.44 Magnum for law enforcement

[Nanuk]

Granted - A LEO can always sit tight until backup arrives, but, a lot can go down in that time.

A partner and/or backup brought more "firepower".

Still ---I recall a story I read back in the late 1970's in one of the gun rags about a cop in Florida that happened on a group of drug dealers armed with MAC -10's. He escaped, but, it was touch and go.
His letter to the editors was more of a plea to get rid of the revolvers and at the very least, give them some kind of chance of meeting "fire with fire".

Not too many years after that, the Cleveland Police Department pleaded with the public to write letters to the Cleveland City Council to get rid of their revolvers and go with a 9mm.
I was more than happy to pitch in on that.

You cannot always sit tight and wait. If people are being hurt you cannot wait. What people fail to comprehend is that every bullet has a price tag and a lawyer attached. We are responsible for every bullet that we send out. Many people here seem to think that with a hi cap pistol it enable them to send out a stream of bullets. That is great, except those sprayed bullets rarely hit the intended target, and when they do they generally fail to stop the target. I was a cop in revolver days, one of the cops I worked with in 1982 carried LSWC's in his 357.

Police do not need hi cap pistols, they need better training. That being said the 357 magnum is the upper limit for most people to be able to handle. I worked with one cop who could drill out a hole with 38's, but as soon as he started using magnums he could not hit the target. He had to carry 38's.

A double action revolver is difficult to master, but once you do you can shoot anything.

The other benefit is that these days there seems to be a rush to judgement with officers who put multiple 9mm HP's in BG's. To be honest I don't think today's wiz bang bullets are that much better than they were 30 years ago, not if you judge how many it takes to bring down the average thug.

I am happy with my old school cup and core 180's @ 1450-1500 fps from my Smith model 69 in my semi retired lifestyle. Of course I do have an electronic rack with an AR Pistol in the trunk.

 

[Model12Win]

I find it humorous how some think that all cops who carry semi-autos just spray wildly. Guess what? Cops also used to do that when they carried revolvers, and there are numerous accounts of them being killed by shooters using semi-autos when they were reloading there 6-shot revolvers.

 

[Master Blaster]

I picked 5 because you can shoot specials in a magnum gun so it doesn't need to be over powered and no one will argue a 240 grain bullet at 950 fps is under powered.

A revolver lacks the capacity and the speed of reloading that a modern police force demands. It requires more practice, and better maintenance than a 9mm or a 40 S&W Glock. It may also be too heavy and hard to handle for smaller officers.

Modern LE agencies have a number of requirements beyond power level that they must meet with their firearm choice, and revolvers do not meet enough of the requirements. A desert Eagle is just too big and too expensive.

 

[Nanuk]

I find it humorous how some think that all cops who carry semi-autos just spray wildly.

Who said that?

Guess what? Cops also used to do that when they carried revolvers, and there are numerous accounts of them being killed by shooters using semi-autos when they were reloading there 6-shot revolvers.

Yup, There is a lil invention called a speedloader that solved that lil reloading problem.

 

[Hal]

That being said the 357 magnum is the upper limit for most people to be able to handle. I worked with one cop who could drill out a hole with 38's, but as soon as he started using magnums he could not hit the target. He had to carry 38's.

Which brings another shortfall of the .44 Rem Mag to the table.

Lack of interchangeability between possible common users.

You and I have no problems w/the .44 Mag, but, that's not the norm.

It's also not the norm for me to be on the side against the .44 mag either .
I'm a huge fan of it & for years was the only one on this board that was!

 

[jmr40]

Up until about 20 years ago our local cops bought their own guns and could carry anything they could qualify with. I have a several LE friends who carried a 44 at least briefly during the 1980's. I never asked about loads, but think they were full 44 mag loads. They have all retired now.

 

[shafter]

Lots of strange ideas in this thread.

Yes, some new guys can't shoot worth a hoot, but some really can.

Yep, some old timers could really run a six-shooter, some were total fuds.

You can only miss six times with a six-shooter, but you can only make six hits too.

Bad guys come in every variety. Some have a steak knife, some have AR15s with 30rd mags and Aimpoints.

Just because I have 16 rounds doesn't mean I'm incapable of one well-aimed shot.

At the end of the day I'll take the option that gives me the most options.

 

[Nanuk]

At the end of the day I'll take the option that gives me the most options.

Which is why I feel that your carry gun is a very personal choice. There is no "one size fits all". What works for me may not work for you, and there is nothing wrong with that.

 

[agtman]

.41 mag was popular with Detroit Police 60's 70's....

Gawd, what I wouldn't pay to get a pristine Model 58. With the right load, it'll put the hurt of beegeezus into scum bags.

Much as does its latter day cousin, the 10mm AUTO.

 

[Mike_Fontenot]

My full-time primary is a S&W69 .44mag L-Frame, and if I were a cop, I'd still want to carry it. But I'm sure I wouldn't be allowed to, because it doesn't fit the current philosophy of "shoot a lot of rounds as fast as possible". With only 5 rounds before a relatively slow reload, you have to hit what you're aiming at with those few rounds. But Oh, what rounds those are. And with the heavy recoil of the .44mag (and with my choice of always shooting SA whenever possible), quick follow-up shots aren't possible anyway.

 

[James K]

The same problem as with a .25 auto for police issue, but in reverse. Yes, some experts can get good performance but the average cop is not an expert and doesn't spend all day every day shooting for fun. Spending the bucks on more ammo and more training time would pay off better.

Plus, I strongly suspect that .44 Magnum fans would soon lose a lot of their enthusiasm if they had to carry a big .44 eight hours a day. Power comes at a cost and not all is in dollars.

Jim

 

[Mike_Fontenot]

Plus, I strongly suspect that .44 Magnum fans would soon lose a lot of their enthusiasm if they had to carry a big .44 eight hours a day.

I carry my S&W69 every day, from pajamas-off until pajamas-on. In a homemade under-the-shirt vertical shoulder holster. Comfortable, convenient, and very well concealed.

 

[Nanuk]

I carried an L frame 357 for 20 years as a cop. It weighs within a couple OZ of an N frame. I have a Smith 69 as well that I carry alot.

 

[ATN082268]

The same problem as with a .25 auto for police issue, but in reverse. Yes, some experts can get good performance but the average cop is not an expert and doesn't spend all day every day shooting for fun. Spending the bucks on more ammo and more training time would pay off better.

Plus, I strongly suspect that .44 Magnum fans would soon lose a lot of their enthusiasm if they had to carry a big .44 eight hours a day. Power comes at a cost and not all is in dollars.

Jim

A .44 Magnum weapon doesn't necessarily have to be the only weapon choice in a police department and an officer would have to qualify with it like any other weapon.

 

[Model12Win]

So many folks here desperately defending the revolver for police work. I lol at this.

No major department issues revolvers anymore, the same for federal level agencies. The only places you'll find revolvers in police hands are those relatively few officers old enough to have been grandfathered in. They will all be retired in a few years.

The revolver is DEAD for police work. Much less a .44 magnum revolver!! Now I am NOT saying they aren't useful for civillian personal defense, they are.

 

[4V50 Gary]

James K makes some good points. Weight and training ae major issues. $$$ too as ammunition costs have increased.

I can't see a big city cop carrying one, but a cop in Alaska or a rural deputy where there are big bears and no rifle is available then it makes sense. Then again, so does a 10 mm.