Peerless, Smith and Wesson ASP?

Hinged or chained?

What do you carry and prefer and why? Any cautionary advice?

I'm curious about what different agencies use and how training differs between departments.

I have Peerless and Smith and Wesson, all chained.

I like the Peerless better because of the double lock "button" being on the side by itself, it's easier for me to find and use when I can't see it well.

Will get some hate for this, but Smith and Wesson is what I use.  I have a hinged pair that have been my primary set for over 20 years with no failures.  I carry a second set of S&W chained cuff as a spare.  Hinged are good for more control when applying them and once their on.  I like the double lock being accessible from either side of the cuff, as they don't always get put on "text book" in the real world.  The nickel seem to hold up well down here, as long as you clean and oil them once in a while.  They will rust badly if you put a spare set on your spot light control  and let that cool air hit them in this heat and humidity down here.

I carried hinged for about my first 6 years. Loved em. Unfortunately now I can't find a way to carry them on my chest rig for my current assignment (all the pouches are sewn to the actual kit, not molle). If or when I go back to uniform it will be back to smith hinged cuffs x2

This is what I use also. I did look at going with the hinged cuff's but decided not to at this time. I might change over and get a set to run along with one set of my Peerless chained ones.

I've been using 3 pairs of S&W chained cuffs, I've had no need to use anything else

Been using the same three pairs of SW M-100 for over two decades with out issue. Chains, hinged is for correction/transport and have very little business being on the road IMHO.

J-

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Hinged Peerless for normal cuffs and S&W chains for smaller wrists.

What's the reasoning for that, I'm not opposed to chained, I've used them for the last several years, but I really do prefer hinged

I like the control that a hinged set gives when you get one cuff on.  As we know, there is a decent chance that if a suspect is going to try to break away or turn and fight it is that time when the first cuff goes on (well some do it when they hear the snap on the cuff pouch popped and the "schuck" sound of the cuffs being pulled out of the pouch).  If I can get that first wrist cuffed, I get better leverage with the rigidness of the hinged.  

My well used S&W hinged set
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Stay away from ASP.  I haven't seen a set without cracks in the plastic.  I have S&W and got them cerakoted.

Primarily use S&W hinged, but keep a second set of chained in a double cuff case up front on my belt. I prefer the hinged cuffs for more control, and it seems to make it easier getting them out of the cuff case and on to the person I'm taking into custody. With chained cuffs it always takes me a second to look since one of the cuffs invariably gets turned around when I take them out.

Geez, need a tetanus shot after using those.

I've become a big fan of the finger activated double lock on the S&W M-100 lever lock handcuffs...

These. No more fumbling with a key to double lock.

That's blood from a suspect I put them on.  He had shot an officer from another agency and was shot in the hand by the wounded officer.  He fled the scene and I was with another officer from my agency and another officer from a local agency when we found him hiding in a shed.

Chained S&W is what I carry.





The department uses primarily Peerless, and the S&Ws just simply last better.





I've seen ASPs bent.





Never used hinged, and no desire too.

 

We had a few people buy ASP's when they first came out. They had some incidents where the ratchet arm went outside (to the side) of the main body when applying them with some one who was not cooperating.  I never considered them after that.

Thanks for all the replies guys. I appreciate the info!

do any of the manufacturers make a case hardened or Ti cuff?

We issue Peerless.  We have had a few local agencies somehow get their crap unknowns mixed in.

One thing OP, some agencies mandate in general orders which cuffs you are authorized top use(agency-issued or personal).  Just be mindful in case of an injury lawsuit, it may come up with why were you using something you weren't issued/supposed to.

Most Fed agencies issue Peerless. Most agents then go out and buy S&W. Out of all the different brands, S&W model100's are the most common I see from other agents. I know a few who have tried the ASP because they are light and the first time they try to get them on in a struggle, and the bar slips to the outside, they toss them and go back to S&W cuffs...

I have a well used set of chain Hiatts that I have had and used since around 2000. I also carry a set of the S&W universal hinge cuffs on my raid vest. The larger size adjustments means they will fit almost anyone.

The hinge cuffs are nice if you have someone who is fighting. If you can get one cuff on, you have a pretty good chance of gaining compliance in a hurry.

No one likes a broken wrist, but I have yet to see anyone continue to fight after getting one...


American Handcuff company made a super lightweight alloy cuff about 10 years ago that was even lighter than the ASP cuffs. It never seemed to catch on and several agencies specifically prohibited them. I never saw any reports of them being snapped or broken. They seemed like a great idea, but may have had some issues.

Yeah definitely not a good idea to step outside the GOs. All the local agencies are peerless hinged. I'm mostly curious to see what others think. ASP has been universally hated on though so that's nice to know.

I had a mouth arrestee that I took into the jail once wearing my hinge cuffs.  He had finally calmed down just before I was pulling up to the sally port.  I walked him in after securing my weapons in my car's trunk.  As I took him to the booking desk and was getting my booking number and time in for the booking sheet, the CO started to process him.  The CO was explaining that he was about to take the cuffs off and where the arrestee was going to put his hands and the arrestee said "I'm cool now, just take these "I hate you" cuffs off".

S&W model 100 chained cuffs and peerless hinged cuffs I keep for women, which as flexible as most women are makes it a little more difficult to slip them in front.

*ALL* Cuffs can be defeated.  Always situated prisoners where you can adjust your rear view mirror to watch them after a THOROUGH SEARCH.    **ALWAYS** cuff prisoners behind their backs!!

Good reminder that is very appropriate to bring up.  A lot of guys don't, but also consider seat belting them in when ever possible, if possible.  The "zip" sound of the seat belt being undone and retracting or the sound of the buckle releasing is an extra opportunity for an audible warning sign.

ETA:  I also have a convex mirror that snaps on to my visor that I can adjust to keep an eye on my rear seat.  Had mine for about 15 years, got it at Walmart IIRC it's marketed as a way for parents to keep an eye on child seats in the back seat of the car.

I carried 2 sets of S&W chained.  Had to used both pair a few times on some big boys/fat boys.

OP, if you need a set, let me know and I will send you a set.  Don't use them anymore.

I carry 1 pair of ASP hinged in a cuff strap on my front at about 11:00 and one pair of Peerless chained on my back at about 5:00 in a standard style open top pouch.

I keep the chained on my back and only use them when I'm struggling with someone on the ground because it's a bitch to get to the front ones when you're laying on top of someone. Also easier to use chained for this because it doesn't matter how their wrists are positioned as the chained are a little more forgiving when someone isn't cooperating.

I also have a set of the Peerless light weight chained cuffs which are great for side jobs, plain clothes, or court. They feel almost fake they are so light but they are duty rated. A few guys use them as regular duty cuffs and have no issues with them.

Long story short. I have a variety and use them all for different purposes. 99% of the time the ASP hinged get used though.

That's X2 you got me

Excellent point I left out

Two pairs for the last five years. No problems

I appreciate the offer! Policy says use what's issued though so it seems peerless hinged are what I'm using. Thanks anyway though that's a stand up move!

A combination of peerless and smith and Wesson hinged,

I have a few sets of chained, but they are primarily what gets used as loaners or when someone else is doing the transport

Being the shift sup I carried 8-12 sets in my patrol bag, and on a couple super fun calls all available sets were used

The ones I always carry though are a set of smith and Wesson m300s that I bought in 1997, beside a little oiling and an occasional spray out with gunscrub or powderblast they have been virtually maintenance free.

i knew I liked hinge cuffs more becaus when I was a teenager I opfor stuff for a couple of local departments, I could always manipulate, slip, or chain-pop (depending on the brand) chain cuffs. Chain cuffs on the other hand hate everyone equally, and between various no complaint tilt control and steering techniques offer more leverage and less likelihood to break.

Another bonus with hinged is that in the occasional incident where you or whomever is cuffing (females usually in my ezperience) loose positive control of the suspect during -usually non compliant- cuffing , the hinge cuffs by nature make less of an offensive weapon for your subject.
Chain cuffs on the other hand, with one attached to a subjects wrist turn into what basically amounts to a mid evil melee weapon. If the cuff is closed the weight and the chain work to accelerate the cuffs momentum at the end of an arm swing, which can fracture bone or dent skull. If gate is open, the beveled end of the latch can puncture skin or gouge eyes.

The event that sold me of hinge cuffs was a serious oh-shit moment.

Mobile domestic, and yes that's apparently a thing.
Husband and wife in different cars, she attacked him on the highway, ramming his car 6 or 7 times,
They stopped and got out, she ran over and jumped on him, leg locked on his torso and started doing her best to bash his face in.
He managed to get her off by ramming himself into the ground.
That's the point where I pull up

   dude is dazed but responsive, she's digging in her trunk. I close in on her and she jumps back in the car.
Coming up to her door i see her digging in her purse, (and refusing all verbal commands)
   At that point her hand comes out of the purse with a Davis .380 in it. Being about 18 inches away my immediate response was to palm strike her in her temple (which stunned her enough the she dropped it back in the purse) and on the follow through I grabbed a huge handful of her weave and used it to leverage her out of her car.

   Once out of the car shit got fucking real, attempting to get control of her was like trying to fight a honey badger, one handed, in a refrigerator. It turned out later that she was a karate/judo instructor, and she decided the she was going to do her best to break my feet, balls, arm, and if possible my nose and eye socket.
   In the ensuing clusterduck of insanity she turned into a tornado of foot, knee, and head strikes.

   While she's playing close quarters wrecking machine I'm dancing around like a retard covered with fire ants, and trying to maintain what little leverage/control I have. After her second attempt to crush my balls I ended up repeatedly ramming her head into the top of her rear door, while using my left hand to get my cuffs out (cuffs to the right of the buckle for the win)

   I managed to get one cuff on her while she was attempting to get a hold of my most prized possessions (for the third time), and once it was on I body checked her forward, stepped backward, twisted my hand, and swung the hand holding the cuff upwards and swept it around.
   She followed the cuff, which putting her off balance caused her to swing her free arm, allowing me to use the hand which had been holding her hair to grab it and guide it to the empty cuff.

       That was it.      Instant  compliance.    

In less the 3 seconds she went from ball of death to crying woman proned out on the ground screaming "please loosen the mothafukin cuffs n****, they  mothafukin hurt"

That was a fun report,

I'm shocked so many of you have kept the same cuffs all these years. I don't know how I ended up with some old heads cuffs and he's been retired over 10 years. I don't care about getting my cuffs back as long as I get a pair of cuffs back.

I have two sets of S&W chain cuffs, never had any issues

If I were buying again today I would get the S&W with the double lock lever

Hinged, have not used a set of chain cuffs in years.  Mainly  S&W, but since the jail plays musical cuffs that's not a hard  and fast rule.

I work in corrections, but chained peerless for daily stuff, and hinged hiatts for non compliant.

People refer to the hinged as the "Fuck you" cuffs

I prefer Peerless but carry 2 sets of S&W chain cuffs.

I've used a set of ASP chained for 10 years, had them on several hundred people, with no issues. I also use Smith and Hiatt hinged.

I carry a pair of the ASP polymer/aluminum cuffs on my belt. Only issue I've had with them is the lock sticking from the dust and dirt of riding ATVs.
The weight savings is great over steel cuffs.

I carry two pair of peerless chained on my belt.  One up front at the 1 o'clock position and the other at the 7 o'clock.  I like peerless as thats all I've ever used in the last 15 years.  I also have another pair of peerless on the spotlight and a pair of Smith hinged.  My current agency issued a pair of the peerless hinged and I promptly exchanged them for chained.  If i'm struggling to cuff someone I like the flexibility of the chained over the hinged.  

We don't have any policies that require certain brands so there is a conglomerate of different types out there.  Most use either peerless or smith and wesson.  Ive only seen two guys use the ASP's.

Nothing is better than a custom tailored French cuff.