Guns of the HPD (Houston Police)

[FL450]

I saw a female off duty HPD officer working an extra job last week in uniform carrying a S&W 357 Mag. Haven't seen a LEO with a wheel gun in a long time.

[Doug.38PR]

About 2 years ago at Minute Maid Park in Houston it seemed like every HPD cop I spotted during the game, old AND young, had a revolver on his belt.

[Doug.38PR]

About 7 years ago I went to see the Houston Arrows play for the first and last time with some friends. One friend told her her dad used to be an HPD policeman. There was a cop down on the rink wearing a gunbelt, revolver...and nothing else. (No speedloaders, no dump pouch or cartridge loops)

I pointed this out to her and she said "yeah, my dad never carried any extra ammo either. Neither with a 9mm or a revolver. You don't get into gunfights every day and when you do, it's a big deal when you shoot somebody. He'd just go out loaded with whatever was in his gun."

That surprised me.

[EL29jm]

I cannot add too much more to what has been covered but, when I was a cadet in the HPD academy (early 80’s, we had limited choices) and the most popular was the S&W model 19 due to a price break. We bought our own duty firearm. As a rookie you could only carry a wheel gun, no automatics. Stemmed from the Randy Webster incident from what I recall. After one year, off probation, purchase a Colt 45 Series 70. Still have both firearms to date. Just remembered that an older officer mocked my choice of cartridges in my revolver (pick on rookies). I carried WW 357 mag silvertips and spoke about performance in gelatin molds. His reply was, when gelatin molds shoot back at me then I may carry silvertips.
To add, once off probation, you could carry just about anything you wanted, saw many different firearms, even one officer with an RG, no kidding.

edited for clarification...

RG?

Rohm Gmbh, maybe? Cheap guns.

Yes, Rohm produced the pistol in Germany but, it was imported to the US by RG Industries. RG 38S, 38 Special Revolver.

[Doug.38PR]

RG?

[brhalltx]

RG?

Rohm Gmbh, maybe? Cheap guns.

[Doug.38PR]

I seem to recall at a Houston Gunshow a years ago seeing a boadload of S&W Heavy Duty .38-44 service revolvers on display with HPD badges next to them. Like that was, at one time, a favored HPD weapon