Help purchasing service weapon.

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jalbuquerque

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Hello, I have been recently admitted to law enforcement and have the choice to purchase my service weapon. I have narrowed my options to either getting a .40 Taurus 24/7DS or a Glock 25 (the glock being about 50% more expensive). I wonder whether I should consider trading the stopping power of the .40 for the reliability of the glock (which I assume to be better)? Thanks in advance.
 
I hope this doesn't turn into another Taurus vs Glock thread.

Since you mention the Glock 25 I'm guessing you're not in the United States. Is the Glock 22, 23 (the closest thing to the 25), 24, or 27 available where you are? These are all chambered for .40 S&W.

I have no experience with the Taurus you mentioned, but for a service weapon I'd pick something a little bigger than a .380 (unless you're looking for a BUG) so I'd either go with it, or a .40 S&W Glock, whichever fits better in your hands.
 
I wish I could get my hands on anything else other than a 25, but that is all they offer here. And yes, I do not live in the US and unfortunately while our criminals can easily get their hands on nicer guns I can only buy either .40 or .380 (or lower calibers not even worth mentioning).
 
Get the Glock.

The Glock (whether some like to admit it or not) is one of the most durable, long lasting, tough service arms in the world. Note how many law enforcement agencies in the world have them, and use them.

I use a G22 .40 caliber. It is a second generation--no finger grooves or rail--and it's still going very strong.

I would NOT recommend ANY Taurus handgun for service use. To be sure, they do make good firearms--but I've seen too many that do fail, under moderate service, to trust my life on them. Get the Glock.
 
Vote for the 40, with a caution.

Welcome to the forum, jalbuqurque,

Between any manufacturer's 9x17mm or .40 S&W, I would choose the 40. Between the Glock and the Taurus, I would buy two Taurus. If one proves less reliable than the other, send the one to be tuned up. And if either is not 100% reliable, keep tuning (preferably under warranty) so they are both 100%.

The .40 S&W will have greater stopping power than the .380/9x17mm, so that is what leads me to that chambering. If you shoot the smaller cartridge better than the other, that would reverse my suggestion. Your accuracy goes into the 100% reliability requirement as well. A proper hit with moderate stopping power is much better than a miss with superior stopping power, especially in police work, where misses are VERY much to be avoided.

I also would not spend any more time on that one tool (handgun) than I did on any other tool in my inventory. If my handcuffs were not 100% reliable, I would just as diligently ensure they work as designed, as well.

Your handgun will probably be the least used of all you pieces of equipment (hopefully, and the odds are that this is true).

Don't scrimp on anything you depend on. Probably the most important will be your shoes.

Whether you need good traction, good arch support, good accuracy or good stopping power, you will need it, and the time you need it is no time to find out you or your gear comes up wanting.

Lost Sheep
 
Thank you all for the reply. Indeed I hope I won't need to have to use my gun but I'd rather stay on the safe side specially when it comes to jams and malfunctioning (I know good ammunition and proper care of the weapon are also major factors in this as well).
 
I don't know of anyone or any modern day LE Dept. that would let their officers use a Taurus. Glock, on the other hand, is utilized around the world. You make the decision but be aware of what others are doing.
 
.380?

I don't think I'd be using a .380 if I was LEO. As a private citizen I've carried .380's but if trouble arises and I can slip out the back as they say I'll do that. Avoiding confrontation is as important as being prepared for it. As a LEO this probably isn't an option for you.
 
.40 Taurus 24/7DS or a Glock 25
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I don't understand why a .40 caliber Taurus is allowed, but a .40 caliber Glock is not allowed... but a Glock of some sort is allowed. Can you explain in greater detail why a Glock 22 or 23 is not an option?

Between the Glock and the Taurus, I would buy two Taurus. If one proves less reliable than the other, send the one to be tuned up. And if either is not 100% reliable, keep tuning (preferably under warranty) so they are both 100%.
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+1 to this. Were I to be a cop and had to choose between a Glock .380 and a Taurus .40, I'd buy matching Taurii and wring 'em both out as well as I could. Then I'd carry the better one while getting the other one tuned properly, then swap again to tune up the other gun.

Nothing says you CAN'T put lipstick on a pig. It's just normally not a good idea if there's a bar with actual women nearby. :p
 
It would be helpful to have a bit more information. Many police departments around the world issued .380's because unlike the U.S. a handgun was not intended to be a primary weapon. Europeans in particular are more tolerant of seing a policeman armed with a submachinegun or assault-rifle and thusly the handgun is used in the same capacity as an American LEO would use a backup pistol.

Are any other types of handguns available? With very few exceptions, most handgun makers offer at least one model in .40 S&W so your selection should be very open in that caliber. Also, is there some reason that you can't use a 9mm? I find it odd that your department would approve .380 and .40 S&W but not 9mm.
 
Friends don't let friends buy Taurus. Get the Glock.
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+1

I have a few Glocks (19, 36) and they have never failed using any ammo I have put through them. If I had to depend on a weapon that weapon would be Glock.

A friend that I shoot with often has a Taurus .40, he can't even get through one mag without a failure to feed (I was with him when he bought it, I warned him, but he wanted to save a buck). I have had my own problems with Taurus revolvers, but that is for another thread.
 
If the only Glock you can get is the .380 then I would go with the Taurus. Maybe Taurus is less dependable than Glock, I don't know. I never owned a Glock, but I have owned two Taurus weapons and I'm very satisfied with both.

If at all possible I would say get the .40 and then save up for the Glock as a back up.
 
Are any other types of handguns available? With very few exceptions, most handgun makers offer at least one model in .40 S&W so your selection should be very open in that caliber. Also, is there some reason that you can't use a 9mm? I find it odd that your department would approve .380 and .40 S&W but not 9mm.
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Well, I can pick a selection of .38, .32, .22 or 36GA revolvers. I don't even consider them as options because I would definitely not like to be in a situation where others have been armed with a 5-7 shots gun, where they had their pistols against 5 armed criminals. Also, 9mm is not an option. I live in Brazil and here we have very restrictive gun laws. 9mm Para can only be used by the military and the federal police. Members of the latter have no restriction on the caliber of their handguns. State police officers on the other hand can only pick .40 or or calibers with lower energy at the muzzle than the .38 spl. We also have a limit on the amount of ammunition an officer can buy for the .40 (300/year). Go figure. . . perhaps I have joined the wrong side. (Nah!) Anyway, the military police (not from the military, it's a brazilian idiosyncrasy) get to use the good toys. I'll be carrying this gun as my main service weapon to replace my current govt issue Rossi .38 which I'm quite sure is likely to kill me rather than the guy at the right end of the barrel.

Just on a side note, I cannot afford 2 guns right now. I make about R$1.400 (divide by 1.9 for dollars) a month and the taurus is R$2400 and the glock R$3200.
 
Just on a side note, I cannot afford 2 guns right now. I make about R$1.400 (divide by 1.9 for dollars) a month and the taurus is R$2400 and the glock R$3200.
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A taurus costs $1263 US, down in Brazil?:eek:

They cost about $350 US up here.

That's...awful. Is it high Brazilian federal taxes on firearms sales, or is it a restricted captive market with no outside options (like Japan)?
 
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