Do You Know Your Firearm?

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I was at the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival in Annapolis MD yesterday. The event was REALLY enjoyable. Great food, awesome music, and it was nice to get out and spend a day of relaxed fun with my sweetie and some friends. Not being able to carry was a little odd (for some reason, my pants never seem to fit right when I visit MD...)...

The only openly armed "security" was about a dozen MD Natural Resource Police in full uniform. I didn't recognize the pistols they were carrying, and after several hours, I finally just walked up to one and casually started talking about general stuff, and slipped the question into the conversation. He Told me it was the new Beretta, but from the grip design, I didn't think that was right, but I didn't say anything or challenge him...

I asked three more MD NRP what they were carrying through the course of the day, and only one of them had a quick answer...

And the answer is the Smith & Wesson M&P40 in .40 S&W:

http://www.gunreports.com/news/news/Maryland-Natural-Resources-Smith-Wesson-MP40_1438-1.html

Now, granted, they only converted over to the Smith in August of 2009, so maybe a few of them just haven't been carrying it long enough to remember what it was. But for one to give me an incorrect answer, and two others to not know, was a little disconcerting...

Is this unfamiliarity with one's firearm a common thing among LE in MD? Were they just plying coy, or did they really not know what they were carrying?

Has anyone else ever run into this?

Any time I've ever been talking to an LEO and the topic came around to what they were carrying, the LEO's I've had contact with in WV, PA, VA, and NC always seem quick to answer, and happy to share this information. Many of them seem to be VERY knowledgeable and (an even proud) of what they carry--Glocks, Sigs, Berettas. And from the responses I got from these MD NRP, I don't think they were just being coy--their verbal tone and body language seemed to indicate that they REALLY didn't know the make and model of what they had on their hips...

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I find that odd as well... unless it's a gradual transition and their unit just received theirs?? Personally, as my Weapon of Choice, I find it quite memorable, but that's me...

;-))

Apropos of something (but I'm not quite sure what), the M&P .40 is now also the WoC for the PG County police.

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Mr H wrote:

Apropos of something (but I'm not quite sure what), the M&P .40 is now also the WoC for the PG County police.

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Well, it's their SECOND WoC, next to their nightsticks...

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My cousin was a Baltimore city cop and at thr time was also on the city's bomb squad.

He told me that most (not all) the officers really dont know a lot about firearms.

Most of them just joined the PD because it was a decent job with good benefits.

So is it common for many LEO's to not know what type and caliber pistol they are carrying? I would say yes. Especially in states that are typically left wing anti-gun states.

If you go out west, most men and wemon are around firearms their whole lives, so the majority of LEO's in those locations probably know more about what guns they are issued.

Thats my opinion on the matter at least.

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Sig229 wrote:

My cousin was a Baltimore city cop and at thr time was also on the city's bomb squad.

He told me that most (not all) the officers really dont know a lot about firearms.

Click to expand...

Hiring people to be cops who don't know about firearms (and aren't interested in learning) is like hiring Amish people to be a pit crew in NASCAR...

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Dreamer wrote:

Sig229 wrote:

My cousin was a Baltimore city cop and at thr time was also on the city's bomb squad.

He told me that most (not all) the officers really dont know a lot about firearms.

Click to expand...

Hiring people to be cops who don't know about firearms (and aren't interested in learning) is like hiring Amish people to be a pit crew in NASCAR...

Click to expand...

I agree, especially in a war zone such as Baltimore city.

He also told me that on MANY occasions some officers at the scene of shooting would find a pistol on a suspect or murder victim and wouldn't even know how to safely clear a weapon if it wasnt the same one they were issued (Glock).

Now isnt that pathetic?




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