Most departments don't issue back-up guns at all. ISP is one of the few that do.
Can you still carry whatever gun you want as a backup pistol or does it have to be approved by the department?
Most departments don't issue back-up guns at all. ISP is one of the few that do.
Can you still carry whatever gun you want as a backup pistol or does it have to be approved by the department?
With my department, we have to qualify with every gun we carry, on or off duty, and the gun must be inspected by our armorer.
Department issues S&W Bodyguards for back-ups.
On a side note, I found it odd that ISP went to .45 ACP from 9mm. Every department around here is going to 9mm, either M&P 2.0 or P320. .40 and .45 are losing popularity fast.
It's not big enough. Backup guns should ride a caisson or be mounted on aircraft.
They buck the system I guess. It seems like ISP has always been a couple behind the trends. They went to the 9mm Beretta when everyone was getting 40's (I read they did in a magazine I had in Desert Storm in Feb of 1991 so I presume it was after the 49 took off a year ealier someone will correct me I'm sure)
Then the 40 Betetta in like 1999 when 40 was still somewhat ok. Then 9mm Glocks when it was a quick fix to the Glock debacle.
Then 45 Glocks in 2010 when everyone was back on 9mm and then Sig 45 because IDK
Pretty much if it falls between a .380 and a .45 DAO or DA/SA (no SAO) and we qualify with it...we can carry it. I have my G17M duty gun and my back-up gun is a S&W 642. My 99.99% off-duty carry is a Gen 5 Glock. The 642 sits in my gun locker when I'm not working. I really never carry it off-duty. Keep it simple. I'm VERY comfortable with Glock manual of arms.Can you still carry whatever gun you want as a backup pistol or does it have to be approved by the department?
Mine have always been on my ankle. For 7 years, I carried a G27 on my ankle. Foot chases, never had an issue. Moved to the 642 on the ankle for the last 10 years or so...great little gun.How do most LEO's carry their back up? I can't imagine chasing a bad guy with a pistol strapped to my ankle.
How do most LEO's carry their back up? I can't imagine chasing a bad guy with a pistol strapped to my ankle.
Mine have always been on my ankle. For 7 years, I carried a G27 on my ankle. Foot chases, never had an issue. Moved to the 642 on the ankle for the last 10 years or so...great little gun.
I generally carry mine in my left cargo pocket.
Then where do you guys put your drop guns?
P365 is a great gun and on my list to add.
The only surprise is that they didn’t go to a backup that uses an interchangeable magazine. But I’m unsure in the statistics of how often a back-up gun is utilized in a real-world application.
Sig certainly does seem to be gaining a bit of momentum.
The last time the department issued backup pistols was in 1989, when we transitioned from revolvers to the Beretta 92G. We were issued the not much smaller Beretta 84 in .380, along with a shoulder holster. It was too big to carry as a true backup, and I continued with my S&W Model 60 in an ankle holster.
So, magazine compatibility did not seem to be a consideration back then, either.
How so? If you're carrying a 92G, the best backup is another 92G (or fill in the blank of any make/model). Is it because it had to be out of sight when you were in uniform?
I wish I knew... I was just a young road trooper then, and I did as I was told. The only thing the 84 was good for was off-duty use. There was certainly nowhere to conceal it in uniform!
No need for magazine compatibility when your backup pistol holds as much or more ammo than your actual duty pistol.
P365 is a great gun and on my list to add.
The only surprise is that they didn’t go to a backup that uses an interchangeable magazine. But I’m unsure in the statistics of how often a back-up gun is utilized in a real-world application.
Sig certainly does seem to be gaining a bit of momentum.
On a related note, when "COPS" did some episodes in Pittsburgh years ago, several of the featured officers were wearing two pistols on their duty belts. That was interesting to see and I wondered if it was just a culture thing, or if might really need a second pistola on a regular basis. Maybe they didn't have the option of a long gun. Long gun + pistol > 2*pistol.
How do most LEO's carry their back up? I can't imagine chasing a bad guy with a pistol strapped to my ankle.
Mine have always been on my ankle. For 7 years, I carried a G27 on my ankle. Foot chases, never had an issue. Moved to the 642 on the ankle for the last 10 years or so...great little gun.