"For the first time in more than 15 years, Columbus police are carrying new handguns and more bullets.
They began switching late last summer. Each of the 1,876 officers in Columbus should have a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson Military & Police model pistol by the end of March, the division says.
Police began looking for a new gun after Smith & Wesson stopped making the .45-caliber model used by almost all Columbus officers since 1990, said Sgt. Kevin Corcoran, a firearms instructor and division spokesman.
The division stuck with Smith & Wesson after the Springfield, Mass., gun manufacturer came up with the M &P line of handguns geared toward the military and police. The line was introduced last year.
When the police started shopping for a new gun, one feature topped officers’ wish lists — more rounds to combat the greater firepower they were encountering on the streets.
The old handgun held nine rounds — eight in the magazine and one in the chamber. The new gun holds 15 in the magazine and one in the chamber. With two backup magazines, officers now carry 46 rounds, 21 more than they had with the .45-caliber.
"It’s just so much nicer to have the extra capacity," said Jim Gilbert, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9. "We’d rather have it and not need it."
Corcoran recalled a 2004 shooting in which a man fired about 60 rounds at officers from an AK-47 assault rifle as he was being chased through the North Side.
"The L.A. bank robbery shootout was a prime example," he said, referring to a 1997 California gunbattle in which police were so outgunned that they commandeered weapons from a nearby gun store. "This will keep the officers in the fight for a little bit longer."
The deal is a trade-in that will cost the city $1. It had to charge something to be able to draw up a contract that the City Council could approve. But Smith & Wesson is giving the city new guns in exchange for the old ones, Corcoran said.
Police said the .40-caliber strikes a balance between speed and stopping power.
They had some problems with the .45 not penetrating heavy clothing. Once, a suspect’s wallet stopped a police bullet. Police didn’t want to go to a 9 mm, Corcoran said, because those bullets tend to pass through a person without stopping them.
"We weren’t looking at tearing somebody up," he said. "We were looking at stopping somebody’s actions with the least amount of rounds possible."
The old gun had a stiffer trigger pull that got easier after the first shot. The new gun’s is the same every time. The old gun had one grip. The new one has three grips for different hand sizes.
"It’s a very consistent gun," Corcoran said. "The balance of the gun is a lot better. It feels more like an extension of your arm. Once you get it in your hand, it’s there."
Four accidental discharges of new guns have prompted reminders to officers to keep their fingers off the trigger and store the guns in approved holsters. In December, a sergeant who had the gun tucked in his waistband without a holster fired the weapon inside headquarters. He wasn’t hurt.
During testing, police dropped the guns, banged on them, even put 2,500 rounds through one in 40 minutes. (perhaps they might consider learning the manual of arms for them? Just a thought)
"The gun got very hot, but it still functioned appropriately," Corcoran said. "This gun will not fire unless you pull the trigger."
Gilbert said the union would have liked two full days of training with the new gun instead of one, but Corcoran called the introductory eight hours of training adequate. Officers routinely must qualify with their guns, and the division offers additional training for officers who’d like to improve their shooting on their own time, he said.
Ron Barker, a division instructor and gunsmith, said Smith & Wesson took the division’s feedback during testing and improved the gun. The company accounts for about 10 percent of sales to police departments, behind Glock’s 65 percent.
The M &P demands good shooting and rewards it, Barker said.
"It’s easy to shoot, but because it has a very fast bullet, it’s not very forgiving."
"The .45 was a little bigger, was a little bit heavier," Gilbert said. "I’m very happy with the weapon. It’s a good weapon."
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There is so very much wrong with the above information that I was forced to highlight the most interesting scraps of utter nonsense rather than generating the doctoral-like dissertation necessary to correct such imbecilic ideas. They wanted something to end a fight with the least amount of rounds possible, so they went with a lesser caliber that contained more rounds. I see.
These are the men and women responsible for law and order in Columbus, Ohio. They give me pause.
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