Your Call

[skt239]

Let's say you are chief of something or perhaps a General, what sidearm would you issue to a police type force and why?

My pick would be a Glock 19

-Easy to operate
-Easy to maintain
-Consistent trigger pull
-High capacity
-inexpensive
-reliable

[mp3mogul]

I would pick the XD series pistols from Springfield armory.

They have the grip safety like a 1911 and are ultra reliable.

[skt239]

mp3,

That's another great choice. The XD has allot of features more guns need to have. I'm not a big fan of manual safeties, locks, ect. but any non-intrusive safety is fine by me. Sometimes I wish my 239 had a loaded chamber indicator so I'm not press checking all the time.

[OakRidgeStars]

The Glocks are always a good choice, but I would go with the FN FNP in either .40 or .45 cal. It has all the features and reliabilty of the Glock, with ambidextrous controls and a tactical light rail. And, the 15 + 1 capacity helps too.

[fiasconva]

Even though I carry a 9mm if I were a chief it would have to be a 45 issued to my officers. Any of the major brands would probably suffice as long as we get good service and good prices from the dealer.

[Vahunter]

I would pick the XD series pistols from Springfield armory.

They have the grip safety like a 1911 and are ultra reliable.

My choice too.

[hodrige]

I know it is controversial sometimes... but my choice would be the FN FiveSeven for a full size sidearm.

[Hiwaytahell]

1911

[Nathan]

Although I'm a complete and unabashed 1911 snob I'd probably issue .40S&W Glocks, either 22 or 23. My 23 has been 100% malfunction free in over 8200 rounds. Hard for me to go with anything else.

[gorknoids]

I'd issue XD 9's, but rotate a few .50 cal Desert Eagles through the schedule just to make the crackheads think.

[rklessdriver]

Smith and Wesson M19/66's or 586/686's in leather basket weave holsters and duty belts. As for hi capacity, 6rnds of .357Mag (plus 2 speed loaders) was enough for well over 25yrs of civilian policing -until LEO agencies got spun off on "fighting the drug war".

My Police force would look like a Police force and not like the blacked out, hi speed, low drag strom trooper ninja force we have these days.
Will

[sledster]

Para Ordnance P14-45. Very reliable and consistent targeting, 14+1 rounds of ammo and unlike a Glock, it can be used as a Hammer if needed.

Sledster

[Hiwaytahell]

Para Ordnance P14-45. Very reliable and consistent targeting, 14+1 rounds of ammo and unlike a Glock, it can be used as a Hammer if needed.

Sledster

I'm with you on that sledster...

[zephyp]

454 Casulls with laser grips.

[SgtBill]

Although I'm a complete and unabashed 1911 snob I'd probably issue .40S&W Glocks, either 22 or 23. My 23 has been 100% malfunction free in over 8200 rounds. Hard for me to go with anything else.

I would also issue the Glock 23 and include a Crimson Trace set up for it. The .40 cal has more stopping power then the 9 M.M. with less recoil then the .45 cal. and can be handled better by a larger cross section of the people that are in Law Enforcement.
Bill

[gorknoids]

9mm wins over .40 due to availability and economy of ammo, as it does over .45. We're talking daily-carry sidearms for guys who are just barely able to qualify, so the smart thing to do is give them as many rounds as you can, and the 9mm wins again. Let the shooters carry their favorite sidearm, but don't handicap the also-rans by limiting them to doing with 8 rounds what they probably need 14 rounds to accomplish. The scenario is outfitting an organization, not what we'd all personally prefer to carry. Budgets is budgets, and badges ain't for marksmanship.

[SgtBill]

9mm wins over .40 due to availability and economy of ammo, as it does over .45. We're talking daily-carry sidearms for guys who are just barely able to qualify, so the smart thing to do is give them as many rounds as you can, and the 9mm wins again. Let the shooters carry their favorite sidearm, but don't handicap the also-rans by limiting them to doing with 8 rounds what they probably need 14 rounds to accomplish. The scenario is outfitting an organization, not what we'd all personally prefer to carry. Budgets is budgets, and badges ain't for marksmanship.

Several things stand out in your statement that I have to challenge .
1. The availability of ammunition in the three calibres for Law Enforcement is not an issue as it will in fact be supplied to any agency through the proper channels or on state contract's.

2.If you in fact have people that can just barely qualify it is on your firearms instructors to bring them up to standard or put in the paperwork to get rid of them. This would also take care of the so called smart thing of as many rounds as you can let them carry.
(P.S. my Glock 23 holds 16 rounds.)

3.If your Police Dept. , Sherrifs Office, State Police Department let you carry whatever you want then they have created their own problem's. I won't go into that here.)

For myself I have taken care of a 450 person Police Department for several years. Everyone at the time carried a Glock 19 and 2 spare mags. They also had to requalify 4 times per year along with night fireing. If they could not requalify then they were sent to remedial training with one on one with a firearms instructor. If this did not work then they were terminated. The Department did not need the liability of someone that could not handle a weapon.
Bill

[gfost1]

Howdy, Y'll

Gork has a good point about budgets. Even in the best organization, there is gonna be a bean counter (no insult intended) pulling the strings. I know/have known LEO's who were hamstrung with practice ammo budgets as low as of 25rds./month. The gun club I belonged to stopped letting one city, who didn't have their own facility, use the club for training & practice because the city quit paying the bill. For over a year. Don't remember if we ever got paid. Guys have got to practice to stay proficient, and more is better than less or none.

Regards,

George

[gorknoids]

I think you misread me a bit, SgtBill. I probably should have been more specific.
The OP asks about a "police-type force", not a taxpayer-supported organization with an unlimited budget. I'd still go with the 9mm Springfield for the safety and economy. If I was the Richmond Chief of Police, I'd still issue the XD 9, and for the same reasons. There is no free lunch, and the single-most important aspect of firearms use is safety. That, and Springfields aren't overpriced like Glocks are. Budgets being budgets.

"2.If you in fact have people that can just barely qualify it is on your firearms instructors to bring them up to standard or put in the paperwork to get rid of them."
The standard IS just barely qualifying. Why get rid of people who are up to standards? That's why I wrote about letting shooters (Your dead-eyes) carry what they shoot best. Within legal parameters, that is.

"(P.S. my Glock 23 holds 16 rounds.)"
So does my XD 9, and it has a backstrap safety. And it cost less than your G23. Liability issues affect every organization, so brand loyalty has to take a back seat to practical considerations. Like I've said, Glock makes great guns, but Springfield makes better ones. Then there's that budget thingy.

For me, I have managed thousands of tons of military explosives, with accountability down to the smallest squib. I've seen manufacturers lose contracts, seen legal and legislative issues gravely undermine America's security, and watched hundreds of people just squeak by in firearms qualifications. They sucked, but they still got their cert. I qualify weekly (To my own standards), because I love to shoot, and I know that my life will depend on it some day. I have no doubt, so I train myself. If I shot 4 times a year, I'd suck. Any of us would. I'm not a dead-eye, but I only had 2 flyers today out of a hundred, so I feel confident that I can put rounds on target should the need arise.
Everything costs money, so balancing safety with effectiveness and economy and reliability leads me to the firearm I carry every day.