flakbait
Member
Most police departments in the US began to transition from the traditional double action revolver to the semiauto pistol in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This event coincided with the US military adoption of the Beretta M9 in 1985.
The advantages of a semiauto pistol over a revolver has always been magazine capacity (more bullets) and faster reloads (magazines vs speedloaders). The only police still carrying revolvers as their primary sidearm today are those officers nearing their retirement.
Since semiauto pistols have been around since the early 1900s and the US fought 2 world wars, Korea, and Vietnam with the 1911, why did the revolver stick around for so long in law enforcement. Bad guys were often well armed in the past i.e. Bonnie and Clyde, Al Capone, etc... Pistols with double stack magazines became more prevent in the 1940s with the Browning Hi Power and various 9 MM pistols appearing later such as the Smith and Wesson 39/59 series. Revolvers were always thought to be more reliable than pistols. However, every major combatant of WWII abandoned revolvers and chose pistols with the exception of Great Britain (they lacked the cash).
What made police departments wake up to the possibility that six shots and one speedloader might not be enough to win a gunfight lead to the widespread adoption of semiauto pistols?
The advantages of a semiauto pistol over a revolver has always been magazine capacity (more bullets) and faster reloads (magazines vs speedloaders). The only police still carrying revolvers as their primary sidearm today are those officers nearing their retirement.
Since semiauto pistols have been around since the early 1900s and the US fought 2 world wars, Korea, and Vietnam with the 1911, why did the revolver stick around for so long in law enforcement. Bad guys were often well armed in the past i.e. Bonnie and Clyde, Al Capone, etc... Pistols with double stack magazines became more prevent in the 1940s with the Browning Hi Power and various 9 MM pistols appearing later such as the Smith and Wesson 39/59 series. Revolvers were always thought to be more reliable than pistols. However, every major combatant of WWII abandoned revolvers and chose pistols with the exception of Great Britain (they lacked the cash).
What made police departments wake up to the possibility that six shots and one speedloader might not be enough to win a gunfight lead to the widespread adoption of semiauto pistols?
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