LAPD folks, S&W 45 Q's
- Thread starter 18DAI
- Start date
I still carry the good ole 4506 in a hoyt swivel holster (no im not a gunfighter 
. As far as I know, since the department went to glocks several years back, there is 1 or maybe 2 classes a year to transition back to the beretta and smith platforms. It's called decocker school. There is some interest from the new guys coming on the job to be able to carry a weapon with a decocker but not many since they have been taught that the glock is the cats meow.
The s/w and beretta cougar class used to be called 45. school which was a transition from the beretta 92 to the 45xx platform (starting in 1998 after the NoHo shooting).
My comrades can correct me if I'm wrong but if you went through the academy and were issued a beretta, technically you could carry a 59xx series pistol. however the smiths were not issued. I still see some old timers with 5906 pistols on their belt but they are very very rare.
Nowadays, the 1911 was recently approved (Springfield,Colt and Kimber only) and the classes are 2-3x's a year. However you are required to shoot expert on our bonus course just to attend the class and I hear it is an extremely difficult 3 day training with a high dropout/failure rate. And by the way, you are issued 1 pistol by the city and right at this moment it is a glock 17. If you want to carry something different, you have to purchase it yourself, wait months for an open class and pass the training.
hope this helps...(i know its a little confusing)
dont even ask me about the ar-15 class...2 year wait on that badboy
. As far as I know, since the department went to glocks several years back, there is 1 or maybe 2 classes a year to transition back to the beretta and smith platforms. It's called decocker school. There is some interest from the new guys coming on the job to be able to carry a weapon with a decocker but not many since they have been taught that the glock is the cats meow. The s/w and beretta cougar class used to be called 45. school which was a transition from the beretta 92 to the 45xx platform (starting in 1998 after the NoHo shooting).
My comrades can correct me if I'm wrong but if you went through the academy and were issued a beretta, technically you could carry a 59xx series pistol. however the smiths were not issued. I still see some old timers with 5906 pistols on their belt but they are very very rare.
Nowadays, the 1911 was recently approved (Springfield,Colt and Kimber only) and the classes are 2-3x's a year. However you are required to shoot expert on our bonus course just to attend the class and I hear it is an extremely difficult 3 day training with a high dropout/failure rate. And by the way, you are issued 1 pistol by the city and right at this moment it is a glock 17. If you want to carry something different, you have to purchase it yourself, wait months for an open class and pass the training.
hope this helps...(i know its a little confusing)
dont even ask me about the ar-15 class...2 year wait on that badboy
Welcome to the forum Ca1942!!
Thanks very much for the information. Much appreciated.
Does LAPD have a favorite shop/maker for holsters? NYPD members often used Jovinos gun shop and favored Jay Pee holsters back in the day, as well as Cobra later on.
The folks I know on LAPD have all spoken highly of Aker holsters. Thanks again! Regards 18DAI
Thanks very much for the information. Much appreciated.
Does LAPD have a favorite shop/maker for holsters? NYPD members often used Jovinos gun shop and favored Jay Pee holsters back in the day, as well as Cobra later on.
The folks I know on LAPD have all spoken highly of Aker holsters. Thanks again! Regards 18DAI
The academy offers Aker holsters for off-duty carry and Mika's for back-up weapons. The majority of the holsters they sell for regular duty is the Ted Blocker brand. I have edc'd my 3913 in an aker holster for my entire career. Im not sure what is currently being issued to recruits right now but ill try and find out. When I came on we were issued Don Hume 92fs holsters, before that when the department trans'd to beretta initially; it was Ted Blocker.
Tim Nagel
US Veteran
I love my 4506 I just wish there were more off duty holster options out there it's hard to find very many makers who offer them. Ca1942 welcome to the forum I thought LAPD's issue pistol was the Glock 22 40 caliber?
Tim Nagel
US Veteran
I hear ya, my friend!!
I got so frustrated with the lack of off-the-shelf choices for the full-size 45 Smith's that I ended up making my own.
It's a none-too-subtle rip off of one of Lobo Gunleather's designs, but I had the joy of selecting the leather from the shop and building/sewing from the very start. Wears close to the side and the piece fits with perfect snugness. I got lucky, cos everything I try to "hand craft" usually turns to complete fertilizer with quickness.
Them full size 45 Smiths are a whole handful of piece of mind!!!
Tim Nagel
US Veteran
Post some pics of your holster sometime, I'm sure we would all love to see the holster and your 4506! S&W 45's are the best!
Did time with the Port Authority in Houston. Their idea to weed out some undesired carry guns was to adopt the Safariland SS III holster. Then mandate that if the holster was not made for your gun, buy a new gun. The WWII Lugers and P38's, along with a couple of top break revolvers had to retire. But one Sgt. managed to keep her Llama .45. It fit the 1911 holster. Of course my 4506 transitioned well from the crappy widow makers we had carried. This was in the late '80s. Very few Departments in Texas issue weapons, Not even the City of Houston.
The change from the G22 to the G17 had nothing to do with ammunition prices. The later production third generation G22 has too many issues and none of the forth generation pistols are authorized. Once the Department changed to the G17, problems went away.
The 4506 continues to be very popular however due to deployment issues the Firearms Section has not been able to conduct that many transition courses.
The 4506 continues to be very popular however due to deployment issues the Firearms Section has not been able to conduct that many transition courses.
SW CQB 45
Member
ppd1107
Member
Where are officer's getting SW 45's when they want to transition? Are they buying used or is SW making limited runs for sale to LAPD personel?
ppd1107 Being the current company calling itself S&W is only interested in pushing their high profit margin plastic guns, they are not bothering with this.
No 4506's have been made since 2008, IIRC.
The melonite, integral rail 4566TSW is the only 3rd gen 45 still in production as far as I've been able to determine. S&W won't even sell that to us. I was told to "...just buy an M&P.." Whatever.
If the WVSP had not told S&W to take their M&P and go pound sand, we wouldn't even have the melonite 4566. Corporate greed overcomes corporate arrogance.
My friends on the West Coast are buying used 4506's, 4566's and 4513's. The LAPD armory inspects them before they are allowed to qualify with them and carry them on duty. I'm told by those who know that a clean 4506-1 brings over a grand out there now.
I'm thankful for low 3rd gen prices locally. Regards 18DAI
No 4506's have been made since 2008, IIRC.
The melonite, integral rail 4566TSW is the only 3rd gen 45 still in production as far as I've been able to determine. S&W won't even sell that to us. I was told to "...just buy an M&P.." Whatever.
If the WVSP had not told S&W to take their M&P and go pound sand, we wouldn't even have the melonite 4566. Corporate greed overcomes corporate arrogance.
My friends on the West Coast are buying used 4506's, 4566's and 4513's. The LAPD armory inspects them before they are allowed to qualify with them and carry them on duty. I'm told by those who know that a clean 4506-1 brings over a grand out there now.
I'm thankful for low 3rd gen prices locally. Regards 18DAI
LSP 972
Member
I have two questions for you (and there is no "agenda" here, other than simple curiosity. I have some friends who are LAPD retired, and I have always been interested in your agency's firearms program).
1. What is the root of the resurgence of interest in the .45 ACP cartridge out there?
2. Why is HK not an "authorized brand"?
.
Tim Nagel
US Veteran
Curious to what issues the Glock 22 is having? I have a Marine buddy who is LAPD, he carrys Glock 22 3rd generation with M3 light, said well over 5000 rounds no problems, he said same thing as Ca1942, was money issue, 9mm is cheaper than 40 and much easier to purchase in large amounts. He and his partner both carry the Glock 22, so he was hoping you would post the issues. Thanks
It's actually a litany of problems, to long for a single post. Short story, unsupported chambers, leading to ruptured cases, blown extractors, reliability problems with lights attached, etc. Google it, you'll find all you need. Basically, they stuffed a high pressure cartridge in a platform designed solely for the 9mm.
photoman
Member
Interesting LAPD thread. I had no idea anyone out there was still carrying the 3rd gen guns.
Glock jumped the shark with both the late 3rd gen and early 4th gen 9's and 40's. Problems seem to stem from changing springs, ejectors and going to third party supplied MIM extractors. Too many different issues to cover like others have said do a google search if interested. I will say that the 9 mm seemed to run/eject fine with full power defense loads. Problems seemed to mostly have to do with the cheap practice loads then they would bounce cases off your head ftf, fte. These issues are not just with Glock, it is sad that unlike in the past, while maybe not a good idea, you could buy a NIB Sig or Glock, load it up and have a high degree of confidence that it would work if needed. This is no longer the case with either of these two brands, I have seen reports of 3rd gen Glock 19's working fine for the first 800 rounds and then starting to jam unlike the older ones that just seemed to run forever.
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