and do it quick, the chief was hopping mad. Well, he cooled off when he found out the S. O. carried them on a routine basis and I was not "hot doggin' "

I finally got rid of the thing I think. Can't recall.

 

[ltcdoty]

When I first went on the job back in 1973 I was issued a S&W Model 10, ( I upgraded to a Model 19 on my own ), a cocobolo wood night stick, and a flat lead slapper, ( our uniform pants actually had a pocket along the back of the thigh to hold it ).

Nobody wore a vest, that was something new, they were heavy, and you had to buy it yourself. The portable radio was the size of a shoe and was as heavy as a brick. There was no radar and you were taught to pace a car using the police car speedometer.

We drove Plymouth Interceptors or American Motors Ambassadors, no air conditioning .

As a rookie I was taught by the older guys how to twirl my nightstick, and we still walked beats. I was also taught while walking how not to get cold, hungry or wet !

 

[XTrooper]

Here are a few photos of a pair of my NJSP uniform trousers from back in the day with flat sap/blackjack slit pocket and two of my surviving, well-used flat saps. The larger sap is a Bucheimer Denver, the smaller a Bucheimer Midget. I've also included a photo of a 1973 Plymouth Fury III NJSP troop car. I put plenty of miles on one just like it.

 

[Glock 'em down]

Ahhhh, how I miss the good ol' days.

Back before political correctness and that damned ACLU.

 

[4330Inroute]

When I started in 1978 the Chief carried a Model 15 in an old Berns Martin holster. Nothing else just the revolver. I quietly wondered why he didn't carry a nightstick, sap, hand cuffs or even a reload. Everyone else in the Dept. walked around loaded for bear. I came in early one day for Swing shift and the Chief was talking to a well known 'fighter' in the lobby. This guy had a reputation for using his fists when things didn't go his way in an argument. When the 'fighter' started to step back and his fists were coming up the Chief whipped out the Model 15 and let him have it across the face then across his forehead. He went down and the Chief called me over and told me to handcuff the 'fighter' and take him to the hospital and have him stitched up then book him for assaulting a peace officer. When I came back I began to notice that most if not all the people who spoke to the Chief had either their hats in their hands or spoke to him with their hands clasped in front of them. Sadly the Chief died this last year at 81.

 

[Bat Guano]

One of the few things my father had around from his years in the Border Patrol was one of those saps. He kept it in the nightstand,later augmented it with a M60 S&W he had me get for him. My daughter has the M60 in his memory, and I still have the sap.

I started working in '72 but saps were on their way out then. Never saw any Winchester cuffs, only S&W and Peerless.

Interesting thread...

 

[Lt JL]

34 years on the Job now. Started with a pencil barrel 4" model 10, a pair of Peerless cuffs, a Bucheimer slapjack, a hickory stick, and 18 rounds of 158 gr LRN ammo. Added a Kel-light sometime in the late? 70's. Those huge Motorola portables made dandy persuaders. The bottom half was all battery
Now it's a p226, an Asp, two pairs of S&W cuffs, pepper spray, 2 spare mags, a vest, a big honkin' folding knife per regs, a Mag light in the car and A Surefire in my pocket. The older I get, the heavier my belt gets.And we have $5000.00 Motorola portables that can talk to the moon that we are he;ld responsible for if lost or stolen or left in the toilet stall. Can't hardly get outa the damned car. BTW the Charger sucks as a patrol car. Give me A CV any day.
The only thing missing in the OP's picture is a badge.

AND remember, my children, your flashlight is not an impact weapon.Neither is your portable. Some of my people, if turned upside down and shaken are probably carrying a friggin' rocket launcher. It ain't easy bein' a watch commander.YMMV John

 

[sheriffoconee]

I know what you mean LT JL....we didn't have enough portables to go around, only supervision had those 6 lb motorolas that you could drive nails with...now my kids go to the radio shop if there is static in the speaker....bought our own armor, got issued a badge, three shirts, three pair of pants, and a bus driver hat....if you wanted a raincoat, flashlight, stick, gun, ammo, winter coat, boots or shoes, or a new shirt, you bought them yourself...
I got three days off for using my Kel Light as an impact weapon...I was fighting a pro football linebacker who thankfully was drunk cause I would have had to shoot him if he hadn't of been....
Our "Use of Force" policy provides for "immediate use improvised weapons".....no one having to defend themselves working for me is going to take time off for it....

I could go on and on, but the job sure has changed...

 

[Glock 'em down]

I know what you mean LT JL....we didn't have enough portables to go around, only supervision had those 6 lb motorolas that you could drive nails with...now my kids go to the radio shop if there is static in the speaker....bought our own armor, got issued a badge, three shirts, three pair of pants, and a bus driver hat....if you wanted a raincoat, flashlight, stick, gun, ammo, winter coat, boots or shoes, or a new shirt, you bought them yourself...
I got three days off for using my Kel Light as an impact weapon...I was fighting a pro football linebacker who thankfully was drunk cause I would have had to shoot him if he hadn't of been....
Our "Use of Force" policy provides for "immediate use improvised weapons".....no one having to defend themselves working for me is going to take time off for it....

I could go on and on, but the job sure has changed...

Yes, sadly it has changed. I work in a relatively rural area. The majority of us (I'm talking my local PD and the sheriff's office) are all country boys. Our two agencies combined probably only number 25-30 officers/deputies. Of those 25-30, there are probably only 4 deputies, 2 PD officers and myself who still tote wheelguns. The two PD officers both carry K frames, one of the SO deputies carries a K frame (sometimes an N frame) the other 3 deputies all carry snubs (two S&Ws/one Colt).

At 42 years old, I'm the youngest one of the group, and ALL 7 of us would still carry a sap if CLEET would let us.

 

[DAVEB47]

I remember my dad who was a LEO in the late 60's through the 80's and he had one of those claws. He said people could get real cooperative real fast with one of those.

 

[safearm]

I started in 1978 with a suburban Chicago department. Model 15 in a Don Hume Jordan holster, 12 extra rounds in dump pouches, one pair of S&W handcuffs, a radio carrier, and baton of your choice. I picked a Bianchi "Magic Wand" and carried a convoy sap. Ended my career in Mississippi in 2007 with Glock 21 and one extra magazine, ASP baton, pepper spray, still one set of S&W handcuffs, cellphone, radio, and Taser. Luckily my waist expanded over the years or I wouldn't have been able to carry everything.
P.S. - First badge was a six pointed star; last badge was a six pointed star, although I wore a variety of shields in between.

 

[Glock 'em down]

I started in 1978 with a suburban Chicago department. Model 15 in a Don Hume Jordan holster, 12 extra rounds in dump pouches, one pair of S&W handcuffs, a radio carrier, and baton of your choice. I picked a Bianchi "Magic Wand" and carried a convoy sap. Ended my career in Mississippi in 2007 with Glock 21 and one extra magazine, ASP baton, pepper spray, still one set of S&W handcuffs, cellphone, radio, and Taser. Luckily my waist expanded over the years or I wouldn't have been able to carry everything.
P.S. - First badge was a six pointed star; last badge was a six pointed star, although I wore a variety of shields in between.

Seems like I had a Captain that carried one of those. They were aluminum weren't they? Whenever we were at a call, if you ever heard that infamous "ZING!!!" of his baton coming out of the ring, you knew to clear out, because he was liable to hit you as well as the bad guy while he was swinging it!

 

[sigp220.45]

Ahhhh, the improvised impact weapon. Once my crew and I were looking for a fugitive of some sort in a housing project. When we pulled up and got out we interrupted a dope deal on the front porch. One guy (our fugitive) ran into the building while the other guy bolted to the side. I still don't know why I did it, but I cranked back and let fly with my best Maglite fastball. He cut the corner just as my 4 D cell light hit the bricks even with where his head should have been but for that pesky building. My light ricocheted into the street, still functional. A minute later one of my partners ran back out and said "Damn - did you shoot that guy?" based on the boom they heard inside.

 

[Horseless Trooper]

I have never been subjected to "friendly fire" from someone else's stick but have been pepper sprayed by my so-called allies more than once.
One piece of vintage police gear I have seen in pictures but never encountered is the palm sap. Lead weighted, Fit in your palm with a strap that went around the back of the hand. More or less flesh tone it looked like a nice low profile behavioral modification device.
When I started in '83 it was a S&W 681, 158 JSP magnums, 12 rounds in loops, 26 in stick, 1 set of cuffs and a level 2 holster. We were not allowed anything else on the belt, not even a keyring.

 

[sheriffoconee]

alright, all you coppers who remember when having a bubblegum machine on top and a kojack light on the dash was the cutting edge of emergency light technology.....
who carried brass knuckles????? This is a Garrity question.......(hahaha)

 

[senecaap]

You beat me to it! A lot of the old timers I talk to had a set of knucks, and liked to use them for "friendly conversations" with hardcases.

 

[kraigwy]

Don't forget ammo. When I started (Mar 74) we were issued 158 grn RN Lead, cast and loaded by trustees. We had belt loops so you couldnt hide you "special ammo" very well.

First I was issued a model 15, well worn, but found out they got a shipment of Model 28s, I beat feet to property and traded, (the same Model 28 I posted in my earlier post). Anyway I trusted my reloads more then the 38s the trustees loaded, so I had Cast 150 SWCs (same mold I use today).

The Capt saw my ammo and asked if there were reloads, I said, yeap, adding there was no policy about reloads, He told me, if I wanted a policy he'd right one, until then I had 30 mins to come up with some issure or factory stuff. A quit trip to pennys, a couple blocks away, and back, I had a reciept for a box of Winchester 158 Grn LSWCs in 357.

About three months later the capt retired and I saw him at a gun show, he asked if I went back to reloads and I said Yeap, he replied, I thought so, then admitted he carried his own reloads.

The Factory later went to 125 Winchester HPs, but I kept my SWCs.

 

[old bear]

“alright, all you coppers who remember when having a bubblegum machine on top and a kojack light on the dash was the cutting edge of emergency light technology.....
who carried brass knuckles????? This is a Garrity question.......(hahaha)”

I remember having double “bubblegum" lights on the roof. Also remember wrapping the extension cord of my “Kojack” dash light around the steering wheel almost T.A.ed on my way to a hot call. Note to self… Even though it looked cool on T.V. place red light on dash not on roof of driver’s side of car.

Never carried or owned brass knuckles, but I always had a pair of sap gloves handy. When I worked the Paddy wagon, (now you can guess how long ago that was) the sight of a pair of sap gloves made more than one fighter re think his decision.