Over the last couple of weeks, some interesting things have happened in LE handguns in Arkansas that I thought I would share...
First, at the law enforcement academy where I teach, we just finished "range week." For the first time in our 20 year history, the 9mm has now surpassed the .40 in popularity. The change was abrupt. As recently as last fall's class, the .40 was still king by far. Those days are gone. This semester, it broke down into 26 9mm pistols, 17 .40s, and 7 .45s. Both the .40 and .45 numbers are way down from last year. The Gen 5 Glock 9mm's have proven to be utterly reliable over a demanding week and are proliferating at a faster rate than I imagined. The students are very happy with the Gen 5's.
Side-note: We had 4 P320 FS pistols because a large agency sent these 4 students and the P320 is their duty weapon. This agency recently retired their Beretta Storm PX-4 pistols in .40, which unfortunately, had proven to be terribly prone to significant parts breakage. The "Top Shot" in the class was one of the officers carrying his issue P320, our first non-Glock top shot. The P320 shooter beat the Gen 5 G17 shooter by 7 points in a tie breaker. Like the Gen 5 Glock 17s and 19s, each student's P320 made it through 1500 rounds in 5 days with no malfunctions.
The Gen 3 Glock 22 .40/Streamlight TLR-1 goat f$%k continues unabated. Sheriffs and chiefs should be removed from office for continuing to demand that this combo be issued and carried. The only malfunctions we saw all week were from this combo. Pull the WML and the G22 runs just fine, but when I tell students to pull the WML so that they can get through the week, you'd think I told them to jump off a cliff. Eyes glaze over. Our range will be a better place when the last Gen 3 G22/TLR-1 is gone for good.
After a long and very successful run with the Glock 21SF and 230-gr. Golden Saber .45, the Arkansas State Police are moving to the Gen 5 Glock 17 for uniforms and Gen 5 Glock 19 for plain clothes/undercover. The ASP has won many, many gunfights with the G21/Golden Saber, but a friend of mine in the agency who was involved with testing said that the troopers are very happy to be moving to the Gen 5 Glock 9mm and their duty load will be the Remington Golden Saber Black Belt 124-gr. 9mm. I was concerned about this duty load, but since Remington ammo is made in Lonoke, Arkansas, I can understand the choice. Ballistics tests were conducted in Little Rock, and my friend said that the GS absolutely smoked the other competitor, Winchester's Ranger T 124-gr. JHP, which he said often failed to expand at all in gel. I've noticed this in videos, too. The Black Belt tested very well in FBI-style testing. Sig V-Crown 9mm was not in the running because it's non-bonded, even though it's made in Arkansas.
The Arkansas State Parks are also retiring their Glock 21/Golden Saber combo and moving to the Gen 5 Glock 45 9mm. Their duty load will be also be the Black Belt, and the G45s are equipped with Ameriglo Bold night sights with orange front. Two of my friends are with this agency. They've already received their G45s and couldn't be happier.
Lastly, I have a dear friend in Fayetteville, Arkansas, who is a deputy US Marshal. They are now being issued their choice of the Glock 17M or G19M. Speer Gold Dot G2 147-gr. 9mm is the duty load and my buddy gladly chose the G19M.
It surely is a 9mm world. We just live in it.
Posts: 1092 | Location: Arkansas | Registered: September 25, 2008
Our academy is starting Range Week on Monday. If I get chance, I'll post the caliber breakdown for cadets from the Northwest corner of the state.
But I do know that one of the largest agencies in the area is in the process of transitioning from .40 to 9mm, and several of the others have already been 9mm for a while.
The Gen5 Glocks are great guns. More and more of our folks are switching to 9mm instead of .45, and more are carrying their own Gen5 17s (we issue Gen4 21s and 19s). I went to a Gen5 17 with Ameriglos and I really like it. I think Glock really got it right with the Gen5 9mms.
Originally posted by Bulldog7972: Interesting. Did they look at the Federal HST in their testing?
I asked about the HST. It's our academy duty load, too, but he said it wasn't tested. He didn't give a reason why but I'll text him and try to find out. Regarding Winchester, he said that Winchester actually called the ASP and asked to be tested. They wanted the contract but the Golden Saber Black Belt simply did better in testing. He was emphatic that it wasn't even close. I was surprised.
Posts: 1092 | Location: Arkansas | Registered: September 25, 2008
Originally posted by radioman: Any M&P 2.0 being used?
No, sir. We had 50 students and no M&P 2.0s. It's odd. A couple of our adjunct firearms instructors carry 2.0s, but none of our students. Occasionally, you'll see an M&P 1.0 9mm or .40, but they're rare.
In .45, it's all Glock 21 and they are always reliable. In 11 years there, I can't recall a single issue with a G21.
Posts: 1092 | Location: Arkansas | Registered: September 25, 2008
Very cool. Thanks for the update. I do not miss my G22/TLR-1 setup, though mine was Gen 4 and I only had issues once the recoil spring had about 5k rounds through it.
We're in the middle stages of switching over to a Gen 5 17/19 as the agency issue, with (hopefully soon...) the option to carry others on your own dime.
________________ tempus edax rerum
Posts: 1251 | Location: Oregon | Registered: March 18, 2014
Originally posted by RogueJSK: Our academy is starting Range Week on Monday. If I get chance, I'll post the caliber breakdown for cadets from the Northwest corner of the state.
But I do know that one of the largest agencies in the area is in the process of transitioning from .40 to 9mm, and several of the others have already been 9mm for a while.
I look forward to this, Rogue.
Posts: 1092 | Location: Arkansas | Registered: September 25, 2008
