Duty Gun Breakdown

[NorthernHeat]

I have been talking to other guys at my dept about this topic and wanted to see what smarter minds thought

Are there any modifications/enhancements you do to your on duty pistol that you think are manditory, you greatly prefer, or you have just found you love to have on your on duty pistol?

I have been running a Speed Shooters Specialties Brass Magwell with 10-8 performance XTC basepads on my personally owned/ on duty carried M&P Pro 5'' and really like how it brings the recoil down (it was minimal to begin with).

I have also found that running a FO front sight while working during the day (mostly during the day) allows me to pickup the front site sooner.

I have talked to other officers who really enjoy magwells, specific sights, etc on their duty guns.

I know some/ most depts dont allow personallly owened on duty weapons to be carried but if you were allowed, what would you prefer it to have?

Be Safe

[Chuck Haggard]

Issued G17, but I have a Sherer grip plug installed, sandpapery grips, and Ameriglo sights on mine. I like fiber optic front sights for daytime use, but I have worked nights for most of my career, and even in the day building searches happen, so the orange front/tritium sights are my compromise for cop work.

[KeeFus]

M&P 45. I just changed the front sight to a shorter one and I had to get the Chiefs permission to do that (both were tritium). If I had my rathers Id add an Apex DCAEK. Nothing else for me.

And like you state, most departments wont let you carry anything but what is issued by them. If I could carry any personal weapon it would be either my G17 or my M&P 9. Both have night sights...M&P has had a DCAEK added and a KKM barrel...G17 has Heinie Straight 8's and a different guide rod and spring.

[psalms144.1]

We're issued Sig P229R DAKs - only authorized changes are grips, and those can only be changed by an armorer (sigh). Our personal weapons policy is more lenient, but precludes any modifications that are "competition specific," which includes but is not limited to MRD sights (another sigh).

My personal Glocks all get the following: Ameriglo sights (Proglo Front, Operator Yellow rears), trigger component polish, finger groove removal and trigger guard recontour, and a grip plug. I don't consider any of those to be "competition specific" so I think I'm fine. I lvoe the Ghost EVO connector, and it gives a 5.5# trigger pull on my Lyman trigger gauge when mated to a 6# striker spring, so I think that's OK as well.

The only other thing I'm looking at for my Gen4 G19 is a Jager recoil guide and 15# recoil spring, since our issued 1980s technology VERY subsonic 147 gr JHP just BARELY dribbles out of my G19 with the dual recoil spring set up - not very comforting...

[Serpico1985]

Y'all must be living in fantasy land being able to do whatever you want to your on duty guns. The only modification my dept allows is adding intertube for grip or grip tape, thats it.

I've never heard of having fiber optic sights on a duty gun. What do you do in low light or in conditions like shooting from a dark area (therefore fiber optic not helping) into a light area?

[MD7305]

I fall into the camp of those mandated to carry unmodified, issued weapons only, a Glock 22Gen4, NS, w/ TLR-1HD. I don't have an issue with the set up other than I've gotten so accustomed to my Ameriglo ProGlo sights on my off duty that I'd love to have one on my duty gun, some HDs would be cool too. I'd also like to have a Vickers slide stop. That's about it, who knows I might get a sign off on those two things?

Now if tomorrow I was told I could carry anything I wanted I would choose a Glock 34Gen4, Trijicon HD sights, and a Surefire x300U.

[Chuck Haggard]

While it is common for departments to not allow any modifications, it is also retarded as hell, especially when idiots cite "LIABILITY!!!!!!!!!!!!" as the reason why.

There is less liability in letting a guy install sights that he can actually see on his duty gun than in forcing him to carry what everybody else is carrying, when that means his accuracy suffers as a result.

[SamuelBLong]

We issue Gen 3 G22's and are switching to Gen4 17's.

We will allow any personally owned gun from a reputable brand, in 9-40-45acp, as long as we have an armorer to support the make & model. That may change soon since the US DOJ has cracked down on neighboring Albuquerque PD, Bernalillo Co Sheriff, and the State Police for allowing "non-standard and personally owned high-power weapons" to be carried on duty.

As far as enhancements for my gun - Trijicon HD Night Sights, Vickers Mag Release, Vickers Slide Lock, Vickers Mag Base Plate, Grip Plug, Grip Force Adapter or Glock Gen4 Beavertail Insert.

Surefire x300 / x300u. Broken too many TLR-1's.

I don't care for mag wells on the gun cause it really relegates it to duty holster carry only cause of the extra bulk. I use a JM custom AIWB for when I'm not wearing my batman belt.

As far as triggers, stock & slightly heavier is fine for work. Stock on the gen4 and 3.5/NY1 combo on gen3's.

Currently carrying a Gen4 G41... So no extra grip yet (although it could use some on the frame pads). My gen3 G34 also has a 360 stipple job. It took a while for our LT to warm up to that.

[KeeFus]

Y'all must be living in fantasy land being able to do whatever you want to your on duty guns. The only modification my dept allows is adding intertube for grip or grip tape, thats it.

I've never heard of having fiber optic sights on a duty gun. What do you do in low light or in conditions like shooting from a dark area (therefore fiber optic not helping) into a light area?

Im with you. I don't know any department in NC that allows for a lot of mods to the issued pistols. There are a handful of agencies that Ive heard of that will let officers carry a personal weapon but they have to meet similar requirements as a duty weapon. I had to get permission just to try a new night sight and I only got permission because I'm one of our armorers.

I would think that a modified weapon would be a sticking point in an OIS. I know it would in my area of central NC. It would seem that the squeeze would not be worth the juice.

[Gadfly]

Working for the Feds, we issue SIG 229 DAK in .40 and only allow Hogue grips as an option. The reason we require an armorer to change the grips? You know ham many frames are destroyed every year by people torqueing down grip screws instead of just dabbing a bit of blue lock tight on them? The answer is a lot…

You can personal purchase Glock 17 or 26, or a 229/226/239 in DA/SA. But only OEM factory parts, no trigger jobs or aftermarket finishes or aftermarket parts.

I was all for allowing modifications when I hired on. After doing the armorer duty for close to 10 years, you would be amazed how many people can kitten up a gun just changing grips. We have had two M4s go down from folks wanting to add a Magpul or Ergo grip, and one lost the safety spring detent, immobilizing the safety after a few “crunchy turns”. The other lost the whole safety spring and had no clue he had lost it. He brought me the gun when he noticed the safety just swung freely… Then folks want to add a single point sling receiver endplate, and of course lose the detent spring and thus end up losing the rear take down pin. Let’s not forget the “punisher skull” and “Hello Kitty” Glock slide cover plates I had to remove last year.

Yes, a few years of doing this job has shown me why departments ban most all modifications. The folks on this forum are the exception rather than the rule when it comes to knowing how to work on their own guns. Many, many officer would totally destroy a gun in their quest to make it “better”. And agencies have to gear things down for the lowest common denominator.

All that said, I carry a personal purchase Gen 4 17 with trijicon HD sights. I would love a Vickers mag release and slide stop, but alas, they are not authorized.