Ask the other officers, come to a mutual decision. Would be nice for you all to be able to back each other up, share mags, common ammo, etc.

 

Would be nice for you all to be able to back each other up, share mags, common ammo, etc.

Maybe an issue in the military, not even a consideration CONUS LE.

 

In general I would say a standard AR-15 carbine (16 inch barrel) with a retractable stock would fill that role nicely.

 

My thoughts!

 

Yep, an AR that doesn't stray too far from the main stream in terms of features and accessories. Plenty of good choices out there - Colt, Bravo Company, Daniel Defense, La Rue are solid choices. Not sure about betting my life on Bushmaster, PSA, DPMS, and others, no matter how good the interweb reviews are.

 

See what others carry and go with that ...

And prob any AR that works will be fine ..All take the same mags and parts

Me I would go HK416 or DD etc maybe a good Colt


Course me I would just use a milled AK47 when you really need to make a point ..( hey there was a cop shop in AK that carry yes a AK at one pouint )

 

Except for the military I had to provide my own weapons the whole time I was an LEO. My last patrol rifle was a Sig 556, it was a great gun, accurate and reliable. I liked it much better than an AR. I don't know if they're still offering them or not.

The only "black rifles" I have now are in .308, a Galil Ace and a S.A. SOCOM 16 in a Sage EBR chassis. I wouldn't hesitate to use the Galil as a patrol rifle, they make a 5.56 version that uses AR mags that would allow exchanging mags/ammo with the AR guys.

 

Being able to carry a patrol rifle is one of the best breakthroughs in modern police work. Back in "the day" most cities denied patrol a rifle and reserved them only for SWAT teams. Generally that was because some SWAT supervisor got their panties in a knot when they got to the area of the call out and discovered the patrol officers had better gear than THEY did (true story - southern city where my brother and cousin were patrol officers had that happen), and the next day the chief declared rifles ONLY for SWAT.

The dangers and quickly changing climate of street patrol finally brought reality even to the ranks and the modern Patrol SUV's have plenty of room in the back for plenty of gear storage and gun lockers instead of everything rattling around in the trunk of a Crown Vic.

Anyway, that aside, I have a Sig Patrol 516 and feel in no way under gunned. :yup:

 

I would likely go with a 9mm carbine and carry a 9mm pistol. Most likely I would go Ruger on the Rifle and Glock on the pistol because, if my memory serves me correctly, the Ruger carbine accepts Glock magazines.

 

Pistol caliber carbines are great in theory for all of the obvious reasons but in reality they kind of suck for all of the obvious reasons. That's why the original PC9s and PC40s were discontinued, lack of the agency sales that Ruger planned on to make building them worthwhile. They brought them back because the general public wanted them, not LE agencies. The guns lack the penetrating power and long distance accuracy that gives the patrol rifle an edge. The 9mm and .40S&W do not gain enough from the 16" barrels to come close to competing with the 5.56 ballistically.

An M4-type AR w/ a scope/electronic sight combination. The barrel would be short, 14-16", so it could be easily wielded inside buildings w/ narrow corridors. And it probably needs a flashlight w/ a switch attached to the forearm.

As for caliber, I am not a fan of the 5.56 and would look for something a bit bigger if allowed to do so.

A lot of agencies won't allow any magnifying optics without extra training, they consider scoped rifles/carbines the stuff of snipers. A more appropriate optic would be something like an Eotech, Aimpoint PRO, etc.. A light is a must. Whatever you equip it with, don't cheap out, buy quality. The cheap stuff tends to crap out right when you need it most.

Personally, I don't like the 5.56 either, or ARs, but the dept will have some guidelines for the OP to go by. If it was me, today, I'd run my Galil in .308, Aimpoint PRO (with a flip up magnifier on a quick release mount), and a quality light. There is no substitute for horsepower.:wink:

 

Without a doubt, an AR of some configuration.

 

An M4-type AR w/ a scope/electronic sight combination. The barrel would be short, 14-16", so it could be easily wielded inside buildings w/ narrow corridors. And it probably needs a flashlight w/ a switch attached to the forearm.

As for caliber, I am not a fan of the 5.56 and would look for something a bit bigger if allowed to do so.

 

If you're referring to "patrol rifle" as what will be riding along beside you in your patrol vehicle, there are many good options. Being in Montana on a very small force, I would expect you to be alone for quite a while in any incident that might occur. You're quite possibly gonna need all the firepower you can muster for the next 15-20 minutes at least.

I would be taking a serious look at an AR-10/.308. Plenty of capacity, plenty of punch to get through barriers the 5.56 may not. Do you want to go up against some deranged anarchist in the middle of nowhere on equal terms--both of you packing AR-15 poodle shooters--or do you want the advantage in range and punch?

As for compatibility with your fellow officers, carry enough mags you don't need theirs. When you show up with your AR-10, they'll start shopping.

 

This is why my kid chose a SCAR H when he was in AFSOC, penetration was king and the .308 would punch through stuff the 5.56 would barely ding.

 

On a small town police force in the flat side of Montana, I would carry my S&W 29-2 .44 magnum revolver and Winchester '94 lever-action .44 magnum rifle. :yup:

 

Don't forget the boots and spurs...

 

The agency I retired from issued Bushmaster Patrol rifles (the older carry handle model) with 14.5" bbl w/ muzzle brake. We never had any problems with them and they got pretty hard usage in a salty humid climate. I purchased one just like it that was purchased on department letterhead and still have it. It is a solid no frills AR. The older Bushmasters made in Windham, ME are MUCH better quality than the current versions! The Colt 6920 is tough to beat and is an industry standard. A local department near me switched to the Ruger AR's about a year ago. According to their armorer they have not had issues with them. The S&W M&P's are also a solid choice w/ lifetime warranty. Just my .02 worth!

 

An AR-15 in the lightest configuration possible. Something with a thin rail system that's light and a pencil barrel 14.5 pinned and welled. BCM rifles with that Enhanced Light Weight Barrel fill this roll well.

If your schools in your area have long hallways, i would say a Magnified optic, other wise an Aimpoint T1-2.

I recently watched a deputy in Loudoun had to post up on a door for 2-3 hours. He went from agressive leaning stance to arm rest stance (Bladed body, hips kicked out in front arm resting the rifle up) Olympic and highpower shooters do this. He was hurting and he was in shape.

 

Lots of good advice. My department authorized several AR platforms, but the most popular, according to the armorer, was the Colt LE-6920 with a red dot type optical sight, backup irons, and a two point sling. I think most carried Winchester 64 grain PSP, but the SWAT guys carried a number of different loads.

The Colt is a very solid rifle and should you ever face an actor wearing body armor, the 62 grain M-855 was made for that. However the M193 (55 grain) works quite well on IIIA. Now if they happen to have anything above Level IIIA armor, you're probably going to need more than even a .308. Of course, practice until you can make reasonable range CNS shots and armor doesn't matter. Accuracy and power are the forte of the rifle.

 

Ta da!



There is life, both before and since the advent of the AR 15. Though an AR 15 is kept on hand, I really would choose the M1 Carbine over it if I needed a light rifle for the purpose.

Yeah, I know. Get back to the fogy corner.

 

OO no went done and brought it!

 

Ok, I did not see where the OP is located. Yes, the .308/7.62 might be a good caliber for use if you are operating out in the sticks, but a slightly smaller cartridge in a shorter rifle would be better in a town.

 

Any quality AR carbine. I would even like a good AR pistol with a decent optic. A 7.5" 300 Blackout with 115 grain supersonics would be my first pick.

 

Tavor with eotech, I'd not consider an AR.

 

Tavor is fine for squad use, solo use reloads kinda suck. There is a reason even the Israeli SF uses M-4's.

 

If you carry a Glock, especially a 9mm, there are a number of nice rifles out there now that take Glock mags. Same with a few in .40 I believe. One set of mags for both duty pistol and patrol rifle would be nice, IMHO. No need to take time to grab a second set of mags. Any quality AR would be good too, especially if the other officers carry AR's for sharing mags with them in a tactical situation.

 

Any quality AR would be good too, especially if the other officers carry AR's for sharing mags with them in a tactical situation.

That just does not happen in LE in this country.

 

Talk with the other officers. Get the lay of the land and the types of calls where they use their rifles.....then make your pick.

That said....it's hard to beat the handiness of a Marlin lever-action carbine in .30-30.....

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

 

Depending on the area patrolling I like my Colt Commando 10.5”. it’s perfect for the application small enough for buildings and still plenty accurate enough for the distances I’m working within. Mine is equipped with an Eotech. If I was out in the western states I’d go 308 and likely either a 16” at-10 of some flavor I like my ruger piston gun or a M1A in something like a scout variety.

 

I want a true rifle round if I'm going to carry a rifle. In rural areas wildlife might be a concern as well.

 

A flat-top AR-15 with a red dot sight and 16" barrel will handle most duties you could use it for in a city environment, while a flat-top AR-10 type with a low-power variable scope would probably be better if on a rural department.

 

I decided I am going to go with 7.62x39. Im either going to carry my Mini-30 or KS-47. I just have to wait till July 1 for the new fiscal year so the department will pay for the ammo. Thank you all for your input.

 

If you have question pm me or ask me ..I am a big x39 guy ..

Frankly both them dont do much for me lol

Mini 30 .. Well mags suck a lot ( limited in size and not cheep ) oh and half the time you need to really twek them to run com block (ie cheep ammo)

And the KS47 is fine ..But again with most non AK , ak mag guns mags can be picky on what works on them ( I know drums dont work and some metal mags and some plastic mags wont work )..Plus I belive it is using a AR style gas action which as dirty as ak47 ammo is makes me shudder to think on cleaning it ...Why I dont own or will not own any AR action AK the cleaning of a AK is easy for a reason ...


Have you though about just getting a normal AK47 ? If the whole I want AR ergo is a worry plenty of AK now have or can easily be mounted with AR15 stock and even pistol grips so you can get that feeling .... And a number of decent USA made guns if you have a issues with buying com block guns ....

I mention all of this as the better ammo for the 47 right now is 8m3 effect ammo and that being steel case ..Eh on running in a mini

 

What are you likely to run into? What is the terrain, is it city, rural? \
AR is the easy answer, but if you may need to put down a rampaging bear, etc. you may need a larger caliber.

 

Oh, well ...

... a rampaging bear?

Why didn't you say so before?

This is the thing for rampaging bear. Only a bit long for patrolling, but singularly lightweight for its heavy chambering and cradles in one's arm like a babe. Only five rounds, but this John Browning designed lever-action may be levered slicker'n snot on a door knob.

Winchester Model 1895 chambered for the .405 WCF. Turning rampaging bear into rugs since 1904.


The .405 WCF with the .308 WCF shown for comparison.


Don'cha just hate it when fogies come out of their corner to make feeble quips?