[Dragoon44]

What is the absolute worst gun you ever bought for back up or off duty?

For me the honor goes to the Detonics pocket 9

Thick, heavy and kicked like a mule. (straight blowback)

No holsters actually made for it. It was so thick and heavy it ripped out the stitches of the safariland "wet leg" (anyone remember that medieval torture device?)

 

[FiremanMike]

Ruger LCP. Not because it was an unreliable weapon, but I absolutely HATED it. It was too small to comfortably aim and shoot, I questioned how much power a .380 could get out of such a short barrel, and did I mention it was horrible to shoot?

 

[Dragoon44]

Cops today have a pretty big selection of decent hardware to choose from.
Back in the day it was pretty much a Chiefs special, detective special or Agent. Or if you wanted to be fancy, a Walther PPK.

It was a big deal when S&W reintroduced the bodyguard series for those that couldn't find an older one.

 

[OLY-M4gery]

Cops today have a pretty big selection of decent hardware to choose from.

Luckily my department has an approved list of back up and off duty weapons authorized for use. The list could be best called the heavy and thick.

 

[Wil Ufgood]

Cops today have a pretty big selection of decent hardware to choose from.
Back in the day it was pretty much a Chiefs special, detective special or Agent. Or if you wanted to be fancy, a Walther PPK.

It was a big deal when S&W reintroduced the bodyguard series for those that couldn't find an older one.

I miss my wheelguns but time marches on.

Biggest POS was a Diamondback .380
Small accurate but broke twice, unacceptable.

 

[Dragoon44]

Anyone remember the little Grendel. .380? No removable magazine. Or the little colt govt. 380 with a million parts?

 

[Vigilant]

Here is one that I thought might have some potential: A Radom P-64. Subcompact, 9X18 Mak caliber, DA/SA.... but I soon came to realize it was better suited for collectors.

 

[msu_grad_121]

I know I'm gonna make someone mad with this, but the Beretta tip-up barrel .25 Auto. The firing pin broke on me twice in about 5 months. Maybe I got a bad one, but it put me off Berettas completely.

 

[seanmac45]

A 1992 vintage Springfield Armory 1911 with a built in compensator. Spent months and multiple trips back to them trying to get that damn thing to run. It was a single shot pistol. The COMPANY finally gave in and refunded my money saying they were going to destroy the weapon.

Scary thing was I carried that thing for a week after buying it before I could get to the range and discover its' suck factor. I was young and dumb........

 

[banger]

NOT mine, but as the range instructor, I had a guy bring an AMT .380 Backup.

Honestly, it could not get through a magazine without a jam.

You should have heard him when I refused to certify the gun for off duty use.

My personal worst was an Interarms PPK/S.

Despite numerous attempts, I never could get it to run quite right.

Kept it only a short while, then moved it on.

 

[ottomatic]

Anyone remember the little Grendel. .380? No removable magazine.

Not only do I remember it, but I carried one for about two years. Small and surprisingly accurate. Yeah, that fixed mag thing... but realistically, who carries spare mags for that kind of gun?

 

[Ftttu]

Accu-Tek AT 380. Wasn't made to fit the human hand, it gives you hammer slap injuries and the magazine falls out sometimes when it is being fired.

 

[Dragoon44]

Not only do I remember it, but I carried one for about two years. Small and surprisingly accurate. Yeah, that fixed mag thing... but realistically, who carries spare mags for that kind of gun?

I went thru three of them before getting one that worked. By then I lost interest.

 

[Rezdawg]

Smith and Wesson m&p9c with ambidextrous safeties and factory night sights. Wouldn't shoot to POA or cycle a full mag. Traded it for a g30.

 

[TBO]

Grendel P10

 

[Dragoon44]

We know that is not your duty weapon TBO. your on the rubber gun squad!

 

[CAcop]

Issued a Smith 5906 that was a jammomatic. I got rid of it in lieu of a HK USP45. A few years later a COMPETENT armorer figured out the extractor was broken. It was a Sim gun for a long time after that and may still be hidden in the armory for those rare times we need that many Sim guns.

 

[Sharky7]

Kel tec p3at was my biggest mistake. Jammed all the time and had 2 return trips to the factories for repairs when it completely stopped working.

 

[Vigilant]

Kel tec p3at was my biggest mistake. Jammed all the time and had 2 return trips to the factories for repairs when it completely stopped working.

I had to send mine back to the factory once, and after that it ran fine. Still, I never really felt comfortable carrying it. Sold it.

 

[k9medic]

I guess I have been pretty lucky. My first agency required that an off duty gun have the same qualities as our duty gun which was a SW5906. That meant that it had to have a decocker, be DA and have a magazine/trigger disconnect.

I ponied up the money and bought a Bersa 380. It was heavy compared to todays guns but was a lot lighter than the 5906!. It clanked around on my ankle for almost 10 years before getting traded for a P3AT. The P3AT stayed around for about 7 years before the Glock 42 came out (which happens to have the same qualities as my current duty gun).