What Unlikely Gun Have You Personally Seen Used By A LEO?

[lawandorder]

In 1977 I changed Departments and...........

it takes a while to learn the quirks of a new agency. I got lucky and got my preferred shift of 3-11 and set in to learn the folks, the area, and the oddities.

I was doing pretty well until one night I had to fill in on 11-7. Stopped a car on a minor issue about 2:30 and out of the corner of my eye I registered that the Sgt. slid up close by, sitting in his unit. Finished up with the violator and glanced at the Sgt in time to see him removing a very short double barrel 12 ga from the window sill of his unit where it had been resting pointed at the violator and ME the whole time as he sat there and smoked his pipe.

I asked one one of the other midnight guys about it and he said, "yep that the way he covers you". I don't remember what he carried in the way of a handgun but I darn sure remember that shotgun to this very day.

Rest in peace Speedy!

 

[mpi]

I used to carry a high standard m10B bullpup 12 gauge in my trunk when i was a housing officer. I only drew it from the trunk on 2 occasions but it sure took the wind out of the actors right away, not to mention the officers i was backing up.

 

[chief38]

My Dad was a Federal Agent and it was common to see him use a lot of non conventional guns (and cars as well) while under-cover. When I questioned him as to this procedure when I was young he said he did not want to be seen carrying the guns typically carried by LEO's - as it would be a dead give-away. I've seen him use an Ortgies, Colt 1908, Walther PPK, etc.

 

[monet61]

I just found this thread. Some interesting stuff. Here's mine:
My first LE job, VERY small S.O. Undersheriff carried a 32-20
that I firmly believe was fused shut with crud. He wore exposed ammo on the belt and it was as green as grass.
We used to tell him it's gonna bite you in the butt, he would say"that's why I have you guys out there".
I swear to God.

 

[BigBill]

A leo purchased a 30rd handgun mag for his duty pistol. MUM is the word i know nothin....

 

[SteveA]

My local PD still has a 1921 commercial Thompson in the locker. It was presented to the PD in the '30s from a local bank after a robbery was stopped. The PD armorer is a friend of mine and once a year we take it to the range for a workout.

 

[TheGreatGonzo]

When I first attended the state academy a little over 20 years ago (sigh), there was an officer from a small town who carried a 1911 (not unusual), 6 magazines in individual pouches (a little bit unusual), and a full size bowie knife strapped to his thight (yeah...unusual).

I recently attended some some training classes to keep my state certification active. There was an officer from a small town carrying a Hi-Point .40, which did not survive the range portion of the training.

When I worked in West Texas, it was not unusual to see 1911s and even single-action revolvers in deputy's holsters.

 

[jimmyj]

In the early 1990s my zone partner on a rural sheriffs department was a "Gun Guy". His personel owned service weapon was a Desert Eagle .44 Magnum.

 

[shouldazagged]

Reminded me. Late 70s I was a security guard. We were UNARMED security, but Fred carried a gun. Cap pistol. Not even a "Python replica", but a regular old, chrome-plated pot metal, slide the left side of the cylinder up to insert the roll-caps, plastic jigged bone grips, obvious to anyone that looked at it, cap pistol.

'Course, he also carried his Security Guard badge pinned inside his wallet, when he wasn't "on duty".

For a while many years ago mall security officers here were often armed, a situation that changed after some well-publicized and unjustified shootings by untrained guys who had no business carrying weapons. I was moonlighting in a discount department store for a few months in the 70's, and there was a very young mall cop who loved to hang out in the store trying to impress the girls who worked there. This kid was a classic wannabe. He was about five seven and maybe 130 pounds. He carried a six-inch .41 Magnum that appeared to weigh about half as much as he did, and told the young ladies wild stories about drawing and cocking it to shut up mouthy teenagers who were disrespectful. He could strut sitting down.

He absolutely frightened the hell out of me. Not for my safety, but for his. And that of the "mouthy punks" at whom he allegedly pointed a cocked .41 Magnum.

I wonder if he's still alive and not incarcerated. And if he subscribes to the Bud K catalog.

 

[Bullet Bob]

I was working in the Emergency Room of an Air Force base in South Carolina in the early 70's when an older undercover detective brought in a teenage dependent who needed a little stitching up.

Being a young gun nut, I asked the officer what kind of gun he carried while my compadres were wielding the needle. The officer wasn't particularly large, or tough looking. He just smiled and pulled either a .25 (I'm pretty sure) or .32 auto out of his back jeans pocket. It was missing one of the grips, and had a well-used look. He said "if you do it right, this is all you need".

I don't know today if I agree with that, but I remember thinking I wouldn't be on the wrong side of that guy. No bluster or puffery, just competence and experience.

 

[model70hunter]

The sheriff I worked for did not carry regular but when he packed it was a Model 36 in a clip on holster. He let us carry what ever we had qualified with. I started with a Colt Combat Commander in 45 ACP, The Highway patrol had 4" 66's. Every time they came by they gave me friendly but serious lip like, stove pipe yet? Don't be calling us for backup when it stove pipes. I had shot it thousands of times on a team and only an occasional reload would stove pipe.

I ended up with a 4" Nickel Python. The Highway Patrol boys were fit to be tied when they saw the Python, it was their dream gun, they would ask if they could dry fire it, I'd unload it and they would snap a few and complain about the Model 66's . They soon were packing 59's, did I let them have it, hey it's the stovepipe boys. Hey guys have them there semi-reliable autos stove piped on ya? For some reason they now saw no humor in it. They had a grim look on their face.

My day job moved me to the KC, MO area. I quit being a Reserve LEO. I have not seen a wheel gun on a hip in forever.

 

[Mule Packer]

Years ago, one of the local officers in the town where I lived, carried a Ruger Blackhawk in .357 magnum with stag grips. He also carried a little two-barrel derringer in his cowboy boot.

In another small community where I lived, the chief of police carried a High Standard .22 magnum derringer as his off duty firearm.

 

[ol' geeser]

When I was about 14 or so, I found myself in Monterrey,Mexico for a few days with family... We had been to dinner one evening and upon exiting the cafe, I noticed a cop across the street,talking with some citizens and smoking a cigarette...

Full uniform w/ three stripes on the sleeve, knee boots, Sam Browne rig w/ shoulder strap. Something wasn't right to my untrained eye and upon further observation the ONLY thing on that belt was a great big ol' Bowie knife. No handgun,cuffcase, no nuttin' else...


Made quite an impression on this young country boy....not a gun, but an interesting weapon of choice

Apoliges to the OP for the hijacking....

 

[John F.]

In a small, Mississippi town in the 1950's, one of the deputy sheriffs who had seen considerable amount of combat in the Pacific. He wore
the same 1911A1 which he'd carried during the war, and had great faith in it, as it had saved his life on at least 2 occasions. A practical sort, he didn't see the need to buy a holster... he just crudely cut the flap off the 1942 Boyt GI holster he'd used during the war... ouch!