Issue link: https://let.epubxp.com/i/320907
52 Law Enforcement Technology June 2014 www.officer.com F I R E A R M S A s a northern Illinois farm girl I grew up around long guns, but never gave handguns more than a passing thought. Then I decided to become a cop. I couldn't wait to carry a pistol. I planned to work hard, practice harder, and become the most skilled marksman on my department. Before I entered the police academy in January of 1981 my police department issued me a Smith and Wesson Model 59 semi auto pistol in 9mm. It was over 7 inches long with a 4-inch barrel and weighed nearly two pounds. Each double- stack magazine held 14 rounds (we were issued three of them); the metal back strap was straight and the grips were hard plas- tic. I found out later that the United States Navy had commissioned the first proto- type of what would become the Model 59 for use by Navy SEAL commandos in the field. Apparently not even Navy SEALs liked the model 59…they never adopted it for widespread use, but I thought it was the most beautiful pistol I'd ever seen. My field training officer and one of our range masters taught me how to clean, manipulate and fire my new pistol. I was really good at taking it apart and cleaning it, but we were all frustrated that my tiny hands (my right hand measures 6.5 inches from the base of my palm to the tip of my trigger finger) didn't allow for very skilled gun handling. I couldn't eject the maga- zine or disengage the manual safety one- handed like I was taught, and I couldn't properly access or press the trigger unless I rotated my hand about three inches to the right, which made for a pretty weak grip. My unstable grip also caused me to either jerk the trigger or limp-wrist the gun, so the shots that didn't stovepipe Do you see yourself as a gunfighter? BY SGT. BETSY BRANTNER-SMITH LET_52-54_GunFighter0614.indd 52 5/21/14 9:38 AM