Interesting look at Police sidearm during the 1970's

[titsonritz]

To me, if you can remember the name and particulars of that ONE time, it's hardly an epidemic.

Unless its the North Hollywood shootout or some such, 100%.

 

[Horatius]

I lived in Eugene in the early 80's when Two Eugene police officers engaged a Bank Robber in a pizza parlor. they both were running wheel guns against one guy with a 1911. they were badly outgunned and both wounded and laying on the floor, before one brave officer (if they moved Bad guy shot) scooped a couple off the floor and managed a partial reload hitting the suspect in the jaw and knocking him out. That shootout is when the Eugene police went to semi's! Brave men and women out there willing to risk their lives to keep the veneer of civility around.

 

[DeanMk]

I lived in Eugene in the early 80's when Two Eugene police officers engaged a Bank Robber in a pizza parlor. they both were running wheel guns against one guy with a 1911. they were badly outgunned and both wounded and laying on the floor, before one brave officer (if they moved Bad guy shot) scooped a couple off the floor and managed a partial reload hitting the suspect in the jaw and knocking him out. That shootout is when the Eugene police went to semi's! Brave men and women out there willing to risk their lives to keep the veneer of civility around.

Reminds of back when I did security work and one of the guys I worked with had been working the border with Mexico before joining our outfit.
He often patrolled on horseback because it was a very good match for the terrain, but Border Patrol armed him with a lever rifle and a wheel gun, while the Mexicans had fully automatic weapons and bags of loaded mags.
He said he felt like he was playing cowboys and indians with a modern military. Stupid.

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To whomever asked about .32 as a police round, that would be around 1890.
When Teddy Roosevelt became the head of he NYPD, one thing he notice is that there was no standard issue firearm and that cops were using their own guns, or one's they'd purchased for the job.
This included some single shot black powder percussion handguns (chosen due to low cost).
Roosevelt decided the police needed to get with the times and he instigated the mandatory use of modern Colt double action wheel guns chambered in .32 caliber.

 

[P7M13]

Yeabut in all the Barnaby Jones documentaries he hip shoots a car with his snubnose .38 and it explodes with one round, proving the training back then was awesome and the power of the .38 is MORE than adequate.


Lol

He could shoot the dirt with a Kentucky rifle or Trapdoor Springfield and produce oil. The man was a heckuva shot.

 

[BluMtn]

When I worked for the WSP we were issued S&W Mod 28's with 6" barrels. We carried 38+P+ ammo. It had the same velocity as the 357, but was not considered a "Magnum" so if you did get into a gunfight the defense attorny could not ask why in court did you shoot my Defendant with a "magnum" caliber. At least that is what they told us at the time.

 

[Longwalkhome]

I love the model 28, it was a great hunting gun for me in the 6 inch barrel. Heavy on the belt but when you touched off a magnum that weight sure helped in recoil. One of my good friends talked me into buying a 28 as a young man, still a good friend.

I ramble on when revolvers were popular and everyone carried them we had gunsmiths that knew how to work on them. Better days gents.