Weaponry

Eugene Nielsen The magazine is a critical component in any semiautomatic or automatic firearm. A sizable percentage of weapon malfunctions can be attributed to magazine-related issues. This being the case, it is surprising how little attention is paid to this crucial component.  Cleaning and maintaining your magazines are just as important as cleaning and maintaining your rifle or selecting the right ammunition. If you get a magazine malfunction, test it again. If it creates a second malfunction, immediately take it…

MIKE BOYLE When beginning a law enforcement career, one of the biggest lifestyle adjustments remains adapting to the gun.  The badge and the uniform do indeed identify you as a law enforcement officer, but the gun, and the tremendous responsibility which comes with it, is what really sets you apart. That very visible pistol in the duty holster is indeed the symbol of authority. All law enforcement officers – both uniformed patrol, as well as plainclothes investigators – carry a…

The MOST Effective Close Quarter Small Arm Currently in Existence! Mike Boyle For almost 50 years, the shotgun was “king of the hill,” but of late there has been a shift in the paradigm. The resurgence of the rifle has caused many police departments to reconsider the shotgun as a viable weapon system. Some outfits have done away with shotguns entirely whereas others now limit them to special applications, such as door breeching or a less-lethal munitions delivery system. Without…

Mike Boyle Should an officer find himself in a worst-case scenario and the primary weapon is not available, a hidden backup could indeed save the day. A backup weapon might be best described as an ancillary weapon used for a secondary or auxiliary purpose. Attitudes toward backup weapons by law enforcement agencies and individual officers span the entire spectrum. Despite the obvious advantage, the concept of backup weapons for police is far from universal. I’m familiar with departments which provide…

Mike Boyle The 28th Annual Roundup Covering New Firearms of Most Interest to Law Enforcement The SHOT Show is indeed the world’s largest gun carnival. Manufacturers, both large and small, come together to showcase their product lines and introduce new offerings. In recent years, there has been a greater emphasis on products geared to the tactical market and there is no better place to check out new firearms, ammunition lines and accessories than the SHOT Show. This year’s event took…

Todd Fletcher In the late 1980s, GLOCK took law enforcement by storm when they introduced the GLOCK 17. After a short period of time, GLOCK dominated the law enforcement handgun market – largely due to the high capacity offered by their pistols compared to other handguns of that time. The primary reason GLOCK pistols continue to dominate the law enforcement market is the reliability and dependability of the GLOCK Safe Action System®. These pistols have proven to be durable and…

Mike Boyle One constant in any discussion among law enforcement firearms trainers is controversy.   Back when the Earth was flat, we engaged in heated debate as to whether pistols offered advantages over revolvers or the stopping potential of the 9mm versus the .45ACP. Some of these issues have played out, but others will persist until we can put our phasers on stun. One area where both practitioners and instructors would probably agree is that only hits count. The ability to…

Todd Fletcher When I got the chance to evaluate the P365 handgun, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on SIG’s newest offering. For more than a decade, I carried a department issued SIG SAUER® P226® as my duty handgun. In addition to being used on duty and during department firearms training, that well-worn P226 was used in a variety of competitive shooting events, firearms training classes and many afternoons practicing on my own. I put tens of thousands of…

Mike Boyle I’ll confess to being a bit of a light nerd. My personal inventory includes dozens of different specimens, ranging from full-size rechargeables through pen-size units you can drop in a pocket. When I find myself in a dark place, having an instantly available light source helps keep me safe. So, how did I come to have so many lights? I doubt if any other technology in the public safety field continues to evolve any faster than illumination tools….

Mike Boyle One of my favorite annual rituals is attending the SHOT Show. This event might be best described as the world’s largest firearms bazaar where manufacturers, large and small, display their wares and introduce new products. This year’s event was held January 23-26, 2018, in Las Vegas, Nevada. A couple of days of hard touring will put even the most jaded firearms enthusiast into sensory overload. It’s just impossible to take it all in! There are, of course, thousands…