# Purchasing a handgun for on-duty carry



## slantroutes (Oct 22, 2011)

Hello all,
Just got the great news that I've been hired by my hometown police department! All officers in the department purchase their own handguns from a pretty broad list of acceptable manufacturers and models. Double action is important, I know, and the gun needs to be either .40 or .45. I'm sure I'll get plenty of good advice from the folks at the department, but I was also hoping to get some advice here.
So what do you all think? Right now I'm looking mostly at SIG and Glock, but I am open to just about anything else. Some officers in the department carry FNs and H&Ks, others carry S&Ws and Rugers. I don't want to miss out on any potentially good weapons!

Thanks!


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## dondavis3 (Aug 2, 2009)

My police department carries Sig P226 in .40 cal and we like them.


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## rgrundy (Jul 16, 2011)

SIG P226 really can't be beat for reliabilty or accuracy. I already own several handguns that make the "list" but it sounds like this may be your first purchase? If so please learn to shoot it expertly. Another thing to do is to learn to make any pistol you may find "safe". It's embarrassing to watch someone fiddle with a pistol and maybe get so involved in the process that they point it in an unsafe direction trying to clear it. Good luck and God bless you.


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## slantroutes (Oct 22, 2011)

Haha yes of course they are going to teach us to shoot expertly. At least that's what I'm assuming they'll do. I am new to handguns, but not firearms, but thanks for the advice!
And yes, I keep hearing that SIGSs can't be beat. It's pretty convincing....


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## rgrundy (Jul 16, 2011)

slantroutes said:


> Haha yes of course they are going to teach us to shoot expertly. At least that's what I'm assuming they'll do. I am new to handguns, but not firearms, but thanks for the advice!
> And yes, I keep hearing that SIGSs can't be beat. It's pretty convincing....


They are going to teach you to be safe and shoot acceptably, they are not going to teach you to shoot expertly. You'll need to do that on your own. If you doubt this take your duty rig to a steel challenge or USPSA shoot after you become an expert just to see how it goes.


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## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

if you are a LEO, in my opinion you should never shoot any better than the minimum you need to survive.... and here is my reason why.....

you are in a shootout with a DB (douchebag) and you kill him.... you had no choice.....

if you barely qualified you can claim act of god, for you arent good enough to make any shot consistently.....

if you are an expert marksman you will be sued by the family of the DB , claiming that you should have just wounded him or shot the gun out of his hands because you are just that good and you have all the trophies and medals to prove it......


think i am kidding huh?


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## FNISHR (Aug 9, 2011)

With all due respect to Ted, having been a Trial Lawyer for more than 33 years, I beg to differ. Learn to shoot expertly so that you maximize your chance of survival. If you get sued, hopefully your employing agency, usually through its insurance carrier, will provide you with a high-quality defense. Just in case, though, establish a relationship with a lawyer with whom you are comfortable, and who you know tries cases frequently, so that he or she can "ride shotgun" with you if something happens, and can step in if your employer for some reason does not provide you with a defense.


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## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

FNISHR said:


> With all due respect to Ted, having been a Trial Lawyer for more than 33 years, I beg to differ. Learn to shoot expertly so that you maximize your chance of survival. If you get sued, hopefully your employing agency, usually through its insurance carrier, will provide you with a high-quality defense. Just in case, though, establish a relationship with a lawyer with whom you are comfortable, and who you know tries cases frequently, so that he or she can "ride shotgun" with you if something happens, and can step in if your employer for some reason does not provide you with a defense.


in hindsight i didnt inject ENOUGH sarcasm into that comment.... i know.... right? me? not enough sarcasm..... whoda thunk it?

i shall clarify..... practice constantly if your life depends on your ability to shoot effectively. shoot MORE than your allowance thru the department..... shoot better than you need to qualify, shoot in situations that are less than optimum, low light, bright light, noise, wind, rain.... the only goal is to come home safely each night.....

there, i hope this clarified my obvious lacking post earlier


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## slantroutes (Oct 22, 2011)

Okay well I didn't know this would turn into people nitpicking about the word "expert." Does anyone have any advice for me about which weapon to choose?


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## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

slantroutes said:


> Okay well I didn't know this would turn into people nitpicking about the word "expert." Does anyone have any advice for me about which weapon to choose?


roflmao..... that is one heII of an open ended question..... one bit of info that would help is what criteria does your department require other than the calibers you previously stated? maker? dao? sao? safety? magazine deactivation? ..... once we get a few parameters i am sure you will have a metric butt ton of good info


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## slantroutes (Oct 22, 2011)

I asked around, and this is what I learned... Double action only, ten round plus capacity, and the acceptable brands are:
Smith & Wesson,
Glock,
Ruger,
FN,
HK,
SIG,
Beretta.

It's pretty open ended! That's part of the reason I need advice!


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## Jed Henson (Sep 28, 2010)

slantroutes said:


> I asked around, and this is what I learned... Double action only, ten round plus capacity, and the acceptable brands are:
> Smith & Wesson,
> Glock,
> Ruger,
> ...


Personally, I'd lean toward the S&W M&Ps and the full-size Glocks. These guns have seen loads of action in the field and have solid reps, and they're priced pretty well.

Of course, the other mfgs make solid weapons for LE, too. Gonna come down to a personal choice. Probably involving budget, too?

You might also pose your question on Law Officer magazine's forum. That mag is geared toward LE trainers, so you might get some good insight from LE firearms trainers. If you're lucky, columnist/trainer Dave Spaulding will give you feedback. (Disclaimers: I used to work on that mag, and I'm not LE.)


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## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

FNISHR said:


> With all due respect to Ted, having been a Trial Lawyer for more than 33 years, I beg to differ. Learn to shoot expertly so that you maximize your chance of survival. If you get sued, hopefully your employing agency, usually through its insurance carrier, will provide you with a high-quality defense. Just in case, though, establish a relationship with a lawyer with whom you are comfortable, and who you know tries cases frequently, so that he or she can "ride shotgun" with you if something happens, and can step in if your employer for some reason does not provide you with a defense.


I would agree with you on that one. I love to read the Ayoob Files in some popular gun magazines, and it seems that the better you are with your weapon(classes, competition, etc.), the better you look in court if someone tries to say your just some kind of cowboy with a gun.


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## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

If I were on the police force, I would want to carry a large duty pistol for "on-duty", and then a compact version of the duty pistol for "off-duty" use. Good luck with your search and be safe out there.:numbchuck:


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## chessail77 (Mar 15, 2011)

The answer to your question begins and ends with a Sig P226....enuf !!said


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## slantroutes (Oct 22, 2011)

chessail77 said:


> The answer to your question begins and ends with a Sig P226....enuf !!said


Haha thanks. A lot of my classmates at the academy are going with Glocks. What are some of the advantages of the Sig over the Glock?
One of the big advantages of Glock, I think, is that each size pistol can use the magazines of the other sizes in its caliber. We're authorized for backup carry, and it sure does sound nice to carry the full-size .40 in addition to the subcompact Glock 27 as a backup.
Does Sig offer comparable advantages?


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## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

Well, the SIGS have manual safeties/decockers and such. I still prefer a manual safety myself, but the Glock is simple to use.


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

Best bet is to shoot the ones mentioned and see which you shoot best and feel most comfortable with. I like Beretta's so I'd recommend you shoot the PX4 Storm in 40cal. I feel safe and confident with a PX4 on my side. The rotating locked breach gives you accuracy and reduced felt recoil especially in the 40 cal. If I went 45cal I'd go with a Glock due to reputation and firepower. However, I believe any of the brands mentioned would serve you well. Get the one you shoot the best and most accurate with. I believe you get marginally better penetration through auto glass and barriers with the 45cal from tests I've seen.


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## papajohn (Nov 8, 2011)

denner said:


> Best bet is to shoot the ones mentioned and see which you shoot best and feel most comfortable with.


That's the best advice anyone can give. It's not about what everyone else likes, it's about what fits YOUR hand, your reach, your ability. Shoot as many as you can, and make an informed decision. Caliber is a lot less important than the ability to place your shots where they need to go, quickly.


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