Special Report

Police Standard Issue Sidearms in the 10 Biggest American Cities

Samuel Stebbins

Published: December 9, 2023 9:35 am

Last Updated: December 13, 2023 12:52 pm

Law enforcement in the United States can be rather dangerous – compared to standard jobs, it has a 4.1 higher risk of danger. Although, surprisingly, it isn’t ranked as one of the most dangerous careers. However, officers still face significant and serious dangers throughout their field of work. Conducting traffic stops, patrolling high-crime areas, and pursuing and arresting criminal suspects, every time they go to work police face a high level of risk to their safety and those risks appear to be on the rise.

According to the FBI, incidents in which law enforcement officers were assaulted while on duty increased 11.2% from 2020 to 2021. Because of the potential for deadly violence, police in the United States carry firearms, which, under certain circumstances, they are authorized to use.

Firearms are among the most important tools carried by men and women in uniform. These weapons can save someone else’s life or their own, and should an officer have just cause to use their weapon in the line of duty, the firearm must function reliably and effectively. As a result, cities across the country have strict guidelines dictating what their officers carry. 

To identify the handguns used by police departments in America’s 10 largest cities by population, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed police department policy handbooks and local media reports. It is important to note that the firearms listed are not necessarily all those used by police in that city, but rather represent standard-issue firearms based on the latest available data at the time of this publication. 

In some major cities, police departments rely on a single, standardized service weapon. In other major U.S. cities, such as Chicago and Philadelphia, police can choose between a range of firearms that fall within department-approved parameters to carry while on duty. (These are America’s top pistol companies.)

Police departments have moved away from revolvers in much of the country, opting instead for semi-automatic handguns, which typically reload and fire faster, and have larger magazine capacities. However, in some cities on this list, revolvers are still permitted. (This is the annual incarceration rate of every state.)

Here is the Police Standard Issue Sidearm in 10 Biggest Cities in America

10. San Jose

Source: Sundry Photography / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Standard issue service weapon (s): Sig Sauer P225, Sig Sauer P226, Glock 17, and Glock 19 (officers can also elect to carry a variety of approved firearms while on duty at their own expense, including Beretta and Smith & Wesson semi-automatics and Colt and Smith & Wesson revolvers)
• Police officer count: 1,161 (1.1 per 1,000 people)
• City population: 1,019,772

9. Dallas

Source: typhoonski / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• Standard issue service weapon (s): Glock 17 and Glock 19, other options also available
• Police officer count: 3,118 (2.3 per 1,000 people)
• City population: 1,349,185

8. San Diego

San Diego Police Department (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Tomu00c3u0083u00c2u00a1s Del Coro

• Standard issue service weapon(s): Officers choose between a range of weapons
• Police officer count: 1,877 (1.3 per 1,000 people)
• City population: 1,434,673

7. Philadelphia

Philadelphia Police... (CC BY-SA 3.0) by ZuZu

• Standard issue service weapon(s): Revolvers: Smith & Wesson .38 Special, or Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum; Semi-automatic pistols: Glock 17, Glock 26, Glock 22, Glock 27, Glock 35, Glock 21-SF, Glock 21, Glock 30, or Glock 30-SF
• Police officer count: 6,300 (4.0 per 1,000 people)
• City population: 1,576,251

6. San Antonio

Source: grandriver / iStock via Getty Images

• Standard issue service weapon(s): Smith & Wesson M&P 40
• Police officer count: 2,381 (1.5 per 1,000 people)
• City population: 1,592,693

5. Phoenix

Phoenix Police Department Squa... (CC BY 2.0) by Tony Webster

• Standard issue service weapon (s): Glock 22, Glock 21, and Glock 17
• Police officer count: 2,795 (1.7 per 1,000 people)
• City population: 1,638,290

4. Houston

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• Standard issue service weapon (s): Glock 17 for rookies, other options available depending on tenure
• Police officer count: 5,250 (2.2 per 1,000 people)
• City population: 2,339,252

3. Chicago

Source: Scott Olson / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• Standard issue service weapon (s): Glock 17 or Glock 19. May also use Springfield Armory XD Service Model 4 inch, Springfield Armory XD Tactical Model 5 inch, Springfield Armory XDM SFS, Smith & Wesson Model M&P9C, or Smith & Wesson Model M&P9 Shield, depending on training and tenure. Auxiliary pistol: Glock 26, Glock 43, and Springfield Armory XD Subcompact 3-inch SFS.
• Police officer count: 13,108 (4.9 per 1,000 people)
• City population: 2,696,561

2. Los Angeles

Source: georgeclerk / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• Standard issue service-weapon(s): FN 509 MRD-LE
• Police officer count: 9,474 (2.4 per 1,000 people)
• City population: 3,988,183

1. New York

Source: tillsonburg / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• Standard issue service-weapon(s): Glock 17, Glock 19, Smith & Wesson 5946, or the SIG Sauer P226
• Police officer count: 35,047 (4.1 per 1,000 people)
• City population: 8,475,387

Methodology

To identify the handguns used by police departments in America’s largest cities, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed official police department documents and local media reports. 

All data in this story was the latest available at the time of publication and is subject to change. Specific data on the firearms available to officers with the San Diego Police Department was not available at the time of publishing, but a department spokesperson confirmed there is no single standard issue firearm and that officers have a choice between a range of firearms. 

Police officer personnel and city population figures are as of 2021 and came from the FBI. Due to a lack of FBI reporting for Chicago and Philadelphia, population data is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey and police officer counts are from official department websites.