what is the most common handgun for police and leo in the states?

I am a retired Chief just to state my experience.

All the major manufacturers have (sometimes huge) incentives to sell their products.

The first thing a department that provides the firearm is going to look at is cost of the pistol and the cost of maintenance of the weapon and of course training.

Glock has always gone much further then any other maker to spur sales. They also give a substantial discount to cops who purchase their own weapons. The price for a G17 or 19 for a department is $362, for an Officer it is $398.

S&W gives a flat 40% off the MSRP for LEOs, Sig gives $100.00.

When a department is decideing on a pistol, probably the first consideration is the caliber. Sine the Miami shootout, the FBI has conducted an ongoing survey of police involvedshootings and the result of claiber regarding wounds. That's what first caused the FBI to change to the 10mm and then later to the .40 S&W.

The .40S&W is probably the best choice because it accomplishes several key needs; a) it will put somebody down 2) the pistol can carry high cap magazines (compared to the old six shooters) and c) training ammo while not cheap, it is also not the most expensive.

To say the Glock .40 models has the greatest number of Departments is probably accurate but S&W is making a pretty good push to regain what was once their top spot.

Those discount programs are not limnited to cops only. Here's a list of who is eligible for the Glock discount and all the other manufacturers pretty much use the same list:

A GLOCK Factory-Approved and Factory-Authorized STOCKING DEALER can sell (“sub-distribute”) GLOCK “Blue Label” Law Enforcement Pistols only to the following purchasers:
•All sworn Law Enforcement (L.E.) officers, including State, County, & City
•All Federal L.E. officers (FBI, US Marshal, DEA, etc.)
•All Corrections Officers, including Parole and Probation Officers
•All Retired L.E. officers with "retired" credentials, incl Federal, State, County, & City
•State licensed Security Companies (Loomis Fargo, RAM, Securitas, etc.)
•State licensed Security Officers
•Active military personnel – all branches
•National Guard personnel – all branches
•Military Reserve personnel – all branches
•Legitimately retired military veterans, with “retired” military I.D.
•Licensed Para-Medics and EMTs
•Fire Fighters (including volunteers) with appropriate I.D.
•All TSA employees
•Com’l pilot license holders, regardless of class, & Federal Flight Deck Officers
•Court Judges
•District Attorneys and Deputy District Attorneys
•L.E. Academy or college students with proof of enrollment in a criminal justice program
 
BudGuy5, are you for sure about students in a criminal justice program? If so, I believe a graduation present for myself is in order...
 
Yes, I cut and pasted that from the Glock website:

Team Glock

Once you go there, pick "Law Enforcement" and the State you live in then 'enter'. A page will open showing who is eligible and where to find a dealer near you.
 
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Use to be all Glocks around me with my PD and one other Town carrying Sig. Now I'm seeing more and more S&W M&P 40s and one Town using M&P 45. Reason for Glocks and now the M&P is simple, they work, they are inexpensive, light, easy to maintain.
 
I'm with the Texas DPS and our standard issued pistol is the Sig 226 in a 357 sig. We also have a few that because of smaller hands are issued the 229. Our plain cloths guys get a choice of the 226 or the 229, with most going with the 229. They are also issued the 232 in a 380.
As others stated, I think the glock is probably by far the most popular, mainly due to the price. I just bought one from a LE distributor for an off duty weapon and my price was $379 with 3 mags and trijicon night sights. I'm sure departments buying a large number of them pay half that.
 
In my little part of Texas, it breaks down like this:

Issued by departments: Glock pistols in .40S&W

Personally bought: 1911 in .45ACP or SIG in 9mm or .357SIG

DPS is issued the SIG 226 in .357SIG, but a few still carry the SIG 220 in .45ACP.

I don't know about backup pistols...those vary wildly...
 
Except for the Rangers, TX DPS can only carry what is issued, and the P220 is no longer an issued weapon. One that I forgot to put on the list is the P239. A few of our plain cloths guys are carrying an issued P239. as far as backup weapons, they do vary. Although a new policy is that you have to shoot the same course with your bug as you do with your issued pistol. Before, all you had to do was show proficiency. It's pretty hard to get a qualifying score with a 5 shot revolver with time limits and reloading on our courses. Most still carry the same bug approved or not. If I have to go to a bug in a shoot out, I will gladly except the time off.
 
All the Alaska agencies that I'm aware of issue Glocks. Those that aren't carrying Glocks likely work for agencies where they have to supply their own sidearms.
 
My federal agency carries freakin' H&K USP Compacts. I think they went with that pistol because some other agency had a big stash of them laying around and pushed them on us. We have a lot of malfunctions at every training event. I very much prefer the Glocks in 40 S&W and 10mm.

The latest stats from Glock show them controlling about 68% of the US LEO market but it seems to be slipping fast with the adoption of the S&W M&P.

I haven't handled or fired an M&P but one thing stands out--the height of the bore above the web of your hand. One of the things that make Glocks accurate and comfortable to shoot is the low barrel which gives less leverage for muzzle flip. Can anyone that's shot both comment?
 
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How, A better question to ask is what caliber?

Or brand?
Alot of the PTC carry books will state that you would really to prefer the ammunition that the LEOs carry. Why? If you go to court you want to show you use the same accepted ammo that Law Enforcement does. You don't want the super mashinyoufaceovic ammo or you will be branded as someone looking for a problem.
We know a LEO. I asked what caliber and they said 40. OK. I asked why. they said.."Because that is what they give us".
I am more in legal mode right now than I am in great gun, I need to get one.
 
My roomate is in the Police Academy right now to become a Sheriff and he just got his duty weapon today.

Pretty much what he told me is that they let you choose between a 40 and a 45cal. My roomate likes the 40caliber personally, but for duty he chose the 45. From the looks of it they are slowly phasing out 9mm's.

They are also issuing Glocks, so for the most part Glock still has the majority of the LEO contracts.
 
1851 Colt Navy in .36 Cal. ... Oh that's right, this is the age of cellphones and laptops, not steel and wood...:D

I fell asleep and drempt I was in the age when ships were built of wood, and men of iron. Now the ships are of iron, and the men of wood.

And plastic pistols have taken over... :eek:
 
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