DPS drops M&P

[LAYGO]

I just pull the trigger like a Glock and don't mess with the sear trip lever at all. And I too like my M&P45 and my wife really likes her M&P9. Each gun has a little over 3k rounds through them and neither have had the issues I experienced with the 40.

Same here. I will do the sear deactivation if there happens to be something handy, but a trigger pull works (while pointed in a safe direction).

[Cedar Park Dad]

How did this get about their equipment. Threads shift strangely don't they.

Has there been corraboration to the OP about DPS dropping M&P?
If so please don't me they are going with Brick er Glock...

[Pawpaw]

I heard they're going with Hi-point.

[jmra]

I heard they're going with Hi-point.

[Cedar Park Dad]

I heard they're going with Hi-point.

[Greybeard]

Nupe. Suggest Taurus or Keltec with the lifetime warranties: Send it back to 'em often enough and sometime in your lifetime they will make it right.

[ShootDontTalk]

How many times do you have to try to drive with a drug crazed, spitting, kicking, cursing, bleeding, HIV infected struggling prisoner in the front seat before a cage becomes worthwhile?

Do DPS troopers do that enough times to justify the expense for every DPS unit in Texas? They don't work bad areas of Inner cities. That is not my question though, that is the question asked by the bean counters.

I agree that a top of the line rifle is not essential to accomplish the patrol mission. Most officers couldn't shoot any better with the LaRue than they can with the Bushmaster, and patrol officers rarely take shots beyond 75 yards. Any reliable rifle that provides sub 2 MOA accuracy will do the job for front line patrol officers, even without EOTech sights, which are a very nice plus.

Sights? Yes. Accuracy saves money on lawsuits.

I don't follow the logic in asserting that hand held radios would not be an important and effective tool for troopers because they wouldn't work on every patch of land in Texas. Your cell phone won't work everywhere either, but that doesn't make it useless. The radio is a trooper's lifeline, and I think that should be made available wherever possible.

I didn't say they were not important or effective. I said that lacking repeater coverage, DPS radios are not effective for most of the rural areas of the state. Example: How useful is a cell phone that has no service?

Have you ever driven the highways of West Texas and noted that for most of your journey you are not in contact with dispatch? IIRC DPS has three repeaters to cover El Paso to Odessa/Midland - 300 miles. Handhelds are useless to hit a repeater even 50 miles away. Besides, if we had a walkabout transceiver (think Bluetooth type headset) that linked to the radio in the cruiser, the need for expensive handhelds is negated. Given the failings of the uber-expensive radio system FDNY and NYPD had on 9/11 simply because they were inside buildings, I believe every first responder needs more effective communications. But, until we get something better and cheaper than the defunct Iridium system, the problem for troopers in rural areas will remain.

Sorry for the semi-technical discussion. I've been involved in communications for almost 50 years. Some opinions and yet some facts also.

[jbirds1210]

How many times do you have to try to drive with a drug crazed, spitting, kicking, cursing, bleeding, HIV infected struggling prisoner in the front seat before a cage becomes worthwhile?

Do DPS troopers do that enough times to justify the expense for every DPS unit in Texas? They don't work bad areas of Inner cities. That is not my question though, that is the question asked by the bean counters.

A bean counter would only have to take one ride with the people described in this post to make a believer out of them. I credit my cage for preventing all of the above acts MANY times with the exception of HIV Infection...I don't know their medical history. All of this said, DPS will call for a local agency to transport someone acting like an idiot if that is an option. I'm glad they are going back to a gun that works for them.

Jason

[gigag04]

If anyone wants to carry a rifle made by a company that can't figure how to stake a carrier key, go for it.

I don't have a dog in the fight, just strong opinions.

If I struck a nerve with the friendly banter about DPS, I apologize. It was all meant in fun... Have some great friends in the agency....


...sometimes 8 or 9 get together to change a lightbulb

[Excaliber]

How many times do you have to try to drive with a drug crazed, spitting, kicking, cursing, bleeding, HIV infected struggling prisoner in the front seat before a cage becomes worthwhile?

Do DPS troopers do that enough times to justify the expense for every DPS unit in Texas? They don't work bad areas of Inner cities. That is not my question though, that is the question asked by the bean counters.

A bean counter would only have to take one ride with the people described in this post to make a believer out of them. I credit my cage for preventing all of the above acts MANY times with the exception of HIV Infection...I don't know their medical history. All of this said, DPS will call for a local agency to transport someone acting like an idiot if that is an option. I'm glad they are going back to a gun that works for them.

Jason

The stats in our city showed that 20% of our transport clients were infected with HIV, Hepatitis B, or both and they were a generally ornery lot.

We thought the cages were pretty important.

[Excaliber]

If anyone wants to carry a rifle made by a company that can't figure how to stake a carrier key, go for it.

I don't have a dog in the fight, just strong opinions.

If I struck a nerve with the friendly banter about DPS, I apologize. It was all meant in fun... Have some great friends in the agency....


...sometimes 8 or 9 get together to change a lightbulb

An improperly staked carrier key should be immediately detected and fixed by the armorer upon initial inspection of newly arrived guns. One agency I worked for issued Bushmasters and we had no significant issues with them.

I'm not advocating for the Bushmaster as a brand. I had one quite some years back and it was quite satisfactory, but I'm not personally familiar with their current production quality.

My point was that a patrol officer doesn't need a super expensive rifle to do his job. A plain jane Rock River or similar gun works just fine once it's been inspected and shot enough to establish its reliability.

[nyj]

All I gotta say, is that troopers get my utmost respect. Not the best pay, and being way out in the boonies with backup a long ways away. No thank you.

[ShootDontTalk]

I have a good friend who made the jump to DPS from our department. He is a really good officer and his heart is in the right place, but he confided in me that it was much harder to see the same difference he made as a city cop. They have a tough job out far from help. My heart goes out to them one and all.

In any event, my apologies for my part in dragging this into an equipment discussion. I too hope they get the right weapon that will serve them well - even if it is a Glock. I like them.

[Excaliber]

All I gotta say, is that troopers get my utmost respect. Not the best pay, and being way out in the boonies with backup a long ways away. No thank you.

Anyone who can handle policing anything that comes along alone and far from help can do it anywhere.

They keep themselves fit because they have to.

When was the last time you saw an overweight trooper?

[Big Bronze Rim]

If anyone wants to carry a rifle made by a company that can't figure how to stake a carrier key, go for it.

I don't have a dog in the fight, just strong opinions.

If I struck a nerve with the friendly banter about DPS, I apologize. It was all meant in fun... Have some great friends in the agency....


...sometimes 8 or 9 get together to change a lightbulb

An improperly staked carrier key should be immediately detected and fixed by the armorer upon initial inspection of newly arrived guns. One agency I worked for issued Bushmasters and we had no significant issues with them.

I'm not advocating for the Bushmaster as a brand. I had one quite some years back and it was quite satisfactory, but I'm not personally familiar with their current production quality.

My point was that a patrol officer doesn't need a super expensive rifle to do his job. A plain jane Rock River or similar gun works just fine once it's been inspected and shot enough to establish its reliability.

There are just so many better options than a Bushmaster, DPMS or RR for similar money. The rifle should come correct from the factory and not require armorer level intervention to just make the gun right from the get go. After an armorer lays hands on the weapon and fixes all the problems (that should have been right when received), was that rifle significantly cheaper than something like a Colt, BCM, LMT or DD rifle? While I realize these guns will likely be low round count guns used as a patrol rifle, I've seen my share of people have lower end ARs go down in carbine classes which doesn't bode well for something that your life depends on.

It also cracks me up when I read something in an ad to the effect of "X department uses [insert sketchy quality gun]" as some means of validating the gun. It just tells me that someone got a good deal on a bunch of crappy guns.