[jec1ny]

Most departments have policies on what you will carry. A few however still allow officers the choice. If I was on the job and given the choice, I would opt for a .357 mag revolver(yes a 6 shot wheel gun) and load with 125 grain hollow points (.357 rounds not .38 special). I know a lot of people will say you need the extra magazine capacity of a semi. But I disagree. If you can't hit your target with 6 rounds you have no business carrying a gun. And there is no semi that has the stopping power of a .357 mag. You can shoot someone with a 9mm or .40 cal and yes even the much vaunted .45 several times and not bring them down. But you hit someone with a 357 mag and promise you they will immediately desist in whatever anti-social behavior they were engaged in.

[cannonball]

"And there is no semi that has the stopping power of a .357 mag."

Ever heard of the .357 SIG?

[R. Scott]

I know a lot of people will say you need the extra magazine capacity of a semi. But I disagree. If you can't hit your target with 6 rounds you have no business carrying a gun.

Also, with 18 or so rounds available and the ability to quickly reload there is the tendency to just lay a base of fire (spray and pray) and not actually try to hit the bad guy. Very bad for the neighborhood.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***If I was on the job and given the choice,***

As "Skeeter" Skelton wrote in SHOOTING TIMES 30 years ago, if given a choice of ONE firearm he would choose a .357 mag with a 5 inch barrel.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

If you really need more than 6, you had better have some friends with you because you're in a hell of a lot of trouble.

Personally, I prefer a revolver. Colt Python.

That .454 Casull is interesting.

So is that US Army Model 1917 - .45 ACP...

[GingisK]

And there is no semi that has the stopping power of a .357 mag

Assuming, of course, that the .44 Magnum Desert Eagle has been disqualified.

[Carry_Okie]

If I was on the job and given the choice, I would opt for a .357 mag revolver(yes a 6 shot wheel gun) and load with 125 grain hollow points (.357 rounds not .38 special).

S&W now has the 686-5, a seven shot wheel gun with a 5" barrel, a very nicely balanced weapon.

[BurbankKarl]

LAPD will let you choose between 9mm, .40SW and .45

[hopespringseternal]

You can shoot someone with a 9mm or .40 cal and yes even the much vaunted .45 several times and not bring them down. But you hit someone with a 357 mag and promise you they will immediately desist in whatever anti-social behavior they were engaged in.

Not necessarily. Anything short of a phasor set to maximum and you have to factor in too many variables. Bigger and faster is always better, but there are no guarantees. There are documented cases of heart shots and shotgun blasts failing to bring down a suspect quickly.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

But you hit someone with a 357 mag and promise you they will immediately desist in whatever anti-social behavior they were engaged in.

As far as hole go in bodies from handgun rounds two things are true. Bigger is better, all placement being equal, and handgun rounds are puny in general.

The idea that .357 round(s) will immediately stop a threat is a fallacy that will get you killed.

[tx4guns]

"And there is no semi that has the stopping power of a .357 mag."

Wrong. 10mm auto can actually surpass .357 mag ballistics, with a bigger hole. Lots of LEOs are going back to the 10mm. Just saw one on the street the other day here in Houston on a Dep Sherrif's hip.

[semaj]

.357 bump

[Myrddin]

My preference mirrors yours. S&W 686+ (7 rounds) with 125 gr JHP (Federal HydraShok). My 2nd choice in my Glock 23C with (40 S&W) 185 gr JHP. Both firearms are tack drivers in 25 yard slow fire target competition. That's no guarantee of good shot placement under extreme stress. Regular IDPA activity is recommended to complement the good hardware.

[RavenATB]

“If you can’t hit your target with 6 rounds you have no business carrying a gun.”

What makes you think that there will always be only a single target?