[Gaucho Gringo]

Originally Posted by hgmeyer

I am a former LEO and carried both, a Mel 19 S&W and then a 1911 Colt. There were high capacity 9mm available Hi-powers and Mdl 59 S&W. They held no attraction for me. My belief was that a well placed shot with a powerful cartridge was the best choice I could make. Magazine capacity and fast reloads were not a first priority, single stack or speed loaders were sufficient. The key was "A well placed shot". Constant practice and training, then and now, is the absolute necessity. "Noises 14 or 6 defeat no threat. I understand all of the theory behind a striker fired hi-cap 9mm. I call BS on a lot of the narrative. LEOs need to be "pistoleros", because it is a skill necessary to the job. Because current management was not trained to that concept, "old timers" like Bill Jordan aren't followed.

Every LEO should feel that their handgun is a part of their hand. But, that requires a level of training that makes current management uncomfortable. Guns are just not viewed positively by them and the politicians. And, training and practice is expensive.

A good revolver in the hands of a "pistoleros is a whole lot more potent than a 17 round whiz bang 9mm in the hands of some LEO who barely "qualifies" and has only minimal skills.

I agree, today the police practice spray and pray. In police shootouts in the last 15-20 years the ratio between the number of shots fired and the number of hits on the perp is enough to make a blind man an expert marksman by comparison.