Duty Carry Revolver?

[ARTiger]

My neighbor's son is about to start with a rural sheriff's department. Their issue gun is a Ruger P89 9MM which he really doesn't like. Despite his dad and I trying to talk him into a S/A of some sort, the kid's a wheel gun person. His dad gave him $300 and he's saved another 4 bills for a total budget of $700. (Which should be able to buy him most any decent revolver out there.)

He's also in an area that has a fair number of black bear and feral hogs and wants to be able to use the gun as a backup in the woods as well. ALSO - his sheriff has told him that a .44 or .45 would be out of the question. (He wanted a S&W 629 4", but now that's out of bounds.)

What guns would you all suggest? I was thinking something like a S&W .41 magnum. I've offered to sell him my GP100, but he seems to want something in a larger caliber.

 

[Surefire]

Tough one if .44 mag and .45 Colt is out of the question. .41 mag is a great round, but if he doesn't reload it will be hard to find ammo (especially good defense ammo) and ammo would also be on the high side.

Also, not a lot of .41 magnum guns on the market, other than IIRC S&W.

My opinion is to consider .357 magnum, if he buys a Ruger he can always load it up with "Ruger only" 200 grain penetrators (its better than nothing as a woods gun). A .357 magnum is very effective 2-legged perpetrator stopper, which would be his primary use in LE.

 

[Zundfolge]

First thing to do is to contact the Sheriff's Department and find out if they have any restrictions on duty guns.

Some departments will let you carry most anything, others have a list of 3-4 specific models of pistol that are acceptable. Maybe the department has only the caliber restriction, but it would be worth it to find out for sure.

 

[ARTiger]

It's a small county and the carry gun restrictions are just whatever the sheriff wants to make them. Seems like he just doesn't want his deputies carrying hand cannons for PR reasons.

Our newby deputy designate (we've taken to calling him Barney Fife already ) interprets that as nothing smaller than a .38, no .44's or .45's and keep the barrel at 4" or less.

 

[Cosmoline]

Is a .357 an option? A Security Six, Colt Trooper Mk.III, S&W M-19 or M-28 would all be excellent options. They served as sidearms for departments nationwide until the bright boys upstairs decided to switch to wondernines.

 

[ShelbyV8]

Take the issue weapon to start with. If they issue the gun they probably issue duty and practice ammo. Once he is settled in and finds out the attidudes of other deputies and range qualifications then he can make a much better desision. Don't go in as a newby making waves. In law enforcement there are many advantages to a Simiauto over a revolver with proper training.

 

[Old Fuff]

Given the restrictions (not over .358 bore / 4" barrel limit) this is a case of dificult compromises. Before going too far I'll ask a question: Is there a 12-bore shotgun in his patrol car?

 

[redneckrepairs]

well i woud have to say for that money get a s&w 686 in 4 or 5" and have the s&w custom shop do the duty action job on it. I personaly like the 5 but no leather is out there for it altho 6" will work , the 4 is fine anyway and if the smith custom shop does the action well then its defensable in any court just my thoughts yours may well vary

 

[ARTiger]

Yes, they have 870's and I believe some have lever action rifles. (The "squad cars" are Jeep Cherokees and the deputies back up the state game and fish officers quite a bit.)

I wonder how strong are the 7 shot Smith .357's? Could they be loaded with anything like the Ruger 200gr. loads for the woods?

Also, yes. I see the point about the .41 mag being hard to find ammo and expensive. I don't think they get paid much at all and budgeting for expensive ammo is probably prohibitive.

Wish we could talk him into a 10mm. I may just give him my GP100 and tell him to keep the money to save up for a house. (I've known this kid a long time and he's like one of mine.)

 

[Old Fuff]

Frankly, if they have 12-bore shotguns (such as a Remington 870) and perhaps a lever-action rifle (I presume in the 30-30 class), I would obtain some slugs and consider the long guns to be a better option for black bears and hogs then any handgun - at least any one the sheriff would accept.

If I was going to chose a .357 Magnum with a 4" barrel as a sidearm, I would choose between a Ruger SP-100 and a S&W 686. Then it would be a matter of matching the cartridge, bullet weight, and load to whatever the job called for.

If he accepted the Ruger, which isn't a bad automatic, for on-the-job carry he could use his personal funds to buy something larger in .44 or .45 caliber to tote around on his own time.

 

[Dienekes]

Getting settled into the job is the first order of business. The duty gun is just a tool, like body armor, shotgun, and vehicle. I am not a fan of Ruger semiautos but when I started I was handed a 2" Model 10. I could live with the P89 fora while but would be definitely be on the lookout for something "better".

With ample hindsight I could be perfectly happy with an L frame S&W or GP-100. Either would take care of business and see you through a career and beyond.

I could even make a case for a K frame S&W or a well preserved Ruger Security Six--lighter on the belt and good for off duty carry.

I wonder what we would wind up with if police administrators chose and issued wives and girl friends. Scary.

 

[pierrebazukhov]

Smith and Wesson Model 619 or 620. They're based on the 686 but have shorter ejector shrouds and 7 shot cylinders. The 619 is fixed sight, the 620 is adjustable sight.

 

[JMACDONALD]

Duty revolver

Big bore hand gun, not .45 or .44, about $700.00 or under. My advise would be to get a model 610 revolver from S&W in 10mm. can be loaded with Dept authired .40 loads for duty if they allow anything above 9mm and can throw a moon clip of 10mm in for hunting off duty or dispatching injured or sick animals on duty. - joe mac

 

[warwagon]

Might want to check out a used S&W mod 28, 4".Pleanty strong to handle any loads he might want to carry.

 

[MCgunner]

Well, I personally would LOVE the .357 in a stainless K frame. However, I cannot understand their objections to a .45 ACP. I can understand that the .44 mag or .45 Colt might over penetrate, but the ACP has a wonderful array of available ammo options designed for SD. And, a 625 with moon clips would be an awesome duty gun.

The .41 would be okay, I suppose, but I'd prefer the .357 for all the ammo availability. He won't be handloading it for duty, after all.

 

[ARTiger]

Thanks all!

Thank you all for the sound advice. Our boy decided on the following after I e-mailed your comments to him. Seems like a good choice. I like that it has a 7 rnd. capacity and if it's an improvement on the Mod. 19 it should be a really sweet gun. . . .

LE Revolver Duty Carry -
Model 520 Revolver - HIVIZ®

Price: $731.00 *

*Suggested Retail, Dealer Sets Actual Pricing

21st Century, Heavy Duty Replacement for the Famous Model 19
Two-Piece, Enhanced Performance, Semi-Lug Barrel Construction
7-Shot Cylinder Capacity
Adjustable Target Sight
The new Smith & Wesson model 520 is an updated L-frame replacement for the well respected K-frame model 19 that is no longer in production. The 520 uses the time tested and rugged L-frame 7 shot chassis while maintaining the "look" of the K-frame revolver it replaces. Combining a carbon steel frame, titanium cylinder and high accuracy, long life 2 piece barrel, the 520 comes together in an extra strong, high reliability package that will provide the shooter with many years of trustworthy magnum service.

 

[Croyance]

Really, if everybody else is using the issue 9x19, there isn't any choise in the range he is given where he is undergunned. With bear I would prefer shotgun or rifle anyways.

 

[MCgunner]

Great choice! I'd probably have done the same or similar. It's a duty gun, so I'd open up my normally cheap pocket book.

 

[perpster]

Watch out for those sights

Nice choice but I would caution him about adjustable sights. If it's getting exposed to the bangs and bumps of patrol they may work loose or get knocked out of alignment. Depending on holster type they may slow his draw a bit or get hung up.

When on patrol with a revolver I had fixed sights. If I were on patrol with a revolver now I think I'd go for fixed sights with laser grips. JMHO.

I wish him good luck and safe tours at the new job.

 

[cookekdjr]

any good S&W L frame or Ruger GP series will be fine. I know he doesn't want a .357, but that's what he should get. Something with readily available ammo.
By the way, I'd carry .38+P LSWCHP's (the "FBI load"). Low recoil, fast follow-up shots, and a proven man-stopper. Less muzzle flash and deafening report than the .357's, too.
-David

 

[SHOOT1SAM]

Although you say he's made his choice, the Model 21-4 S&W .44 Special might be allowed by the Sheriff if he's wants a larger caliber. I'm assuming, like most everyone else here, that when the Sheriff states "No 44 or 45", he's referring to .44 Magnum & .45 Colt.

Sam

 

[Croyance]

Is a guy like that really going to distinguish between a .44 Special and a .44 Magnum? Or listen to the explaination of the differences?

 

[ARTiger]

We asked early on and he meant no 44's or 45's - period. The 44 special would have been nice especially if loaded on the higher end. About half of their deputies carry their old issue guns which are Colt Trooper .357's (have to wait on someone to retire or give theirs up to get one). The other half is split about evenly with those who carry the new issue gun (P89) and those who have bought their own. Apparently there are some .40 S&W's, 10mm's and other S/A's in that mix, but no one has yet brought in a personal purchase wheel gun since they started the P89's.

The department issues .38+P, .357 and 9mm ammo for duty and practice so he can get free ammo for the .357 whereas he would have to have bought his own (and not be reimbursed) if he got a .41 magnum. The sheriff is a politician (former assistant DA) with no law enforcement background. Apparent he couldn't make it as a lawyer but was just slick enough to get elected.

 

[12-34hom]

Ruger GP100 - 357mag - would be my first choice in a wheelgun.

12-34hom.

 

[aguyindallas]

I guess this means a .50BMG is out of the question...