Mystery Writers Forum
Life and Death => Weaponry => Topic started by: dcragen on September 06, 2011, 12:15:38 AM
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what kind of gun would a private detective most likely carry? assuming that they have a permit of course
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Depends on period and area. Recently listened to audio book Spade & Archer (Joe Gores' prequel to Chandler's Sam Spade) and there is regular mention of the old Luger. S&W Airweight Chief's Special is what I went for in regard to my own Harry Rhimes character. It's a standard snub-nose .38 - the short barrel means less long range accuracy, but it also means it doesn't get snagged on clothing, and it takes a standard round. Five shots, but with a speed loader the down time is minimal. Revolvers don't jam and also unlike automatics they don't spew empty cases all over the place (and under your feet if you're not careful.)
Of course, you could go for something a little more personal, like a .22 - 12-shot revolver as used/preferred by gang bangers (though the .22 would be full load, not half load as preferred by assorted hit men.)
If it has to be an automatic (usually 9mm) then go for a Czech made CZ75b or the CZ75b Omega (which can be fitted to take a .40 rather than the old 9mm) which can hold 19 in the magazine, "plus one in the pipe" (not official police procedure, or Army either.)
If you want to have more info then take a read through
http://www.best9mm.com/
and
http://www.ccweapons.com/
Gives you a nice spec rundown in layman's terms and a picture of the thing as well.
Hope that helps?
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It also depends on his/her background and experience, and how he/she plans to carry the weapon.
A former police detective, for instance, may be more comfortable with whatever his/her service weapon used to be (for instance, a Glock 19 for an NYPD detective). A former military member may want a Beretta if he/she carried an M9 on duty.
Also, how does your detective carry the weapon? If he/she uses a belt or shoulder holster, it can be a larger weapon than if he carries it in his waistband or she carries it in her purse.
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Old school private detectives in fiction seem to invariably carry the Smith & Wesson .38 revolver with 2" barrel (snubby), usually the "airweight" model. This has been the "weapon of choice" since Sam Spade.
Similar to this, older police officers may carry larger frame revolvers, like a Ruger .357 Magnum with 4" or 6" barrel. These are fairly hefty and cannot easily be carried on the waist without "printing" (being visible beneath clothing) but are nicely concealed in a shoulder holster.
Modern police almost exclusively carry pistols ("automatics" in general lingo even though they aren't full auto). Many police carry Glock 9mm, the most prevalent law enforcement weapon worldwide.
9mm however tends to be a bit light in power and many police (if so allowed in their jurisdictions) will carry the higher power .40 cal or the .45 ACP. Modern versions of the venerable Colt 1911 .45 auto are widely used in the Southwest. Although the .45auto only carries 8 rounds vs the 15-17 rounds of the 9mm, it packs a huge punch.
So... a modern PI might likely carry a Glock model 19 in 9mm, or prefer the harder-hitting 1911-style .45 auto. Just remember that full size pistols aren't as well concealed at the waist for the private eye and a shoulder holster for the larger guns is better.
Don't get too fixated on the type of gun carried, just so you don't make common gun errors, the most prevalent being having a safety on a revolver! Some autos have safeties, some don't. Glocks do not. If you've got a round in the chamber of a Glock, you pull the trigger and it goes off. There's no "hammer" to cock because it's "striker fired" with an internal hammer that is always cocked. Conversely, the 1911 .45 must be cocked with a round in the chamber, otherwise it's inert.
A good general purpose modern weapon would be a Glock model 19 in 9mm. Check the Glock website.
And if you wish, ask more. I'm pretty familiar with sidearms.
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There are as many answers as there are PI's and guns.
However, in recent years, as revolvers have been more and more phased out of official law enforcement, and replaced by semi-automatic pistols, the same trend has been true in the private sector.
So it wouldn't be at all unusual for your PI to carry something like a SIG-Sauer, a Glock, or any of the many semi-autos manufactured by S&W, Colt, etc.
OTOH, if he's older, he might be more comfortable with the weapon he's always carried, which could be a revolver.
In my capacity as the police technical advisor on Dick Tracy, I suggested that the artist, Joe Staton, arm Dick with a SIG-Sauer P226 in either 9mm or .40 caliber.
Various fictional PI's have been just as various in their choice of weapons. Spenser used an S&W snub-nosed .38. Mike Hammer used a Colt 1911 .45 semi-auto. Phil Marlowe used many different guns, a .38 revolver w/ a 6-inch barrel in The Big Sleep, a .38 Super Colt semi-auto in Farewell, My Lovely, a German Luger in The Little Sister, etc. Sam Spade eschewed guns altogether, but the Continental Op used a .38 snubbie backed up occasionnaly by a brace of .32 semi-autos.
Do some research, and decide what you like best.
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Okay, here’s my reality check: During my short stint working with a PI (Professional Investigator as he would put it), we did not carry guns. The boss had one in his safe for those cases that took you where you felt naked without one, but generally no guns. Most PIs now-a-days do so little work that could get them into a fire-fight that the necessity for being armed is no longer there. Note: I, being recently retired from the force, usually did carry more as a matter of habit than need. Had the boss known he might have been pissed, but better a pissed off boss than a dead me.
As a CSI in plain clothes, I carried for twenty years and always with snub nosed 38’s. Starting with my first S&W airweight with shrouded hammer then a Colt Cobra airweight and finally the mod. 60 S&W stainless. The detective/investigators were given a choice of mod. 60 or mod. 66 .357 with 2 ˝” bbl. I opted for the lighter 60. In the sixties the department supplied the road guys with mod. 10’s with 6” bbl. but investigators had to buy their own concealables. On the qualification range, the snubbies had to qualify along with the big boys but only to the 25 yard line. Never had a problem qualifying.
Note: Sold one of my airweights to a guy that used S&W+P ammo then wondered why the darn thing blew up…duh.
Note: The hammer on these little suckers would tear up the inside of a sport coat quick. After a while, I made a pancake type holster that covered the hammer and kept it snug to my body. So many of our detectives liked it that I had a hard time keeping up with the demand.
Probably not much help in this thread but thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Old Bill
PS: I still prefer my little Cobra over my 9mm when I feel the desire/need to carry. ;D
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Excellent feedback, OldBill. We've got authentic and genuine info on PI weapon carry. And having the fictional PIs with their various sidearms is also good.
My own fictional PI Mitch King (1st novel Blood Spiral now available) had originally carried a S&W 9mm compact, but has now changed to a Springfield micro-compact 1911-style .45 auto.
But it really doesn't matter, so long as you're consistent. If your fictional PI is an old school guy, he may prefer a small .38 revolver. If he's (or she's) a bit more "modern" then a Sig .40cal or similar might be good.
Any firearm is okay (don't worry whether the PIs in your state are actually allowed to have concealed weapons -- it is after all, fiction) but be consistent and accurate with the weapon you choose, in the way it functions and how many rounds it holds.
Revolvers are easy: you pull the trigger and it fires, and holds either 5 or 6 rounds. For a pistol (semi-auto), some are DA (double action), some SA (single action), some have hammers that require cocking (the 1911), some hammers cock themselves via trigger pull. Some have no hammers at all (Glocks) and have internal striker mechanisms. It doesn't matter, so long as you accurately depict the way the pistol works.
Also, how it damages the person who's shot. People who are shot don't magically fly backward through windows. Worst case, they simply fall down or fall backward, maybe, if hit in the head. Getting shot hurts but isn't necessarily instantly fatal -- fatal can be a fairly large caliber hit in the head or spinal penetration, or heart. Even if shot in the heart, the person may live for a while.
An "accurate" gunfight even though it's fictional? The PI is shot at, the baddie misses, the PI returns fire and hits the baddie once or twice. Then what? If hit in the head, it's over instantly. If hit in the abdomen or shoulder or non-heart torso, the baddie probably falls down but isn't dead asap.
Remember the old TV cop shows where the cop shoots with his .38 snubbie, where the baddie is across the street and 4 stories high (where he can fall). Small barrel handguns are accurate to about 50 feet or so. Longer barrel (like a 1911 .45 or 6" barrel revolver) is accurate to maybe 50 yards, in a "hot" firefight where somebody is shooting at you.
Most real gunfights occur at maybe 6-15 feet. It also happens quickly, maybe 30 seconds. Of course, being fiction, you can stretch the truth but you can't go into fantasy (unless you're writing a farce). You can have a running conflict, your PI chasing the baddie and their both shooting, an exciting scene.
In chapter 1 of my new novel Blood Storm (fall release), my PI is ambushed and narrowly avoids being shot with a shotgun in a dark parking lot. He hides and shoots beneath a pickup and hits the baddie in his leg, the baddie drops, then my PI shoots the baddie in the head (or aims at this).
He then dodges and ejects his nearly-spent magazine (his mag holds 7) and loads a fresh mag from his shoulder holster. It turns out the baddie is dead, one shot thru his neck and he's dead from impact shock. This gunfight is accurate but also fictional. And there are tons of potential scenarios, each is possibly accurate yet fiction.
By the way, the metal gadget that holds the rounds for a pistol is NOT a "clip" -- it's a magazine. But you'll see lots of stories where the gun holds a "clip". An error.
It's incumbent on you, the author, to minimize technical errors. Some are small, some are laughable by those who know about guns.
But making egregious gun errors would be like having your modern PI crank his car to start it or spend time searching for payphones and trying to use a dime in it. People would rightly laugh at this (unless you're writing satire) and will also laugh at silly gun errors. It's incumbent on you to research your subject, and if you're writing crime/PI fiction, firearms are an essential part.
Not trying to intimidate you or turn you off, just say that you need to do your homework. You've got some good resources here, several people who know firearms, and so, ask away!
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Okay, this is the REAL reality check...Went shooting with a friend today and after the third round fired, the breach of my new Bersa 9mm semi-auto locked up...one in the chamber and totally non-functioning. Never saw this happen...ever. Gun has only 50 rounds through it. Going to the gunsmith tomorrow. Call me old-fashioned but GIVE ME A REVOLVER ANY DAY OF THE WEEK.
Imagine if this happened when I really needed it. True the revolvers have limited shots, but if you need more than 6 rounds, you better take a look around...YOU'RE IN A FREAKIN' WAR, BUDDY.
A not very happy, Old Bill
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Sorry you had a "breech" lockup, Old. I sympathize but I've fired, oh, 2000 rounds from my Springfield 1911 "Operator" model and have zero, count 'em, zero failures. Same for my Springfield XD .45, maybe 1500 rounds, absolutely reliable. Same for my two Glock .45s. I realize that it sounds fanciful that I've never had a misfeed but I keep my pistols spotless and properly lubed, and only shoot top quality ammo. Been shooting .45s since I was 8 years old and that's really my fave caliber. I find the 1911 (newer, improved models) about the finest handgun ever. Were I uniform lawman, I'd probably however carry the Springfield XD or XDM in .45 -- same accuracy, same reliability, more rounds in the mag (13+1).
Never owned a Bersa and really have no opinion on their quality or reliability, but I once owned a brand new Colt Series 70 1911 that never worked with any good reliabilty, and I eventually sold it.
I have however had excellent results with Springfields and Glocks. And of course my Ruger revolvers, too.
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Please, whatever you do, know the gun you are writing about. Robert Parker lost me in Spare Change when he had the police find a revolver in Boston Public Gardens. Then the police searched the swan boat pond near the body for shell casings (actually its called "cartridge casings", or just "case".) A shell refers to shotgun rounds or artillary shells.
Revolvers don't eject cases.
Semi-automatics eject cases.
Full automatics eject cases.
Also, while we are at it. Bullets are not cartridges.
A bullet is the lead projectile that flies through the air. "Ammunition" or "Rounds of Ammunition" or just "Rounds" refers to cartridges. A cartridge is an assembly of case, loaded with GUN-POWDER (or black powder - there's a difference), a PRIMER pressed into the base of the cartridge casing (or case) that ignites the powder when struck my the firing pin, and the BULLET on top - to hold the powder in place.
Cheers! Here's to research! It's invaluable!
Richard
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refering to gunfights. My CCW trainer said the rule of 3s.
A gunfight is over in:
3 Seconds
3 Shots,
3 Yards.
That's about it. One or two shots for each person, inside of three seconds, from less than ten feet away.
In stressful, tactical situations defenders must fight the urge to get closer. Distance is your friend in a gunfight. This has to be trained into the person. Everyone wants to run right up to the bad guy and either cover him or shoot him. Being closer means he can shoot you too, especially if playing possum. I've heard that "Close range" leagally can mean less than twenty feet. You want to be at least twenty feet away from someone. Cover them with the gun, call for the police or help. Don't get any closer. In real life; If they run away... let them run. Catching bad guys, even wounded bad guys are what the police are for, and it can make for a good escape or chase scene.
cheers!
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HowesR1:
Good primer (excuse the pun) on cartridges and revolvers vs semi-autos. I've come across writers that confuse the issue, also, and it is annoying.
On the police range, our stations were 7yds, 15, 25 & 50yds...and yes I have qualified with my little snubby at 50yds. At 7yds it feels like you are literally on top of the target...way too close for comfort if that target is capable of shooting back. :P
Sam709:
I researched the Bersa fairly well and have friends who own them...thought I had a pretty reliable weapon. Nice compact gun, feels good in my hand, nice safety features. Oh, well, dropped it off at the gunsmith's and waiting to see the results. Bersa does have a life-time service warranty so it should be covered.
Gee, this thread is sounding more like a NRA site. ;D
Old Bill
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With the pistol locking up so soon after purchase, it probably does need a gunsmith check, or something. If a gun is unreliable you've essentially got a clumsy club in your hand.
There are so many gun errors in mystery novels that you could likely create a huge reference library from them. The most common error is putting a safety on a revolver and it's still being done. I've read otherwise well-written books where the result of gunfire is large clouds of smoke. Er, maybe in the Civil War, but not since "smokeless" powder -- modern handguns produce virtually no visible smoke at all.
Another common error is a "silencer" on a revolver -- I fondly remember "bad cop" David Soul having one in a Dirty Harry movie. Revolvers cannot be silenced because much of the noise comes from around the cylinder, not just the muzzle. And silencers (properly called "suppressors") don't reduce the noise to a whisper, just temper it a bit -- Mythbuster tested this.
On TV we've got this requisite clicking sound whenever a gun is produced, joking called "RFE" or "rack for effect" -- heard this on NCIS where the Glock made a clicking noise. Attention, Foley artists: Glocks don't make any noise at all because they have NO external safety to "click" off. And yeah, technically the "RFE" is whenever the gun's slide is racked mid-crisis. The bad guy (or good guy) will be holding the pistol on the other person, and then halfway thru the scene, will rack the slide to show he means business. Which actually shows that the pistol was inert prior to this.
Anyway, gun errors in film, TV, or books are legion. My advice is this: no, you're not writing a tech manual on firearms and your mystery story isn't a documentary, but eliminating gun errors will still be appreciated by your more savvy readers. Letting gun errors into the book, as with any other error, is simply sloppy. If you're unsure about details, just ask -- we're here to help.
Here's a short example from my new novel, Blood Storm. My PI carries a compact 1911-style .45 pistol. He is in a dark tavern parking lot and barely misses being killed by a shotgun ambush. After dropping behind a pickup truck tire, this happens:
"I peered under the truck frame and saw cowboy boots creeping along on the other side, silhouetted by a distant streetlight. I aimed, fired, and got lucky. There was a grunt of pain and a man’s body landed with a whump. He was wriggling around on his back, trying to point the shotgun toward me beneath the truck. I fired at his bearded face three times, then rolled away to seek better shelter, putting more vehicles between myself and the shooter.
No further movement from the man and nothing else immediately threatened. I hit the release and the nearly empty magazine dropped free. I grabbed a full mag from my shoulder rig, slammed it into the pistol and racked the slide shut."
This is an accurate description of how a 1911-style pistol is used.
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Okay, egg on face and foot in mouth attack here! I accidentally posted an earlier and very incorrect version of my shooting scene in the novel. Duh.
In fact, the slide would NOT be racked. Assuming the pistol is not empty, the new full magazine would simply be inserted into the frame and that would be that. So delete "...and racked the slide shut"
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Sam709:
I stumbled across the racking part, too, but wasn't going to say anything. But the line does have a bit of flair to it, eh? "...racked the slide shut." Yeah good action description. Perhaps this is why so many mistakes are made...it adds action.
I have to admit, I always cringe when seeing/reading someone checking the cylinder of a revolver before going into action, like, "Gee, did I forget to load my gun this morning or did one of my associates unload it when I wasn't looking as a joke, ha, ha." :o
Yeah, holding a pistol on someone and then racking the slide for effect. "Hold it right there, buddy, or I'll shoot, ah, er, right after I put a round in the chamber." Speaking of which, one of the reasons I liked the Bersa, it has a "round chambered indicator." No guessing whether it's loaded.
Old Bill
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I say keep the racking line...maybe your protag could use up all his rounds and have an empty gun?
Old Bill
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Nope. His mag is 7 rounds. He fires twice at the guy's feet, 3 at the head. So he ejects 2 rounds still in the first mag so he can get a fresh 7 (plus one still in the chamber).
Later, the CSI folks find his ejected mag.
It's part of tactical training. IF you have a quiet interval, dump a nearly-empty mag and reload with a full one, rather than find your pistol empty and slide locked back in the middle of a renewed attack.
Either tactic is okay, I guess, but regardless, his racking the slide on a non-empty pistol will eject a live round and that's too much detritus to add to the narrative to an already complex scenario.
But that's all right. Later in the book is this more "economical" shooting scene:
"He raised the crowbar above his head and charged toward us, screaming obscenities and threatening doom.
I reached under my shirt, pulled out the .45, and shot him twice."
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Re: shoot scene...nothing like a good double tap. >:D
Old Bill
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Okay...I know everyone has been holding their breath waiting to find out what happened to my Bersa 9mm. Retrieved it from the gunsmith today and it was a BAD ROUND. I had been using some reloads purchased at a local gun show and apparently during the reloading process, the bottom of the case bulged just enough to jamb...not readily detectable with out a close look.
So after the gunsmith admonished me to use only factory ammo, I took my gun, bought some factory target loads, tucked my tail between my legs and crawled home.
'Nough said.
Old Bill
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Not enough said, Old Bill - I still don't fully trust autos.
I also used a snub nosed 2 inch S&W revolver as an off-duty gun for years. That gun never jammed on me once and I even carried it in my purse more than a few times. If a gun can handle being in a woman's purse, it can handle anything.
I was one of the last to give up my S&W 4 inch when my department went to Autos. They finally dragged the last of us hold-outs to the range, took our revolvers from us and gave us Beretta autos with the admonishment that these were great guns, they didn't jam, and we were damn lucky to have the chance to use them.
Of the 12 of us there, 3 had to be issued new guns because theirs were so badly messed up. Six more of us had to leave the range because our guns jammed. The gun range technicians were getting tired of hearing us grumble about the damn autos and suspected us of being saboteurs and messing the guns up on purpose. While the thought did cross more than one mind, it was not the truth.
After that fitful start, I've actually gotten to like the auto. I even got my dad one.
But that doesn't mean I trust them; one puff of fuzz in there and that gun will jam.
Linda
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Linda:
What a wonderful daughter you are to buy your dad a gun. :) Which one?
When my daughter was young, I familiarized her with several of my guns just because guns were always in the house...locked up, of course. It turned out she was a very good shot. Unfortunately, she and her husband will have nothing to do with guns. Of course, whenever my grandsons come around, we go out back and shoot my airguns...they're expert shots.
Whenever my wife goes out horseback riding alone, she packs my snubby .38 (snake loads)...only because the .357, which she prefers, is too bulky. :P
Old Bill
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When they switched us to Sigs, I bought the Beretta auto that I'd been carrying and gave it to my dad.
He was a little leery of getting an auto at first until my brother explained that this wasn't just a gun; that a cop's service weapon is very important to them, especially when you worked the sides of town that I did.
That connection is part of the reason that our department always lets us purchase our weapons when we switch to another type. Besides, you don't want to be always wondering if some scumbag got your weapon and is doing something nasty with it.
I also taught my daughter from a very early age on how to handle a weapon. I took her through the basics with an unloaded weapon when she was in elementary school. Not that I cared if she became a marksman, I wanted the "allure" of the weapon to be minimal. I kept it trigger locked and in a lock box, but moms always worry about that one time when things go wrong...
Your wife has the right idea; I haven't been carrying when I ride alone, but I think I might start. And not just for the legless rattlers either. ;)
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All the talk about semi-autos reminded me that one of the things I do on Dick Tracy is give gun advice.
I sent the artist, Joe Staton, photos of the various guns approved for use by the Chicago PD (which requires all officers to buy their own semi-autos; but allows those who trained with revolvers to continue to use the guns they've trained with), and recommended a SIG-Saur, partly because it's a visually interesting weapon (hey, comic strips are a visual medium).
I also suggested, however, that he arm Dick with a snubbie revolver as a back-up.
A week or two ago, Tracy lost his primary weapon in a hand-to-hand donnybrook with the bad guy (actually girl in this case). Two days later he pulled out a .38 Detective's Special, and informed the villainess that he always carries a spare.
Nice to be paid attention to.
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Linda: That was a nice policy- letting officers buy their service gun. We didn't have that option since our dept must have used them as trade-ins to get a better price.
...the one time when things go wrong...? Yeah, like the case of the 3yo that got her daddy's gun off the TOP of the refrigerator and blew herself away. "I never thought she could get up there," said the father. Heart wrenching. :'(
Jim: The DT strip is amazing...you guys are doing a terrific job. Our dept frowned on backup pieces. Even our off-duty guns had to be registered with the dept IF they were only purchased and carried on the badge. If you had a gun permit, you could carry anything off-duty that was registered on the permit. In NY, guns have to be listed on the permit, but down here in FL the Concealed Weapon/Firearm License allows you to carry anything concealed...and when they say concealed, they mean concealed...THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE IT, PERIOD. That's why fanny/tummy packs are so popular here. :-X
Old Bill
Interesting thread...what was the original subject? :o
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Regarding using reloads, I learned long ago to not trust them. I only use factory loads for practice or self defense. Lots of folks reload their own, which I guess is fine if you're into that and have the time.
I've never been an LEO but my Dad was a, mmm, "special deputy" for the town marshal up in the mountains of Kentucky. He carried a 1911 .45 Colt and I learned to shoot that pistol from age 8-9. I've also carried a concealed weapon at various times myself, for various reasons and in certain jurisdictions, so I'm not a newbie when it comes to carrying a weapon.
Here in Texas (and in many SW or Southern states), LEOs buy their own sidearms (with a generous dealer discount) and for their main duty weapon, are required to own medium-to-high caliber weapons. Absolute minimum is 9mm or .38spl (although revolvers are nowdays frowned upon). Most LEOs I know carry either .40 S&W or .45acp (usually Sig or 1911).
It's a Texas thing, I guess, but most LEOs I know practice a lot and pride themselves in their tactical shooting skills.
This seems to parallel general citizen attitutes re. firearms and self defense. Here, EVERYONE owns guns and there are thousands of concealed carry permits issued. Compare to Chicago, where the constitutional right to bear arms is only apparently granted to Daley cronies or other criminals. Regular citizens can forget it.
There also seems to be a general upward movement throughout the South and Southwest for heavier calibers. Many Houston LEOs routinely carry 1911-style .45s and to own an upscale model (Les Baer, etc) seems to be a point scored in the locker room. But you better be able to make it work at the range, too.
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Oh, yeah, Glocks are of course also popular with LEOs. I own several and they're excellent duty weapons. As with other models, LEOs here generally trend away from the lighter 9mm and move up to .40 S&W or .45acp.
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Sam, I'm a Texas officer so this was especially interesting to me; "It's a Texas thing, I guess, but most LEOs I know practice a lot and pride themselves in their tactical shooting skills."
Our firearms qualifications are pretty strenuous, including all types of tactical situations and simulator training. While it is a pride thing, it's also a survival thing; when you're in a gun fight, the adrenalin screws up your aim big time. So we train hard, and our department prides itself that in shooting situations we hit our targets over 80% of the time. (Trust me, that's very high for shooting situations.)
You're right, almost everyone here has a CCH and can carry. And a lot of those who don't have a permit carry also.
Bill, I agree - they trade them in to get the better prices on the new guns - but any officer who wants to buy their own gun can get it for a lower price. After you've depended on that weapon a few times, sentimentality comes into play and you don't want to see it in someone else's hands.
Jim - many, many years ago, when I started out in a northern State Police Force, we were required to purchase our back-up gun. (That's where my snubbie came from.) We had cross draw holsters for our duty weapon and a right side pocket with an insert for the snubbie. You walked up to the vehicles with your right hand in your pocket, on your snubbie so you were ready if things went wrong.
And I'm really enjoying your connection with Dick Tracy. It's not in our papers, but I catch it when I can on the internet. I'm really glad to hear they listen to you instead of making stupid mistakes.
Bill - you're right - we got all wrapped up in weapons and I've also forgotten what the original question was. :-[
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Linda, thanks for the info. I'm not trying to diss other regional LEOs, it's just that I know the Tx people more recently. When I lived elsewhere the police simply didn't practive at much, but that was years ago and maybe nowdays they are well qualified, too. I hope so.
Tx LEOs also tend to use a higher caliber weapon, and I see many female Deputies sporting a fancy Kimber 1911 .45acp. Shooting a 1911 has been elemental from my childhood so I've become accustomed to the recoil and find it easily manageable. I practice 1 and 2 hand, mix left and right. I'm not an expert shot but I've learned to be pretty well in the black at 25 feet no matter the situation. Practice practice practice.
I'm no pro and never have been a LEO but I've been in a couple dicey situations and hope to use this in my novels to good advantage.
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Trivia for the file:
The grip-to-gun angle on a Glock is different from that of the 1911 design, by only a couple of degrees. I think one is 19 degrees and the other 22 or so. I'm told by a couple of people that if you've shot a 1911 a lot, you'll shoot high with a Glock due to the difference in the grip angle. But if you've never shot an auto, you can take a Glock very well. Supposedly when S&W designed their M&P line, they took the 1911 grip angle.
FWIW, I tend to shoot high with a Glock, but I've tested an M&P, and shot it dead on.