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On the 15th anniversary of one of the fiercest gun battles in modern law enforcement history, patrol officers are much better armed, equipped, and trained than they were in 1997.
In recent years more and more manufacturers have developed new takes on AR-style rifles, resulting in four major operating systems for the common patrol rifles used by American law enforcement. Let's take a look at the four operating systems and their pros and cons
Don't let the name "Patrol" fool you; the SIG 556 Patrol is well suited for tactical team use as well. The new SIG 556 Patrol Rifle comes in two versions: the standard model and the SWAT model. The SWAT model is equipped with a quad rail for the attachment of accessories.
Which brings me back to the caliber debate and leads us into this discussion of the FNH USA SCAR 17S, a .308 caliber patrol rifle. There are agencies and jurisdictions where the extra range and penetration of the .308 rifle is a necessity.
Just 10 years ago when law enforcement agencies went out to purchase long guns, they rarely looked at anything other than shotguns. Today, the AR and other military-style rifles dominate the market.
Don Alwes discusses long-gun options for female officers during POLICE-TREXPO East with Betsy Brantner-Smith, a Calibre Press Street Survival trainer. The video is courtesy of PoliceOne.
I'd like to discuss a somewhat unusual rifle choice that can help law enforcement agencies and individual officers realistically cope with the rising cost and shortage of .223/5.56 patrol rifle ammunition. I believe the solution to this problem is for law enforcement agencies to field the Smith & Wesson M&P15R M4-style carbine chambered in 5.45x39mm.
From experience I can say that the Colt LE6920 is an outstanding semi-automatic M4-style carbine. It's chambered in 5.56mm and incorporates Mil-Spec features in its design.