Weaponry

Ralph Mroz There are endless debates – in magazines, on the Web, and in just about any discussion among gun people – about “stopping power.” We are all legitimately concerned about it and many people have some pretty vigorous opinions about it. They cite gelatin studies, cadaver studies, animal studies, statistical analyses, and experience. In the end, of course, only actual experience counts, but the anecdotes which describe experience are as flawed a means to arrive at conclusions as any…

Mike Boyle No matter what your rank or assignment, just about all law enforcement officers have a need to discreetly carry a handgun. Clearly, investigative officers and agents would be ill-served to use a duty-style holster when wearing soft clothes while trying to conceal a handgun. Along similar lines, a great many officers choose to carry a firearm when off duty. In both of those situations, selecting a carry rig which keeps you under the radar is of great importance….

Mike Boyle The concept of mounting a light to a firearm is nothing new and this practice has been around since World War I. However, lights which were designed for pistols may not work as well when attached to patrol rifles. In the 1960s, High Standard marketed the Model 10 shotgun to law enforcement agencies, a self-loading bullpup design which came complete with an integral light. Fast-forward 30 years and there was considerable interest from the police community on tactical…

Ron LaPedis Red dot sights place the target and the reticle roughly on the same optical plane, allowing a single point of focus. This enables fast acquisition and allows the officer to keep his/her attention on the field of view in front of him/her. The results of a four year handgun Red Dot Sight (RDS) study by Aaron Cowan of Sage Dynamics show substantially increased hit accuracy using an RDS over iron sights. Multiple agencies which have issued an RDS…

Todd Fletcher Prod·i·gy       /’prädejē/                     1        a: highly talented child or youth b: an extraordinary, marvelous or unusual accomplishment, deed or event                     2        a: something extraordinary or inexplicable                               b: a portentous event; omen What happens when you combine the iconic M1911, update it with the best technology of today and put it into a duty ready package equipped to surpass all expectations of what a duty pistol should be? You get the Springfield Armory 1911 DS Prodigy….

Paul Reyman Photo courtesy of Richard King Photography Patrol rifles have been an armament for much of American law enforcement for a relatively short period of time. However, lawmen in the Western areas of our country frequently carried rifles as the distances frequently encountered demanded it. Back in the day, most urban or suburban law enforcement agencies issued a shotgun, typically loaded with buckshot and/or slugs. Within its tactical niche, the 12-gauge shotgun is hard to beat. Buckshot, although short-range,…

Todd Fletcher When I heard the LAPD had selected FN’s newest offering, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this new handgun and jumped at the opportunity to put it through its paces. Back when I started my career as a police officer, my first department issued patrol rifle was a well-worn FN FAL. I put thousands of rounds through the rifle in my attempts to impress the department rangemaster enough to send me to firearms instructor school. Ever…

Mike Boyle P&SN Presents its 31st Annual Roundup Covering New Firearms and Equipment of Most Interest to Law Enforcement      For more than 40 years, the SHOT Show has served as the launching point for new guns and related equipment of interest to the law enforcement professional. This year’s show was held in the Venetian Expo Center in Las Vegas and, to say the least, it was a bit different from those of the past. Last year, the show was cancelled…

Mike Boyle (photo by Jeremy Alford) For many years, I’ve looked forward to the annual SHOT Show with the same enthusiasm as a kid anticipates a visit from Santa Claus. As a self-confessed gear junkie, I manage to keep my buying habits in check, but I always look forward to walking the aisles to see what’s new. But, this year, that wasn’t meant to be. The SHOT Show might be described as the world’s largest gun bazaar where manufacturers promote…

Mike Boyle Since the early part of the 20th century, the quest for the ultimate law enforcement handgun cartridge has generated all sorts of debates. For the better part of that time, the .38 Special reigned supreme and it wasn’t until the wholesale switch away from revolvers to semiautomatic pistols that the picture began to change. By the late 1980s, departments all over the country were transitioning to autopistols and, more often than not, they were chambered for the 9mm…