Are your officers ever required to present their duty firearms for inspection by someone like an agency armorer or supervisors at various levels? “Routine” means inspections that are conducted on a schedule or at least at odd intervals without there being a specific reason or request based on a reported problem. “Mandatory” means that although there may be exceptions, most officers don’t have a choice whether to provide their weapons for inspection. (If there are formal or de facto exceptions for high level supervisors, SWAT members, etc., ignore those. This is about the patrol officers.)

If so, does it include a check to ensure that the guns have been cleaned and properly lubricated since they were last fired? Or is it just to check serviceability and basic functioning?

The question does not refer to personally-owned weapons or for off duty or backup firearms, unless the answer is yes.

If you aren’t a member of a law enforcement organization but are familiar with the policies and practices of one, please contribute what you know.

All comments are appreciated.

Question:
Does your agency conduct routine mandatory inspections of officers’ duty firearms?

Choices:
Yes.
No.

Question:
If yes, do the inspections include checking for maintenance, that is, cleanliness and lubrication along with serviceability?

Choices:
No routine mandatory inspections.
Inspect for maintenance and serviceability.
Inspect for serviceability only.
Inspect for maintenance only.

 

Yes, quarterly.

About ten years back, we had an OIS where it was discovered that at least one of the people present had at least one magazine that was about half full. He did not shoot (wasn't really in a spot to, and there were a lot of witnesses to confirm), but everybody's gun was checked by the state agents that handled the investigation.

It was seen as an embarrassment (because it was) and the chief just wasn't going to have that. So, rather than institute anything with teeth, we (instructors) check their guns after the two department ranges are complete (at the range before they leave) and two more times during the year in the other quarters that are pre-announced. Only the absolute laziest could ever have an issue.

We're primarily checking cleanliness, weapon light status, and magazine loading along with a basic functions check. Armorer level detail inspections are annual.

Inspections are only conducted by range staff and only on the above schedule. I think supervisors need to be empowered to do them and they need to be done randomly to be effective.

quote:

About ten years back, we had an OIS where it was discovered that at least one of the people present had at least one magazine that was about half full.

We had a guy once who unloaded his weapon every night after work.....remove the mag, eject the one in the chamber and put it aside. Next day before work he would put the mag back in, chamber a round and never top off with the ejected one from the night before. He did this all the time and just so happened that a supervisor inspected our weapons one day and found him with less than half of a fully loaded (15 rd) magazine in the pistol.

The large agency I'm retired from conducted random weapons checks by supervisors...if they remembered or cared. Otherwise, it was done quarterly with required shoots.

Handgun inspection for function and maintenance once a year by immediate supervisor. Our range instructors check rifles during qualification. All department issued weapons are checked at least once a year.

Although you didn’t ask, tasers and non-lethal are checked by taser instructors during annual recertification class.

My old department had a quarterly weapon inspection because a sergeant found a training round in an officers pistol one day...six months after range day.

So once a quarter, the Sgt would line us up, and inspect the cleanliness of the pistol, then it spread to shotguns and rifles.

Once a year the armorer would inspect the weapons for wear, serviceability, springs were measured, etc...

I was the rifle and shotgun armorer and did the same with them.

Everything was documented.

Tasers were spark tested while in front of the patrol car to document the camera was working properly. The camera documented the tasers function also. Made us patrol guys all feel like kindergartners but I understand why they did it.

Yes - Handguns (both division and personally owned)

No - Rifles and shotguns

Annually at the quarterly qualification in the spring.
A department armorer will take the glocks fully down inspect and clean them. Then we qualify as our function check after the complete tear down.
They’ll replace parts if need be or swap out a gun if there is something they don’t like.

As for rifles and shotguns they don’t. We qualify annually and I guess they feel if they work they are good.
I would guess with the division owned guns they inspect them when someone turns theirs in but not sure.

I have been requesting to go to armorers school for years now with no dice.
I may put myself through a course some day.

Our weapons were checked about once a month by a supervisor at briefing before shift. The supervisor would say “weapons inspection” and we’d go outside to the weapon clearing barrel. We’d come back in with a cleared weapon(slide back/magazine out/empty chamber) where the supervisor would then inspect them. After inspection, it was back outside to the barrel where we’d load them before holstering.

Also, before qualifying twice each year, our range master would quickly inspect our weapons when they were broken down before shooting. He would ask you if you had any issues and take care of anything he could before the course of fire.

To add, a former assistant or deputy chief, who had retired from his old agency and was in training with us, fired off a round into the side of our building at the clearing barrel while I was inside. He was so embarrassed, but that didn’t fail him. He continued on and became a well-respected officer with us.

In my old department, quals were twice a year and the armorers checked our sidearms and backup guns after we shot and cleaned. My current department does everything once a year.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: snoris,

Not a LEO, armed security. I've been with the same agency for the past 7 years. No one has looked at our firearms. No official armorer that I'm aware of. We qualify twice a year and clean our guns afterwards.

That being said, I was a qualified Glock Armorer when I worked for a different agency. Guys know this and ask me to look at their pistols, sometimes making mag release modifications if they are left-handed, or swapping out stocks sights for night sights. I keep a round count on my pistol and will ask to have some springs ordered when the time comes......

We aren't "supposed" to practice with our issued firearm.... how strange that is! Also, we are supposed to get authorization for cleaning said pistol, if we are out of the qualification cycle. (/sarcasm on) Sometimes, I wonder why they even issue us ammo! (/sarcasm off)

Back in the day of service revolvers on the duty belts occasionally see the cartridges had been in the loops so long since last removed you could see a blue green substance on the bullets and leather and some times you could see a thin white dust ring on the base of the cartridge because Brasso/cleaner had been used to make the brass casing shine. But sometimes the Brasso/cleaner would make the primer inactive causing a failure to fire. Can any of you remember or relate to this happening . ..................... drill sgt.

I live and worked in a state that allows multiple commissions, so in 36 years and 6 commissions only one agency ever inspected weapons, and that was part of qualifications. You were on your own at the other agencies.

Ours were done 2X a year by the range officer/armorer at the range house during annual qualifications. Included off duty or alternate duty guns too. Regards 18DAI

No inspections except a random one to see that you have all your equipment and that it is stored properly.
Our pistols are sent to the armourer every three years for a complete rebuild.
Sadly I expect that most officers clean and lube their pistol at our yearly AQ and don't do any maintenance until the next AQ.

I have been retired a while but when I was still there sergeants inspected firearms and duty gear (badge, ID, uniform, handcuffs, baton, OC spray, flashlights, etc, and cruisers), once per month. It was a performance report item. We qualified with handgun four times a year, and exchanged duty ammo for new ammo twice a year. SWAT trained and qualified every month, and their gear and weapons were inspected at training. Our department armorer gave you a loaner and took every handgun and shotgun in for a detailed inspection once per year. I know we were the exception, but three of the last four chiefs had been SWAT officers, it is in the DNA.

After quarterly qual the FIs are supposed to check them after we've gone back to the station and cleaned them.

Yes, by policy.

However, I have never seen it done.

Monthly clean check and a function check.

Once a year for full service take down inspection per Sig .
Per their schedule different items such as springs may be replaced.
This is part of a accreditation requirement also and documentation must be shown.

As department armorer and FI, I inspected everything that shot bullets once a year. Required by policy, IIRC. I also did a quick check during training shoots and quals. At that time, we were using P229 .40s and 870s. ARs were just coming on line.

Semi annual inspections at our quarterly shoots by shift supervisors with armorers help. Our armors did annual cleanings.