[CoC] Police gun by era
- Thread starter skulrik
- Start date
Henry
Autoexreginated
I'm assuming you are looking for Canadian Police...
Unfortunately, the history is as colorful and varied as the individual districts and precincts across the world themselves. Every police department has had its own development.
For the U.S., Police forces really didn't become a standard facet until the early 1800's - before then, you were either well-to-do enough to get your own justice, or you didn't have any alternatives. Police also did not necessarily start out armed, but with small clubs (truncheons) and rattles or whistles. Over time, as the criminals up-tech'ed, the Police have had to follow.
a very good site is www.police999.com - I just discovered it. EDIT - I forgot to mention that this site was for the history of police in the UK, but it is a very good starting point for the history of U.S. and canadian police as well.
For Canadian resources, I'm afraid I couldn't find much.
Unfortunately, the history is as colorful and varied as the individual districts and precincts across the world themselves. Every police department has had its own development.
For the U.S., Police forces really didn't become a standard facet until the early 1800's - before then, you were either well-to-do enough to get your own justice, or you didn't have any alternatives. Police also did not necessarily start out armed, but with small clubs (truncheons) and rattles or whistles. Over time, as the criminals up-tech'ed, the Police have had to follow.
a very good site is www.police999.com - I just discovered it. EDIT - I forgot to mention that this site was for the history of police in the UK, but it is a very good starting point for the history of U.S. and canadian police as well.
For Canadian resources, I'm afraid I couldn't find much.
Last edited:
Dieter
First Post
It wasn't until the 20th century that there was any standardization of firearms carried by law enforcent officials.
As a pre-1900 lawdog, you pretty much carried whatever you could afford. Most people carried a variant of the Colt. They were fairly cheap and readily available almost everywhere. S&W was also a big producer at the time. In England, you had Webley.
The service revolver from the 1940's until about the late 1980's was your standard .380, 6-shot revolver. When the criminals starting packing heavier, most departments (at least in big cities) made the 9mm automatic the required sidearm of beat cops.
However, if you talk to cops today, most would prefer their pistol chambered in .45 cal. The main reason is that it has significantly greater stopping power/penetration to its 9mm cousin. One-shot drop is particularly good at subduing a violent person without peppering them with half a clip of 9mm ammo.
As a pre-1900 lawdog, you pretty much carried whatever you could afford. Most people carried a variant of the Colt. They were fairly cheap and readily available almost everywhere. S&W was also a big producer at the time. In England, you had Webley.
The service revolver from the 1940's until about the late 1980's was your standard .380, 6-shot revolver. When the criminals starting packing heavier, most departments (at least in big cities) made the 9mm automatic the required sidearm of beat cops.
However, if you talk to cops today, most would prefer their pistol chambered in .45 cal. The main reason is that it has significantly greater stopping power/penetration to its 9mm cousin. One-shot drop is particularly good at subduing a violent person without peppering them with half a clip of 9mm ammo.
Well, nothing was ever really stanadized for US police forces, though there have been some powerful trends that cover your sterotypical cop's sidearm very well. Right at the turn of the century you have the .38 S&W, chambered in either .38 S&W or .38 Long Colt, neither was a really powerful round, but in a simple double action revolver they worked. By the Twenties you have the .38 special, still in either a S&W or Colt DA revolver. By the fifty you'll have the S&W DA in .357, and its almost standard by the late 60's. By this time some individuals will have semi-auto sidearms. Mostly these will be the venerable Colt 1911A1 in .45 ACP, some in .38 Super in the late 70's, and the Browning Hi Power in 9mm.
By the 80s you have most departments issueing a semi-auto side arm, usually in 9mm, a Beretta or S&W being the most common. This trend continues, with the Glock and Sig weapons being added to the aray of issue sidearms. The idea was that the 9mm had plenty of power, and allowed for more rounds carried to make up for the paniced shooting under stress that many cops did when they had to use their gun. Cheap ammo most likely didn't hurt in this either.
By the mid to late 90s you have enough stories of people walking through a hail of 9mm rounds that more power is desired in a sidearm. Modern types, reluctant to go to the warhorse that is the .45 ACP went with the .40 S&W mostly. It offered more power than the 9mm, compairable mag capacity and lower felt recoil than the .45 ACP. Most of these guns are in Glock, S&W or Sig vairities. Hope that is some sort of help despite the rambling mannor in which its put up.
Kail
By the 80s you have most departments issueing a semi-auto side arm, usually in 9mm, a Beretta or S&W being the most common. This trend continues, with the Glock and Sig weapons being added to the aray of issue sidearms. The idea was that the 9mm had plenty of power, and allowed for more rounds carried to make up for the paniced shooting under stress that many cops did when they had to use their gun. Cheap ammo most likely didn't hurt in this either.
By the mid to late 90s you have enough stories of people walking through a hail of 9mm rounds that more power is desired in a sidearm. Modern types, reluctant to go to the warhorse that is the .45 ACP went with the .40 S&W mostly. It offered more power than the 9mm, compairable mag capacity and lower felt recoil than the .45 ACP. Most of these guns are in Glock, S&W or Sig vairities. Hope that is some sort of help despite the rambling mannor in which its put up.
Kail
JeffB
Legend
It really depends...so many city, state and county police forces have their own individual budgets and this often determines what they carry...
In modern times I've seen Smith 38's and .357 revolvers. Glocks in 9MM, .40, and 10MM. Rugers in 9MM . Sig Sauers in 9MM, .40 cal, and .45. Smith semi-auto's in 9mm and .40. Beretta 9 MM's. Some of the lower budget places I've even seen carrying Taurus' in 9mm (Beretta 92 copy).I used to work at a large gun shop in the DC Metro area. We had all kinds of police, military, and government agents who were customers so we got to see and talk alot about what they carried. Personally I'm partial to (and carried when I had a civillian concealed carry permit) a good CZ-75 9mm in winter, or a Walther PPK in .380 or Beretta .32 during summer, but I'm wierd like that
In the time of classic CoC (20's and 30's) you could count on pretty much revolvers only for "normal" police officers .38 special, 38 Long and .32's for the most part by companies like S&W, Colt, and H&R.
In modern times I've seen Smith 38's and .357 revolvers. Glocks in 9MM, .40, and 10MM. Rugers in 9MM . Sig Sauers in 9MM, .40 cal, and .45. Smith semi-auto's in 9mm and .40. Beretta 9 MM's. Some of the lower budget places I've even seen carrying Taurus' in 9mm (Beretta 92 copy).I used to work at a large gun shop in the DC Metro area. We had all kinds of police, military, and government agents who were customers so we got to see and talk alot about what they carried. Personally I'm partial to (and carried when I had a civillian concealed carry permit) a good CZ-75 9mm in winter, or a Walther PPK in .380 or Beretta .32 during summer, but I'm wierd like that
In the time of classic CoC (20's and 30's) you could count on pretty much revolvers only for "normal" police officers .38 special, 38 Long and .32's for the most part by companies like S&W, Colt, and H&R.
trancejeremy
Adventurer
It really wasn't until the 80s that semi-automatics were considered reliable enough for police to generally carry. (At least in terms of reputation. The really old Browning High Power is still one of the best semi-automatics, but the whole type had a bad rep for a while)
Revolvers have some drawbacks (only 6 shots, or 5 if you're smart and don't carry a round under the hammer), but they don't jam, and if you have a missfire, you just pull the trigger again. Those features tend to be very important for police, where a gun jam or misfire could be fatal.
So, until the 80s, I'd say either a .38 , .38 special, or .357 magnum revolver. I think .32s were popular in the 20s, but they tended to be mocked by criminals
Revolvers have some drawbacks (only 6 shots, or 5 if you're smart and don't carry a round under the hammer), but they don't jam, and if you have a missfire, you just pull the trigger again. Those features tend to be very important for police, where a gun jam or misfire could be fatal.
So, until the 80s, I'd say either a .38 , .38 special, or .357 magnum revolver. I think .32s were popular in the 20s, but they tended to be mocked by criminals
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