If you got a job as an armored truck or security guard
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especially if your life may depend on it.... of course my dad is a retired Millwright!! This whole post made me laugh, because its apparently qualification time for one of the local Security companies, and they are taking over my normal range days!!
Its pretty darn scary to be down there with these people.
But after seeing their shooting skills, I think I know what companies trucks are the least secure, if I was ever in need of cash!
KIDDING!!!
Its pretty darn scary to be down there with these people.
But after seeing their shooting skills, I think I know what companies trucks are the least secure, if I was ever in need of cash!
KIDDING!!! 
CountGlockula
Member
Glock 9mm or a Ruger GP100.
TAB said:
My oc license lists 9mm, .40 cal., and .45 cal. that I am licensed to open carry and my ccw lists my SW9VE, SW M&P .40 cal, and my 1911A1 .45 cal.
Where did you get the idea that a security officer could only carry a revolver in CA?
Huh? I have both open carry and concealed carry licenses in California, and I supervise a very large armed security force for a San Diego defense contractor. All of my uniformed security force have BSIS issued open carry licenses, and all carry .40 caliber automatics.
My oc license lists 9mm, .40 cal., and .45 cal. that I am licensed to open carry and my ccw lists my SW9VE, SW M&P .40 cal, and my 1911A1 .45 cal.
Where did you get the idea that a security officer could only carry a revolver in CA?
Creade said:
Most of my people are either ex or retired LEOs or retired military combat arms (many of us are former SOCom types). They all stood way back and waited for the armored car people to finish their "requal" prior to stepping up to the firing line! My people are not dummies! Their first general order is "go home alive!"
LOL! I know just what you mean! Last Saturday I had about a dozen of my people at the range doing their quarterly requal and a bunch of people from one of the armored car companies also had a bunch of people there. I could not believe the very low caliber of people the armored car companies hire! Most of them were terrible shots, unsafe weapon handlers, and looked like a bunch of people rounded up off the streets!
Most of my people are either ex or retired LEOs or retired military combat arms (many of us are former SOCom types). They all stood way back and waited for the armored car people to finish their "requal" prior to stepping up to the firing line! My people are not dummies! Their first general order is "go home alive!"
blooeyesguy
Member
Armored car weapons allowed
No single actions, nothing below .38, nothing over .45, nothing with a barrel length less than 3.5 inches, nothing with a barrel length over 5 inches. The company recommends anything that the local PD can carry. Anything in those guidelines can be carried with management approval. The company issues S&W 686 with a 4 inch barrel and .38 special hollow points are standard issue ammo. .357 can be purchased by the carrier for use in company weapons. No handloads carried in any weapon used on the job. Company weapons do not go home with the employee after shift, but must remain at the branch.
Most of the people I work with know little to nothing about the weapons they carry. They never check or clean them, even though those weapons could save their life some day. I have seen instances where the person carries a semi auto, but will not have a round chambered. I have also seen people who carry these weapons not know the difference between target ammo and hollow points, which is demonstrated by them carrying ball ammo in personal weapons. I could go on and on, but I'm sure everyone here gets the point. The point is that alot of these people belong at the McDonalds drive through rather than on an armored car.
No single actions, nothing below .38, nothing over .45, nothing with a barrel length less than 3.5 inches, nothing with a barrel length over 5 inches. The company recommends anything that the local PD can carry. Anything in those guidelines can be carried with management approval. The company issues S&W 686 with a 4 inch barrel and .38 special hollow points are standard issue ammo. .357 can be purchased by the carrier for use in company weapons. No handloads carried in any weapon used on the job. Company weapons do not go home with the employee after shift, but must remain at the branch.
Most of the people I work with know little to nothing about the weapons they carry. They never check or clean them, even though those weapons could save their life some day. I have seen instances where the person carries a semi auto, but will not have a round chambered. I have also seen people who carry these weapons not know the difference between target ammo and hollow points, which is demonstrated by them carrying ball ammo in personal weapons. I could go on and on, but I'm sure everyone here gets the point. The point is that alot of these people belong at the McDonalds drive through rather than on an armored car.
Treo
member
I'm terribly sorry but my Ninj-O-Meter just pegged.
KC0QGL
Member
Thunder 5 .410, .45LC revolver
TonyB
Member
If given a choice I'd carry MY m and p,or sec. six.If I had to carry what they gave me,I would practice alot till I was comfortable w/ it.
I wonder about those guys who have to leave the gun at the company,can they actually practice w/ the gun?
I wonder about those guys who have to leave the gun at the company,can they actually practice w/ the gun?
blooeyesguy
Member
The employees can sign out their company weapons to practice or qualify, but the only time I see company weapons signed out is to go qualify every two years. The company only gives employees 100 rounds per year to practice with, so it does not seem like the company cares whether the employees can practice much to be able to shoot accurately or not. I carry my own weapon, practice with my own ammo, and realize that I need to be able to hit my target. Not many of my collegues can say the same.
I never worked as an armored truck cremman;but the armed jobs I did have usually specified a revolver.You choices ( when I did GSA work) wereonly opened up beyonfd the 4 inch .38 with RN lead 158 grainers when you had taken additonal qual courses.AFter a few months I carried my Security Six .357;but even then you were told what ammo was authorized and what not to even ask about.
A few years later;they jumped on the .40 S7W bandwagon;but I believe they may have opened up the list of approved models and calibers since then.
Given my own preferences?A revolver in .357 with a 4-5 inch barrel,or one of th eS7W .45ACP wheelies (also in 5 inch trim).
In an auto;I am equally comfy with a Glock as I am all steel guns;so I'll probaly say that the CZ75/SP01 or the CZ 97 would get a nod from me.
A few years later;they jumped on the .40 S7W bandwagon;but I believe they may have opened up the list of approved models and calibers since then.
Given my own preferences?A revolver in .357 with a 4-5 inch barrel,or one of th eS7W .45ACP wheelies (also in 5 inch trim).
In an auto;I am equally comfy with a Glock as I am all steel guns;so I'll probaly say that the CZ75/SP01 or the CZ 97 would get a nod from me.
briansp82593
Member
saw a brinks guy with an M&P, im guessing 9 or 40, it didnt have the "extended barrel" like on 45's.
I spent over ten years working for an armored car service in the northeast. When I first started the company allowed us to carry whatever we qualified with, my preference was a 45 govt model, which I later changed to a S&W 645 which I preferred over the 4506. We were one of the fortunate few that were allowed choice. Most larger companies are so concerned with liability that they allow you to use only company issued weapons checked out at the start of shift. Usually a fixed sight revolver in 30 or 357, but loaded w/38 rnl. They don't want any perception that they have a bunch of cowboys out there.
Let me tell you though, from experiences I've seen and been involved with, in the case of a shoot your probably going to be on your own. The only reason these companies dictate what kind of weapon you carry is to protect themselves in a lawsuit, your interests are very low on their list of priorities. Most guard services don't have union representation, although when I left there was an attempt to start up an "armored guard association", but I don't know if it ever happened.
If you are looking for an "in" to get hired by a police department working armored service is a very good way to do it, well over 60 percent of the guys I worked with had used this job as a stepping stone to get on with a department. If you want to do it as a career think twice, there really isn't any overtime, and you sure as hell won't make enough to raise a family. Plan on having to keep a second job. not very good incentive to risk your life every day to protect someone else's money!
Let me tell you though, from experiences I've seen and been involved with, in the case of a shoot your probably going to be on your own. The only reason these companies dictate what kind of weapon you carry is to protect themselves in a lawsuit, your interests are very low on their list of priorities. Most guard services don't have union representation, although when I left there was an attempt to start up an "armored guard association", but I don't know if it ever happened.
If you are looking for an "in" to get hired by a police department working armored service is a very good way to do it, well over 60 percent of the guys I worked with had used this job as a stepping stone to get on with a department. If you want to do it as a career think twice, there really isn't any overtime, and you sure as hell won't make enough to raise a family. Plan on having to keep a second job. not very good incentive to risk your life every day to protect someone else's money!
I think I'd agree with Cliffy from Michigan. Assuming that, for some reason, I HAD to take the job, I'd want a full sized Glock in .40. If I had to carry a 9mm only in semi-auto or a revolver, I'd look around for any S&W revolver in .41 mag, .44 Spl or Mag, or .45 ACP or .45 Colt. I'd prolly try hard to find an N-frame in .45 ACP, since the half and full moon clips are easier (for ME, at least) to use when reloading under pressure.
Zundfolge
Member
Its my understanding that is a county by county thing.
IIRC here in El Paso County, armed guards are only allowed .38 or .357mag revolvers ... no autochuckers.
Given that restriction, I'd go with a S&W 327 TRR8 ... of course since I'd be working for peanuts about all I would be able to afford is a used Ruger Security Six
rswartsell
Member
My gawd, I had heard it was a bad deal, but the people running these Armored Car companies sound like the scum of the earth. Inhuman to use people this way. This is tantamount to trafficking in human blood.
1. put people in harms way for woefully inadequate pay
2. under train them
3. under gun them
4. use every possible low tactic to CYA from being accountable for poor training, in the process creating a huge mental conflict for proper immediate response if SHTF
And in our system doing this they are more protected from accountability than if they did it right. Horrendous. Hard to decide whose worse, these guys or the Blackwater cowboy ranch.
1. put people in harms way for woefully inadequate pay
2. under train them
3. under gun them
4. use every possible low tactic to CYA from being accountable for poor training, in the process creating a huge mental conflict for proper immediate response if SHTF
And in our system doing this they are more protected from accountability than if they did it right. Horrendous. Hard to decide whose worse, these guys or the Blackwater cowboy ranch.
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.38 Special
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I knew a couple of armored car guys that were A) smart, B) well trained, although they took care of that on their own time/own dime, C) motivated, and D) serious shooters!
Both carried stainless S&W revolvers in .357 and they knew how to use them -- better than all but a few of the LEOs I have seen shoot. And they were very down-to-earth fellows, who enjoyed making fun of mall ninjae as much as anyone.
So they're not all bad, anyway!
Both carried stainless S&W revolvers in .357 and they knew how to use them -- better than all but a few of the LEOs I have seen shoot. And they were very down-to-earth fellows, who enjoyed making fun of mall ninjae as much as anyone.
So they're not all bad, anyway!
Treo
member
The law changed on 1 Jan 2008 the company I work for issues .38s but most of the armed guys carry 9mm. We're in El Paso County.
The same gun that I carry now for my job, a P220 with DAK trigger. The armored car company I work for does not allow anything but DAO automatics for the job, and the only DAO .45 I could finds was the Sig. I am very pleased with it, but I would prefer if they let me keep an AR-15 or a shotgun in the truck while I'm out and about.
earlthegoat2
Member
I ran into someone at a gun store who was going to be starting a job as an armed security guard and was looking at getting a hi point. Now, nothing against hi point but I dont believe they have any business as a service handgun. Luckily (IMO) the sales guy talked him into a used Sig 226.
Treo
member
As I mentioned earlier I would go for the cheapest reliable handgun I could get maybe a used S&W 4006 or a CZ 40B. No way in hell would I carry a high end gun on this job.
Ragnar Danneskjold
Member
I do security and I carry my Walther P99, 9mm.
Devonai
Member
I should add that while I am issued the M9 at work, I have put at least 10k rounds through my personal 92FS and I'm perfectly happy with it. However, keep in mind that since we're stateside we carry 147-grain JHP, which while not my first choice in bullet weights is still better than FMJ.
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