Security Guard/ Police Officer Handgun

I work in alot of federal buildings in D.C. as a contractor and I smile when I see that alot of the contracted security officers in those buildings still carry the venerable Smith and Ruger revolver.

I smile because it proves to me the total value of the revolver platform-trusted and ready to go at a moments notice and unlike some recent semi auto's-forgiving to people handling them in a moment of stress.
 
External and mag safeties drive me nuts.

If that's what you're looking for though I would go to a shop and see what you like best. I have shot all the common brands and for a regular duty weapon any would be fine.
 
Made in Croatia? some people ask. Yes, to very exacting standards of a foremost American gun manufacturer. They're not trying to hide it either with the "made in Croatia" roll mark. Gun rags have put the XD through the torture tests even more extreme than the famous Glock test. Comes through with flying colors.
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Well, if a gun rag says it's OK, sign me up. How many police department and government contracts does Springfield have again?
 
tackdriver said:
Well, if a gun rag says it's OK, sign me up. How many police department and government contracts does Springfield have again?
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Yup, roll your eyes at a gun rag's endorsement, then believe that police contracts equate to endorsements instead of lowest bidder or lowest TCO.

The reason you see agencies with uniform duty weapons has little to do with the "perfection" of the firearm and more to do with the negotiated package sold to the agency. Arms makers want those contracts for 1,000 - 5,000 and 10,000 guns over a 2 or 3 year period. But they don't just sell the guns. They'll offer deep discounts on spare magazines, Armorer training, and even provide each gun with a standard holster and magazine carrier. They'll guarantee a trade-in value for upgraded guns in 5 years, throw in free maintenance & repairs for 2 years. They'll even offer $100 per competitor's gun to dispose of them for the PD. This protects them against the embarrassment if an ex-police gun being used in some local robbery.

Of course the company sells off those used PD guns to distributors for resale and we get a chance to buy them.

The police agency looks at the acquisition costs, total cost of ownership over 5 (or 10) years and decides based on the best deal. The officers put forth their recommendation for which pistols to buy and the numbers determine the
which brand/model (deal) gets the nod.
 
There are other excellant weapons that don't cater to giant contracts. Many agencies permit or even require their officer provide their own pistol. I'm qualified on four xds for mine. Lots of LE agencies won't go with the lowest bidder like the DoD. Mine has issued the HK P7, USP, and BHP, while allowing alternates.

It has now taken Glock four generations to achieve perfection.
 
I'm not a big Glock fan either... They shoot great, and are super reliable... but I'm in the same boat as you. Although there is no "need" for external safety, that doesn't mean I have to like it. Once theri is a bullet in the chamber, it's a rattlesnake. Although, according to the man my father bought his Glock 23 from, most police agencies' insurance companies require that they use hammer-less guns such as the Glock because they claim that decocking the hammer on a gun causes accidents, even though most modern hammered guns have a de-cocker? It doesn't make much sense to me, but you might want to check with the department/agency you intend to work for to see what their requirements are.
 
Quote:
Made in Croatia? some people ask. Yes, to very exacting standards of a foremost American gun manufacturer. They're not trying to hide it either with the "made in Croatia" roll mark. Gun rags have put the XD through the torture tests even more extreme than the famous Glock test. Comes through with flying colors.

Well, if a gun rag says it's OK, sign me up. How many police department and government contracts does Springfield have again?
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Ever think that SA doesn't want to give there guns away like Glock has done with REGARDS TO PRICE? Why do most of the Feds carry Sigs????
 
I noticed not too many Sig 226 votes. In my IMH0 the weight of the 226 while might be heavy to carry, but as a duty weapon the weight lessens recoil. I have a glock also and its a little sharper kick. I love the Sig.
 
The G22 is a fine pistol. Unless you are wed to external safeties, which is usually code for being wed to 1911s, which you aren't, buy one and move on to other decisions.

The S&W M&P line is another option; the I want what Glocks offer but don't want a Glck option, if you will.
 
HAVE A EXTERIOR SAFETY!
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Please consider professional training. An external safety is viewed by many as not required. What is required is that you acquire your target and put rounds on target.

Glock type weapons are as safe as anything inside a proper holster. After that, it is all on you.
 
Sig 2022 in 9mm. Holds 17 rounds with mechgar mags. Great trigger. Very affordable (Think around $400, mine was $380). Shoots light a dream. Light weight and even relatively easy to conceal. So far >600 rounds no failures. The standard side arm of french national police as well as several other European nations.
 
The problem with Glocks!

After SEVERAL posts about how it's ok for a sidar, particularly glocks, to not have a manual saftey, I need to say:

1. The pourpose of a manual saftey is so that if the bad guy gets the gun you have that extra second of him thinking about why it isnt going bang so you can handle him as nessicary.

2. Training, Training, Training!!! With the same ammount of training it takes to becom proficient with a saftey free weapon, one can become proficient with a weapon that has a manual saftey. Its a simple matter of ajustment of how you train. It kills me everytime I here fellow law enforcement officers, especially ones with prior military experience, say that hate safties on a duty weapon.

3. I've hered "this is my saftey" while people are waving around their tigger finger. Quite frankly, these are the only people I've ever seen a negligant discharge out of!
A manual safty means that you make a concious decicion to put that weapon on kill instead of accidentially leaving your finger on the trigger.

A safe bet for a good .40 cal with a manual saftey is a Berretta 96 or anything in a 1911 setup. Both have external safties and both are very good steups.
 
1. The pourpose of a manual saftey is so that if the bad guy gets the gun you have that extra second of him thinking about why it isnt going bang so you can handle him as nessicary.
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Well, it might seem that way if your only experience is in civilian LE or security. Actually, the manual safety serves two functions. First, it prevents the gun from firing with a round chambered, typically by blocking the firing pin and/or trigger from actuating. Secondly, it allows the weapon to be put into a safe condition quickly, when one's activities demand a rapid shift of attention or action -- such as switching to another weapons platform, pulling a wounded comrade from the line of fire, running to avoid enemy fire, mounting/dismounting a horse or vehicle, etc.

The original JM Browning design for the .45 pistol lacked a manual safety. That was added at the request of the Army procurement board who were concerned about soldiers carrying a cocked, single-action weapon in a holster.

With proper training, the safety seldom "gets in the way" of the gun's use. And certainly during a struggle for a gun, a safety can mean the difference between going home and going to the morgue.
 
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