NCJ Number
133275
Date Published
1989
Length
114 pages
Annotation
The Kansas City (Missouri) Police Department created a task force to identify the best sidearm for current department use. The task force established a basis for inquiry, established standards for comparative analysis, examined weapon specifications, compared weapons, analyzed available ammunition, established a training and phase-in program, and estimated cost factors.
Abstract
The basis for inquiry lay in the trends among felon offenders to use high technology weapons, the current drug problem and influx of gangs into Kansas City, and forecasts of future law enforcement trends. Department standards for a semi-automatic weapon were based on policy guidelines, organizational parameters, and National Institute of Justice standards. The revolver and semi-automatic weapon calibers were identified as the best available for further study in specific weapons. A further analysis revealed the double- action semi-automatic pistol to be superior, in operation and performance, over the pistol. Ammunition guidelines were drafted based on National Institute of Justice technology assessments, organizational guidelines, and maximum recoil figures. The two recommended sidearms for the department were the Sig Sauer P226 or the Smith and Wesson 5906 Stainless. Training programs for both weapons were drafted, and cost estimates were outlined based on expected high and low bids. 34 notes, 20 references, and 9 appendixes