LEO BIL needs a BUG

[joab]

Talked to my brother in law tonight. He says that his dept is about to start requiring them to carry BUGs.
He's thinking about a .380 auto on his ankle at about $200 to $300

The only thing I could think of would be a Keltec.

Any gun I have that would be considered a BUG would be a .38 revolver , so I'm way out of my element here

Any thoughts from a LEO perspective

 

[bratch]

Not an LEO but a couple ideas.

Bersa makes a decent 380 from everything I hear.
One of the subcompact Glocks maybe?

 

[Morgan]

By far the best for ankle carry - Smith 642, in an Alessi ankle rig. Get the Alessi with the pull-through snaps, for the best security when fighting or running.

The Centennial (enclosed hammer) revolver is virtually impervious to dirt, inexpensive, and reliable. The much more expensive titanium models aren't lighter enough to matter, and are nearly unbearable with .357 ammo.

If he insists on an auto, try the Kahr PM9.

 

[9mmepiphany]

the definative BUG is the smith 642. i've worn mine in both an ankle holster (better when seated in the squad car) and vest carrier holster (better when standing)

i've tried a glock g26 in an ankle holster once...way too fat

 

[Highpower1]

I carried a Smith Bodyguard .38, for years as a BUG. Money isn't a question when it comes to my safety or the safety of the people I work for.

 

[Ivy Mike]

I carried my Makarov on my ankle for a little while. I prefer it in my waistband now, but it worked fairly well down there. Kel-Tec P11 weighs less and packs a better round though. Makarov gets my vote for reliability though.

He could also go with the Glock 36. 6 rounds of .45 isn't a terrible idea and it doesn't weigh a ton either.

 

[Matt G]

I went with the P3AT in my vest, and I literally have forgotten that it's there. Comfy. The P3AT is light enough to carry on the ankle, I guess, but that's a pretty sucky way to carry, to be honest. I say this after having tried ankle carry on duty for over a year.

A round butt Airweight J-frame can sort of work (I carried one in my boot for a long time), but it's slow. Remember: I said Airweight! No all-steel. With ankle carry, your primary concern is reducing the weight. Seriously, you think the issue is bulk, but WEIGHT is your number-one concern. I made a M37 2" w/roundbutt Pachmayer boot grips work in an Uncle Mike's ankle holster.

 

[Powderman]

Tell the brother in law to consider his primary duty weapon.

Even if it's not one of the full-sized Glocks, I carry and highly recommend the G27 or the G26.

Ten full-power rounds in a small package. Also, very accurate at close distances (25 yards in) with reliability and durability built in.

Tell him also to consider a vest carry, either on the straps or inside the vest pocket. That ankle holster will get old in a hurry. And, with as much walking and stepping into various mediums as he (and other cops) will do, that ankle rig will seem like a dirt magnet.

 

[8830]

I've carried steel and airweight 38s on my ankles and if he wants to go that route get an airweight. I also have carried a Keltec P32 on my ankle which is nice and light. I currently carry the P32 in the front weak hand pocket which I can get to a lot faster. I've also carried on the vest and while you can carry bigger pistols there they are also a lot slower getting to. He's going to need something small, light, easy to use and most importantly fast to get at.

 

[joab]

From what he's said I think the Keltec is more what he wants.

He's not a gun person, they're simply a tool of the job.
He seems to regard the BUG requirement as something of a nuicence
From what I know of him the price range is an estimate of what a good gun should cost. He will pay the price for a good quality piece of equipment but not go overboard..

Wheelguns are out, because he feels that they are too big and bulky for the ankle and mostly because of difficulty reloading for training and qualification.
I have a Taurus 85 that I may loan him, if that's allowed and if it's on the list

I just came into a little bit of money so I may be buying a titanium S&W this weekend for him to try out and I have been looking at buying a .380 Keltec for a while anyway

880, will the Keltec hold up to cop use?

 

[victory]

If he carries a full size glock, a subcompact is nice for magazine interchangability. Even if he's not a gun guy and just wants a tool, he should listen to some gun guys so he gets the best tool for the job.

 

[tcsd1236]

Tell him to go with something that operates as closely to his primary weapon as he can get. I have been noticing among younger "non-gun" officers here who start to carry a wheelgun backup after never having carried a wheelgun as a duty gun that they are all very much unsure in their operation of the revolver.
.380 is a marginal caliber. If you are pulling that gun anything is better than nothing, but I think I would want something a bit bigger. Any handgun is already a compromise weapon; to settle for a weak caliber is a wrong step.All of that being said, I have to admit that I carried a .380 for a couple of years; it was a Grendel, a design from the same guy who designed the KelTec, and it was a very bad gun.I hope the Kel Tec has improved over the Grendel.

 

[Bob F.]

Don't knock the Mak...Helleva gun!

Stay safe.
Bob

 

[Matt G]

All of that being said, I have to admit that I carried a .380 for a couple of years; it was a Grendel, a design from the same guy who designed the KelTec, and it was a very bad gun.I hope the Kel Tec has improved over the Grendel.

I will have to say that they're very, VERY different.

The Taurus TI is also a good choice, being every bit as carryable as the S&W J frame Airweights. It's substantially bigger and heavier than a P3AT, though.

 

[joab]

I guess I should have mentioned that his dept issue is a Sig

 

[Dbl0Kevin]

For a non-gun guy I'd have to recommend a Glock 27, if his Sig is a .40 which I am assuming. Number 1 you get 10 rounds of full power ammo in a compact gun which can't be beat even if you don't have a full size Glock as a primary. Number 2 for a non-gun guy who is used to an automatic you don't want to have a revolver as a backup. While most of you people here will scratch your head you gotta remember this was the only form of gun he's been trained on most likely and you want to keep things as simple and familiar as possible. Big difference from reloading an auto in a firefight to doing the same with a revolver, and since you revert back to your training in times such as those go with the Glock.

 

[Ivy Mike]

Since others are mentioning a different carry method, I'll vote for a Makarov in vest carry.

Hell, I'd make his issued Sig his backup and grab the patrol carbine whenever I got out of the car.

License, Registration and Insurance please.

 

[victory]

unfortunately sig doesn't make a subcompact that takes fullsize mags. the 239 ain't bad though.

 

[joab]

While most of you people here will scratch your head you gotta remember this was the only form of gun he's been trained on most likely and you want to keep things as simple and familiar as possible

That's pretty much what I think he was saying when he said that revolver would be too hard to reload during training and qualification,
Which actually would probably be the only time he would ever handle the gun other than SHTF

 

[Coronach]

Ankle Carry

I'll be different.

I carry a S&W 640 on my ankle, every day at work (and some days off-duty, too). It is S&W's all-steel .357 J-Frame. It is, I imagine, quite heavy compared to the other ankle-options touted here.

Frankly? I usually forget that I'm wearing it.

The weight is a non-issue. With boot grips that match the frame contour, bulk/profile is a non-issue as well. To me the greatest drawbacks are the gun itself (small sight radius) and the mode of carry (it is not really rapid-access unless you are seated).

I'm sure that the Alessi rig is great, but I've used a Galco Ankle Glove for 6 years now. Its been through a chaotic 1/4 mile run, over fences, through brush, into a culvert, through a stream, through several windows, and was once used to kinda crescent-kick a dog.

The rig is solid. It goes nowhere. I highly recommend the 640/Galco combination.

Mike

 

[8830]

joab,
My P32 holds up just fine. It's only had about 250rds through it. I like it because of its light weight and ease of carry. The only time I'll pull it is up close and personal.

 

[Fed168]

He also needs to consider where he wants to wear it. There is a line between safety and security in a holster, so choose wisely.

I won't do an ankle holster again after almost losing the BUG in a chase. Never knew it came out of the holster until I found it. A pocket holster is the choice now instead.

It's gonna depend on how active or what duty assignment he has now.

 

[joab]

It's gonna depend on how active or what duty assignment he has now.

Admin.
Right now he is a charge opf the juvenile assistment center.
He's being moved to a supervisory position.
To prepare he's doing street work now

Like I say he considers this more of a nuisance policy mandate

 

[Dbl0Kevin]

Like I say he considers this more of a nuisance policy mandate

Yeah god forbid your dept. have enough sense to require you to carry something that may save your life. What a pain in the butt! I know quite a few people that probably fit in the same category as well and they're the same guys who don't carry their gun off duty because "it's heavy" or "when I'm off I'm off". I've gotten into many a debate with these guys in the past but I've learned to just shake my head and walk away now. Their lives.....not mine.

 

[KenW.]

Just a thought... If it is now a requirement, shouldn't his department issue one to him? Or at least provide a stipend? Does he provide his own primary weapon? I don't like our issue weapon, so I provide both weapons in accordance with policy (.40 S&W or .45 ACP of quality manufacture, etc, etc). BUGs are not required, but are encouraged at the deputies expense.

As stated before; consider the primary weapon. Operation should be the same between the two. Glock vs mini glock. 5" 1911 vs 3" 1911, etc.

Ever since attending a Calibre Press seminar, I don't consider wearing a BUG a nuisance, I consider it insurance. 5" Kimber mags go into the 3" Defender just fine in a pinch.