VA Carry Caliber and Ammo type Questions...

Curtis said:

22 is the full size and the 23 is the compact

22 holds 15 rounds plus 1 in the chamber
23 holds 13 rounds plus 1 in the chamber

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Gotcha thx.

Secret Service - Sig P229 chambered in .357Sig

coolfrmn said:

Secret Service - Sig P229 chambered in .357Sig

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FBI - Glock 22 and Glock 23 chambered in .40SW, using Winchester Ranger Bonded 180gr.

nova said:

FBI - Glock 22 and Glock 23 chambered in .40SW, using Winchester Ranger Bonded 180gr.

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This was interesting:

This is Winchester 40 S&W Ranger Bonded 180gr. Hollow Point Ammo. This ammo is typically restricted to law enforcement sales only through Winchester. That is a Winchester rule, NOT a law, so you can legally purchase and possess this ammo. This ammo features the new Winchester Ranger Bonded bullet that is manufactured using a newly developed proprietary bonding process. This process eliminates the limitations of traditional copper plated bullets. Ranger Bonded has a controlled jacket thickness and taper, along with a unique bonding process that bonds the copper jacket to the lead core. This is done to ensure optimum performance. The resulting permanent core/jacket bond, with the special hollow point cavity, act in unison to control expansion with deep penetration. This maximizes performance and weight retention through a variety of the toughest barriers – especially auto glass. This ammo is packed in 50rd. boxes, 500rds. per case. 50rds - 40 S&W Winchester Ranger Bonded 180gr. HP Ammo.

The engineer in me just wants to play with some of these...

nuc65 said:

I will apologize if this has been covered, but my search didn't resolve my questions.

In VA what caliber and brand of handgun(s) are carried by the police? Type and caliber of ammo? Is a backup piece considered normal? If so what is the type and caliber of backup? Does the department mandate a certain brand VA wide? Does each city determine this, or state or another?

Is there a specification for the trigger pull weight on a piece?

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You have received many responsive answers, but I'm curious why you asked the question.

nuc65 said:

This was interesting:

This is Winchester 40 S&W Ranger Bonded 180gr. Hollow Point Ammo. This ammo is typically restricted to law enforcement sales only through Winchester. That is a Winchester rule, NOT a law, so you can legally purchase and possess this ammo. This ammo features the new Winchester Ranger Bonded bullet that is manufactured using a newly developed proprietary bonding process. This process eliminates the limitations of traditional copper plated bullets. Ranger Bonded has a controlled jacket thickness and taper, along with a unique bonding process that bonds the copper jacket to the lead core. This is done to ensure optimum performance. The resulting permanent core/jacket bond, with the special hollow point cavity, act in unison to control expansion with deep penetration. This maximizes performance and weight retention through a variety of the toughest barriers – especially auto glass. This ammo is packed in 50rd. boxes, 500rds. per case. 50rds - 40 S&W Winchester Ranger Bonded 180gr. HP Ammo.

The engineer in me just wants to play with some of these...

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If you want to play with some of these, you can buy them at Wal-Mart or Dick's Sporting Goods. The new version of the 180gr Ranger Bonded is the same exact load as the Winchester PDX1 180gr Bonded sold in the 20rd boxes available almost everywhere.

From the guns I have sold officers from around NOVA, I would say by far the majority go with a Glock 26 or 27 as a concealed carry/off duty/backup piece. LEOs tend to get handguns in common calibers to their duty weapon, and many are mandated to carry double action guns(no 1911s) and most are prohibited from carrying guns in calibers like .22 through .380ACP. I also sell a lot of Glock 19s, 23s, and 36s and S&W J frames get purchased often for this use.

longwatch said:

From the guns I have sold officers from around NOVA, I would say by far the majority go with a Glock 26 or 27 as a concealed carry/off duty/backup piece. LEOs tend to get handguns in common calibers to their duty weapon, and many are mandated to carry double action guns(no 1911s) and most are prohibited from carrying guns in calibers like .22 through .380ACP. I also sell a lot of Glock 19s, 23s, and 36s and S&W J frames get purchased often for this use.

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I never understand why .22s are prohibited? is it because its too small of a round to do stopping power? .22 is good for a dog attack. But any gun, even a pellet gun can kill you.

JamesCanby said:

You have received many responsive answers, but I'm curious why you asked the question.

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I have been reading about the legal aspects of carrying. One of the items that may be attacked is the weapon, caliber and type of bullets one might carry. The prosecutor may say something like look at these lethal killing instrument of 180 gr. +P+ jaketed hollow points in .45 caliber.

The comment was made that the defendant is carrying what the police trust their lives to and use to protect the community, therefore said defendant is using what is reasonably believed to be the best to protect his family with.

The story comes from a Larry Lindsey vs CO on two charges of Felony Menacing (kinda like brandishing in VA). In this case he was carrying the same caliber and type of ammo that he had carried as a marine. The argument was also made for why he was carrying two spare clips and other various sundry tidbits.

It prompted me to wonder what the police in VA are carrying, for a thought of what I should look for in a new sidearm.

The single action with a less than 12 pound pull is a bad idea (single action is a bad idea) in an adrenaline charged situation. It seems like Glocks and Sigs are my two main choices. 40SW or .45ACP (maybe 9mm in a pinch) all double action. I kind of like the 180gr. jhp mentioned already.

I'm learning some theory and some of the legal aspects that go with it. Carry seems to be a responsibility as well as a right, at least so I've always believed.

nuc65 said:

The single action with a less than 12 pound pull is a bad idea (single action is a bad idea) in an adrenaline charged situation. It seems like Glocks and Sigs are my two main choices. 40SW or .45ACP (maybe 9mm in a pinch) all double action. I kind of like the 180gr. jhp mentioned already.

Carry seems to be a responsibility as well as a right, at least so I've always believed.

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Perhaps you mean 12 pound double action pull? I wouldn't own a gun with a 12 pound pull (double or otherwise) for very long. For police that may make sense, as they are more prone to pointing their guns at suspected criminals. As a citizen that must be concerned with brandishing, if my gun comes out of its holster it will be immediately followed by a loud bang.

nuc65 said:

Carry seems to be a responsibility as well as a right, at least so I've always believed.

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Perhaps I am reading into this the wrong way but remember that you are responsible for yourself and your own actions first.

t33j said:

Perhaps you mean 12 pound double action pull? I wouldn't own a gun with a 12 pound pull (double or otherwise) for very long. For police that may make sense, as they are more prone to pointing their guns at suspected criminals. As a citizen that must be concerned with brandishing, if my gun comes out of its holster it will be immediately followed by a loud bang.


Perhaps I am reading into this the wrong way but remember that you are responsible for yourself and your own actions first.

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I'm not yet sure of what 12 pounds feel like, never measured the pull on my piece.

I think that I am responsible for myself and my own actions and the inherent responsibility of said actions. So it seems that if I choose to carry I should learn something about consequences and methods of carry. Including some of the information behind it. I really am interested in knowing what LE carries. I would like to know a lot more, like why a particular choice, budget, another reason? Knowledge is the key to wisdom, or something like that.