current secret service load out.

[rotten mick]

Just got done watching "In The Line Of Fire" for the first time in years. I know its movie make believe, but they appeared to carry a wide range of handguns. Anybody know whats the current issue duty weapon? Is it required or can the carry there own choice? Also the bedroom scene with Eastwood and Rene Russo was funny watching all that equipment hitting the floor; full size and backup guns, knives, sap, asp, flashlight, phone, handcuffs, spare magazines and radio. Oh my thats a lot of crap to carry concealed. Anybody know how to carry all that? I thought i was doing good carrying my full size 9mm plus a spare magazine and a flashlight. Of course thats just casual wear and a suit has lots of extra pockets.... but still...

[Mike Irwin]

I believe the primary duty weapon is still the Sig 229 in .357 Sig.

The Secret Service agents I know carry that particular handgun.

Supposed the FN FiveseveN is also authorized as a carry gun.

[g.willikers]

Why do they choose oddball calibers that are harder to find should they need to buy some?

[SHE3PDOG]

They probably never have to buy there own. I'd guess they use odd calibers to reduce the likelihood of a weapon being used against them if it were taken. This seems like something that could rarely happen anyway, but I suppose every bit of possible extra caution is taken to protect people more important than us.

[Technosavant]

Why do they choose oddball calibers that are harder to find should they need to buy some?

The .357 Sig isn't oddball nor is it hard to find... in fact, it was still more available than the other calibers in the recent panic.

Keep in mind, though, the fed.gov buys ammo in large lots (it's what had people up in arms during the panic because they neither understood economies of scale nor exactly what was going on)... when you can order in the millions of rounds at a time there's nothing that's hard to find.

If I called up Federal/ATK, Winchester/Olin, Remington, or anybody else this afternoon with a purchase order for a couple million rounds of anything they'd likely be finding a way to work it into their production schedule.

[Patriot86]

They use 357 SIG because of the real or perceived lethality and penetration of the round would be my guess; Same goes for the Five Seven

I believe for a while the Secret Service carried P220's in 38 super for much the same reason

[RBid]

The .357 Sig isn't oddball nor is it hard to find... in fact, it was still more available than the other calibers in the recent panic.

Funny story...

I managed an LGS during the insanity. I got a call one day, and the guy on the other end of the phone asked me if he could get .357 SIG. I told him we didn't have any. He said he had been trying to find some anywhere in the Portland, OR area, and had been unable. He followed it up with a rant about asking his brother in law, who worked for the Secret Service, what he should get for his first firearm. BIL told him to get... a Sig P229 in .357 SIG. This man was not a happy guy. He was going off about his BIL telling him to get something he can't find anywhere, and complaining that he couldn't go shoot his new gun.

On the bright side, the 229 in .357 SIG is obviously a very capable and awesome handgun.

[ClydeFrog]

Actor Scott Glenn who portrayed a active US Secret Service SA in another Clint Eastwood film said he wore all the required gear & weapons of a working USSS protective detail agent and was surprised by the weight.
Today's US Secret Service agents use the SIG Sauer P229R DAK(Double Action Kellerman) in .357sig. They also carry ASP impact weapons & handcuffs.
SAs & special units also use the FNH P90 select-fire 5.7mm SMG & the older HK MP5 SMG(9x19mm). Snipers use the M-82A1 .50BMG & Remington 700 7.62mm.
The USSS uniform div also uses the 870 12ga pump shotgun.

In the recent crime drama; The Sentinel, www.IMDb.com , actor Kiefer Sutherland's US Secret Service agent character went on a long, distorted explanation of how US Secret Service agents draw & fire their sidearms.
The US Secret Service converted to the SIG P229R DAK format about a year & a half ago. To my knowledge both the special agents & the uniformed division use the P229R .357sig.
Clyde

[pelican]

I saw The Sentinel, and it was pretty good.

Sutherland's character was wrong in his assessment of the crime scene, as mentioned in the last four or five paragraphs of this article.

http://www.film-tech.com/ubb/f12/t000584.html

[dogtown tom]

rotten mick Just got done watching "In The Line Of Fire" for the first time in years. I know its movie make believe, but they appeared to carry a wide range of handguns. Anybody know whats the current issue duty weapon? Is it required or can the carry there own choice? Also the bedroom scene with Eastwood and Rene Russo was funny watching all that equipment hitting the floor; full size and backup guns, knives, sap, asp, flashlight, phone, handcuffs, spare magazines and radio. Oh my thats a lot of crap to carry concealed. Anybody know how to carry all that? I thought i was doing good carrying my full size 9mm plus a spare magazine and a flashlight. Of course thats just casual wear and a suit has lots of extra pockets.... but still...

One of my best friends is USSS. I just spent five hours with him cruising Fort Worth gun shops.

He gets a kick out of that movie and "Guarding Tess".
He carries a Sig 229 spare mag, personal and issue cell phones and a pair of lightweight flex cuffs. No ASP, no sap, no nunchucks, no flashlight, no Taser, no mace...........thats it. When "on duty" he gets a radio. When his duty requires it an M4 carbine is nearby.

Understand that USSS special agents may be in investigation or on protective details...........different jobs require different tools.

229 in .357sig is the only authorized handgun.
"Off duty" 228 or 226 are authorized.
Only Special Agents who are "grandfathered" may carry the 230 or 232 .380's as an off duty weapon....USSS no longer allows sa's to qualify with a .380

The FN Five Seven handgun is not issued or authorized by USSS. (and never has been)

The FN P90 was authorized, but the overwhelming majority of USSS just uses the M4 carbine.

g.willikers Why do they choose oddball calibers that are harder to find should they need to buy some?

Agents are not permitted to buy their own guns, ammunition or duty holsters.

[jhenry]

I can tell you for sure and for certain that the precision rifle used in the 80's by the presidential security detail was a modified Rem. 700 in 7mm Remington Magnum. The ammo was custom by Remington. 160 or so grain fmj purchased by the lot after each and every lot was tested. Might have been 168 grain. The only thing standard on that rifle was the action, magazine, and trigger guard. The handguns at that time were SW .357 magnums. 3" K frames in crossdraws mostly.

I have no idea what those boys are using now, so I won't pretend to know.

Stateside they were very professional guys and oddly enough, loved to talk. Overseas they kind of went a little wild. Severe party animals. Projectile vomiters.