A lot of people look to law enforcement when purchasing a firearm, holster, optic, or other firearms-related items. Part of this is because law enforcement selects weapons that are reliable (most of the time) and because if cops use them, chances are that accessories, parts, and mags are easier to find. Besides working in law enforcement, I also teach a lot of firearms classes. One of the questions I am asked the most is “What kind of guns do you carry?”
As such, you find a wide variety of firearms being used by members of law enforcement. Some are the newest and nicest models available, and others were issued before you were born. And that makes some of those guns pretty darn old. So, have you ever wondered how an agency selects a gun and why they all choose different ones? Let’s look at some of the most popular firearms LE use today and how they select those firearms.
The Selection Process
I wish I could say members of law enforcement have a standard they all follow when choosing a weapons platform for their people. But each agency is different, having its own process to select its gear. The politics, budgets, and size of the agency all play a role in how and what gets selected. Believe it or not, a lot of smaller agencies out there still require their officers to provide their own guns.
This is not uncommon in rural areas where cities have small budgets and buying guns for a few guys is not on their to-do list. In this case, the city often has a list of acceptable guns the officer may carry. Big cities tend to keep their equipment for ages because the experience of replacing so much gear is mind-blowing. At the beginning of 2022, the LAPD received one shipment of 10,000 FN handguns. 10,000. Granted, they won’t have to purchase handguns for a long time, but I can only imagine what the price tag was for that shipment.
This was just the first order after their selection process was completed. If you are going to spend millions of dollars on weapons, you bet the selection process will be lengthy and expensive. They required 20,000-round tests for each gun they considered. Other agencies select a gun that has already been tested by larger departments, federal agencies, or the Military.
Agencies often do trial periods to get feedback from their own officers. Others select a gun based on deals made by the manufacturers for volume sales. There are a lot of reliable guns on the market, so it often comes down to who offers the best bang for the buck.
Glock Handguns
For quite some time now, Glock has dominated the handgun market, and this includes law enforcement agencies. Back when most cops were still carrying revolvers, Glock was gearing up to target America’s finest. They were in the right place at the right time because several shootings across the country in the 1980s caused agencies to go scrambling for a new gun. Glock was the new “plastic” gun that didn’t turn heads right away but soon dominated the industry. These guns were the most modern thing anyone had seen, and they were reliable and budget-friendly.
My agency and several others around have been adding 9mm AR-15 rifles to their list of weapons. This provides a more accurate and controllable weapon without the over-power cartridge of a .223 in populated areas. We used to carry Scorpion EVO IIIs before that, but our officers still carried AR-15 rifles in the back of their vehicles for county calls when a 9mm doesn’t reach out far enough. Having three types of magazines isn’t ideal. The AR-9 uses a Glock-pattern mag, so a deputy can grab it and pull mags from their duty belt to reload.
Agencies use several different Glock models so I’m lumping all Glocks into one category. The Glock 19, 17, and 22 are all popular with law enforcement. We recently upgraded to the Glock 45 which is basically an MOS Glock 19 slide on a Glock 17 frame.
Smith & Wesson Military and Police
The M&P didn’t make it far in the military world, but it did catch on with a lot of agencies. I’m personally not a fan of the M&P, but that’s just personal taste for me. In some research papers, it’s reported that more than 200 agencies across the country use the M&P. The LAPD used this gun for several years and Smith & Wesson is one of the oldest gun companies on the planet.
I have owned an M&P several times in the past and always end up selling them. Holsters, magazines, and accessories can be purchased easily for the M&P, but it’s not as customizable as a Glock or Sig P320. It’s still a solid gun, though. I just don’t care for them, personally.
Sig Sauer P226 and P320/M17
The Sig P226 is starting to be considered one of the “old school” guns. I know of several agencies in my area that still carry them, but most are planning to switch in the future. The P226 didn’t win the military contract, but several units in the military and federal agencies did select it. The Navy SEALS are probably the ones that helped the P226 launch as far as it did. But Sig wasn’t happy with the most elite unit of special forces carrying their guns.
FN 509 MRD LE
FN is another one of those legendary old gun companies that made guns for people like John Moses Browning. One of their all-time greats is Browning Hi-Power. The FN 509 has been around for a while, but it got a makeover with the LE version. When agencies select the MRD LE model, they get a flat-faced duty trigger and a low-profile optics mounting system. In 2021, the LAPD chose this weapon for their officers giving it some pretty big bragging rights.
Walther PDP
Walther is a popular and great gun company, but they weren’t really known for being police guns. They will forever be branded as the maker of the “James Bond” gun, but can they move into the police world too? They started to see some agencies switch to the PPQ but picked up even more traction with the PDP. Several agencies across the country are carrying or looking at the PDP. My own experience with the Walther PDP has been great and it’s one of my favorites. It’s a reliable and attractive gun with a lot of potential.
Final Thoughts
These guns have been around for a while and will continue to be around for years to come. One thing that is clear, however, is that gun companies are not letting up with their innovation and determination to be the next king of guns. This will make competition that even dominating legends like Glock need to keep an eye on. For us, having a crap ton of quality guns to pick from at a reasonable price is great. I hope they keep pumping them out so gun nuts like myself can keep running to the store to get our hands on the next big deal in the gun world.
