LAPD folks, S&W 45 Q's

[18DAI]

How is the 3rd gen 45 transition class progressing? Are they still being offered?

What does the training consist of? Is it very different from the past, say when Larry Mudgett ran it? What was it like then?

I'm curious too about which is the more popular pistol on LAPD, the 4506 or 4566?

Thanks for your time! Regards 18DAI

 

[03Fatboy]

CALREB should chime in soon if he see this, I'm curious as well....

 

[18DAI]

Anyone? Regards 18DAI

 

[Tim Nagel]

Wondering some of the same things myself 18DAI! I'm sure will hear something soon.

 

[mscampbell2734]

The "45" transition course has been eliminated. Officers can carry a 2nd or 3rd gen Smith 45 once they qualify with it. Someone with some common sense realized it was a waste of time. Officers could already carry 2nd and 3rd generation 9mms without any additional training so the argument officers needed to get used to the mag safety was flawed.

As for model, 75% go with the 4506, with the rest using either the 4566 or 4563.

 

[Silversmok3]

Hold on.

Just a second.


Just wait a hot minute. So if im reading the previous post right, a public agency exercised common sense with regard to a training and policy question?

I'm off to buy a lottery ticket.
Anyone need a lift to Vegas?

 

[mscampbell2734]

Yeah it only took 12 years and a huge budget crisis before the Department reviewed its training requirements and eliminated some CYA stuff.

Really the unwritten reason for the course was to make officers shoot a certain number of rounds through their weapon before carrying it on duty. You'd be shocked to know how many officers showed up at the course with brand new weapons, never fired/cleaned/oiled and had no idea how to field strip and lube properly.

 

[BigDaddy7972]

Do you mean that 70% of the LAPD carry he 4506 or that 70% of those that carry Smith 45's like the 4506 better? What is th most commonly carried pistol in the LAPD if you know? What about the Glock 21

 

[Texas Star]

Do a lot still carry Beretta M-92FS 9mm's?

I read that new hires have to wear Glocks, but that guns already in use were grandfathered in.

 

[lawman90]

I'd be very interested in knowing how many LAPD officers still carry / are issued the 5906/4506/4566, just as a glimmer of hope that S&W will still produce spare parts and maybe consider offering them once again on a wider scale.

 

[mscampbell2734]

Do you mean that 70% of the LAPD carry he 4506 or that 70% of those that carry Smith 45's like the 4506 better? What is th most commonly carried pistol in the LAPD if you know? What about the Glock 21

This. The current issue duty weapon is Glock. Officers who carried/issued other weapons could keep those weapons.

For the most part Smith 9mms are few and far between. 6906s are sometimes seen carried by plain clothes and Detectives, and 59xx guns with older officers, normally females, who bought their own back in the day. The grip is MUCH smaller then the Beretta 92, which was the only choice back then.

Believe it or not there is still strong interest in the 45xx guns. So much so that classes are offered for younger officers who have only shot Glocks so they go to a gun with a decocker.

 

[OIF2]

I carried a 4563 when I went to Narcotics. Light, easy to conceal and still usable as an entry gun on search warrants.
Bob

 

[Fishslayer]

You'd be shocked to know how many officers showed up at the course with brand new weapons, never fired/cleaned/oiled and had no idea how to field strip and lube properly.

Not really. Love those old cop guns. "Carried much, fired a little."

 

[kbm6893]

So you are issued a Glock in the academy, but you have the option of going out and buying your own 4506 later if you want to carry it? Why not just give the recruit the choice in the academy?

 

[Silversmok3]

So you are issued a Glock in the academy, but you have the option of going out and buying your own 4506 later if you want to carry it? Why not just give the recruit the choice in the academy?

"GLOCKS ARE THE BEST!"

"GLOCKS ARE THE BEST!"

"GLOCKS ARE TH-"

click

I was watching "The Mummy" and Imhotep's slaves were on the screen. My bad gentlemen.

 

[mscampbell2734]

So you are issued a Glock in the academy, but you have the option of going out and buying your own 4506 later if you want to carry it? Why not just give the recruit the choice in the academy?

The Department has to issue some sort of weapon. Saying go out and find your own is not an acceptable solution because there's a huge percentage of recruits who have no idea what makes a good duty weapon. Something like 40% have never even touched a real gun before joining the Department.

 

[18DAI]

Thanks for the info! Much appreciated. Regards 18DAI

 

[Laddy Smith]

18DAI...did you

Thanks for the info! Much appreciated. Regards 18DAI

go through the LAPD school at one time? I always thought you were an East coast guy...

Lad

 

[18DAI]

Hi Laddy Smith,

No, never been fortunate enough to attend any LAPD schools. Although I do have a standing invitation to run their course, if I should ever be able to get out there, from one of the fine LAPD folks.

I am an east coast guy. I was fortunate enough to have most of my relatives employed by the NYPD. I was initially trained by them as a young man. Then some training courtesy of Uncle Sugar and finally state training and certification.

Annual qualifications and competition is about all I have done for the last couple of years. Although I am saving up to take a course offered by Larry Mudgett. He was the chief instructor for LAPD at one time and now runs his own school. Best regards, 18DAI

 

[mscampbell2734]

Larry's running his own school? Really?

Last I heard was Larry was working at Gunsight and in fact was the lead instructor for their new SAA carry class.

 

[18DAI]

Check out marksmanshipmatters.com . Thats where I saw his classes offered. Regards 18DAI

 

[Ca1942]

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

 

[18DAI]

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

 

[Ca1942]

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]

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?

 

[Ca1942]

The g22 was issued for a while but budgetary concerns (ammo prices) halted that So its the 17 last I heard

 

[Tim Nagel]

The g22 was issued for a while but budgetary concerns (ammo prices) halted that So its the 17 last I heard

Thanks for the info!

 

[vsp537]

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...

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]

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!!!

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!

 

[slfree]

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.