Question about LEO stuff

[bobsdad]

I am no law enforcement officer now nor have I ever been one. I'm curious about something. I'm sure LEO's can answer. When, and if, you have to range qualify your off duty sidearm, does it have to be with the ammo or load you plan to normally use? In other words, can you qualify your Model 29 snubby, with 44 special? And, if so, how in the world could that be enforced? Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer.
jp

 

[DustyJacket]

Back in the day, my department issued you ammo for your on duty gun, and your backup/off duty gun.

If you got caught using anything else you were subject to disciplinary action. They justified it because DPD is always on duty. You had to carry your badge, ID, and gun at all times. Good thing they never inspected me in my shower.

Funny, because you had to buy your own guns. Only shotguns were issued.

But, each department differs.

 

[S. Hammer]

We're a pretty good sized nationally accredited agency, and they do not regulate (or seem to care) what we carry in our personal guns. They are sticklers about the issued guns (Glock 35, Remington 870 and Bushmaster M4) and ammo for them. I supply my own back up and off duty guns (both are revolvers) and no one has ever even asked what I stuff them with.

 

[kraigwy]

I was a RO for our department. We pretty much didn't care what the officers qualified with in their off duty or back up guns.

officers were supposed to qualify with department ammo for their service revolvers/pistols but that wasn't enforced.

I didn't carry department ammo.

That was our department, I don't know what others did.

As a side note, and the reason I started carrying my own ammo. When I hired on, the department issued 158 gr RN, cast and loaded by trustees.

 

[WC145]

Here in Maine you have to qualify with the caliber and bullet weight you intend to carry. For example, .45acp 230gr - you can qualify with standard pressure FMJ, carry 230gr JHP +P but you can't qualify with 125gr .38spl and carry 125gr .357mag. Go figure.

 

[Alk8944]

This is extremely agency specific and a general answer cannot be given. It can also vary with the administration.

During the years I was active, both a street officer and in our training division (as a training officer, not trainee), duty firearms were department issue as was duty ammunition. Training/qualification ammunition was department issue for department weapons. If you chose to carry a personal weapon, either on or off duty, you had to be certified with it and provide your own ammunition to qualify. Ammunition for a personal weapon could be provided by the officer or department, if the gun used a caliber the department owned guns for, or provided by the officer. Personally provided ammunition had to be factory and meet department requirements.

For qualification the department provided the ammunition, which was generally commercially reloaded and of varying quality. For personal weapons the individual could use whatever he chose that was appropriate for the weapon.

 

[Faulkner]

In our department we are not picky about what ammo you practice with.

For semi-annual qualifications for our duty weapons we are issued duty ammo and have to use it.

For qualifications with our personally owned off-duty or backup gun the ammo has to be approved by a training officer.

 

[A10]

In the olden days, we qualified with our Model 28's loaded with 148 grain wadcutters standard slow fire at 7, 15, and 25 yards. We changed up in the early 80's so we started qualifications with duty ammunition (125 grain +P+) and practical courses of fire.

 

[David LaPell]

Our off duty firearms are whatever we choose and we don't have to qualify with it, only our duty guns.

 

[sigp220.45]

We can only carry issued handguns, or personally owned Bureau-approved handguns. Duty ammo is supplied and is the only thing authorized.

I shoot up my duty ammo every qualification day (4 times a year). Practice ammo is 230 grain ball in .45 and 180 grain FMJ in the .40s.

We have to carry issued ammo. We get good stuff, so there's not much of a temptation to crack my wallet to buy my own.

 

[Goldstar225]

For our issued sidearms (Glock 22/23) we qualify twice a year, one with FMJ the next time we use our carry ammo for qual (Golden Saber JHP) and get fresh duty ammo.

Our policy for back-up and/or off-duty weapons is rather liberal in regards to action types and calibers. We have to qualify with each gun we carry whether it's on or off-duty. They don't check the ammo we qualify with.

 

[webley green]

Way back when, mid 70s, we provided our firearm, department issued ammunition which was JHP +P .38. Our firearm had to shoot that ammution. Yet we qualified with .38 wadcutters three times a year; cost was a factor in the qualification ammo costs apparently. Some of us practiced with the JHP +P .38s, which was pricey ammo.

 

[all357mag]

Off duty carry guns, your on your own for ammo choice.

 

[safearm]

For our issued duty guns (Glock 21), we carried department supplied ammo. If you carried a issued BUG (S&W 642), the department supplied the ammo. If you carried a different BUG, you had to provide your own ammo, both for carry and qualification.

 

[jimmyj]

When I carried a S&W Model 29 I qualified with .44spl ammo as My B/U was a Charter Arms Bulldog .44spl.
My duty ammo was W-W Silvertips.
My last Agency issued Sig-Sauer P-229 .40. Duty ammo was Speer 180gr. JHP. Practice / Qualify ammo was 180gr. FMJ.

 

[18DAI]

Up until two years ago, we had to qualify using our duty ammunition. 50 rounds day and 50 rounds night.

Then the state ammended the requirement to allow; "qualification with ammunition ballistically eqivalent to that used on duty..."

In other words, when we used 230 grain Ranger 45 JHP's, we were OK to use Winchester 230 grain ball to qualify. Regards 18DAI

 

[mm6mm6]

We qualify with duty and off-duty guns. Duty guns qualify with department ammo (full metal jacket stuff) but we're issued Speer hollowpoints. Off-duty we can use department ammo to qualify and we can use the issued ammo if it's 9mm, .40, or .45 because the department stocks it.

If we carry a different caliber off-duty, we must provide our own qualifying ammo but they don't care what it is (reloads, whatever). But carry ammo for the off-duty gun must be not be armor piercing, handloaded, reloaded, or specialty like Glaser Safety Slugs. Which makes no sense to me at all. It's an outdated General Order. Should be changed....

 

[kennyb]

we had to qualify with duty issued weapons and dept.issued ammo
we also had to qualify with dept.approved off duty with pretty much whatever ammo....now that i have retired i still have to qualify yearly to be in compliance with HB218