State Police S&W autos
- Thread starter thomp45acp
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This thread makes my head hurt (and my wallet). Anyone remember when the issue gun was carried for an officer's entire career? Now, it seems these agencies are trading all guns every couple of years. Missouri State Highway Patrol has traded in its "old" Glocks for new Glocks so many times now that I have lost track. I am told this is all being done with "forfeited" drug money or other seizures. I hope no innocent people are having their property or money "forfeited" when they have not done anything wrong. It is apparently very easy to "forfeit" stuff from people who are arrested. Much easier than getting a conviction, apparently. I cannot say I have seen abuse, but I can see the possibility of mischief here. . . .
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thomp45acp
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I'm just repeating what I was told. If I recall it was also put in the local news paper. I'll attempt to find you the article if you wish.
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thomp45acp
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The last gun I would assume that an agency carried for a units entire career would have to be a model 10. Years ago a career was about 20 years or so.
I've never heard of weapons purchased from forfeiture for state police, state patrol or highway patrol. Maybe for the smaller departments but that will go into a general fund most of the time. If done correctly you'll have a few duty weapons in your career. For the simple fact it will get shot with training and practice. And should be done a lot. This depends on ammo and cost. This isn't always the case though.
I've never heard of weapons purchased from forfeiture for state police, state patrol or highway patrol. Maybe for the smaller departments but that will go into a general fund most of the time. If done correctly you'll have a few duty weapons in your career. For the simple fact it will get shot with training and practice. And should be done a lot. This depends on ammo and cost. This isn't always the case though.
upgrading
As far as upgrading goes, in one large SW city the officers started with .38 S&W revolvers. Then they were upgraded to 9mm Glocks (they could buy their old revolvers if they wished).
Then the city offered them .40 Glocks, but doing that upgrade was optional with the officers. Some stayed with the 9 mm. Some, especially those approaching retirement, took the .40 not only for better stopping power but also because when they retired they could buy their arm, and they felt it was a more desireable pistol than the 9 mm.
As far as upgrading goes, in one large SW city the officers started with .38 S&W revolvers. Then they were upgraded to 9mm Glocks (they could buy their old revolvers if they wished).
Then the city offered them .40 Glocks, but doing that upgrade was optional with the officers. Some stayed with the 9 mm. Some, especially those approaching retirement, took the .40 not only for better stopping power but also because when they retired they could buy their arm, and they felt it was a more desireable pistol than the 9 mm.
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There's a very good reason for that. A lot of agencies now have guns with night sights. Those sights have a life of about 12 yrs before they get pretty dim. Replacing just the night sights often run $60-80 per gun. My agency swapped every 7-8 years because we could get new guns with new night sights cheaper than we could just get new night sights. Distributors then took our old guns, which had night sights still functional for a few more years, and sold them to the public.
It all depends on what kind of deal the companies and/or distributors want to cut.
Here are some examples:
We issued 9mm S&W autos for 32 yrs. In 1999 the legislature came up with about $250,000 for new guns if we could get such a deal for that price or less. Our 5904/6904 were about 7 yrs old. The boss decided we were going to .40. For over a year we tested 15 different makes/models. When done with the testing the top 3 guns, in order, were SIG, S&W, and Glock. All were ranked fairly close. Bids were sought from all 3 companies for 2553 new guns, new leather, 750 rds per sworn training ammo, and 2 yrs of qualification/duty ammo for each sworn. We would be turning in our old guns. Glock's bid was right at $1/4mil. S&W was about double Glock's bid and SIG was about double S&W's bid. So we ended up with all new guns, all new leather, and training and duty ammo for less that $100 each.
What Glock did was take away from S&W an agency that had been S&W for 32 yrs and had been the first agency to issue autos. A pretty major marketing move which Glock exploited for a couple of years. It made the cover picture/story of the Glock annual that year.
During the 32 yrs we issued S&W when we swapped our 39s for 439s, 439s for 459s, and 459s for 5904s the trade was for little or no money.
Another example was the local PD.
They were issuing 6904/6906 and were looking to go to new guns. SIG had just come out with the 357 SIG rd but it wasn't going anywhere. No agency was picking it up. SIG made the PD an offer they couldn't refuse. SIG would take the PD's old S&Ws. In return SIG would give the PD all new 357s (about 300 sworn), all new leather, transitional training ammo for all sworn, and 2 yrs of duty/qual ammo. SIG also said if after 2 yrs the dept didn't like the 357 rd or the 357 wasn't going anywhere then SIG would swap the dept for .40s. No cost to the dept. An offer no agency could turn down.
Do you have anything from the NYS Police. They have S&W stamped NYSP in the 28-2 & 681 models. Also the 520 was made for them but the order was refused. They also have marked NYST Colts; New Service, back in the early 1900's and Official Police, 6 inch and 4 inch revolvers in the mid 90's. BTW I retired from the NYSP.
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thomp45acp
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I have a 4 inch Colt, Offical Police that's marked NYST on the blackstrap. Nice gun! I think New York stopped marking weapons round 1991ish and the last was the 681 stamped on the left side of the frame, if I'm not mistaken.
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thomp45acp
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Right now im trying to locate a 4 inch model 64 from the delaware state police. Or aething issued and marked to the state of Maine.
RobG5589
Member
Nice collection. My 3 are all past LE guns; 4006 AK DPS, 4506 Brownsville TX PD, and an unk agency 4566. My 4006 always generates questions due to the front serrations.
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thomp45acp
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The Alaska state Troopers was one of the harder ones to obtain.
RobG5589
Member
I just happened upon mine; did a trade with a cop that had purchased it unfired (supposedly a back up) through some LE channels. If it was fired it was very little as it looked new inside. It wasn't until I had it in hand and did a little research when I found it was a DPS gun. Definitely one of my favs and fairly unique.
4506517
Member
I have a Melonite WVSP 4566TSW. Nothing compares.
There are pictures here somewhere of it. I believe some of the pictures compare it with my regular 4566TSW.
There are pictures here somewhere of it. I believe some of the pictures compare it with my regular 4566TSW.
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