Each year as I sit to type my wish list, I have to consider what each item costs. Can my wife realistically afford to get me these gifts? Maybe. Would she? Probably not. But when I build this list, I look at what AGENCIES should be considering as well. If I was a Chief of Police, what could I purchase for the agency that would serve the officers well and, perhaps, be enjoyable along the way? Keep that in mind as you read through this year’s wish list.
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First up, the DART range training system (www.dartrange.com). I saw this, and shot on it quite a bit, at the IACP Conference in San Diego this year. In fact, while the DART Range system can be used for structured simulation training, it can also serve as a great stress reliever if you’re the person who enjoys shooting and likes to practice your skills. It can be set up anywhere, has a comparatively low cost and is programmable, allowing for multiple types of training to be performed.
Next is the new TASER 10. (www.axon.com/products/taser-10) As a TASER instructor for over 15 years now, I was impressed when I handled this new ECW at IACP. The biggest changes are 1) You have to pull the trigger twice to deploy it. One trigger pull equals one dart fired. Two darts give you the circuit you need. 2) Each dart is aimed independently. No more trying to remember angle of spread and gauging whether you can get a “good hit” with a single shot of two darts. 3) 45’ maximum engagement range. That’s double what it used to be. 4) NINE chances in a single magazine of ten darts to achieve circuit creation. I love that it’s a green laser aiming device (as all non-lethal tools should be). It truly is a new era in less-lethal technology.
My list also includes the new 5.11 Tactical V.XI XTU uniform set. While I no longer have to perform high-risk work (quite thankfully), I still train a lot and the XTU incorporates several design features that make “suiting up” more convenient, more comfortable and more efficient. Thankfully, my wife doesn’t have to buy me this one because I’m still trying to wear out the test XTU uniform I received.
I could put about ten items on my list from NEXTORCH. With products ranging from lights to batons and more, it’s easy to do some “wish listing” on their site, www.nextorch.com. In fact, I might end up getting my wife a NEXTORCH UT21 Emergency Warning Light to wear when she’s walking after dark. For under $40, the high visibility warning light is easily worn and would increase her safety on the roadside.
I’m still a fan of the CRKT Homefront Assisted opening knife. With its field strip design, it’s the first folding knife I came across in my 40-plus years in uniform that allows for disassembly, maintenance and reassembly without any tools. It’s a good size for a clipped-in-pocket knife and the blade holds an edge very well. I recommend it as a gift for anyone you know who carries a knife each day.
And that brings me to the three firearms on my list: two handguns and a rifle. The first handgun I already have and would still put some variant of it on my wish list: The FN America 509MRD-LE. This designed-for-duty handgun is a 17+1 9mm with a flat trigger and slide cut for optics. I wasn’t a believer in red dot sights or flat triggers and then I got to try the 509MRD-LE out. Now I want all my guns to have flat triggers and an RDS.
Just because I “grew up” on a government issued 1911 .45ACP handgun, I love the basic 1911 design. Because I spent most of my law enforcement career after 1985, I’ve come to appreciate the higher-capacity double-stack 9mm designs. What happens if we can combine them? Enter the Springfield Armory Prodigy. This 17+1 9mm handgun is a 1911 in form and function and incorporates their Agency Optic System (AOS) allowing for a variety of optics to be used. The ambi-safety, skeletonized hammer and extended beaver tail grip safety are all custom features that are standard on this gun. With an MSRP under $1,500, this is (essentially) a custom-built handgun incorporating desirable features for duty use.
Finally, I’ve been a lever-gun aficionado forever. The first rifle I ever bought was a lever-action .30-.30 and it’s still in my gun safe. It’s accompanied now by several collectibles from Henry Repeating Arms Company, more commonly referred simply as Henry Rifles. For backwoods work I have their all weather .30-.30. For the trunk of my patrol vehicle (if I still had one) I have their Big Boy X Model in .357 Magnum (agency authorized). For survival/backpacking, I have an AR-7. It certainly wouldn’t hurt my feelings to unwrap a new Henry Rifle Christmas morning and there are plenty to choose from. Check out the list at www.henryusa.com www.henryusa.com.
So… that’s my wish list. If you’re buying for a law enforcement professional in your life, you can’t really go wrong with any one of these items. The uniform, lights and knife are lowest priced… but your LE professional would really light up at some of those other items. Happy Holidays!!
