1911 use by LE agencies...

[Radar Love]

Looks like at least on Richmond, CA officer carries one:

[awp_101]

The Hurst PD (between Dallas and Fort Worth) was a 100% issued 1911 agency until last year, having had a couple of old Gunsite disciples running firearms training there.

I had a friendly reason to chat with a couple of Hurst PD officers last year and I asked about the 1911s in their holsters as soon as it was polite to do so. I assumed they were private purchase, I never thought to ask if they were issued.

[TheRoland]

EDIT: Off Topic.

[TGS]

Not to digress the thread, but...

I appreciate your effort and recognition of trying to stick to the topic, but at this point I say have at it. It's pretty obvious that half the people commenting didn't even bother to actually read the first post anyway, so it's basically a free-for-all of all the information I specifically said that I wasnt looking for.

[Radar Love]

half the people commenting didn't even bother to actually read the first post anyway

I'm guilty of that. My apologies. To answer the actual question asked, I found one source that referenced the El Monte, CA police department adopting the 1911 in 1966 and another source discussing why the 1911 wasn't widely adopted. Still not really an answer, but hopefully slightly more relevant.

[Rex G]

To bolster the pre-1980 parameter, for Houston PD, when I was a cadet, in 1983, I was seeing some MUCH-used 1911 pistols in officers’ duty holsters. After I was sworn, in March 1984, my Phase One FTO mentioned being in a shooting incident, with his by-then well-worn 1911, and the narrative indicated that this had happened some number of years earlier.

One of my FPE officers also carried a much-worn 1911, this being early/mid-1984. (FPE = Field Performance Evaluator. “Eval” happened after the FTO phases.)

So, even though I did not start until 1983-1984, I was observing, eyes-on, strong evidence that the 1911 was strongly established.

I will try to find documented accounts of Pre-Eighties incidents that occurred, with 1911 pistols. One that I am reasonably certain happened, with a 1911, should date from the Seventies. It was an ND, into a suspect, who was being searched.

Edited to add: Alas, the site I had hoped to use does not extend as far back as the Seventies.

[HCM]

The British Shanghai Municipal police in the 1920s/30s under Sykes and Fairbairn issued Colt 1911s to the European officers and Colt 1903s or 1908s to the Chinese officers.

As I recall @Tom Givens has one of those 1911s.

[srcochran49]

The Gallatin County, Montana Sheriffs Dept. are required to carry 1911's. They issue Springfields, with some deputies carrying privately owned Kimbers.

[BigD]

I appreciate your effort and recognition of trying to stick to the topic, but at this point I say have at it. It's pretty obvious that half the people commenting didn't even bother to actually read the first post anyway, so it's basically a free-for-all of all the information I specifically said that I wasnt looking for.

Since the topic is officially off track and we are talking about current use and not historical use...(sorry @TGS)

I interacted earlier this month with a patrol officer from a Southern California PD - where it seems the 1911 had and may still have a foothold. His duty pistol was a Glock with plastic factory sights. He said he was afforded the bare minimum amount of rounds to qualify and no extra practice ammo. (Hard to believe but maybe that's the way it is in local PDs.)

BTW, this officer said he made $120k a year. (He missed out on getting grandfathered into the generous retirement which could be 90% of his high one after 20 years. His would have been a little lower.)

I bring up the salary to show this isn't a poor county in the rural South with no money. If the PD wanted to, they could scrape up some money for some tritium sights. Or if they required their officers to purchase their own pistol, they could require their officers to spend the extra $80 for metal night sights.)

My point? The fact that a PD issues/authorizes something means almost nothing. While I trust the FBI and big fed agencies to do proper testing before adopting something (and even then there have been some questionable decisions or issues that testing didn't reveal, I sure), I can't say the same for every PD. So saying XYZ PD carries our pistol doesn't mean anything. (I'm looking at you, Staccato.)

[TGS]

So saying XYZ PD carries our pistol doesn't mean anything. (I'm looking at you, Staccato.)

Shots fired!