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http://cms.officer.proteus.com/article/article.jsp?id=13178&siteSection=1
BILL BASKERVILL
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The state police are replacing all 2,000 sidearms used by troopers because of advancing age of the Sig Sauer .357-caliber weapons.
``These guns that we currently have are seven years old and they're reaching the point we're going to have to re-spring them,'' 1st Sgt. John Morykon, a weapons expert for the state police, said Tuesday.
The semiautomatic pistols have a number of springs that control recoil, trigger action, cocking, the firing pin and the hammer. All would have to be replaced.
A trooper's handgun ``lives a rough life,'' constantly being subjected to cold and rain, said Morykon. ``It's absolutely critical that their guns be reliable.''
He said there had been no malfunctions of the weapons but that they were close to their 5,000-round lifespan. Most of those rounds are fired during training.
The guns' night sights also need to be replaced because they are nearing the end of their shelf life, said Morykon. The sights contain tiny vials of tritium, a radioactive gas that glows in the dark similar to watch dials. Over the years the sights become dimmer and dimmer as the radioactive material decays, and ultimately they need to be replaced.
Instead of replacing the springs and sights, the state police decided to trade in the weapons on new Sig Sauer .357-caliber semiautomatics, said Lt. Gary Payne, spokesman for the state police. Sigarms Inc. of Exeter, N.H., is charging $206,400 to make the switch.
``It was more cost effective to trade them in,'' said Payne.
Unlike the weapons now in use, the new pistols have an automatic decocking mechanism that offers a safety hedge for troopers.
``This would have an advantage,'' said Senior Trooper Gary Crawley as he held the new weapon. ``Let's say you are in a stressful, shoot situation. You don't have to think about decocking (the hammer)'' or the gun firing accidentally after the incident is resolved, he said.
Morykon said all troopers are expected to be trained and equipped with the new weapon by November.
Last year, the state police upgraded their firepower with military-style semiautomatic rifles for each trooper.
The M-4 carbine allows troopers to address threats far beyond the range of the sidearms or 12-gauge pump-action shotguns they also carry. Officials said the threat of terrorism prompted the agency to purchase the M-4s, a compact semiautomatic derivative of the military M-16.
BILL BASKERVILL
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The state police are replacing all 2,000 sidearms used by troopers because of advancing age of the Sig Sauer .357-caliber weapons.
``These guns that we currently have are seven years old and they're reaching the point we're going to have to re-spring them,'' 1st Sgt. John Morykon, a weapons expert for the state police, said Tuesday.
The semiautomatic pistols have a number of springs that control recoil, trigger action, cocking, the firing pin and the hammer. All would have to be replaced.
A trooper's handgun ``lives a rough life,'' constantly being subjected to cold and rain, said Morykon. ``It's absolutely critical that their guns be reliable.''
He said there had been no malfunctions of the weapons but that they were close to their 5,000-round lifespan. Most of those rounds are fired during training.
The guns' night sights also need to be replaced because they are nearing the end of their shelf life, said Morykon. The sights contain tiny vials of tritium, a radioactive gas that glows in the dark similar to watch dials. Over the years the sights become dimmer and dimmer as the radioactive material decays, and ultimately they need to be replaced.
Instead of replacing the springs and sights, the state police decided to trade in the weapons on new Sig Sauer .357-caliber semiautomatics, said Lt. Gary Payne, spokesman for the state police. Sigarms Inc. of Exeter, N.H., is charging $206,400 to make the switch.
``It was more cost effective to trade them in,'' said Payne.
Unlike the weapons now in use, the new pistols have an automatic decocking mechanism that offers a safety hedge for troopers.
``This would have an advantage,'' said Senior Trooper Gary Crawley as he held the new weapon. ``Let's say you are in a stressful, shoot situation. You don't have to think about decocking (the hammer)'' or the gun firing accidentally after the incident is resolved, he said.
Morykon said all troopers are expected to be trained and equipped with the new weapon by November.
Last year, the state police upgraded their firepower with military-style semiautomatic rifles for each trooper.
The M-4 carbine allows troopers to address threats far beyond the range of the sidearms or 12-gauge pump-action shotguns they also carry. Officials said the threat of terrorism prompted the agency to purchase the M-4s, a compact semiautomatic derivative of the military M-16.
