Armed security: what are you issued?
- Thread starter MedWheeler
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Lucky Derby
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Having worked in the field for about 15 years and 14 of those armed, I have a bit of experience in the arena.
Here in CA, a Security Officer qualifies by caliber. He/She can qualify with as many calibers as he/she wants. And by caliber, I mean caliber, not cartridge. Qualify with a M10 S&W .38 Spl and carry legally your Colt Commander .38 Super. Qualify with a 1911 .45ACP, carry a Redhawk .45 Colt. Oh, and .38/.357 are the same, so Qualify with a P229 in .357 Sig, and carry a Webley in .38 S&W. Make sense.
In any case I had one job where I was issued a M10, and 158 grain LRN. We were going to be upgraded to Remington 125 JHP +P ammo. They powers that be decided we needed .357 revolvers to shoot that hot +P ammo. So they took our M10s and gave us Rossi .357s. At least I knew the M10/LRN combo would go bang. I quit shortly there after.
Most of my other jobs I have been allowed to pretty much carry what I wanted, and in one job, I got to set the firearms policy for the other officers as well. They had to purchase there own weapons. My policy was a quality firearm that I had to approve. For insurance reasons I was not allowed to allow C&L carry so I didn't allow SA autos. I required 9mm Luger to .45acp for autos and .38 special to .45acp or Colt for revolvers and anything in between. I also allowed only factory hollowpoint ammo, but did allow the officers to select what ammo worked best in their guns.
I like .45s. I have carried on duty at one time or another, in various jobs, a 1911, an XD, a Sig P220 (This is what I have carried the most) a S&W 625 .45acp 3", and 2 different M25-5 .45 Colts one a 4" and one a 6".
Non .45s included the M10 mentioned above, a M19 .357 and a P226 9mm.
Ammo was always a hollowpoint of one sort or another, but I would sometimes carry a spare mag or speedloader with FMJ or hardcast lead if I thought a particular assignment was more likely than most to require shooting through a barrier of some sort.
Here in CA, a Security Officer qualifies by caliber. He/She can qualify with as many calibers as he/she wants. And by caliber, I mean caliber, not cartridge. Qualify with a M10 S&W .38 Spl and carry legally your Colt Commander .38 Super. Qualify with a 1911 .45ACP, carry a Redhawk .45 Colt. Oh, and .38/.357 are the same, so Qualify with a P229 in .357 Sig, and carry a Webley in .38 S&W. Make sense.
In any case I had one job where I was issued a M10, and 158 grain LRN. We were going to be upgraded to Remington 125 JHP +P ammo. They powers that be decided we needed .357 revolvers to shoot that hot +P ammo. So they took our M10s and gave us Rossi .357s. At least I knew the M10/LRN combo would go bang. I quit shortly there after.
Most of my other jobs I have been allowed to pretty much carry what I wanted, and in one job, I got to set the firearms policy for the other officers as well. They had to purchase there own weapons. My policy was a quality firearm that I had to approve. For insurance reasons I was not allowed to allow C&L carry so I didn't allow SA autos. I required 9mm Luger to .45acp for autos and .38 special to .45acp or Colt for revolvers and anything in between. I also allowed only factory hollowpoint ammo, but did allow the officers to select what ammo worked best in their guns.
I like .45s. I have carried on duty at one time or another, in various jobs, a 1911, an XD, a Sig P220 (This is what I have carried the most) a S&W 625 .45acp 3", and 2 different M25-5 .45 Colts one a 4" and one a 6".
Non .45s included the M10 mentioned above, a M19 .357 and a P226 9mm.
Ammo was always a hollowpoint of one sort or another, but I would sometimes carry a spare mag or speedloader with FMJ or hardcast lead if I thought a particular assignment was more likely than most to require shooting through a barrier of some sort.
gearchecker
Member
Colt Python. 4" barrel, full house 160 Gr. FMJ. Not allowed to carry PD/Hollow Point ammo.
mickeygrimreaperblueeyes
Member
Texas Commissioned Security Guard-2007. My office wanted the same as the San Antonio PD. The owner of the company was active LEO and wanted interchangeable weapons and magazines with the local LEO.
GLock mod22 and about the same duty rig. THat's my 2 dead lincolns on this one.
Private security abroad, like the Xe company now, I used an M4 and had an Accuracy international .338 Lapua for my tower posting.
GLock mod22 and about the same duty rig. THat's my 2 dead lincolns on this one.
Private security abroad, like the Xe company now, I used an M4 and had an Accuracy international .338 Lapua for my tower posting.
DC3-CVN-72
Member
When I first got out of the NAVY in the mid 90's I worked for an armed transport co. U could carry any revolver from either Smith & Wesson, Colt, or Ruger. They could be chambered for .357 MAG, & had to have a 4 in. bbl. we were only authorised to carry the issued 158 grn. LSWCHP WINCHESTER SILVERTIP .38SPL+P. U were not required to buy a gun. The only thing U had to buy for ur uniform was a 1/5 in black leather belt & 10 eye black leather boots. If u needed a gun, U requested it from the vault & signed it out with ur load. At the end of the day, U turned it in with ur reciepts to the vault. Latter on we were authorised to carry .40 cal. DAO. pistles. Then if U wanted to U could buy any DAO pistle from either Smith & Wesson, Berretta, or Ruger. U still were not required to buy a gun, so the revolvers were still issued. I'm shure those revolvers are still issued today if U don't buy ur own gun. that would be fine with me. I like my Smith & Wesson 686-4 with 4in. bbl. better any way.
usmc1371
Member
I worked as an armed security/alarm response guy for about a year in 1999/2000 in Oregon and packed my personal 92FS in personal owned gear. I carried two spare 15 round mags with fedral hydra shok 147 grain rounds. My friend who worked with me packed his ruger security six 357 with jhp's not sure what brand, he also carried two speed loaders. I saw some really crapy guns on the side of other security guards.
The company I worked for was way to cheap to supply guns and was pretty open about what we carried.
The company I worked for was way to cheap to supply guns and was pretty open about what we carried.
REAPER4206969
Member
The Brink's guys around here have XD's.
armoredman
Member
Check my user name. 8.5 years, two differant outfits, had the greatest time doing armored work, just didn't pay enough.
Wells Fargo Armored, not connected with Wells Fargo Security or the bank, issued Taurus or Smith 38 4 inch. Mine was a Model 64, and at that time at that office, they were take home guns, no real storage space. Issue ammo was 158 grain LRN, but I brought in my own speedloaders in my bag with 110 grain Hydra Shoks. Near the end of my time, I brought my auto in the bag with full rig, as did my partner with his 1911A1. We'd leave the terminal, and the wheelguns would go in the bag, and the autos would go on. Also was driving a 1964 International Armored truck, this in 1989. BTW, I won an IDPA style match with that Smith 64.
Armored Transport/AT Systems. I was the company Rangemaster and armorer. We still had some Smith Model 10s around, one with a factory jeweled trigger and hammer. We ended up turning in all the older wheelguns for new Smith 686 4 inchers.
BUT, you could carry any sidearm you wanted, as long as it was 9mm or 38 Special or bigger up to a 45 ACP. I used a Witness 40SW, as a matter of fact, turned out to be the very first Witness 40 ever imported to the US. Also, the company GAVE you a few hundred rounds of free ammo every year, in whatever single caliber you asked for.
And the poster about the days of "extra" firepower, absolutely spot on. During season, we used to put temporary racks in the truck in the drivers area, and throw up personally owned Ars, AKs, Mini14s, etc., as a visual deterrent. It worked. I had one guy show up to work one day with two Glocks,. one each side in thigh rigs, a Smith revolver in a shoulder holster, EAA Witness 40 IWB same side, and under the other shoulder was a slung AKM semi auto clone with 75 round drum and 37mm flare launcher. I alos know he carried a 38 derringer in his back pocket, ask me about the time he shot himself in the rump with it...but that's a different story.
I did make him store most of the hardware in the vault that day.
There IS one occaision a revolver is better for an armored truck, and that's shooting through the gunport - that first shot recoil will catch your front sight or slide during recoil at the top of the gunport, and you are very likely to have a jam. Sometimes I would have a revolver in the truck with me for just that idea, plus a snub concealed on me, as taking messengers hostage was an idea that was catching on.
I also LOVED the concept of the Bushmaster bullpup, with that high sight rail and short length could be great to use in a truck, with optics that could actually be used out the window above the gunport. Never got to try is, but I did try the Mini-14 through the gunport - that was interesting...
8.5 years, two differant outfits, had the greatest time doing armored work, just didn't pay enough.Wells Fargo Armored, not connected with Wells Fargo Security or the bank, issued Taurus or Smith 38 4 inch. Mine was a Model 64, and at that time at that office, they were take home guns, no real storage space. Issue ammo was 158 grain LRN, but I brought in my own speedloaders in my bag with 110 grain Hydra Shoks. Near the end of my time, I brought my auto in the bag with full rig, as did my partner with his 1911A1. We'd leave the terminal, and the wheelguns would go in the bag, and the autos would go on. Also was driving a 1964 International Armored truck, this in 1989.
BTW, I won an IDPA style match with that Smith 64. Armored Transport/AT Systems. I was the company Rangemaster and armorer. We still had some Smith Model 10s around, one with a factory jeweled trigger and hammer. We ended up turning in all the older wheelguns for new Smith 686 4 inchers.
BUT, you could carry any sidearm you wanted, as long as it was 9mm or 38 Special or bigger up to a 45 ACP. I used a Witness 40SW, as a matter of fact, turned out to be the very first Witness 40 ever imported to the US. Also, the company GAVE you a few hundred rounds of free ammo every year, in whatever single caliber you asked for.
And the poster about the days of "extra" firepower, absolutely spot on. During season, we used to put temporary racks in the truck in the drivers area, and throw up personally owned Ars, AKs, Mini14s, etc., as a visual deterrent. It worked. I had one guy show up to work one day with two Glocks,. one each side in thigh rigs, a Smith revolver in a shoulder holster, EAA Witness 40 IWB same side, and under the other shoulder was a slung AKM semi auto clone with 75 round drum and 37mm flare launcher. I alos know he carried a 38 derringer in his back pocket, ask me about the time he shot himself in the rump with it...but that's a different story.
I did make him store most of the hardware in the vault that day.
There IS one occaision a revolver is better for an armored truck, and that's shooting through the gunport - that first shot recoil will catch your front sight or slide during recoil at the top of the gunport, and you are very likely to have a jam. Sometimes I would have a revolver in the truck with me for just that idea, plus a snub concealed on me, as taking messengers hostage was an idea that was catching on.
I also LOVED the concept of the Bushmaster bullpup, with that high sight rail and short length could be great to use in a truck, with optics that could actually be used out the window above the gunport. Never got to try is, but I did try the Mini-14 through the gunport - that was interesting...
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