Do Marine Embassy guards still use Rugers?

[Bart Noir]

Not too long ago the Marines guarding our Embassy overseas would carry the Ruger Security Six. Do they still do that? Why a revolver? Did they carry it with .357 Mag ammo or .38 Special? Do they now use the M9?

Bart Noir

 

[El Tejon]

BDS used to as well as Ruger AC556s. However, that has been a while. Don't know about Devil Dogs now.

I was a young badger with a shiny coat and all this was orchard, I took the ferry to East Ogdenville and I wore an onion on my belt which was the style at the time . . . .

 

[444]

 

[Lone Star]

Black Bart-

Because no one else has offered a better answer, I can tell you that all military Rugers were evidently chambered only for .38 Special ammo. They were issued to many people besides Marine embassy guards.

You can get a fuller answer over on www.rugerforum.com where I think someone asked about GI Rugers recently. Look for that thread, or join and post your question.

Lone Star

 

[Bart Noir]

Lone Star, I think I'll do that right now. Thanks.

Black Bart

 

[Abominable No-Man]

I don't know if they do anymore, but I have heard of them using .357's. But they were S&W's not Rugers. I think it also depended on where the embassy in question was, along with a few other things, on whether you had a revolver or an automatic. Mostly political stuff, it went along with whether you wore plain clothes or cammies.

The State Dpeartment had AC556's for a while. A few of them were still around in the early 90's. Don't know what they are using now.

ANM

 

[Mossyrock]

Well, having walked out of the gate of the AMEMB in Bangkok, Thailand about four hours ago, I can tell you with utmost certainty that that young Marines pulling inside security were carrying M-9 Berettas. The outside, State Department-contracted, local national security guards were unarmed. It is my understanding that if the feces strikes the rotating oscillator, the outside guards would be armed as well. With what, I don't know. Given the stature of the average Thai male, I don't know if it will be M-9s or not, given how big the grip is.

Mossyrock
Currently deployed to Bangkok, Thailand
in the service of our beloved Uncle Sam

 

[Tamara]

State Department used to have some 4" round-butt Model 19's, but that was some 20 years ago. They probably have SIGs like everybody else and their mothers, now.

 

[Lone Star]

I checked rugerforums under, "Revolvers" and didn't see that post I meant. Could be I saw it on www.smith-wessonforum.com under the Lounge threads. People post there about non-S&W's, military issues, etc.

My experience pertains to what USAF cops carried in the 1960's and what I saw others (usually Navy aviators) carrying when they stopped off at our bases. Think S&W M10's and M15's. We had a few .45 autos left at some bases, too. Not that this is what you asked. ..

I have seen posts by Army pilots, and they had either M10's or Ruger Service Sixes. One recently posted that his unit had some Rugers at least into the 1990's.

LS

 

[buzz_knox]

BDS used to as well as Ruger AC556s. However, that has been a while.

There was a program on documenting a security team assigned to Albright. They were armed, IIRC, with MP5s, HK 53s, and some form of HK .308. I can't recall if it was a G3 or HK 21 variant.

 

[morte]

While serving as an MSG (Marine Security Guard) from 1986 - 1988, we carried the 4 inch Model 19. The carry round was .357 Nyclads. We did train using a mix of Model 10s and Ruger Service Sixes, using .38 special as the training round. All revolver training took place at the FBI range at Quantico.

 

[E5MC]

Hello. Being a former Marine, and serving as a sentry at Camp David during the President Carter day's:banghead: , we had all weaponry organic to an Infantry Company. Never saw any revolver's. I don't think even the snoop's carried them.

 

[0007]

As far as I know they are all using Barettas now. When I was at the embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE, we had a female marine who carried a revolver for a little while. It went away shortly and they all started carrying Barattas.
On a side note, I cracked an old safe(hadn't been opened in 4-5 years) in the ambassador's office at the embassy in Bahrain, and among other things was 38,000 rounds of .38 special in unopened cases. Wish I could have figured out how to bring a few cases of that with me when I left.

 

[Sgt Stevo]

0007

0007, Is diggers stilll open in Bahrain I had a great time there 18 months ago. And the international Hotel. No I did not take advantage of the Russian girls. I might be back there in a awhile. And I have not seen a wheel gun on anybody in the US mil in some time. Exept little backups on the Spooky types. If your ever in Kuwait and need a beer try the Brits embassy. I low crawled out of that place.

 

[Lone Star]

What's "Diggers"? An Aussie bar?

Lone Star

 

[Sgt Stevo]

yep, a good one. Bar and stage downstairs, pool tables upstairs and all the girls from the Nav base. There is another place around the corner. And a country bar over by the Nav base. But I forget there names. I love that place. I would go there once in awhile, doing things. And the Air force would put us Army dudes up in Hotels. Great little break from the dust and stress of other places in the box. that place is the Vegas of the area. Oman aint bad , but Bahrain rocks.

 

[DMF]

State Department used to have some 4" round-butt Model 19's, but that was some 20 years ago. They probably have SIGs like everybody else and their mothers, now.

If you are referring to the Deptarment of State Diplomatic Security Service (DS), they now have Sig P228s.