Hypothetically speaking here.

If you were a cop and could carry WHATEVER duty pistol and caliber you wanted what would you go with and why? (Within reason here folks, hi-point ain't reasonable, neither is an AR pistol).


I am between:
Glock 17 mainly for good capacity
Glock 22 .40 for barriers
Glock 21 cause I like .45

I choose Glock because that's what I shoot best and like a consistent trigger pull with no manual safety.

Edit to add: my choices are irrelevant. I want to know what you would carry not just from those guns!

G17

Glock 22.

Out of those choices, G17.  I'd personally rather carry a Glock 34.  It's like a 17, but more betterer. In all seriousness, in practical shooting situations (not just shooting groups standing still and taking my time) I really can see a difference in the sight radius.

None of those choices as I am not a striker fired fan, I would personally choose a CZ 75 SP-01 Phantom or CZ 75 P09.

G17 or G34 with a good set of metallic sights or night sights... I'm on my 7th year with the G34 for USPSA competition (pistol and multigun) and nary a bobble with box store 115s and handload 147s (much more accurate) for local matches and factory 147s for big matches

Glock 17. Increased capacity and I have always been able to get well placed, quick follow-up shots with 9mm Glocks

G17.

Why, because ballistically its almost identical to the other two if your department chooses a good round, it recoils less, has more capacity.

Easier to shoot one handed if you get injured as well.  My split times have always been faster with 9mm vs .40.

I carry an M&P9 vs a 40 or .45 for the same reasons.......and I have TTI extensions on my reloads.  More ammo= better.

Of your choices the 21. I like 45s, I like them better when someone else buys the ammo.
Of all handguns, a quality 1911 with a rail. I like them better, and I shoot them better, I haven't shot but about a half dozen 1911s but haven't seen any reliability issues that weren't apparent early on and fairly easy to remedy, which doesn't bother me. Capacity could be an issue, but since most officers go their whole career without a gun fight I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

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When I was a cop I carried a G17, G22 and G20. I'd go G17 since it holds more rounds and 33rd mags sure are handy.

1911 in .45. Glock 21 would be my second choice.

+1
Im with you on the that.

Probably the G17. Remember, the .45 loses all of it's awesomeness when fired out of a pistol OTHER than a 1911. A G21? Pfft, you might as well be using a .380.

Glock 35 or MP Pro .40 depending on whats more common with your agency/what the issued weapon is. Also if your agency issues a certain brand of ammo for free might be smarter to go with that caliber.

There are literally no advantages to going to a MP or 17/22 sized pistol as opposed to the 34/35 or MP Pro size. For one if you work nights you'll probably want/need a weapon light. And in that case you have the length of the 5" barrel but none of the sight radius. (Which is huge)





Actually .40 is superior to 9 for LE because of the higher chance you'll have to shoot through barriers/glass.  You have to remember from a SD POV a handgun is for that, self defense. In LE you might have to actually use your HG offensively. Which can include shooting through windows of stores/houses, shooting through car windows at a suspect driving at you, or perhaps away with a hostage/ abducted person in the car, etc.

Essentially yeah, I agree 9mm is superior in a lot of ways. But .40 tends to do those types of things better. Not all LE shootings are text book. In the last 3 years we've had 5 officer involved shootings with an officer shooting a suspect in a vehicle and maybe 3-4 more cases where the officer should have/could have engaged a suspect in a vehicle but didn't due to being uncomfortable with the shot. Also we've had 1 more where the officer put rounds through a barrier to put the suspect down.

Sure, your more likely to have to engage someone up close and personal without them being behind glass/cover.... But on the same token having to shoot through glass/barriers is pretty frequent as well.

SIG p226 mk25 with 20 round magazines.

I agree that .40 is better through barriers but I'd still choose 9mm. I wouldn't want a 40 caliber Glock.

Any slight idea how many rounds you have through it?  I would love to know more details.  Also replacement parts, upgrades and all.  These guns take a beating well.

Bonded ammo, which many departments around here are using, have minimized the performance gap on barriers as well....but 40 still has the advantage.

I'll still take the shootability of the 9mm regardless of the barrier issue.

Probably a Glock 21 if my agency pays for ammo.

Hi-Point 45


















Any 9mm striker fired pistol with at least minimum 15rd mag.  Glock 17, M&P 9, HK VP9, Walther PPS I would have no trouble carrying any of these.

I'm perfectly happy with my Smith M&P 9mm. I put Trijicon HD night sights and a Surefire X300 on it.





I wouldn't mind trying a STI Tactical 5.0 in .45acp though.

 

G17, Glock +2 mag. ext., Trigicon night sights.  Done.

Glock 21SF.

If I really get to choose; GLOCK 19.  If I need to use full size; GLOCK 17Gen4.

However if I were issued a 22Gen4 or 21Gen4, I would not lose a bit of sleep.  As long as I do not have to buy my own duty ammo.

G17 if it had to be a Glock.  M&P if not.

Glock 20

I would want a generation 4 Glock 34/35 chambered in 357 sig.

Hatr40... I shot about 400/month for the first 5 years =24000, and with the shortage of powder, have reduced the number of matches in the last two years... about 250/month = 6000, so about 30,000 total... like AJE, it has aftermarket sights (Heinie Slant Pro) and an ISMI spring and non captured guide rod... I use a heavier 17# spring... other than changing my magazine and recoil springs about every 3 years, the only wear I've noticed is some scuffing on the firing pin safety plunger...I thought there was wear on the trigger bar arm that contacts the firing pin safety plunger, until I looked at the replacement and noticed that it had a bevel on it ... there is some cosmetic wear on the slide as I use a kydex holster

Glock 35

SIG P220 Combat.

GLOCK 19/17 or GLOCK 21. Any of those three.

Issued gun is G22 gen4

I work plain clothes so I can carry what I qualify with off a list of approved guns (Glock, Smith, Sig, HK, Beretta, etc.....)

I carry a G23 in the warmer months and a G21 when it's cooler out.

Surefire X300 in a Raven rig with 1-2 spare mags and a J-frame BUG.

10.5 AR or 14.5 Remington 870 is my primary.

Glock 34.

I carried and still carry a Glock .40 in all models.
I originally had a G22 for duty and a G23 for off duty.
I also carried a G27 as a back up.
I prefer .40

Dave N

This.

S&W 29
 

m&p fullsize 9mm with apex fss trigger.

Glock 21. And I am a cop.

HK VP9 followed by any full sized Glock

I'm the training officer for my small department and the Chief mandates a Glock in 9mm, either a 17 or 19. I qualify with both and carry a Gen 3 17 with the finger grooves removed and some texturing on the grip, and a Grip Force Adapter installed. I'm experimenting with sights now but I prefer a good set of fiber optics.

The last agency I worked for made some interesting, then bad, choices in issued handguns. We went from 6" Python .357 Magnums, then went to 10mm Colt Double Eagles (after they were discontinued but Colt put enough of them together from NOS parts), to S&W 1006, to First Gen S&W 40F Sigmas and recently .40 M&Ps.

I don't feel under gunned at all carrying our Winchester Ranger 127gr +P+ ammo. There is very little difference between 9mm, .40 and .45acp with today's bullet technology. I do agree that if a JHP gets plugged with heavy clothing or drywall and doesn't expand, a larger diameter bullet is better. But everything considered, I am happy with the ammo choice. Before my Chief settled on the ammo, he set up false walls, shot through drywall, doors, automotive glass and doors, denim and leather jackets, etc. he was satisfied with the 127gr +P+'s performance after his testing and I feel comfortable, too.

I'm allowed to carry just about anything I want off duty after qualifying with it, so I could carry any of my Glocks in .40, .45acp or .357 Sig. My normal off-duty carry guns are Sokol Custom Smith .357 Mag K-Frames, but since being appointed to this instructor position, I've taken a break from them and stick to my Glocks. When those are not very convenient, I also qualified with a no-lock Smith 642 .38 J-Frame.

So after my long-winded answer, I'd choose a Glock 17, as long as I carried supersonic ammo. I'm not confident in the subsonic 147gr's performance. I'm not a fan of the 180gr .40, either. My testing showed unreliable expansion of the heavier, subsonic 180gr .40. Just like any caliber, you have to match the bullet weight to the caliber.

Here's my current duty weapon. Not pretty, but it works well for me. Like I said, I'm experimenting with sights right now. The 10 year old inexpensive Tru Glo fiber optic set installed at the moment are being swapped out soon.

With the light:


And without. When I ground off the finger grooves (I have huge hands and the grooves don't line up at all) I removed the hook on the triggerguard, too:

I'd be fine with any of them. I currently have a 35 which I like.

I switched from a G22 to a G17.

Harry is that you?  Since the S&W 4006 intro in '89 in my department,  It has served me well.

SA professional 1911

Or

Salient Arms Glock, because why not.

Or

HK45T

Whatever they gave me, I wouldn't care.  They'd just take it away when I had my first desk pop, so it's not like I'd even have it very long.

I carry a m&p 40 on duty with a kel-tec 380 as a backup.

Rick river ar15 in the truck with a Remington 870

High-end 1911 (Wilson, Baer, etc)

Most of the guys here who are allowed to carry their own either carry a 1911 or a Sig 220.