My old service guns

**Montell C. Williams** · July 24th, 2008, 10:02 AM

In 27 years as a cop I've had a number of issued service revolvers and one pistol, My firsr service revolver was issued by MPDC it was a S&W M&P skinny bbl 4inch with a round butt my class in the adadmey had 45 guys i came in 2nd on the pistol range by 1 point,oh well,but I really liked that gun.

When I switched to Camden,NJ PD I was at first issued a Colt Police Positive, it was very light and nice to carry but Colt triggers from the factory were never as smooth as S&W.

After that I was given a S&W 4in heavy bbl M-10,I was in the prime of life and could really shoot that gun, off duty I used to go out to gravel pits and shoot at 5 gallon buckets at 100yds and a 55 gallon drum at 150 and could go through several cylenders full at those distances w/o a miss, I had the front sight marked for the distances for elevation.

My last service gun was a Ruger p-85, I hated it, the trigger guard came into the grip at a steep downward angle and felt lousey the da trigger stunk and the single action had a lot of take up I really hated it, in Camden's academy I won the trophy for highest avarege and though most guys shot better with the p-85 I shot worse and was only a little better than avarage till retirement and could give that clunker back to the city.Guess I was used to better grips and triggers.

Now I have a Browning MK what ever but like it for winter carry and a Kahar p-9 covert for warmer weather, I can tear target up with the Browning and am pretty good with the Kahar. When I turned 55 I needed glasses and guess my show off days are over. I still have my off duty gun, S&W 3 inch Chief's Special I still like it but like nite sights so seldom carry it now.

Oh well, just an old fart remincing. Been retired 13 years now and as usual am forgetting the bad and remembering the good.

**jcabin** · July 24th, 2008, 01:45 PM

didn't Smith and Wesson MP's just come out last year? how was that your first issued gun?

**Jay5oh** · July 24th, 2008, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by jcabin

didn't Smith and Wesson MP's just come out last year? how was that your first issued gun?

History repeats it's self:

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/w...ectionId=10002

**Montell C. Williams** · July 24th, 2008, 02:37 PM

My first service REVOLVER was a S&W Military & Police Revolver which I believe came out in about 1902, 106 years ago, I can quess you are new to shooting, it was the most common service revolver from 1910 untill the late 1980s when most agencies switched to semi-autos.

**brian** · July 24th, 2008, 09:06 PM

yo, teh model 10's and pre model 10's are the truth.

**brian** · July 24th, 2008, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by jcabin

didn't Smith and Wesson MP's just come out last year? how was that your first issued gun?

LOL.......

**DCChris** · July 24th, 2008, 09:17 PM

Hey Montell, nice piece. I took my dad out shooting last week. Retired LEO 28yrs. The 60yr old guy with his original Smith 19 (40 yrs old) shot the pants off me, LOL.

**Montell C. Williams** · July 25th, 2008, 07:59 AM

While I'm on my nostalga trip, I would like to thank Super Vel, back in 1973 they brought out the 1st mass market HV HP ammo for handguns and forced the big companies to improve their loads.

The first Rem 125gr hps were marked HV on the head stamp not plus-p and were hotter than todays 38s.

When i tried to get the older guys at work to switch to Super Vels they told me well 158 LRN was good enough for Eliot Ness and it's good enough for me, eventually they mostly changed over and when the city issued the P-85s they issued Federal hydra-shocks with the guns and from then on you had to use issued ammo on duty.

Camden being actually east Philly I took note that about this time they were issued .38 158 SWC loads and I saw one of their pamphlets describing the performance improvements over LRN.They claimed it didn't riccochet off car windows as much and killed better cause of the square needle theroy.