Anyone know what caliber / make of guns that the officers in FFX carry?

I am researching my next handgun, and thinking about matching the cop caliber to head off any excessive force arguments if I am ever forced to use it.

I thought most law enforcement carried 9mm but I could be wrong.

.40 S&W seems to be the new hotness for police departments, I am just not sure if FFX has upgraded.

None of the PDs seem to want to publicize what they carry, I did find this though http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/ayoob93.html I guess i could always just walk up to an officer and ask him/her. I wonder what sort of reaction that would provoke.

Well I would imagine that it would depend on how you approach the officer. If you walk up to them and explained that you were interested in purchasing a pistol for home protection and asked what the standard issue sidearm is for the FCPD and what his/her feelings were of said sidearm, they just might be willing to tell you. But if you walk up to him/her with the mentality of an uneducated monkey, then they just might think you're being a shithead. Then again it also depends on the officer. You could be the nicest most educated person in the world and they could still treat you like scum since THEY'RE THE LAW and you're the underling.

I dunno if they use the same guns anymore, but many years ago I knew an officer who carried a SIG. Can't remember the exact model though.

Blue Ridge Arsenal on Flint Hill Road (by the Chantilly Target) say they do police supplying, so any of them could tell you and you wouldn't have to freak out a LEO.

Copied/Pasted this from another page:

DEA: The Sig 228 is the most commonly issued sidearm, although a number of others are authorised. The last thing an undercover agent wants is to be stereotyped by his sidearm! Weapons commonly used on raid teams include customised Remington 870 shotguns and short-barrelled M16/AR15s. Anyway, you might want to ask Frank Pine, since he probably deals with the DEA on a regular basis.

Customs: No info on their sidearm, but they have Steyr AUGs in their inventory (possibly semi-auto only).

INS/Border Patrol: Beretta 96D Brigadier (essentially a beefed-up double-action only Beretta 92) in .40 S&W with a capacity of 11+1. Also a customised Remington 870 shotgun (see the Scattergun Technologies website).

Older Border Patrol officers may still carry the Smith & Wesson Model 19 .357 Magnum revolver. Incidentally, the Border Patrol is the single most dangerous job in Federal law enforcement, with the possible exception of the DEA.

United States Postal Inspectors: Most seem to carry Smith & Wesson 686 revolvers in .357 Magnum although they may have switched to the Beretta 92.

Secret Service: Sig 228s are common as are snubnosed Smith & Wesson Model 19s (loaded with the hot "Treasury Load" .38 Special, not Magnums). Uzi submachineguns are common, since they're more concealable than the H&K MP5, although this may change with the advent of the compact H&K MP5 PDW. Again, like the FBI anything they want, they can probably get.

National Park Service Police: They carry the Rolls-Royce of semi-auto handguns, the Heckler & Koch P7M13 9MM with a 13+1 capacity. I believe that officers with small hands are allowed to carry the more compact P7M8 (8+1 cap), but have to carry 4 spare mags instead of only 2.

BATF: Sig 228s are also popular here, as well as H&K MP5s for raids.

US Marshals: I'm not sure what they carry on a day to day basis, but Smith & Wesson revolvers in .357 Magnum and S&W autos in .45 ACP are commonly used by the Special Operations Group(SOG). Other brands are authorised for backup carry, and the most common shoulder arm for the SOG is the Colt 9MM submachinegun version of the M16. The Marshals are also famous for their "Witness Protection" version of the Remington 870 shotgun, which has a pistol grip stock and a 12" barrel (I think the capacity is reduced to 3+1)--don't fire this one with rifled slugs unless you're ready to try dentures!

EPA Criminal Investigation Division (CID): Yes, the EPA does have its own special agents and doesn't have to rely exclusively on other agencies! The issue sidearm is the compact Glock 19 in 9MM (15+1 cap). The ubiquitous Remington 870 shotgun is the longarm of choice.

I would go with either a glock/sig/beretta in that order with at least a .40 cal if you want sufficent stopping power 357 magnum if you really want to take the cake. I have a 9mm and a couple .38 specials (all of which I inherited) and I'm looking to get a at least a .40 when I get some money.

I am leaning toward getting something in .40 as that seems to the most powerful of the common Law Enforcement rounds for semi-auto pistols. Although I am torn between Glock 22/23 or a CZ-75B .40.

Common thread is that I can get a .22lr conversion for any of these guns for cheap target practice.

MOST FCPD officers carry a Sig P229 in .40 (they were in the middle of transitioning to these two years ago).

Also, you should get a carry weapon in the caliber that YOU shoot the best/are the most comfortable with and not worry about some silly excessive force argument/ match the police caliber argument. That reeks of gunshop BS and armchair lawyers. Besides a home defense shotgun loaded with #4 buckshot is a hell of a lot more excessive (read: effective) than a pistol.

FWIW, my pick of the weapons you mention is the G23.

The advice came from a lawyer of the non-armchair variety that addressed a class a friend of mine took on home defense.

Thanks for the update and the advice.

To respond to the other posts RE: asking police about the guns they carry.

That totally depends on the individual. People need to realize most police are not gun people and view the weapon as just another tool on the belt (after all it is). My couple of experiences (in NOVA anyway) have been something like, "I don't know, I just use what the dept. gives me."

I have to agree the guy who says get the gun that works for you. I have a sig p229 in .357 SIG and its a great gun for the most part. My only complaint is that whenever I use it, I shoot low. Try out as many different models as you can and buy what feels right and works best.

I have a Ruger P94 in .40, it is not a real heavy gun. Has stopping power, ammo is cheap, and is a great concealed piece.

Also if I do a open carry, is not a large piece, but makes its presence known

And the last thing you need to be worrying about while defending your life is if your round is causing too much damage. As long as you end up safe and they are no longer a threat, you've done right. I live in DC now and *gasp* have a gun ready to fire and defend my life. I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6.(Old gun nut mantra, but it makes sense).

Another thing I would imagine "excessive force" would come up with is if you unloaded an entire clip into someone. That would most likely be considered excessive force. But who knows. A jury can swing either way depending on how good a lawyer is. From everything I've read and heard, your best bet for home protection is a shotgun. Especially if you have a spouse that has never (or not experienced) shot a pistol. You don't need to have good aim with a shotgun and the shot from the load is less likely the penetrate through the sheet rock when used with Home Protection shells (in case you have a child or something in the next room). With a pistol, you have to be pretty accurate...accurate enough that when in a situation where someone has broken into your house and you're in whatever mindset you may be in (be it nervous, scared, full of adrenaline, whatever) you can't miss. If you miss, that bullet could have gone just about anywhere. Into another room with a sleeping child, into your neighbors house, whatever. If it's only you, and you're good with a pistol, go for a pistol. But keep in mind that it's not neccessarily all about stopping power. It's more about aim then it is caliber. You can kill someone in one shot with a .22 if you're a good shot, or you could unload 5 rounds into someone with .357 all scattered about and they still are able to shoot back.

All recent academy grads usually recieve a sig 226 9mm as the standard issued firearm...I know some of the recent graduates and that is what all of them were issued.

They all carry one of two models the 228 or the 226 all of them are 9mm, thats all they are allowed to carry, one just holds more bullets than the other.

JM Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They all carry one of two models the 228 or the
> 226 all of them are 9mm, thats all they are
> allowed to carry, one just holds more bullets than
> the other.


The 228 has a stamped slide, and is more compact, its the same size as my 229, except for the forged slide. The 226 is a solid firearm and does indeed hold more than the 228, though the 9mm round is useless against today's super-criminals.

Standard sidearm as of right now is the SIG-Sauer P226 or SIG-Sauer P229 (officer's choice) in .40 S&W loaded with Cor-Bon 180 grain DPX ammunition. Allowed back-up/off duty carry includes S&W J-frame .38 caliber revolvers, SIG P239, or any of the Glock 9mm series. The SIG 9mms were ditched after the Sully district shootout, so the department upgraded to .40, but seems to be a moot point since the old ammunition was just as (if not more) effective than 180 grain DPX (Cor-Bon 115 grain +P+ JHP).

Longarms include Remington 870 12 gauge or Remington 7600 pump-action .223 caliber rifle, which is a POC by the way. Upon reaching a certain rank, officers are eligable to keep AR-15s in the vehicle with 10 round magazines (gag).

SWAT team likes H&Ks (USP45 pistols and MP5s or G36s for all else). Snipers use Remington bolt-action 308s (don't know if it's an M40 or model 700).

the .357 sig is the best round for deep penetration but that can be a negative in certain situations. i talked to a state troop a few years back. he was packing a .357sig.

Its a Sig





edit by Cary: Made thumbnails of huge images. Click for full-size originals.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/2011 04:27PM by Cary.

The 229 in .357 sig is very popular with LEO these days.

how can anybody see what is in those pictures when they are so small?

A lawyer friend of mine asked the FCPD several times before finally getting an answer on the ammunition:
http://le.atk.com/general/federalproducts/pistol/tacticalhst.aspx

I believe he said they all carried .40 S&W, but I know that they use Federal HST (at least they did when he asked). He asked for the same reason as the OP, to minimize any potential legal troubles.

I highly recommend this course for anyone who thinks he may have to defend himself in Virginia one day That means everyone I guess :P
http://defensiveforce.com/?page_id=7

Before attending, I had already taken the NRA course to obtain a Virginia Concealed Handgun Permit, several subsequent self defense courses, and I read extensively through Virginia and Federal firearms laws. I still found that I had many misconceptions about the legal bounds of self defense. This is a tricky and misunderstood portion of law. Since we all may need to defend ourselves one day, I think it's imperative that we learn the particulars that only a legal expert on the subject can teach us.

The class is instructed by Dave Rittgers who is a member of the Virginia bar. He is currently a legal policy analyst who concentrates on civil liberties, counterterrorism, and criminal justice at the Cato Institute. Prior to joining Cato, he served in the United States Army as an Infantry and Special Forces officer (Captain), including three tours in Afghanistan. He continues to serve as a reserve Judge Advocate.

Fairfax County Police are issued a Sig Sauer 226R and use 165 grain Federal HST JHP .40 Cal.

After several years, they have the option of going to the 229.

SWAT and K9 can qualify with a variety of weapons. Some carry a variant of the 1911 in .45 Cal.

Be careful, all you gunslingers out there!

There was this guy in Florida with a gun and an itch to use it. All it took was a few rum & cokes at his son's wedding and a carload of niggers at a gas station.

Well, he got to use his gun, but now he will never, ever walk the streets again as a free man. I wonder if it was worth it?

Good point but atleast he got to kill a nigger with a big mouth before he went away.These nigger boys with the loud radios better learn that this country was founded on white, will alway be run by white (in the REAL power structures)and we ain't gonna put up with a bunch of nigger nonsense.

Obama was just white power throwing you nigs a bone. He fucked up the country so bad that you EBT carrying assholes will never get another chance. My company is cutting hours to 28 because of Obama care. These were once salaried positions ,now part time. I got to put a list of guys to shitcan from the shop on a list for managment, I selected all nigger obama supporters.
Promoted one nigger that don't vote to make it EEOC correct, LOL Fuck all niggers. Just a bunch of animals that are destroying America.
On Christimas Eve we are going to let them know. Merry Christmas niggerLOL