I'm a retired Police Officer.
I began my career in 1973. At that time we were taught a similar style of combat revolver shooting as people are taught today. A two handed modified weaver for distance shooting, and a one handed quick front sight alignment method for close in situations. We practiced re-loads for every string of 6 fired. Then to combat reload whenever empty, or if we lost count. We were not however taught to fire until empty. My department is one of the very few that still allows officers to carry service revolvers. Although there are fewer, and fewer at every range cycle.
In the beginning the standard regulation round was a 158 gr lead semi wad-cutter .38 spl. loaded from box type carriers. As time passed we eventually upgraded to 158gr SWC +P, then to 158gr SWC +p NYCLADS re-loaded from speed loaders. Although most training was done with wad cutters, we always fired a minimum of 50 rounds of street ammo at the end qualification sequence. Although not the same difference as .357 vs .38spl... There is still a huge difference between .38 spl W/C ammo and .38spl +p ammo. Eventually all practice with W/C ammo was eliminated, and both practice, and qualification was done with street ammo.
IMO... No matter what the weapon pistol or revolver. Or the caliber .38 or .45 (and everything in between) it's the man or woman behind the gun that is the threat. There are some instances where gun's and ammo werent capable of delivering what was asked of them. I submit that this is the exception, and not the rule. I submit that most often in police tragidy's(sp) it's the tactics that fail. Not the equipment.
Glenn D.
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