1911 use by LE agencies...

[LockedBreech]

We had a salubrious example of that back in the 90s.
A young officer showed up for qual and when his HK USP was inspected, the trigger would not function. It was duly stripped and a tiny piece of gravel was found in the trigger mechanism.
According to him he had qualified 6 months ago, cleaned his pistol in the outside bleachers and dropped the frame in the gravel...
He had drawn the gun quite a few times and had taken several armed felons into custody.
"There goes 8 of your 9 lives, boy."

That's terrifying.

[stinx]

We had a salubrious example of that back in the 90s.
A young officer showed up for qual and when his HK USP was inspected, the trigger would not function. It was duly stripped and a tiny piece of gravel was found in the trigger mechanism.
According to him he had qualified 6 months ago, cleaned his pistol in the outside bleachers and dropped the frame in the gravel...
He had drawn the gun quite a few times and had taken several armed felons into custody.
"There goes 8 of your 9 lives, boy."

That’s why function checking your weapon after field stripping matters.

[Tango]

I realized I've been reading through the thread without contributing.

I have lived and worked in 6 different Wyoming and Colorado towns and 1911s are decently common but definitely in the minority. I knew a very experienced state investigator with at least a couple gunfights under his belt who I was surprised to learn carried a Kimber. I think it was one of the old OG Kimbers though. Used Wilson mags.

I knew one very dialed in deputy who done three tours as a Marine in Afghanistan. He carried a stainless Series 70 Colt Commander 4.25" in .45 Auto with Wilson magazines. That gun was heavily used, covered in scuffs and scratches, he practiced a lot with it. As I understand he had no issues with it. That's actually what made me choose a stainless Colt Government as my first 1911 - which I was and remain very happy with.

There was a sheriff (more of a politician, rarely did any street work) who carried an unknown model 1911 during his whole tenure. He and I weren't chummy so I never asked about it.

I've seen them in holsters about 10-20% of the time in smaller communities like Sheridan and Laramie, you'd think the older guys but here they're usually carried by younger deputies. The mountain west has a very strong gun culture so that's not too surprising. The older guys and gals I've worked with have almost to a person carried Gen 3 Glock 17s and 21s.

I'd say most of our LE are like LE everywhere else - about 80% Glocks. There are occasional dabbles into S&W and Sig but Glock remains the mainstay here.

Probably my favorite esoteric gun department was in Sundance, Wyoming, where I used to go to court for low-income clients. The deputies there all carried older-vintage Sig P220s. I guess they've never had issues with them so never really felt a need to change them.

I've also seen 1911s in the younger crowd of LEOs. It seems to me that those around 45 and above right now are more glued to Glock. Kinda like older guys in the past tied into Revolvers. The younger guys are more open to 1911s or the Stacatto P style options. As double stack 1911s become more widespread and cheaper via other reputable names joining in, it will only increase.

[M2CattleCo]

I've also seen 1911s in the younger crowd of LEOs. It seems to me that those around 45 and above right now are more glued to Glock. Kinda like older guys in the past tied into Revolvers. The younger guys are more open to 1911s or the Stacatto P style options. As double stack 1911s become more widespread and cheaper via other reputable names joining in, it will only increase.

I have LE, mostly sheriffs department at my place quite a bit and I see the same thing.

The Holy Grail Staccatos are proving to be 2011s. No more. The younger guys who carry them and 1911s are almost unvaryingly untrainable blow hards.

Carrying that kind of gun is akin to wearing pointy toed cowboy boots to work, which, they do that too.

The older guys carry Glocks and wear comfortable footwear because they’re past the point of vanity and just want things that work and don’t hurt..

[vcdgrips]

I have seen staccatos in 3 places:



USMS SOG (DPP)

KCK PD SWAT ( Not KCMO) (RMR)

3 or 4 AIWB as off duty weapons for young >3 yr KCPD officers who have more money than sense.

They are all in, the gun, extra mag, light, closed emitter optic (p2 and 509t.)

[Tango]

I have LE, mostly sheriffs department at my place quite a bit and I see the same thing.

The Holy Grail Staccatos are proving to be 2011s. No more. The younger guys who carry them and 1911s are almost unvaryingly untrainable blow hards.

Carrying that kind of gun is akin to wearing pointy toed cowboy boots to work, which, they do that too.

The older guys carry Glocks and wear comfortable footwear because they’re past the point of vanity and just want things that work and don’t hurt..

We may be talking past one another...

Just to start with, I'm 42 and have been carrying a G17 since 2015 for work. Before that, it was a P229DAK for six years. Stacatto Ps or 1911s when run by a Professional are just fine. Same as Glocks.

Young guys not listening to the older hands is wrong. Older guys clinging to a tool and not open to others, like I see with guys my age and older with Glocks, isn't good. Don't think one locked into only Glocks sounds or looks any different than retirees who talk of wheel guns...

Glocks are just fine to run, I do so myself. There are just more options at this time and a mindset change on different tools in LE, than when a certain generation came of age. The 1911 isn't new, its just being accepted in a larger capacity than when I came on. If someone else on the line steps up and runs a 1911/DS 1911 like a house on fire, well that's good to go in my book. Same goes as the transition from Glock 26s to Sig 365s occurs in my neck of the woods. In that area, I would honestly say, the G26 is long retired.

As for footwear, I don't rock cowboy attire but I do love horses and like boots.

[Trooper224]

I care more about what's between their ears than what's in their holsters.

[TGS]

I'd rather not be the progenitor of a, "back in my day when dodgeball was played with rocks" thread by a bunch of crotchety old people with opinions about how the world should be.

I guess it's too late to ask that people stick to what was asked for and specifically asked not for in the OP (which most everyone seems to have skipped over), but maybe if we could keep it atleast roughly to data about 1911 issuance by LEAs, that'd atleast be preferable to see another toilet-bowl oogie cookie thread.

[HCM]

All,

Does anyone know of any law enforcement agencies that used the 1911 during the heyday of the revolver? Let's say, 1980 as a cut-off date.

Just to head off annoying tangents:

1) I'm not looking for contemporary use by law enforcement.

2) I'm not looking for your opinion on the efficacy of 1911 vs revolver for LE use.

3) I'm not looking for one-off use by a "Tackleberry"....I'm more wondering about systemic, widespread use.

Houston PD Authorized them apparently as far back as the 1950s / 1960s. This weekend I shot with a retired HPD Pilot whose father was shot in the line of duty in 1958 and returned fire with a 1911 (support hand only) and hit his assailant 6 times.

[DDTSGM]

I'd rather not be the progenitor of a, "back in my day when dodgeball was played with rocks" thread by a bunch of crotchety old people with opinions about how the world should be.

I guess it's too late to ask that people stick to what was asked for and specifically asked not for in the OP (which most everyone seems to have skipped over), but maybe if we could keep it atleast roughly to data about 1911 issuance by LEAs, that'd atleast be preferable to see another toilet-bowl oogie cookie thread.

Kind of on topic - during my time at our academy there were several agencies that allowed 1911's and only one agency of any size that issued 1911's - for a short time after an OIS where 9mm didn't perform as the Chief felt it should.

I'd say there were three categories of police users: 1) vanity - rockin' the 1911 to be seen as a serious operator; 2) officer's who were not pistol enthusiasts but were issued the 1911; 3) serious users who put in the time to achieve proficiency.

The third category were the least plentiful. The vanity users were plentiful enough that they caused us to be suspicious of anyone walking onto the range with a 1911. Generally, the officers who were issued 1911's by the agency did well enough in our firearms training, especially if the 1911 was their first experience.

Personally, I don't think the 1911 is a good general issue pistol for LE.

JMO