The Saiga-12 has been popular with three-gun competition shooters and firearms enthusiasts, but I have not heard of any US law enforcement agencies purchasing the Saiga-12 as a issued firearm.

While the Saiga-12 offers some advantages when compared to traditional pump and semi-auto shotguns, it also presents a number of hurdles that would rule it out for most police departments.  Some of the disadvantages include:

• limited options available for securely mounting some models in a patrol car
• different manual of arms that what is taught in majority of police academies
• significantly more expensive that the classic Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 shotguns
• questions about the availability and speed of service and warranty work
• politically incorrect: not made in the US and resembles the AK-47

I’ve never felt under-gunned with a pump-action 870 and four rounds of buck with slugs in reserve.  It is hard for me to imagine a department of any significant size stepping away from the defacto-standard for a shotgun that is largely unproven.

If an agency is looking for greater firepower, and they aren’t hampered by political correctness, I would expect patrol rifles to be a better choice.

Does anyone know of any US agency that

• currently issues or maintains Saiga-12 shotguns for any purpose,
• has ordered Saiga-12 shotguns for any purpose, or
• is seriously considering the purchase of Saiga-12 shotguns for any purpose?

If so, please send me an e-mail or post the information in the comment section.  Also, if I’ve got it wrong, and the Saiga-12 is a great choice for a police shotgun, sound off below also.

Tip o the fedora to my friend Steve at The Firearm Blog for the information about the Saiga-12 and US law enforcement.

The family did not hear nearby gunfire, only fireworks. When they rushed to the boy, he had blood coming from his nose and mouth. Family members did not know he was shot. They took him straight to a hospital.

It was theorized by the Hillsborough County, FL Sheriff’s Office that the bullet which critically injured the boy was fired from miles away. Media reports ironically call these shots “celebratory gunfire.” I think that is in poor taste.

I worked Mids on New Year’s Eve last week. At Readoff, I observed how I was taught to park under a bank overhang or other roof at Midnight on New Year’s Eve or the Fourth of July to stay out of the way of falling bullets. Not being on a call just before Midnight, I parked my CVPI in a bank drive thru. I could hear distant (and not so distant) gunfire.

About fifteen minutes later, our units were dispatched to a child hit by a bullet. When our guys got on scene, they found out the child was, thankfully, not hurt. This falling bullet had pierced the roof of the child’s mobile home and landed on the scared kid. It easily could have found a less protected target.

It is unfortunate that we would have to defend ourselves against such illegal, negligent, and unnecessary behavior as “celebratory gunfire,” but we must. The boy in my city was extremely lucky. The 12 year old in Ruskin was not. He is currently in a coma.

Randall is a twenty-four year police officer in Florida. He is currently his department’s K9 Sergeant and SWAT Coordinator.

I would say these carry methods tend toward the “holsterless” gun.  Two examples of this are the carry clip and the pocket wallet.

Carrying a handgun without a holster is nothing new.  Traveling back to the Old West, you may see revolvers stuck sideways in a belt.  Sepia photographs from those days are flush with cowboys, lawmen, and ruffians proudly displaying their guns this way.

Massad Ayoob wrote about a holsterless waistband carry method in 19^th century Mexico that let the civilian vaquero ditch his handgun, at the approach of the mistrusted Federales, without wearing the incriminating holster and belt.  It was called “Mexican Carry” and is not derogatory.

These things of the past aside, several companies are now marketing clips that can be affixed to the receiver of a handgun to allow the gun to be slid into a belt or waistband sans holster.  I find this to be very dangerous and ill advised.

This clip-it-in-the-waistband style was perhaps first popularized two decades ago by the Barami Hip Grip, which was a revolver handle with a slightly flared “wing” on one side which allowed you to tuck your Smith & Wesson or Colt snubbie in the top of the pants.

The modern adaptation of the Hip Grip has been a spate of clip carry accessories that bring this method to the auto-loading pistol.  Because more and more of these small guns are being toted, more of these products are making it to market.

The purpose of a holster is not only to protect the gun (from the owner), but the owner from the gun.  A proper holster, whether it is for the belt, waistband, pocket, or ankle, must cover the trigger and contain the firearm securely.  A clip carried handgun has neither and is several steps closer to a negligent, and/or lethal, discharge.

A cousin to this hazardous method of carry is the “Pocket Pal” or “Pocket Shot” style of handgun wallet.  Both of these are made for pocket carry of the gun, but leave the trigger exposed, so that the gun may be fired with the “holster” attached.

While this may seem safer than a clip because most of the firearm is encased, it still leaves the trigger accessible.  Not only that, but the reciprocal functioning of the pistol’s slide is dependent on the holster not interfering in the action.

I have doubts whether users of these pocket wallets actually go to the range and shoot several hundred rounds through their guns, which are now contained in two slabs of leather.

These shortcuts solve problems that do not exist for truly committed practitioners of concealed carry.  There is a dizzying array of gun holsters out there such that one can find that balance between safety, concealment, and comfort with just a little expenditure of time, money, and good sense.

Those in law enforcement and others licensed to carry concealed firearms must take their responsibilities very seriously.  We can be our own worst enemies.  Any measures that circumvent the safe carry of firearms are detrimental to life and limb and the trust bestowed upon us by our government.

Randall is a twenty-four year sworn police officer in a mid-sized Florida police department.  He has been an FTO, K9 Handler, Detective, and SWAT Team Leader.  He is currently the K9 Unit Sergeant and department SWAT Coordinator.

The manufacturer of the light gun, Photonic Security Systems, previously marketed the SMU100 laser rifle as a maritime security tool to discourage pirates.

According to Photonic Security Systems, the SMU100:

“…emits a dazzling wall of light capable of repelling threat. The shoulder mounted technology temporarily impairs the vision of anyone caught in its infra-red sights.”

This may be a useful tool for helping to disrupt violence at a distance.  My concern, however, is with any damage that can be done to the vision of the guy on the receiving end.  If there are significant risks to the vision of others, that would certainly factor into the “reasonable” test when using force.

I’m not sure what the two agencies were using most recently as duty pistols.  Previously, MSP carried the SIG SAUER P226 in .40 S&W.  The Vermont State Police also carried a SIG SAUER in .40 S&W: the P229.  If anyone has specific information on what the two agencies most recently carried, please leave a comment below.

As I have discussed before, Smith & Wesson has made significant inroads into the law enforcement community with the M&P line.  Hundreds of law enforcement organizations have adopted the M&P as a primary duty pistol including the Detroit PD, Milwaukee PD, Tampa PD, Atlanta PD and the state police departments/highway patrols of North Carolina, Washington, Colorado, Iowa, New Mexico and New Hampshire.

From Smith & Wesson:

Massachusetts State Police and Vermont State Police Select Smith & Wesson M&P Pistols

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Dec. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: SWHC), parent company of Smith & Wesson Corp., a U.S.-based leader in firearm design and manufacturing, today announced that it has received contracts from the Massachusetts State Police and the Vermont State Police for new duty firearms from the M&P Pistol Series. The Massachusetts State Police has selected the M&P45 pistol, while the Vermont State Police has adopted the M&P40 pistol as its new service firearm. Both of the statewide law enforcement agencies have initiated the transition process and Troopers are currently using the M&P pistol in the field.

Massachusetts State Police

 

As the nation’s oldest statewide police agency, the Massachusetts State Police has a rich history of service to its citizens and support of national events. Employing over 2,300 Troopers and 400 civilian support staff, the agency is responsible for criminal law enforcement and traffic vehicle regulations across the state. To better assist its Troopers with these responsibilities, the Massachusetts State Police has ordered 2,500 M&P pistols chambered in .45ACP.

 

During the agency’s independent testing and evaluation process, the M&P45 was judged against the department’s previously standard sidearm, as well as numerous other competitive products. At the conclusion of the trial, the M&P45 was selected due to its ergonomic design, accuracy, reliability, and the pistol’s ability to be customized to meet individual preferences. Smith & Wesson will support the firearm contract with a full range of services including armorer’s training. In addition to the M&P45 pistols, the Massachusetts State Police previously adopted the M&P15 tactical rifle from Smith & Wesson that currently serves as the State issued patrol rifle.

 

“We are extremely pleased with the decision by the Massachusetts State Police and the Vermont State Police to transition to the M&P pistol,” said Mario Pasantes, Smith & Wesson’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Global Professional Sales. “We take pride in supplying law enforcement professionals with highly advanced, duty proven equipment, and we believe the M&P Series lives up to that standard. Selected for numerous awards and trusted by both officers and civilians, the popularity of the M&P pistol has been enduring. Today, over 800 law enforcement agencies have adopted or approved for duty use our M&P products. Our commitment to those who have put their trust in Smith & Wesson is steadfast.”

 

Pasantes added, “We are especially honored to serve the Massachusetts State Police, our home state force. Our employees take great pride in aligning with local law enforcement, and we look forward to expanding our relationship with the Massachusetts State Police and to seeing the M&P45 on the hips of our State Troopers.”

 

Vermont State Police

 

Through its contract with Smith & Wesson, the Vermont State Police has ordered 390 M&P40 pistols. During its open evaluation process, the M&P40 pistol received high marks by the Vermont troopers for its low perceived recoil, reliability during testing, and consistent performance. The new side arms are being supported with a full range of services from Smith & Wesson, including armorer’s training and advanced firearms training courses.

If you already have a weapon-mounted flashlight, then by default you possess a quick firearm aiming device…if you do a bit of homework!

Laser sights are all the rage and I confess to having purchased a couple. But they are not always financially justifiable or even allowed by policy for many coppers. At half the price, a tactical light can give you a similar service in a very close combat situation.

During night fire sessions at the range, some of our shooters began to notice that they were getting a flash sight picture from their handgun-mounted lights. At distances of five yards or less, the flashlights were illuminating center of mass on the targets and approximating point of impact.

A simple test is to unload and safety check your duty gun. Look over the sights at a wall at distances from one to seven yards. Turn on the light. If your sights are properly adjusted, the beam of your flashlight will give you a general aiming point.

For me, the Streamlight TLR-1 on my SIG SAUER P226R projects a circle of light where my bullet’s point of impact is near 12 o’clock in the beam’s hotspot. I have shot many groups at the range and trust this orientation out to five yards.

The Surefire lights on my H-K MP-5 and Remington 870 were also “minute-of-man” at close range during actual shooting drills.

Where is this important? At CQB distances in room clearing, I am confident that, with the light on, punching out at the target and sending rounds into the beam’s focal point will give me center of mass hits.

I am not advocating this as a primary sighting method over either sighted fire or instinctive shooting. I am just observing that in a critical incident and under stress, knowing where your bullets impact in the target illumination can be an advantage, because that is where your visual focus will be.

In addition, knowing this can help you pick up your sights quicker in low or no light scenarios, where it can be difficult or impossible to find gunsights that lack tritium or fiber optic tubes.

When we do high risk building clearing or search work in the dark, we naturally look where we are lighting, but not necessarily with a full sight picture. I feel that using the flashlight as an aiming guide brings me on target faster.

Most of the current LED tactical lights I have encountered have a beam that gives you a spotlight in the center and floodlight in its periphery. The size and intensity of the spot vary with the type of light.

Even the older incandescent bulbs throw a nice fixed point of light close up. An ancient Surefire is affixed to my issued 870. Since the shotgun has only the bead for a sight, knowing my 00 buck patterns hit right down the center of the light’s beam under ten yards is a bonus.

I started out by comparing the flashlight to a laser. And I’ll continue this by saying one is a hammer and one is a scalpel, as tools go. The tactical flashlight can assist you in getting rounds on a target. A well-adjusted laser surgically pinpoints your rounds on a target.

Next trip you have to the range for low light practice, try a few snap shoot drills at close quarters battle with the tactical flashlight. I hope it is useful for you.

Using the weapon light to aim the gun at one yard.

Distance to the target: 2.5 yards.

Using the weapon light to aim at five yards.

Streamlight TLR-1 weapon light mounted on a SIG SAUER P226

Randall is a twenty-four year veteran officer of a mid-size Florida police department. He served as a SWAT team officer for over 21 years, to include 12 years as a Team Leader. He is currently the K9 Unit Sergeant and department SWAT Coordinator.

Ruger LCP with a LaserMax CenterFire laser installed.

Ruger announced that the LCP and LC9 pistols are now available from the factory with the new LaserMax CenterFire lasers.  The CenterFire units use a red laser and mount to the front of the trigger guard.

The added bulk is very small and weigh only 0.5 ounces.  The additional cost is between $70 and $82 depending on the model.

Both the LCP and LC9 are viable options as backup guns, and the added lasers may make them easier to shoot accurately under some circumstances.  Smith & Wesson introduced the Bodyguard 380 with the integral laser, though LAPD requires the laser disabled if an officer plans to use the gun as a backup.  I imagine they will forbid the carrying of the Ruger LCP with a laser as well.

For more information, check out my article at GunsHolstersAndGear.com on the Ruger LCP and LC9 with LaserMax lasers.

A marine unit of the Norfolk Police Department patrols around the USS Wisconsin battleship.

The crew at MARSEC4 published a great article called “Running Wet Guns.”  The article covers getting wet with your guns.  The video showing an AR-15 blowing up when fired after it was submersed is particularly educational.

For the average street cop, firearms are typically exposed to water from rain.  At the very least, this can cause corrosion.  Should an officer drop a gun into a mud puddle, a significant amount of water could fill the barrel and chamber.

Many officers are exposed to water sprayed while working as a marine unit on the many waterways around the world.  In these environments, it becomes increasingly more likely that a weapon will be immersed.

Don’t forget our SWAT officers who may have to make a waterborne approach, or just wade through a creek or ditch to get into position.  These guys have an increased chance of getting their guns wet.

Check out the MARSEC4 article for more information.  Those guys are putting out some really good information.

The Diamondback DB9 is a polymer-framed pistol in 9 X 19mm that tugs at your pocket to the tune of only 11 ounces, unloaded. That is three to four fewer ounces than other lightweight 9mm pistols or most .38 cal. Airweight revolvers.

The DB9 is sized more like a gun throwing a .380 ACP downrange than the much more potent 9mm Parabellum. Its dimensions are a slim .80” in width, 5.6” in length, and 4” in height.

I found the DB9 to follow through on its promise to be an easily carried, reliable 9mm firearm for off-duty or secondary on-duty carry. And, it is Made in America.

This is a Diamondback airboat manufactured by the company prior to getting into the handgun business.

Contrary to Internet myth, Diamondback Firearms, LLC is not related to Kel-Tec CNC Industries and was not started up by disgruntled Kel-Tec employees from just up the road in Cocoa, FL.

Diamondback Firearms began life in 2009 as an offshoot of Diamondback Airboats, a Cocoa company that had been making boats for civilians, law enforcement, the Military, and rescue applications since 1989.

I was eager to shoot a DB9, as we were able to handle one in January at SHOT Show 2011, but not fire it. The gun displayed in their booth was a prototype. Still, I thought it felt very compact and very familiar.

What was noticeable about the DB9 was that it seemed like a slightly stretched version of Diamondback’s DB380. The elongated grip accounted for the longer case of the 9mm vs. the .380 ACP.

I purchased my test gun from B&H Gun Rack in Merritt Island, FL in July for much under $400.00. Since that time, my co-workers and I have shot over six hundred rounds of various 9mm ammunition through it.

I have owned two other pistols from the competing company in Cocoa and I have learned that guns of this fashion require a break-in period of at least several hundred rounds before they find their reliability for self-defense carry.

In the first 75 rounds of both Speer 124 grn TMJ and 124 grn GDHP’s, the gun experienced approximately 10 failures to feed. This happened mostly with the hollow points. After the first hundred rounds were sent downrange, it had no further feeding issues.

The remainder of the bullets I shot through the DB9 was all standard pressure 9mm from the ammo can. You know, random stuff that came from who (and when) knows where. The gun had no problems with mixed magazines of this ammunition.

The Diamondback DB9 arrives in a plastic case with a trigger cover and padlock. The owner’s manual recommends a 50-100 round break-in period and goes on to explain failures to feed, extract, and eject.

The DB9 is a striker-fired pistol and is double action only. There is a cut out at the right side of the chamber that serves as a loaded indicator window. There are scalloped serrations on the front and rear sides of the slide.

The polymer grip frame is checkered aggressively. I noticed that the texturing on the backstrap dug into the web of my hand during extended shooting. Since this is a self-defense gun, I thought it a testament to the positive hold it would provide under stress.

The trigger and magazine catch assembly are made of steel for durability. The metal, blued six round magazine is made in Italy and it features a slightly protruding front lip for stability.

Diamondback reports the trigger pull at 5 lbs. Richard’s DB9 had a 6 pound 9 ounce trigger pull. The action of the trigger is smooth and resets when fully let out like a DAO revolver.

In a sacrifice to overall width, the DB9 does not have a slide release or a slide lock. It will not lock back on the last round. This does not bother me, given the intent of the design to make it as small as possible.

This gun has real sights. They are white three dot, with a windage-adjustable rear. Like another popular polymer pistol maker, Diamondback’s factory sights are plastic. Trijicon sights are available for the DB9.

In range testing a few months ago, Richard and I went to a Central Florida outdoor range to shoot both our DB9’s (and a few other goodies). Richard’s gun functioned without a hiccup from round number one on. Mine was at about round three hundred and fired just fine.

At the time of this shoot, a Diamondback sales rep was stating on their forum that limited use of +P ammunition was okay in a DB9. Fair enough! Richard loaded up a magazine full of mixed 9mm +P loads and let ‘er rip. The gun cycled every round without incident.

This recently appeared on Diamondback’s DB9 web page: “Notice: Diamondback Firearms does not recommend using any 9mm Bullets above 124 gr or any Ammunition that is rated NATO, +P, +P+ or anything else that is higher than SAAMI Standard pressure 9mm. The DB9 is the smallest and lightest 9mm available on the market and was not designed for the abuse and damage that these rounds cause. Any use of non recommended ammunition in a Diamondback Firearms will void the warranty.”

Early in October, I shot the off-duty and secondary firearm qualification course at work, which is actually the State qualification course for on-duty handguns. I shot a better score with the DB9 than some officers did with their full sized Sig Sauer P226’s.

I won’t kid you, the recoil can smart after a while. This is a gun you have to hold on to for it to function properly. A poor grip or limp-wristing will have you practicing a malfunction drill.

To make a long story short, I think the affordable Diamondback DB9 provides above average firepower in a micro-pistol package.

Video of the Diamondback DB9 being fired with standard pressure and +P, +P+ ammunition:

Randall is a twenty-four year sworn police officer in a mid-sized Florida police department. He has been an FTO, K9 Handler, Detective, and SWAT Team Leader. He is currently the K9 Unit Sergeant and department SWAT Coordinator.

The Hornady Critical Duty ammunition uses a new bullet design that incorporates elements from previous company designs to perform well in the FBI ammunition testing protocol.  The bullets use the Flex Tip technology, which is a polymer filled hollowpoint.  The Flex Tip prevents the hollowpoint from being filled when passing through clothing or another barrier, yet it also helps expansion when striking the target.

Hornady also uses an InterLock band to hold the bullet jacket to the core, rather than using a chemical bonding process used by many other manufacturers.  The benefit to the Critical Duty line of ammunition is that Hornady can use a heavier, antimony-rich core rather than a soft, pure (or close to pure) lead typically used with bonded bullets.

Critical Duty ammunition use low-flash powders and nickel cases.

The initial loads will be:

• 9mm: 135 grains @ 1010 fps, 305 ft-lbs
• 9mm +P:  135 grains @ 1110 fps, 369 ft-lbs
• .40 S&W:  175 grains @ 1010 fps, 396 ft-lbs

As mentioned previously, the Critical Duty ammo was designed to perform well in the FBI testing protocol.  The protocol is an arbitrary set of standards developed by the FBI to measure ammunition performance.  While I do not think the protocol is proportionally reflective of law enforcement shootings, it does provide a standard by which two ammunition designs can be compared.

Hornady states the FlexLock bullets in the Critical Duty line perform very well in the FBI protocols.  This is good from a static testing standpoint, but actual performance in the street remains to be seen.  There have been some rounds that performed very well on duty, but failed to meet the standards of the FBI protocol.

Likewise, I’m sure the reverse is true.  I’m cautiously optimistic about the performance of this ammunition, but will not be swapping any of my ammo over to it yet.

[Note:  I am a firm believer that shot placement trumps bullet design.  Rapidly putting multiple rounds into vital areas is more likely to stop a fight than the choice of Federal vs. Speer vs. Winchester vs. Hornady.  However, there are clearly some designs that perform better than others.  So, given my druthers, I'd rather rapidly put multiple good hollowpoints into a target than the same number of cheap FMJs.]

[Ed. note: Defective ammunition is relatively rare, but it does happen.  Aaron's experience is not unique.  Make sure you check your ammo for damage to prevent potentially dangerous problems.]

Recently I attended an Advanced SWAT course that our regional Tactical Officers Association offers each year. During the week of training there are several different range courses that teams were put through. While training on the Tactical Pistol course our team we were being pushed hard to get through the 4-hour block of training. When the course of fire was completed we had just enough time to load magazines and get back on line.

To facilitate the ease of loading, our team emptied dozens of boxes of ammunition into a couple of military ammunition cans and an empty cardboard ammunition box. Grabbing loose ammunition, and trying to hurry on reloads just about created the perfect storm for a catastrophic failure.

The following pictures are of one such .40 caliber cartridge that I pulled out of the can and thankfully noticed before loading into a magazine. One side appeared fairly normal, the other side … well something went horribly wrong. This was Speer 165 grain FMJ training ammunition, but I’ve seen manufacturer’s defects on other rounds too.

Even major manufacturers occasionally have manufacturing defects. Quality control and quality assurance are usually top of the line, but there will always be times that something slips through. In this case there were two cartridges in similar condition. The first I tossed into the trash thinking it was a fluke. When I found the second one I kept it to illustrate the point of this article.

Regardless of if you are training, preparing your duty gun, or home defense gun, shooters need to examine every aspect of their equipment to ensure that everything is in operating condition. Most of us conduct periodic examinations of our firearms for just that reason, but I imagine that there are more than a few of us who simply grab ammunition out of the box and go to loading without much more thought to it.

And what about down-loading ammunition from your home defense gun, off-duty, and even duty gun every once in awhile. Exposure to the elements, especially for duty weapons, can play havoc on weapons that only get fired a couple of times a year. I’ve seen more than one officer go to download duty ammunition for a training exercise, only to find that ammunition showing signs of rust from exposure.

Ammunition is probably a serious contributor of failure to fire or failure to eject problems. Can you imagine the failure that this round could have caused if it had made it to the barrel?

Check your firearms, check your gear, and yes, check your ammunition before you put your life on the line. Mistakes happen even under the tightest of inspections. Catch it before it catches you!

This round appears undamaged and "good to go." However...

From this side of the round, significant damage to the cartridge case is obvious.

Another view of the damaged cartridge. This type of damage is relatively rare, but does happen.

A jury should have been allowed to decide if her mistake was reasonable, the 9th circuit appellate judges said in overturning a district judge’s decision and remanding the case for fresh action.

“Whatever the ultimate outcome, this case bears watching and studying because of the critical issues it raises regarding training, weapons placement, personal responsibility, and decision-making,” says Dr. Bill Lewinski, executive director of the Force Science Institute. As we have reported previously, Lewinski was involved as an expert witness in the BART incident, a widely publicized mistaken-weapon shooting by a transit officer in the San Francisco area.

The current case, Torres v. City of Madera (CA), is a 1983 civil action brought by parents of a suspect who was fatally shot in the chest while handcuffed in the backseat of a patrol car. The involved officer intended to Tase him because he was kicking the rear door and she feared he would cut himself if he broke the window. Unwittingly, she grabbed and fired her sidearm instead of her Taser.

Among other things, these factors emerged as evidence at trial:

• As instructed when it was issued, the officer carried her Taser “in a thigh holster immediately below her holstered Glock on her dominant right side.” Earlier on the night of the shooting, she had turned off the safety on her Taser, to enable its quicker deployment.

• Reaching down, she unsnapped the holster holding her Glock, removed the gun, aimed its laser at the suspect’s center mass, put her left hand under the gun for support, and pulled the trigger, “all without looking at the weapon in her hand.” Both weapons had laser components.

• Twice previously the officer had confused the 2 weapons, once when trying to reholster her gun and her Taser after a jail visit and again when trying to drive-stun a combative suspect during a field encounter. The latter time she ended up pointing her mistakenly drawn pistol at her partner’s head.

• Frightened by that potentially tragic error, she told her sergeant, who advised her to “keep practicing” in drawing her Taser and in distinguishing between the 2 weapons. She informally “practiced” daily on her own for 9 months leading up to the shooting, but underwent no “formal” retraining.

• Her initial training had consisted of a single 3-hour class, during which she fired the weapon only once. There was no discussion during that session of the weapon-confusion risk nor of weapon-confusion incidents that had occurred on other departments.

The district court found that the officer’s mistake in drawing her gun was “reasonable” and granted summary judgment in favor of her and the city. But the appeals court declared that the district judge had over-reached with that decision. “While a jury might ultimately find [the officer's] mistake of weapon to have been reasonable, it was inappropriate for the [lower] court to reach this conclusion,” the appellate decision states.

Further action by the district court is now pending. To read the appellate decision in full, with more details of this case, click here.

For an article about the case from the Legal & Liability Risk Management Institute, click here

For a complimentary subscription to Force Science News, an e-newsletter provided free by the Force Science Institute, visit www.forcescience.org or e-mail your contact information to: editor@forcescience.org

[Ed. note: The Need for the Patrol Rifle  is part three of a series on Tactical Patrol.  The prior articles are Tactical Patrol Mindset and Patrol Response to Critical Incidents.]

The use of a patrol rifle is not a new concept. In fact, when you think about the “old west” the image of a lawman with a trusty Winchester lever-action is the standard. The 20th century witnessed the creation of some of the most deadly criminals to ever prowl our country. Names like Dillinger, Bonnie & Clyde, Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, and Al Capone. This was the era of the “Tommy” gun, even BAR’s, and of course shotguns. Those heavier weapons ended the careers of many criminals.

After WWII times were good, America was growing, the Baby-Boom generation was in full swing. Then the 1960’s came. The Civil Rights struggle, the progressively unpopular Vietnam War, and the emergence of radicals saw America suffer home-grown terror from groups like the KKK, the Black Panthers, and the Symbionese Liberation Army.

During this time America had its first, real taste of an active shooter when a murderer mounted the bell tower at the University of Texas in Austin and shot multiple victims before two brave patrolmen and an armed citizen raced up the tower and ended his reign of terror. The racial, political, and social violence led police departments to look for a way to counter this new era of deadly threat.

Former Inspector, Daryl Gates, of the Los Angeles Police Department is often credited with the formation of the first “S.W.A.T.” team in America in 1968.  However some teams were already in place across the country. Specially selected and trained police officers now had the skills and equipment necessary to respond to the most violent of situations that patrol officers were not trained or equipped to handle. S.W.A.T. spread across the country in a short time, and today most departments with more than 25 officers have some form of participation with a tactical team.

So where does the patrolman fit into this equation? Right at the forefront! Time and time again it has been shown that the only way to successfully end immediate deadly threats is by the rapid and decisive application of lethal force by the initial patrol officers. And the best way to ensure that success is to provide the patrolmen with the training and arms necessary to engage in the myriad of deadly threats we can expect to encounter.

Unfortunately, the invention of S.W.A.T. teams created an internal dilemma in law enforcement that was probably best exposed on February 28, 1997. Police Administrators had swallowed the need for S.W.A.T. because they hoped the use of teams would be sparse, and they could keep the focus on returning to the kinder “community policing” image of yesteryear. This actually led to the disarming of patrol officers. Some agencies didn’t even provide patrol officers with shotguns. Chiefs and government administrators wanted their police to look “friendly”.

S.W.A.T. is necessary and good, but in almost all jurisdictions the team takes significant time to gather forces. Even in the larger metropolitan police forces like Los Angeles, where S.W.A.T. is a full-time assignment, the response time can be lengthy. But on that day in 1997 two heavily armed criminals engaged police in a heavy weapons shootout that lasted 44 minutes outside of a Bank of America in North Hollywood, and exposed the error in police philosophy.

The first officers to observe the botched robbery were on “routine” patrol and just happened to witness the armed thugs enter the bank. Armed with only 9mm pistols and one shotgun, they were completely outmatched by the robbers who were armed with multiple rifles, handguns, and extensive body armor. Multiple responding patrol officers faced the same dilemma as the first officers. Some officers scrambled to a nearby gun shop to acquire AR-15 rifles. Wounded officers could not be evacuated because of the long range and heavy firepower of the criminals. It would not be until the arrival of a group of underdressed S.W.A.T. officers with MP-5 submachine guns and AR-15 rifles, that the nightmare would end.

Eleven officers and seven civilians were wounded, the two thugs were dead, and nearly 2,000 rounds were exchanged in that epic gun battle. Dozens of buildings and vehicles were shot up as well, and a nation was shocked at the images from news helicopters. The need to properly equip patrol officers was once again in the spotlight of national law enforcement. Patrol officers needed to be equipped and trained to give the best first response that was possible.

The response around the country was the beginning of the trend to re-arm patrol officers with rifles – mostly AR-15’s or surplus government M-16’s. In April, 1999, the violence at Columbine High School caused Active Shooter Response training to sweep the nation perhaps like nothing ever seen before. And then on September 11, 2001 America woke up to the reality that our world had changed forever. Terrorism had struck with such a magnitude that America would change its viewpoint on security and how we wanted our police to protect us. Remember, that the 9-11 terrorists were living among us. In that regard, we must be prepared for a Mumbai type attack from these radical Islamist terror groups.

We cannot change history, but we can change the present. By acting now to prepare ourselves for the rise in violence seen all across the nation, we can have an impact on our future. From small and rural communities to large metropolitan centers, patrol officers need to be prepared to effectively protect the innocent.

One of the most critical methods of providing the patrol officer with the tools necessary to accomplish this daunting task is to arm them with a long range weapon. Shotguns are great weapons for medium range and short range work, but quickly become limited in their effectiveness at ranges beyond 50 yards. Even with a slug round, the shotgun is limited at longer ranges. Many slugs begin to deviate several inches from point of aim at 100 yards. Some agencies only provide patrol officers with 00 Buck rounds, so an officer must be aware of the spread of the shot and the limited range that a subject can reasonably be engaged without having shot go past the target and hit unintended targets down range.

The obvious solution to the increasingly heavier armed threats that law enforcement is facing today is to arm patrol officers with rifles. One of the advantages and reasons law enforcement went to semi-auto handguns was the increase in firepower offered with a magazine fed weapon with as much as three times the capacity of a revolver. This was infamously demonstrated in the 1986 F.B.I. shootout in Miami where agents armed mostly with revolvers and two shotguns were outgunned by criminals armed with a Ruger Mini-14 and a shotgun. That incident left two agents dead, and five wounded. The apparent disadvantage of limited rounds and firepower caused the F.B.I. to move to semi-auto handguns, and much of the nation followed.

Eleven years later the officers in Los Angeles faced similar disadvantages, despite having semi-auto handguns, and the results were nearly as bad for law enforcement.

That same philosophy can be applied to the selection of rifles, and the reason a rifle can be more advantageous than a shotgun in some situations. Probably the most commonly used patrol rifle in American law enforcement is the AR-15. This weapon allows the officer to field up to 30 rounds of .223 rifle ammunition at the start of an engagement. Should the need arise, extra magazines are relatively easy to carry and quickly add to the officer’s ability to engage armed criminals, multiple adversaries, and even those who themselves are armed with rifles and maybe ballistic armor.

The benefit of a detachable magazine fed system is the quick reload of multiple rounds. A shotgun does not provide this same benefit, despite it’s awesome firepower, nor does a bolt action rifle or even a lever-action rifle.

The AR-15 also allows officers to deliver accurate fire at greater distances. This is a tremendous benefit to patrol officers as they are now capable of delivering lethal force to stop heavily armed criminals, but can afford to do so from distances that provide the greatest benefit of space and cover. With proper training a patrol officer could reasonably engage a suspect at distances of up to 200 yards with an AR-15, without negating the need for accuracy or the concept of knowing your target and beyond. With even more training and a proper optic, the AR-15 can even be used to engage adversaries at greater distances, but for most patrol officers this will not be an option so I’ll focus on the 0-200 yard range.

The AR-15 is not a difficult weapons platform to master, and there is an abundance of training across the country for this weapon. Parts are plentiful from a number of sources, as are the availability of Armor schools. Reputable manufactures are long and include big names like Colt, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Remington, Rock River Arms, CMMG, Bushmaster, Olympic Arms, and others.

Other reputable rifle choices can be found in the H&K G-36 (.223), or in the H&K 416 (.223) or H&K 417 (7.62 mm). The 416 and 417 take on the similar AR-15 style platforms, while the G-36 is uniquely H&K in function and style. One disadvantage of H&K is that they tend to be more expensive than American made AR-15 platforms, and getting parts and Armor training can be difficult. Outside of these choices there are other acceptable options such as the Ruger Mini-14, chambered in .223, or even an M1 Carbine chambered in .30 caliber. Other options are out there but far less popular.

Some agencies have selected to arm officers with various carbine rifles that are chambered in the same caliber as the officer’s pistol. There are obvious advantages to this decision, as some carbines allow for interchangeable magazines. And if an officer has a malfunction with one system, they are transitioning to the same caliber and have extra rounds available to them. The disadvantages to a carbine are found in the stopping power provided by a pistol cartridge. Though accuracy and distance are improved through the rifle platform, a pistol round maintains its limitations. In the instance of the LA bank robbery, the suspects were covered in ballistic armor from head to toe so a pistol round, even fired from a rifle, may not have been sufficient to stop the threat posed by those criminals.

For the purpose of this article I will focus on the highly popular AR-15 platform. For the patrol officer to be sufficiently armed with this rifle there are a few additions that I feel are critical to the successful deployment of a rifle.

First, the rifle should be equipped with a sling. For that matter, shotguns should be too. If you go into an armed conflict and cannot safely discard your long weapon (by leaving it slung) then you are not prepared to handcuff the suspect, or tend to the wounded. A proper sling will be a tactical sling that goes over the head and drapes over one shoulder. These allow for the shooter to use the sling to tighten unsupported shooting positions, and allows for the weapon to be fairly securely slung for hands-free operation.

Second, the rifle should be equipped with a light. Half of what we do is in the dark, and even if an officer works during the day they are likely to encounter dark basements or other spaces. This lighting system should allow the officer to manipulate the light on and off from the support hand so as to not interfere with the shooting hand. The light should also preferably be set up to cause the operator to engage the on/off switch with their thumb, or a full grip squeeze. This should help prevent any sympathetic reflex from using a finger squeeze.

Although not as critical as the first two are, I feel that a proper patrol rifle should be outfitted with an updated sight. Trying to use iron sights in the heat of battle could be tedious to say the least, especially if we’re in low light conditions. A better option is to use a hollo-graphic sight that displays a red dot or red targeting circle. There are plenty of good choices from such manufacturers as Aimpoint, Bushnell, and EOTech to name a few. An officer should be able to acquire targets in the fastest manner possible in a deadly force encounter.

Finally, I believe that a good patrol rifle should be outfitted with a collapsible stock. These forms of stocks are almost universal and standard issue in many AR-15 configurations so this should not become an issue. Although not absolutely necessary, a collapsible stock provides the shooter a greater deal of mobility in tight spaces, and also allows officers of different builds to set up the rifle to fit them.
Before a patrol officer enters the field with the rifle they must undergo an orientation and qualification training. Failure to do so opens agencies to liability for negligently providing equipment that an officer does not know how to use.

In this course the officers should be trained on the following critical areas:

• nomenclature of the weapon
• proper carry positions
• use of the sling
• use of the light
• use of the sighting system including iron sights
• field stripping for proper cleaning and maintenance
• safety features
• loading, unloading, and failure to fire drills
• transitioning to sidearms
• defensive tactics while a long gun is slung
• basic proficiency firing drills
• combat qualification course that includes different position shooting.

Hopefully this article is preaching to the choir, but I am keenly aware that there are still many agencies that do not arm their officers with patrol rifles. Whether this is due to image or budgetary concerns creative ways to overcome these obstacles must be found. Active shooters from around the country have struck in rural areas, not just major metropolitan centers. Armed robbers often target smaller communities due to lessor security measures and fewer cops. To maintain our professional image, the trust of the people, and to fulfill our sworn duty we must have the necessary tools to accomplish the tasks that we may face.

Ultimately we must recognize that the first line of defense in our struggle with armed criminals and terrorists, is the properly trained and equipped patrol officer. One of the best ways to prepare those officers is to entrust them with the patrol rifle.

Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 Review

In April, I reported that the Los Angeles, CA Police Department had approved the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 for back-up and off-duty carry.  BlueSheepdog.com obtained one for review, so here we go!

LAPD’s initial specifications for the gun called for a deactivation of the laser sight, which is an integral part of the receiver’s polymer frame.  In addition, their specs requested a removal of the left side safety lever.

The laser and safety lever are present on current guns, but a S&W representative told me that future production guns for the LAPD would eliminate these two features.

Unfortunately, the reworked Bodyguard did not exist at press time, so S&W sent us the current production gun.  To be fair, for testing we left the laser and safety alone.

The Gun

The Bodyguard 380 shipped in the dark blue cardboard box.  Inside, the gun was encased in a nice zippered nylon dayplanner-style case.  The interior of the case had elastic slip holders for the gun and a spare magazine.

The Bodyguard arrived with one steel-bodied six round magazine that has a slightly flared floor plate for added gripping surface.  The magazine has a bright orange follower for visibility.  Included in the box were the manual, test fired casing, and a gun padlock.

The Bodyguard 380 is a hammer-fired, double action only, .380 ACP semi-automatic pistol with a polymer lower frame and a stainless steel slide.  The slide is coated in black Melonite.  The left side of the gun has the takedown lever, slide stop lever, manual safety lever, and button magazine release.

For the record, the Insight Technology laser sits in line with the barrel and is activated by a gray button on either side of the frame.  The laser buttons cycle between “on,” “pulsing,” and “off.”

The frame of the gun is a matte polymer with stippled sections on the front, sides and rear of the grip.  I found the gun felt solid in the hand, especially with the lower lip jutting down on the magazine.  The front of the magazine lip also has the stippling.

The gun’s patridge sights are a serrated front ramp and a serrated square-notched rear sight.  Both front and rear sights are drift adjustable for windage.  The sights are designed to be smooth and snag-free.

The slide has a loaded chamber indicator that is a small window in the top of the slide/chamber junction.  This allows you to visually see the case rim of a chambered round.  The bullet casing can also been seen in a relief in the right side of the slide immediately in front of the extractor.

The Bodyguard has a 2.75” barrel.  The gun is 5.4” in length, 4.1” in height, and a very svelte 0.75” in width.  At 11.85 ozs., it is very light, yet retains enough weight and size that it does not handle like a toy.

A word about field stripping.  When I first went to break the gun down, I had trouble with the takedown lever.  It did not seem to rotate down as instructed in the manual.  I soon learned that the lever had a slight redesign not yet found in the manual.

Early production guns had a problem with the takedown lever coming loose during extended firing.  Smith & Wesson addressed this by changing the lever.  Now, instead of turning the lever 180 degrees counterclockwise, the lever turns 270 degrees in that direction for disassembly.

This also requires a bit of added force, so unless you have longshoreman’s hands, I suggest using a wood or plastic dowel to assist its movement.

Range Time

I shot the Bodyguard in two range venues:  SWAT training and at a local gun range.  The .380 ACP ammunition I fired included 90 grain Speer Gold Dot Hollow Point, 95 grain Speer Lawman Total Metal Jacket, and 95 grain Fiocchi Full Metal Jacket.

The first range run was predictable for a new semi-auto.  Initial shooting was punctuated with the expected hiccups.  The Bodyguard suffered its share of failures to feed and failures to eject.

The gun shot just below point of aim at 7 to 10 yards with all three rounds.  The Speer GDHP is my department mandated carry ammo.  I did not use the laser, though it could be seen in the bright daylight at 7 yards on the white portions of the targets.

The trigger pull of the Bodyguard is excruciatingly long.  The sear breaks at about 3/16^th of an inch before the trigger meets the frame.  I put the trigger pull between 8 and 10 pounds.  The hammer falls with a sharp snap.

Though I had zero ammunition failures, the Bodyguard’s hammer allows for a second strike capability should a primer not fire.

My next range experience with the Bodyguard 380 was much more favorable.  Though I had three failures to feed at the very beginning of the range session, the gun has come into reliability the more it has been fired.

Neither Richard, nor I, was in love with the long trigger pull, but I will say that for a close range combat weapon it is manageable.  Besides, this gun’s intended playing field is the street, not a sniper competition.

I got used to its heavy revolver-like trigger early into several hundred rounds.  By the time we were ready to get some barbeque for lunch, the gun was shooting flawlessly, even with mixed magazines of hollow point and hardball.

I have shot over four hundred rounds through this gun.  It has broken in nicely.  I like to have five hundred rounds through a gun like this before I will trust my life with it, but I don’t foresee a problem making this happen.

Summary

Despite that it was not yet proofed as a carry gun, I did tote the Bodyguard around as a back-up for several months.  Though similar to my Kel-Tec P3AT, the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard has an advanced feel, as if it were an evolution of the popular original polymer .380.

I cannot stress enough the proper break-in period of a firearm for self defense carry.  Had I not spent the time to shoot this gun into good function, like many other guns I’ve owned, I might have gotten rid of it prematurely.

The Bodyguard 380 offers a list of features not all found on comparable .380 guns; namely, second strike capability, real adjustable sights, a safety lever, a loaded chamber indicator, a slide stop lever, slide lock after the last round, and a built in laser.

Smith & Wesson achieved a price point of $399.00 MSRP for the Bodyguard 380, which is very reasonable considering how much gun you get for your money.

I like this gun.  With a holster, it is ideal for pocket carry.  I have shown the Bodyguard 380 to quite a few co-workers.  After taking a close look at it, many fellow cops have offered to buy it from me.  I think that says it all.

Randall is a twenty-three year sworn police officer in a mid-sized Florida police department.  He has been an FTO, K9 Handler, Detective, and SWAT Team Leader.  He is currently the Midnight Shift K9 Sergeant and department SWAT Coordinator.

Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 Review

Close up view of the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380

Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 at the range

Ofc. Stacy Booth was walking up to the front of the target residence when a suspect fired approximately 20 rounds from an SKS rifle through the front door. Ofc. Booth was hit by 7.62 X 39 mm bullets in the lower abdomen and right forearm. Another bullet struck her holstered firearm.

Wounded, and now with an inoperable handgun, Ofc. Booth managed to crawl to a neighboring garage. She radioed for assistance and was sheltered by the homeowners, who closed the garage door and gave her aid.

The suspect, Michael Wayne Lester, fired more rounds at arriving officers. He was eventually arrested in his house by a SWAT team. Inside, they found over a thousand rounds of ammunition, the SKS, a Ruger Mini-30, and a shotgun.

Ofc. Booth remains in critical, but stable condition. She was wearing a ballistic vest, though it would not have stopped the rifle round. She was nevertheless struck below the vest’s front panel.

Lester is charged with 4 counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, possessing a firearm while engaged in a felony, shooting in an occupied dwelling, aggravated battery, and resisting arrest with violence.

I have noticed a dismally low number of officers carrying a secondary handgun in my area. I have implored our employees to take advantage of the ability to carry a back-up, since our department policy did not allow it until several years ago.

The secondary firearm may be needed when you are not able to access your primary handgun or in the event your primary fails. I do not know if Ofc. Booth had a secondary firearm, but I hope she did.

Please stay prepared and alert when you go into the field. Prayers to Ofc. Booth for a complete recovery.

Randall is a twenty-three year sworn police officer in a mid-sized Florida police department. He has been an FTO, K9 Handler, Detective, and SWAT Team Leader. He is currently the Midnight Shift K9 Sergeant and department SWAT Coordinator.