Why is it rare to see LEO's using hinged handcuffs?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using hinged handcuffs?

Thanks!

Hinged cuffs are great for restricting Bad Guy's movement.... unfortunately, that very nature means they're harder to put on someone when they're resisting and squirming around.


Smith & Wesson hinged are the littlest and my favorite Hinged Cuffs as the Peerless are much larger and have more wobble.

When I was in LE I would wear a Smith & Wesson Hinged and a Peerless Chain.

My department issues only peerless hinged.


They are slightly too big for juvs and small females, so I have an additional pair of peerless chained which are smaller

Dept's preferred method of cuffing is to "stack" the hands.

I love hinged handcuffs.  

I carry hinged cuffs and while they seem stronger, I had a guy a month ago twist them so badly they could not be unlocked and had to be cut off by the fire department.


I did get a shiny new pair of cuffs out of the deal.


ETA they are peerless nickle.

i prefer hinged cuffs. ya they're a pain to apply when someone is resisting, but it hasn't been an issue for me yet in 5 years i've been doing the job. when that day happens i'll re-evaluate.  

I started with Smith and Wesson hinged but quickly found out that they were small and i didn't like the double locking mechanism.

switched over to a pair of peerless hinged and they were my favorites for a couple years. mine are the blued version. one day out of the blue they started developing a slight layer of rust. no matter how hard i tried in maintaining them, they would always rust. it got kind of old so i shelved them.

decided to try a pair of asp hinged. luckily my cuff pouch fit them with a little stretching. i like them for the most part.  the key hole and double lock on both sides of the cuff is a plus. only problem i've had is the ratchet arm has gone on the outside of the pawl instead of inside it. has happened a few times, mostly with resistive subjects. i guess it happens cause the cuffs are polymer and theres a certain amount of flex causing this to happen.

i'll probably end up buying a pair of nickled peerless hinged again for my next pair of cuffs. i've had the best luck with peerless so far.

When I was working as a jailer many years ago I carried one pair of Hiatts hinged cuffs and one pair of Hiatts regular chain cuffs. I like the movement restriction that the hinged cuffs offer and I used them the most. Most of my other experience we had S&W regular chain cuffs issued and had to carry what was issued.

Quoted: I carry both.  My primary is a set of chained with the hinged as secondary and for prisoner transport. I am getting ready to dump my older Peerless and use the new ASP handcuffs.  Same combo.  I have the cuffs, I just need to find some cases I like.

+1

hinged are great! In my opinion and experience, the cuffs shouldn't move around the wrists. the wrists should move into the cuffs.

I personally like hinged, when taking them off the un-coop, a twist of the wrist toward the back of the suspect with the arms behind them will gain compliance pretty fast.

I've seen the chained S&W defeated once
I could post how but I don't know if some would get pissed for revealing the technique

Though I doubt many felons are trolling this site

FWIW we still use chained cuffs but for me personally I feel the Hinged would be superior

Almost everyone in my dept. carries hinged.  Get one on the suspect and you own him.

I carry two Peerless chain cuffs on my belt and keep my hinged in my unit. I generally only use them (the hinged ones) for transporting violent people. I quit carrying the hinged cuffs on my belt after having difficulty cuffing a suspect I was fighting on the ground.

I have two pair of each.  If you use S&W Dont get the black hinged ones.  Get the regular silver colored hinged ones.  I have 1 pair of black and they seem to rust really quickly.  I mean I have to clean them about every shift thats how bad it is.  

Quoted: I have two pair of each.  If you use S&W Dont get the black hinged ones.  Get the regular silver colored hinged ones.  I have 1 pair of black and they seem to rust really quickly.  I mean I have to clean them about every shift thats how bad it is.

It's the humidity. Several guys I work with have the black ones also and they have to keep a coat of oil on them or they will rust in a day or two.

We had a guy on our Dept who use to teach vehicle extraction with hinged cuffs.  I carried a set of Smith Model 1 hinged on my strong side front, and a set of smith chain on strong side back.  I figure if I am fighting with a BG I won’t be able to get to my cuffs up from and chains are easier to manipulate on a BG when the fight is on.  The hinged I used for the willing, and those going to the ground.  

Quoted: If you just get one cuff on the bad guy and they start to struggle.....a simple twist of the other cuff will hurt like HELL....cuff and arm go the same way.  The chain will spin around ... the hinge will not. The hinge cuffs are their own built in compliance hold. VJ

+1  If you get one on a resisting subject he will BEG to give you the other hand if you use them correctly.

Hiatts are the way to go I think.  The "pre-load" feature is great.  The first 2-3 ratchets allow you to open the cuff.  It makes for a consistent setting for putting them in your holder and they snap around very easily when you slam them on somebody's wrist.

I don't own a pair of chain cuffs. I carry one set of Peerless (which i use 75% of the time) and a pair of S&W.

We had an officer several years ago who was escorting a subject by holding the chained cuffs. The shitbag deadweighted him and sat down, breaking his thumb (nearly off, from what I hear). The chain wrapped around his thumb and he was unable to break free. he was out on light duty for 6 months and recently told me that his hand has never been the same.

I've never had a problem cuffing a resisting subject with the hinged and I'll stick to them.

I carry Peerless hinged cuffs and love them. They may be to large some kids and women, but that is why I have my spare S&W s for. Even with a struggling suspect you can get these on easier because they are always in the same direction. When you have some skinny crack head that likes to get their hands in front of them cuff one arm going up and one going down. That will shorten their arms at least two inches and they cannot get their arms in front anymore. Also hurts like a b*tch for those people that need some luv.

Quoted: If you just get one cuff on the bad guy and they start to struggle.....a simple twist of the other cuff will hurt like HELL....cuff and arm go the same way.  The chain will spin around ... the hinge will not. The hinge cuffs are their own built in compliance hold. VJ

Exactly why I carry them as well. Although I do have a a pair of peerless chain right behind the peerless hinged jsut for the juvs and small females and even the cooperative ones once in a while.