NCJ Number
169898
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 25 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1998) Pages: 61-63
Date Published
1998
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Police agencies should recognize the differences in military and civil needs when choosing handguns.
Abstract
Some people reason that a weapon that has passed stringent military testing is more than adequate for civilian use. This conclusion is true in a basic sense. However, the police handgun's mission is more difficult than that of the military weapon. Civil authorities use handguns for threat management and personal defense, whereas military personnel use handguns for protection in occupied territory or if they cannot carry a long gun while performing duties. In addition, cartridge interchangeability with carbines and submachine guns is a convenience but not a necessity for police. Military weapons are basically projectile launchers; military reality requires as much penetration as possible. Civil agencies demand effective expanding ammunition; modern police loads limit penetration while increasing wound ballistics. Police also give more attention to price than do military decision-makers. The police and the military also differ in the way the weapon is to be carried. The most important criteria for police service pistols remain reliability, controllability, and wound potential. Police officers want to use the least powerful weapon to stop but not kill the adversary. Other factors to consider include shape, dynamic handling qualities, weight, and ease of maintenance. Police should test handguns under realistic, stressful conditions and understand ergonomics and wound ballistics. Photographs