Duty Weapon

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J

Jenrick

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Austin, TX
Well I'm recently managed to finish up the 7 month hiring process for my cities PD. I'm off to the academy in about 4 weeks, and I need to find myself a duty weapon some time before then. Obviously the main thing is going to be finding something that feels right to me, points well for me, etc. I know that going to the range and shooting a lot of differnt things is the best way to do that. However I don't enough time or money to try all my options, so I'm hoping to narrow down the field with some opinions from people here.

Below is the list of EVERYTHING I am allowed to carry. If it's not on the list I can't carry it. Weapons must be in either 9mm, .40 S&W or .45 ACP, thats it.

Berrata: Model 92, Model 96, 9000s Type F

Glock: 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 30, 31, 34, 35, 36

H&K: P7-H8, P7-M8, P7-M10,P7-M13, USP-9, USP-45, USP TAC-45

Sig Sauer: P220, P225, P226, P228, P229, P239, P2340, P245

Smith and Wesson: 410, 457, 908, 910, 3913, 3953, 4013, 4053, 4513, 4553, 4043, 4006, 4046, 4563, 4583, 4586, 5906, 5946, 5903, 5943, Model 99

As I'm sure people have notice there are no revolers, those were grandfathered out in the last review cycle. There are some compacts and subcompacts listed too, however I'm mainly looking at the full size models for patrol carry. However I'll need a BUG, so I'm interested in opinions on those too. I don't have a prefrence for DAO/DA/SA/SF and neither does my department, same with external safties. Thanks for the opinions, and I'll probably go to the range and rent what I can once a week or so to try things out.

-Jenrick
 
Of course you need to go to a LARGE gunshop or show and handle the weapons. See what feels right.

If your just going to purchase ONE handgun at the moment, purchase something you can carry both on duty and off. The mid size Glocks are fine for on duty and are light enough to use off duty. I'm a firm beleiver that a second weapon should also be "duty capable". In the event one weapon goes down, you still have a second one available.

My Department allows single action so for the past 2 years I had been carrying a Colt Guvm't on duty and an Officers off duty.

As I get older the weight on the belt is becoming a bit of a concern and I'm going to start carrying a polymer framed handgun. We can only qualify with 2 weapons. But our restrictions are that it must be a quality firearm and of course 9mm/40/45/38spl or better (on duty), we don't have an approved list. I am going to qualify this week with a Steyr M40 and M40A1. I had considered my P99 (40) also but the manual of arms is different and that can make life interesting at the wrong time.

Whatever decision you make if you have seperate on/off duty weapons try to keep the manual of arms the same.
 
I'll start off by saying I am a big HK fan, never had a problem with my
USP .40C or my USP .45 FS. I usually carry the .40 but sometimes carry
the .45 (12 rnd magazine). The .45 is great to shoot, very accurate and
little recoil. Down side is the price $650+ if you're lucky.

Depending on your hand size it may be a little large and boxy but the carry
weight is pretty good.

Test what you can and pick what you shoot best with. Best of luck.
 
Thanks for the response, now for a bit of background I should have given intially.

I've been shooting pistols for about a year. Most of my shooting has been with a G22.

So far I've had the chance to shoot a G22, a HK P7-M8, and a P226 in both .40 and 9mm. None of them seemed to me the perfect weapon, and none of them seemed to be just horrible.

I like the no frills usage of Glocks and the HK P7, grip firmly, sight, pull trigger. Then again I know that with a Sig there's not a whole lot beyond that in terms of usage.

Money's not really an issue, for something my life may depend on I'm not going to pinch pennys.

-Jenrick
 
I sorta second the input of dasmi, but would suggest the Glock 19 (rather than the 17) as the primary and agree the Glock 26 would make a fine back-up to it. The 19 just seems to have the right "feel" for me, and that personal issue is obviously important. I have owned, shot, and carried both with great satisfaction.

By the way, good luck in your career in law enforcement. I represent the city of Huntsville, including the Huntsville Police Department, and teach legal issues in our academy and at LE seminars across the state. So I know what is ahead for you, both in your studies and in your career. And am proud of your decision to take that path.

If you ever get to north Alabama, know you have friends here in Huntsville.

Boarhunter
 
My Dept. issues the Sig 226 and Sig 229 both in .40 S&W and we have had great luck with them. I started off hating Sig, but after training with them for so long I have grown to love them. I personally am issued a Sig 229 in .40 and own a personal Sig 229 in .40. For rapid shots I like the Sig 228 in 9mm....everything a 9mm should be nothing it shouldn't.

The 226 would be my preferred uniform weapon though in tight competition with the Glock 22 and Glock 17 which are also great. (As a note I had some serious issues with a Glock 22 being very ammo sensitive, your results may vary.)

I noticed you said that you were allowed to carry all the Glock models and .45's but you do not have the Glock 30 or 21 listed. These are both the double stack .45. Was this an omission or is that how the dept. decided? If I were carrying in uniform and those were an option I’d opt for the 21.

Currently my off duty piece is a Glock 30.
On duty is Sig 229 in .40
 
That is probably the coolest department list of allowable handguns to carry. Hmm... this is gonna be difficult but the middle three are the best options IMO.

But firstly, what caliber do you want to carry? Does capacity matter to you?

For me, it'd be:

1) HK USP .45 or 9 w. P7 as BUG.
2) SIG P220 w. P245 as BUG. P226 also.
3) Glock 17 w. G26 as BUG, or G22 w. G27 as BUG

I honestly dunno what I'd choose. Probably the HK USP for capacity and better options for carry (C1 or DA/SA).

Good luck!
 
Alduro: The 30 and 21 are on the list. I'm defineately going to try and get some range time with them, to see how I like the Glock platfrom in .45.

Black Majik: I'm most used to shooting a .40, but 9mm has never given me any problems. I've unforetuneately never had the chance to shoot anything in .45 so I can't comment on that.

Capacity to an extent is a good thing, but then again if I can't get the job done with 10 rds I don't think another 5 are going to be all that usefull. Hopefully if I need the extra firepower, I'll have realised it and be heading for the AR in my trunk.

-Jenrick
 
Early on in my career I was able to carry a LW Commander .45 for a few years. Had the authorization on that pulled (lawyers...!) and took the path of least resistance, carrying a medium frame .357 the remaining 14 years. As an instructor I was a participant/observer for the arrival of Glocks and SIGs. Never went to either myself and anyone can draw any conclusions they want from that. I have owned and used both since retirement and am still underwhelmed.

The list of what you can carry is incredible. Sort of makes you wonder where all the concern with standardization went to.

Having shot centerfire handguns since 1959 I am at the point where I don't know much. Mindset is primary and the gun is just a tool. But you want it to be flat reliable and to perform well in *your* hands. Today I would not laugh at the guy with a rusty Merwin& Hulbert until I saw him shoot it.

Caliberwise the truth is that they all perform about the same with good placement: that is, not real well. I like the .45 (and the .357/125!) but compared to a long gun they are all marginal and results are iffy. That's why tactics and body armor are so important.

I suspect that somewhere in that long list is a pistol that is made for you and will make you look like a great shot no matter how much you mess up. They do exist, and when you find it hang on to it. The one that suits you just may not be the one I prefer. And that's ok.

Good luck.
 
I'm going to come from a different angle. If your PD will require you to carry off duty, I'd make sure that my off-duty CCW and duty pistol work the same.
If you have two different pistols, and you need to use the off-duty weapon, you'll have to thinkand if you need it you don't need to take the time to remember "which pistol do I have".
 
dpesec said:
If your PD will require you to carry off duty, I'd make sure that my off-duty CCW and duty pistol work the same.
Click to expand...
And that's why I'd go with the Sig 229 in .40 S&W or the 228 if you prefer the 9mm. Both weapons are suitable for duty use, yet small enough to be easily concealed for undercover/off duty use.

The same can be said of the Glock 19 vs the 17, if you're into Combat Tupperware.
 
I value consistency in operation so something that could be carried in condition one (the USP) would be my choice, followed by the compact for backup. If that doesn't matter at all, I'd say P220 with P245 as backup. I can't think of a good reason not to go with .45 on a duty weapon if given the choice.
 
P7M8?

Wow. I'd give that one serious thought. A very very very good trigger, very accurate. If you do choose it, dedicate yourself to that manual of arms, and make sure you exercise good trigger-finger discipline. But me? I'd b all over that option.

Go rent or borrow a bunch and pick the one you shoot best. Seriously. None of them are bad guns.

Mike
 
A bit of a digression, I know, but I cannot get over the fact that so many different and diverse firearms (and calibers) are approved by the department for duty use. I am accustomed to policies in which one gun/one caliber is the norm.

Boarhunter
 
Thanks for everyone's responses so far. Currently the what I hope to try at the range this weekend are: USP-40, USP-45, G21, P7-M10, P220. The USP platform looks like a good weapon to work with, and I enjoyed shooting my friends P7-M8 so I'd like to try it in .40. The G21 and P220 are to see how I like a .45.

I've noticed that no ones said anything about Beretta's and the S&W listed. Any particular reason?

Also are there there any mechanical features anyone feels one gun has an advantage over another?

Thanks for all the info and keep it coming,

-Jenrick
 
Boarhunter: Apparently they trimmed the allowed list down in September of this year. I don't know how much they pulled off other then 1911's, but I agree it's still a pretty broad list to work from.

-Jenrick
 
I have had numerous Glocks over the years. I recently stumbled upon a rental S&W 99 and after 2 rentals, found I could shoot it as well as my Glock 34. Grip is a lot more comfortable too, and I like being able to set it in SA mode and then carry it that way (the pull is a bit lighter than a Glock). But, as a policeman, you can also set it up in the DA mode for the 1st shot (like a traditional gun w/ a hammer).

I now have a full size S&W99 and a compact Walther P99 A/S (they are pretty much the same gun w/ just cosmetic differences).

I would recommend that gun. Get a compact version for off duty carry and that way both guns would have the same manual of arms.
 
Congratulations on the new job. I went through this same thing some years ago when I had to pick a semi-auto. After much looking around I went with the GLOCK 22. In my opinion a GLOCK is the perfect police sidearm and the .40S&W is a great law enforcement round. I went through basic and several FI schools with that GLOCK plus all the in house firearms training. If I had to pick all over again, I would go with the same gun. I later added a 27 for off-duty/undercover work. The only thing I would suggest you consider is to add night sights to your duty gun. They come in real handy and are much less to break than the factory GLOCK sights.
 
I like my Sig P220 for fit in my hand, and how the .45 recoils less (my opinion I guess). I just couldn't get used to grip angle, trigger pull, etc of Glocks.

If you can shoot a Glock well, then I would get a Glock in .40 or .45. I've never personally had a problem with a model 26 I had, and no one I know who has one has had issues with theirs.

Glock is simple (same trigger pull, no safety, etc), they are relatively cheap, tough, and reliable. Like I said, if the Glock worked for me personally thats what I would have gotten.
 
osteodoc08 said:
Hmm. Nobody has mentioned the SA-XD line of guns. I'd check them out as well.
Click to expand...


No offense to XD owners...I've owned about 3 of them and I'll be the first to tell you...they are not "duty ready" yet. I've had 2 that were fine and one that was a dog. None were exactly polished.

As for why nobody mentions S&W....well, lets just say you don't really get a lot of bang for your buck there. That and horrid DA trigger pulls.

As for Beretta....sexy looking gun...real sexy....right up until the thing shoots itself apart. Not real durable, not fool proof....and it weighs like 40 oz. and holds 15 rounds of 9mm. For that kind of weight on my hip all day, I'd better be packing somthing with a bit more oomph than that. And yes I know about the .40 Beretta 96...and I know a lot of folks who carry them...and I know only one who likes it....and he likes everyone.
 
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