Police officers first time with a revolver

[7shooter]

I was helping run the range yesterday for a group of retired police officers who were qualifying for the national carry permit. One of the officers commented on the 2" model 10 I was carrying and mentioned that she had never fired a revolver. She had a dozen or so years on the job and had only fired semi autos which she was quite good with. I showed her how to load and unload the model 10 and also a Ruger LCR. She was very good with the revolvers right out of the gate. The only problem she had was that she initially tried to stage the trigger the way she does on her carry pistol and found out you have to fully release a revolver trigger .

I tease my friend who is an excellent revolver smith ( and used to work for S&W ) that he is a dinosaur. I felt like I had joined him on the endangered species list.

 

[oldman45]

I would love to see officers have to shoot all types of handguns during training. If they have to load, unload and work the guns, they can do so in the streets when they encounter various types. Just a few months back, I had to unload a revolver for a six yr veteran because he could not figure how it worked.

Over the years, I had to carry all types and calibers. It did not hurt me at all, I never felt out gunned and gained from the experience. What it did was make me a better shooter.

 

[7shooter]

Oldman45 .... I agree. It really is an officer safety issue and it isn't that hard to teach. The officer I was with caught on immediately. In the civilian carry permit class we teach we familiarize the students with revolvers and a variety of semi autos. We are going to have to start thinking about doing that with our retired LE students.

 

[David LaPell]

I remember one of our annual qualifications where we of course shoot our Glock 21's. During the lunch break it turns into an informal range session where everyone kind of brings out their toys. One guy had an AK of some sort and they set up a soda cap in the X ring of a B-27. From a picnic table he tried whacking that cap with no success. I had happened to have brought along my 6 1/2 inch barreled Heavy Duty (still wish I had that gun) and I stood at the 15 yard line and on the second shot put a slug through the cap.
I know when alot of younger guys ask me what I carry and it ends up being a revolver they tease me a bit about only having six rounds. However the teasing all stops when I show them how accurate a wheelgun in the right hands can be.

 

[johnsonl]

One of my favorite practical exercises was to set up a range with 3 or 4 targets, with various cover at various ranges and place a different firearm at each in various stages of readiness. The scenario was that the shooter was involved in a gunfight, had exhausted their ammo supply and had to fight with what they could find, or retreat. It was rather telling to watch different shooters react to the firearms they were given to fight with. We put out 1911's, single/double action revolvers, shotguns, AR's, various hunting rifles, etc. I even brought out my T/C Hawken .50 for fun. The exercise was all about attitude and common sense. Some were able to manipulate each firearm and put rounds on target. Some wisely withdrew. That exercise gave them a good base on which to judge their abilities and reasoning skills.

 

[zoom6zoom]

I remember my very first time qualifying on the Topeka PD range. Was issued a Colt for the quals. First exercise was to load four rounds and fire.

Click Click Bang Bang Bang Bang.

RO laughed and said, "Oh, you're used to a Smith, aren't you?" Yeah, at that time I never knew the cylinders rotated in opposite directions. This was before the general transition to autoloaders; the only ones you would see at that time were some agencies with 1911's.

 

[cmort666]

I would love to see officers have to shoot all types of handguns during training. If they have to load, unload and work the guns, they can do so in the streets when they encounter various types. Just a few months back, I had to unload a revolver for a six yr veteran because he could not figure how it worked.

Over the years, I had to carry all types and calibers. It did not hurt me at all, I never felt out gunned and gained from the experience. What it did was make me a better shooter.

Lack of firearms knowledge is EXCEPTIONALLY dangerous when LEOs insist upon disarming someone with a concealed carry credential, then can't safely clear the firearm.

I've seen a number of accounts of extremely unsafe gun handling in these instances.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

A couple of young police officers that work security at the local gun shows always have problems checking my revolvers when I check in at the gun shows (J-frames). They are both on the SWAT team, and I've seen them repeatedly, yet they still struggle with checking my revolvers. The last time I met them, one accidentally activated the CT Laser grips and was genuinely surprised a laser was installed in the grips. I've gotten to the point where I always ask for the Sergeant when I need to have my weapons checked. If I made my living with a gun, I'd learn everything I could about them. At a minimum, I'd learn how to safe a revolver and semi-auto pistols like a Glock and a 1911.

Regards,

Dave

 

[LVSteve]

I would love to see officers have to shoot all types of handguns during training. If they have to load, unload and work the guns, they can do so in the streets when they encounter various types. Just a few months back, I had to unload a revolver for a six yr veteran because he could not figure how it worked.

Over the years, I had to carry all types and calibers. It did not hurt me at all, I never felt out gunned and gained from the experience. What it did was make me a better shooter.

I have seen similar instances on Cops. I watched an officer struggle to check a European semi with a heel release for the mag. The way he looked you would have thought they had asked him to do differential calculus in his head. Another scary one was watching an officer trying to clear a Star Ultrastar. I think the low riding slide had him and his big hands baffled.

 

[DeadAye]

Lack of firearms knowledge is EXCEPTIONALLY dangerous when LEOs insist upon disarming someone with a concealed carry credential, then can't safely clear the firearm.

I've seen a number of accounts of extremely unsafe gun handling in these instances.

A friend recently had a sheriff's deputy take a Super Blackhawk from him and tried to *clear* it for a while, then while looking down the barrel asked if anyone knew how to *open it*.
About this time The Sheriff drove up and told his deputy to give the man his gun back and he'll show you how to open it - if he wants to.

 

[Armyphotog]

I was told to stop shooting anything but my service revolver while my life depended on it. So, I did, and I got deadly at it. I was taught that the revolver had to become an extension of yourself. We were taught one handed instinctive hip shooting and point shoulder shooting which has been discussed on the forum before. Shooting different weapons on a regular basis was a detriment to my accuracy. You may not have found this to affect your shooting, but it certainly did mine. I was grateful for the advice and even today, I limit shooting time on any thing other than my carry weapon. At the end of a range day, I always fire my carry weapon last before leaving the range. It helps me keep my edge.

 

[wundudnee]

I took a Winchester 1906, .22 to a gun show and two young LEOs couldn't open it to check if it was loaded. You have to lower the hammer in order to activate the slide.

Another show that I attended, there were a couple LEOS that were checking guns and challenged me when I walked by. They asked "You got any guns?"
I said "Why, do I look like I have guns?" I then remarked that they had signs on every door, no concealed carry and I didn't have any in my hands. They said "Yeah, but some folks can't read." It was a Metcalf show, somebody beat me if I'm ever dumb enough to attend another Metcalf show.

 

[David LaPell]

I took a Winchester 1906, .22 to a gun show and two young LEOs couldn't open it to check if it was loaded. You have to lower the hammer in order to activate the slide.

Another show that I attended, there were a couple LEOS that were checking guns and challenged me when I walked by. They asked "You got any guns?"
I said "Why, do I look like I have guns?" I then remarked that they had signs on every door, no concealed carry and I didn't have any in my hands. They said "Yeah, but some folks can't read." It was a Metcalf show, somebody beat me if I'm ever dumb enough to attend another Metcalf show.

Amazingly enough here in NY at some of the shows they hire the local rent-a-cops to do the shows and these guys are the worst. I was asked once by some 19 year old kid with piercings everywhere a few years ago if I was carrying (or course I was) but there are no signs and its never been really brought up. I asked the kid, "Why? Should I be?" The kid started yammering something about no guns being allowed and I told him that everybody better leave then since it was a gun show after all. I walked away and he just kind of stood there. Somedays I pity the species.

 

[cjw3]

I like to qualify for LEOSA requirements with both pistol and revolver. The pistol is a Glock 22; the revolver is a Model 15.

This year, I shot 288 out of 300 with the Glock, 300 with the wheel gun.

One of the instructors was amazed at the revolver....not me, that's about the way it usually goes.

A LOT of these young folks don't know how well those "out of date" revolvers can shoot.

 

[LVSteve]

Somedays I pity the species.

We say that on my planet, too. Oh well, so long as the humans don't off themselves with too many nukes, there will be ready built cities for us.

 

[Fishslayer]

A couple of young police officers that work security at the local gun shows always have problems checking my revolvers when I check in at the gun shows (J-frames). They are both on the SWAT team, and I've seen them repeatedly, yet they still struggle with checking my revolvers. Regards,

Dave

Show up with a Dan Wesson...

 

[John Eilertson]

To me it only makes sense that LEOs know how to operate various types of weapons. Were I a cop I'd want to know just about everything. They don't but rarely use their weapons, but as they do carry them, one would assume they'd want at least enough info so as to not make them look like they know nothing. Common sense, am I wrong?

 

[Armyphotog]

I don't trust anyone who has never fired a revolver or sacked groceries.

 

[Frizzman]

One should never assume that most LEO's are very well informed about firearms. Most of the officers I worked with considered their firearms to be tools of the trade and nothing more. They had about the same interest in various firearms as the average carpenter does about all the types and makes of hammers that exist. As somebody said a long time ago...Many officers would rather have a nice gold pen and pencil set than a new gun.

I usually shoot a revolver or two when I go to the local range. It is not rare that I am the only one shooting revolvers. Some of the younger folks have been amazed that I can shoot such and "old fashioned" gun and be that accurate and fast with it and reload it as quickly as I can. I'm no exhibition shooter...Just the product of 40 years shooting revolvers. The first handgun I bought back in the early 70's was a revolver. I didn't consider anything else. I was issued a M10HB when I started my first job as a city cop.

The people who do the security thing at gun shows range from highly competent to very ignorant. My major concern is that they don't fumble around and damage my firearm trying to figure it out and put the plastic tie around the trigger/hammer/cylinder...Its not much of a problem these days since I rarely go to gun shows and never bring any firearms with me when I do.

 

[Cyrano]

I guess we're lucky: the cops who do our gun show are the same ones from show to show. After time they've handled about everything,and have no problem with opening or securing them. I haven't handed them a Darne, though.