By steve tracy I Editorial director steventracy@hendonpub.com


Test Your Ammo Before You Carry It


him. This was around 1989 and many police offi cers carried a .38 snub nosed revolver or a .380 pistol like my Walther for backup or off-duty carry. I explained the advantages of the fl at little Walther and my reasons for choosing it. I also gave my opinion that the PPK was a better option for concealment over the PPK/S. T e PPK has a shorter grip (by a quarter of an inch) and the back strap is covered by wraparound plastic instead of the longer and heavier steel grip of the PPK/S. I further explained that the PPK/“Special” was a product of the Gun Control Act of 1968 and was produced by mating a shorter PPK slide with a longer and heavier PP frame. T e smaller PPK could not be imported into the United States post-1968; however, that did not stop Interarms from setting up a plant to manufacture it here. A few days later, the Commander proudly showed off his newly purchased Walther .380 pistol. It was a PPK/S. T e salesman had told the Commander that the “S” was better because it held one more round in its magazine. Also, the store didn’t have the smaller and lighter PPK in stock and would take weeks to get one.


A


Another week later, the Commander disgustedly told me the Walther I “made him buy” was a piece of junk. I was dumbfounded when he told me the Walther jammed incessantly and that he sold it to another offi cer at a substantial price loss just to get rid of it. I later spoke with the offi cer who bought the PPK/S from the angry Commander. He laughed and said he ought to turn himself in because, “I stole it from him! He shot it with that hollow point ammo the gun store sold him. Everyone knows that stuff ’s long overall cartridge length won’t feed in a Walther! Well, almost every- one I guess,” he laughed. “I fi red regular hollow points and full-metal jacket ammo and that Walther is totally reliable.” Some semi-autos are picky with the cartridges they’ll feed reliably. This was more true 20-some years ago than today. Most of today’s modern


Commander once asked me, “What kind of gun do you carry as a backup?” I safely unloaded my stainless-steel Walther PPK .380 and showed it to


duty guns will feed almost anything and ammunition manufacturers work very hard to make sure their cartridges are extremely reliable. However, offi cers are still known to load up brand-new pistols with ammo they’re never fi red in their new gun. T e opposite ex- treme is also true, where offi cers will refuse to carry a new type of ammunition until they have fi red several boxes of it through their carry gun. At today’s prices, that can get a bit expensive. You should shoot enough magazines through your own


guns to satisfy your personal preference. Reach your own level of comfort with the knowledge that your gun and ammo will work well together.


While many departments issue a particular pistol and ammo that is proven to be a reliable combination, other departments only issue ammunition. Weapon choice is left up to each offi cer, usually from a list of various handguns. If your department has a smattering of diff erent pistols on offi cers’ duty belts, switching to a diff erent brand of carry ammo necessitates a bit of testing. PM


Post your comments on this story by visiting www.policemarksman.com


“ You should shoot enough magazines through your own guns to satisfy your personal preference. Reach your own level of comfort with the knowledge that your gun and ammo will work well together.”


Steve tracy I Editorial Director


Steve Tracy is a 26-year police veteran with 24 years of experience as a fi rearms instructor. He is also an instructor for tactical rifl es, use of force, less-than-lethal force and scenario-based training. He can be reached at steventracy@hendonpub.com.


“ Owning a handgun doesn’t make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician.” – Col. Jef Cooper


To post your comments on this story, please visit policemarksman.com 3 The Police Marksman May-Jun 2014 www.policemarksman.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46