OK, I admit it, I'm sitting around the house without a lot to do this week. Just curious, what's the issue sidearm and caliber for local LEO's? I know DeKalb County carrier Beretta 92/96's, Atlanta PD carries S&W autos (not sure what model), and I think Gwinnett carries Glocks (22's?). What about GSP? I'm fortunate enough not to have seen any of their officers up close since before they would have gone to autos. What about Fulton County? Again, just wondering. BB
Ditto. When I first started, we carried .357 magnums loaded with .38. The department issued Rugers, but I obtained permission to carry my personal Smith & Wesson 66-2. That department stepped up to woefully insufficient S & W 5906 (9mm) loaded with 115 grain Winchester Silvertips. Since that same department refused to issue shotguns at the time, I believed myself practically unarmed. Although I never had an occasion to shoot a person with the 115 grain silvertip, I shot several deer with this round, and it never took less than about five rounds, including head shots, to take down even a small size deer (not including little babies, which could be ably dispatched with one shot). The next department issued .40 Glocks (Model 22), a sufficient round for the contemplated task. No longer a police officer, I carry .45 where protocol allows. When deeper cover is needed, I carry lesser rounds. When I am not carrying, I carry a .380.
Atlanta is the 5906 IIRC. Dekalb is the Beretta 92. GSP is a G22 with a G27 issued for BUG and a Mossy 590 in a rack. Pretty much everybody else in metro hotlanta is carrying a Glock in .40 for the most part. Others that I know that don't carry Glock exclusively: Athens-Clarke PD issues the G22 but some officers still carry S&Ws that are departmentally owned. One that I know of still carries a S&W revolver. They have a list of approved firearms that an officer is allowed to carry if they don't want to carry the issued weapon. Monroe PD carries the S&W 99 in .40. White County used to issue Beretta 92s but may be issueing otherwise now. Lowndes County SO issues the S&W 4506. Valdosta has a choice of Glock in 9mm or .45 ACP. VSU PD was G19s. UGA PD carries the S&W 4006. Lots of the rural counties and small towns allow the officers to carry whatever they want. Glock is the most often chosen due to price, popularity, and available gear. S&W is second most often seen.
LEO arms I had a LEO turn-in from the Ohio state police (it had the stamp from their motorcycle division), a Beretta 96 DAO. It came with 3 mags. The gun and mags were coated with NP3 (good stuff !) from Robar industries. Good shooter.....just a big gun to hold. One of those that I need my butt kicked for getting rid of...
Dirty Harry 44 mag way back when I was a LEO, it was BYG of course and the day after the premiere of Dirty Harry, I was at the local shop when it opened and bought my first S&W model 29, 4" Nickel 44 mag. Carried it for 5 years, it stopped many a car back when that was OK, blew a mag wheel on a ford to smithereens. I put a SS butt plate on the bottom og the grip and then it was a sledgehammer as well as the most powerful handgun on earth (70's so it still was) Today if I were to go back to that line of work it would be a Glock 21 with Taylor Freelance +4 mag extension, something about 18 rounds of 45ACP that makes one feel "In Charge". I use one in IPSC competitions and with the 3 1/2 lb trigger connector, a encapsulated gren Hi-Viz fiber optic on the front only. Over 55 now but that puppy makes me feel 21 all over again.
Re: Dirty Harry 44 mag Wow, way back, you aren't kidding! Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066999/ 1971 I imagine policing was a little different . . . Was this in Georgia? Was carry of firearms common back then? More or less than now? I was still too young for kindergarten out west somewhere, so I don't know from experience . . .
Haralson County - BYO gun. Carried a Bersa Thunder .380ACP outside of the jail when taking inmates to and from court, hospital or to another jurisdiction for court. In the jail I carried Fox Labs O.C. spray and on rare occassion a Taser. The "road" deputies carried Glocks, Rugers, S&W, and even one carried a Colt 1911A1. My training officer carried a Nickel Steel 4" S&W .357mag revolver. Very cool! I don't know what ammo everyone carried, but for the .380 I had a mag with Cor-Bon 90gr. hollowpoints and another mag with Remington Golden Sabers 102gr. Carroll County/Carrollton PD - Glock 22 .40S&W caliber. Douglas County - S&W .40 cal Douglasville PD - Some officers carry the "old" Beretta 9mm, but most have upgraded to .40 cal S&W automatics. Cobb County Sheriff's office - Glock 22 .40S&W Cal. GSP & DNR Rangers - Glock 22 .40S&W Cal. (IIRC, all state LEO agencies carry Glock pistols in .40S&W cal, Though I used to know a DMVS Officer that carried a baby Glock in .45ACP)
Smith and Wesson M&P .40S&W In Greenfield Wisconsin. Hell, what can I say. I'm training for an Air Cargo company here in yankee land. I went to the Greenfield PD for my TSA fingerprints and noticed all the officers and a detective carrying the M&P. The guy that fingerprinted me said he was real impressed with the pistol and the caliber. It was his first issued .40 and he liked it a lot. I'd love to put a few rounds through one myself. Missing Georgia...
Having spent many years in Wisconsin, I can assure you that late April beats the heck out of late January.
Atlanta PD is now carrying the S&W 4003, which replaces the 5903s that they formally carried and not the 5906 as I have previously stated. The difference between the 5903 and the 5906 is that the former has an aluminum frame and the latter has a stainless steel frame.
Ga. State Patrol is in the process of changing over to the Glock .45 Gap, and "baby" Glock Gap as backup. Cobb County SO is changing over to the Glock .45 ACP, and most are getting the "baby" 45 as back up. I am unclear if the SO is planning on buying then in the future. Cobb PD issues the Glock 22, 40S&W and the Glock 27. The officers are given a choice of ankle holster or vest holster for the 27. APD does carry the S&W 4003, and can carry any S&W auto or any revolver as a backup. Most seem to carry a light weight .38. Sandy Springs Pd carries a Sig. (I don't remember which model, but it is relatively new-I think- with sight rails.) It is hard to find an off duty holster for it. Marietta PD carries Glocks. I don't remember which model. Again, back in the dark ages when I started, (1974), Cobb PD issued S&W 66. No one carried a back up, except me and a couple more. I kept a Browning HP 9mm in my brief case, and when I located a holster, I cut the barrel of my Charter Arms 3" .44 sp to 2" and carried it on my ankle for a number of years.