Do any police officers still carry a revolver as there sidearm?

Question

I was looking a pictures of my father who was a constable in the early 1980's and he and of the other officers were all wearing double action revolvers, and that got me wondering; do any police officers still carry them?

Answer 1

3 guys out of 1300 in my department do. You had to have been hired on before a certain date for it to be authorized.

Answer 2

I started my career as a Army National Guard MP in the 1980s. We used the 1911 .45s and every civilian police agency used revolvers except maybe Illinois State Police. I worked Corrections and carried a revolver until completing a auto transition course in the 1990s. I than carried a Ruger P90 .45. The Sheriff's Office I work for now issues Sig P220. I still work part time Corrections. I feel safe with a revolver or semi auto. I like the fact semi auto is quicker to reload. There are still a couple Officers/Deputies that still carry revolvers as duty weapon.

Answer 3

Until I retired earlier this year I alway carried at least one revolver. If my main firearm was a semi auto ( I carried a S&W 469 or 645) I would carry a ultra reliable revolver as aback up weapon. I normally carried S & W 66 revolver on duty.
Even the many of the kids hired after my department changed over to semi auto in the mid 1980's take the extra testing so that they can carry revolvers as back up.

Answer 4

When I was in law enforcement in the early 80's almost everyone carried a revolver. Now there are very few and one reason there are not many officers that do now is because the bad guys are better armed and the semi automatic handgun can carry more rounds to kinda of even the playing field.

Answer 5

I started with a revolver ( not black powder either) but our department started going to automatics in the late 1980's. They phased them in . Our department went with S&W 645's. I've been retired for three years and understand they made some other changes now.

I never did as well with the S&W.45 acp and I did with a Colt Gov. model but shot as well or better with a revolver. Guess it's what your are used to. Saw many more revolvers for off-duty ( at least with the older guys)

Answer 6

I knew of a lot of Officers that still carried a revolver. If you initially came on the job with a revolver, you had the option of using a semi automatic, but the revolver was still the primary weapon.

Answer 7

Absolutley.....a revolver is VERY reliable because there are less moving parts. However, there are also less shots, making it extremely dangerous to have during "high stress" shootouts. The last time I looked, I think the shot placement for Officers in shootouts was less than 10% being on target. Lastly, revolvers are more likely to go "Bang" when you REALLY need it instead of "Click" like a pistol.

Answer 8

We now carry Sig Sauer 40 cal. When I first went thru the Academy in 1984, it was the Smith and Wesson 38 cal.
I was inspecial services for years in between and carried an H & K 9mm

Answer 9

Depends on the department. Glock 19s aren't common as sidearms, but some departments do use them.

Answer 10

most departments allow you to carry what ever you want.if they issue a weapon to you then you have to use what was given to you.i went from a revolver to a glock mdl 22.40 cal.with a revolver you have a total of 18 rounds counting your speed loaders.with the glock you will have a total of 46 rounds.that is one of the reasons the revover was not near as safe.
----retired texas deputy sheriff----