Authorized Firearms, Associated Equipment, and Required Training

Duty Handgun

• personally owned, department owned, semi-automatic handgun carried on or off-duty must meet following requirements

• double-action, to single action, single action, safe action, double action only ,or trigger pull will not be less than 4 lbs

• Barren at least 3.5 inches and not to exceed 6

  • Covert can have less than 3.5

• Slide

  • Milled by manufacturer. No aftermarket is permissible

• Finish

  • Blued, black, gray, tan, olive, drab, or stainless

  • No symbols other than manufacturer’s marks or LVMPD insignia

• Grips:

  • Hi-impact plastic, rubber, or wood (black, tan, brown, olive drab, or gray)

• Ammo

  • Dept issued only

  • Member must know how many round in each maG

• Magazines

  • Uniformed must carry at least one mag in firearm with round in the chamber and minimum 2, max 8 mags

  • Plainclothes and covert carry mags as needed

  • Mags will be loaded to capacity

• Extended capacity mags/extenders:

  • Only be produced by same manufacturer as the firearm

  • Base plates from other manufacturers permitted but must not increase magazine capacity and factory springs must be replaced

  • Extended base from same manufacturer and no more than two additional rounds is permissible

• Sights

  • Must be equipped with front and rear sights

• Optic:

  • Only future approved manufacturers

  • Must accompany iron sights and be co-witnessed so if optic becomes inoperable, iron sights may be used

  • Must be certified

• Flashlight mount

  • Must not affect functionality of weapon

• Factory safety

  • Will not be altered or disabled in any way or by any means

  • Factory safety features will remain to factory specifications

Backup Handgun

• carried in a manner to prevent them from being visible by ordinary observation

1. Caliber: .40, .45 .38 .380 auto .357 magnum

2. Ammo: dept issued or factory ammo suppled by officer if carrying other than standard supplied calibers. Factory ammo must be American made and hollow points consistent with dpet issued ammo

3. Flashlight: must not affect functionality of the weapon.

UC handgun

• carried in such a manner that prevents them from being visibly by ordinary observation

• Must meet following:

1. Manufacturer: FTTU approved

2. Firing mechanism: traditional double action, single action, safe action, double action only, and trigger pull not be less than 4 lbs

3. Caliber and/or finish: approved by bureau commander

4. Ammo: dept issued must be commercially manufactured, American made, hollow points consistent with dept issued ammo

5. Flashlight mount: must not affect functionality

Off duty handgun

• carried in manner that prevents it from being visible by ordinary observation

• Approved off-duty handguns must meet the following:

1. Caliber: any

2. Ammo: must be provided by employee, must be commercially manufacture, American made, and hollow points consistent with dept issued ammo

3. Officers must shoot an initial qualification with off-duty handgun

4. Flashlight: must not affect functionality of weapon

Shotgun and Associated Equipment

• Officers permitted to carry optional (personally owned) shotguns approved for dept use in place of dept issued SG

• Approved duty shotguns must be standard factory productions; no aftermarket triggers or trigger modifications

• All shotguns will be cruiser ready

Pump action SG

1. Manufacturer: only FTTU approved

2. 12 gauge

3. Choke: must be equipped w/ cylinder bore, improved cylinder, or modified choke tube

4. Barrel: at least 14 inches not to exceed 20

5. Finish: blued, black, gray, olive drab. No symbols other than manufacturer or LVMPD insignia

6. Ammo: department issued

7. Equipment: sling and side saddle or buttstock ammo carrier required

8. Furniture: black, tan, dark earth, olive drab (no mixed colors)

9. Flashlight must not affect functionality

10. Sights: must be adjustable rifle or ghost ring/aperture sights. Bead sights will not be allowed on lethal shotguns

11. Optical sights: permitted on optional SG. Must be co-witnessed with iron sights

    1. If backup sights cannot be co-witnessed, the optic must be mounted utilizing a quick detach mount. Must have weapon inspected by FTTU

12. Magnifiers/lasers: not permitted on shotguns

Semi-Automatic SG

• exact same as pump action SG

Shotgun Slug Ammo

• officers are authorized to carry shotgun slugs on duty under the following conditions:

1. On the officer’s person, on a removable buttstock shell carrier, or on a side-saddle shell carrier

2. With a shotgun possessing either rifle or ghost ring sights

3. Shotguns may be cruiser ready with slugs if the officer is slug certified. Officers are responsible for knowing what type of ammo is. Loaded into their shotgun as well as how many rounds.

4. Only “00 buckshot” will be carried in the magazine tube of a shotgun if not slug certified

Rifles and Associated

• rifle may not be “home built”

• Upper and lower receivers must be from the same manufacturers

• Vehicles equipped with locking three-rack mount between the driver and passenger seats will utilize that mount for the rifle, low-lethality shotgun, and lethal shotgun

• Two-rack mount-lethal shotgun will be stored in rear cargo mount

• LL shotgun will always remain in one of the locking mounts between driver and passenger seats

• Two officers in a vehicle that are both rifle, one rifle will be stored in protective case inside vehicle cargo area

Rifles will be stored cruiser ready

AR-15 Pattern Semi-Auto Rifle or Gas Piston Operation .223 Wilde/5.56 Caliber semi auto rifle with sling (FTTU APPROVED MANUFACTURERS)

1. Barrel: at least 10 inches not to exceed 20 inches

2. Finish and furniture: blued, black, tan, dark earth, olive drab, or gray (no mixed colors); no symbols other than manufacturer or LVMPD insignia

3. Magazine: max 30 res (officers will only load 28 rounds) officers are responsible for knowing how many rounds in each mag

4. Magazine extenders: Officers/rifle carriers will not attach magazine base plates/extenders to their magazines that allows it to have a capacity more than the manufacturer intended. Acceptable base plates colors are black, tan, brown, and gray

5. Ammo: dept issued

6. Equipment: sling and mag carrying device (plate carrier or chest rig) capable of holding two add’l magazines

   1. Officers should deploy all associated rifle equipment as outlined in rifles and associated equipment section in this politic//unless exigent circumstances dictate otherwise. Deployment w/o associated equipment should only occur when there is an immediate threat to life and the need to intervene outweighs officer safety considerations

7. Firing mechanism: modifications to the trigger group may only be performed by FTTu armorers. Trigger groups must be professionally installed and pull weight not less than 4 lbs.//must not be adjustable.

8. Suppressors: not approved for dept use

9. Flashlight: same as every other weapon Policy listed prior to this

10. Optical sights: co-witnessed with iron sights if optic becomes inoperable. Backup iron sights must be constructed of metal. Officers should consider using the same plane aperture back up iron suits to prevent a shift in point of impact when switching from small to larger aperture

11. 3x magnifier may be added behind the existing optic if the magnifier mount allows the magnifier to be pivoted or flipped to the side, enabling quick transition form a magnification status while preserving the mounting of the device upon the rifle. 3x will include magnifiers up to and including 3.99 actual power magnification. Optics or optics magnifier class certifying operator is required prior to deploying the magnifier

Flashlight mounts

1. Mounts activate by the firearm’s trigger are not approved. Flashlights must be activated by a separate switch or the firearm’s grip.

2. Flashlights mounts that require modifying the firearm are not approved. All flashlight mounts must be bolt-on with no alteration to the frame or slide and must be installed according to the manufacturer’s instruction.

3. The finish of flashlight mounts must be blue, black, gray, tan, or olive drab, and consistent with the finish of the firearm, extending no further than 2 inches beyond the muzzle of the firearm.

4. Flashlights mounted to firearms will be used only for the purposes authorized and intended and will not be used routinely in place of a handheld flashlight (e.g. searching for contraband)

Firearm Maintenance

• must keep firearms reasonably clean and functional at all times. Firearms owned or issued for duty/pffical use should be cleaned at every qualification and more frequently depending on individual use.

• Officers will receive training on field stripping, cleaning, lubricating, and maintaining firearms.

• Officers are responsible for ensuring their firearms remain functional and serviceable

Armor support and repair

• if an optional firearm is damaged and cannot be repaired by FTTU, it is the officer’s responsibility to send the firearm to the manufacturer for repair

• While awaiting return of the firearm, Officer must continue to qualify with another personally owned optionally firearm or department issued weapon

• Officers using firearms from manufacturers for which FTTU does not carry parts are responsible for ordering any necessary parts and coordinating repairs directly with the manufacturer

Firearm Qualification/Training Requirements

• Department members who are required to carry a firearm must participate in mandatory firearms qualification/training program and demonstrate proficiency

• If a handgun is discharged and turned over to IAB or FIT, the department member will check out a department-issued firearm, magazines, and ammunition from that respective unit until their firearm is returned. Dept. member must qualify with the department fIrearm before returning to duty

Handgun qualification

• quarterly standard is 75%

• Captains and above qualify semiannually

• Weapons carriers will qualify in first and third quarter and will participate in mandatory firearms training during the second and fourth quarter

• Weapons carriers who do not attain 75% on two qualifications will be permitted to attend a 20 hour remedial session. After completing remedial, weapons who have not passed are no longer authorized to carry a handgun

• Upon failure to qualify, firearm instructor conducting the qualification must immediately notify the range master or designee. FTTU range master will make notifications to bureau/area commander and ODB commander.

Shotgun Qualification

• 75%

• First and third quarters must qualify and mandatory training second and fourth

Shotgun Slug

• 80%

• Will complete as recruit

• Requalify semiannually

• Slug shooters max two attempts. After two failed attempts, de-certified from carrying slug on duty

  • Will remain in effect until officer completes 4 hour shotgun slug cert class. Officers who pass the qual course will be re-certified to carry slug. Officers who fail to pass will remain de-certified.

Rifle qual:

• 90%

• 40 hour rifle certification course training

• Qualify during first and third quarters and will participate in mandatory training during 2nd and 4th and maintain an accurate 50-yard zero

• Officers who have not qualified for three years must attend a full 40-hour certification. Officers who lapsed qualification and have not qualified up to three year threshold must attend the 10-hour refresher course

• Attending the recertification class will be officer’s responsibility. Overtime not authorized

• Deployment of rifles in violation of policy may result in revocation of certification and authorization to carry rifle. Will be required to attend course again to be decertified if reinstatement is approved and desired

• Patrol rifle carriers will be given max two attempts to qualify during qualification period. After two failed attempts, FTTU range master or designee notifies bureau commander/ODB. Officer will be de-certified from carrying the patrol rifle.

  • Decertification will remain in effect until the officer completes the 10 hour rifle recertification course. If do not pass 10 hour course, have to complete 40 hour patrol rifle class to be recertified. Officers who lapsed due to military or FMLA or approved exemption may requalify to regain certification

SPR qual

• 90% Only two attempts

• Rifle carrier for at least 18 months

• Rifle-optic certified for at least 18 months

• PO II

• Pass pre-test

• Best candidates will have attended the LVMPD adv. rifle course

• Two attempts and fail to qual, notify rangemaster and designee. Notify bureau commander/area commander and ODB. Then decertified and will immediately remove the variable-powered optic from the rifle. Officer Mya continue to use red dot or iron sights

Failure to qualify

• fail to attain minimum required score on the prescribed course of fire during quarterly/semiannual firearms qualification-and do not have a documented exemption, will be prohibited from carrying a firearm. Division commander will assign the department member to a position that does not require the use of a firearm until they successfully qualify.

Failure to participate

• will be recorded when member fails to attend mandatory firearms qualification to training. Weapons carriers who fail to participate without exemption or a justifiable reason will be subject to a SOC by their immediate supervisor

• Weapon carriers who miss qual for an optional weapons system and do not have documented exemption will be de-certified from carrying optional weapon. Must complete recertification course to regain authorization to carry.

Failure to Participate

Department member’s supervisor WILL:

1. Contact the FTTU rangemaster or designee to schedule an appointment for the department member to complete a makeup firearms qualification session

   1. Makeup qualification will be available to a department member at the discretion of the rangemaster

   2. Makeup sessions will be conducted only when it is necessary to bring weapons carrier into compliance with NV POST requirements

Failure to Participate

Department member will

• participate in current firearms qualification session

  • If successfully qualifies, FTTU staff member conducting the qual will immediatley notify supervisor

  • If department member’s fails, appropriate protocol outlined in this policy will be followed

Qual exemptions

• if medical, military, or administrative exemption has been received and documented in UMLV. Each department member is provided adequate time to complete firearms qualifications; therefore, exemptions form participation are rare.

Illness/Injury Exemptions

Department member will

• Contact health and safety and follow procedures outlined in 10.266 reporting injury, illness, and exposure to communicable diseases

• When released by a treating physician to return to full duty, provide a copy of the release to the health and safety detail

• Participate in firearms qualification as required in coordination with Advanced Training

Administrative Exemption

• may be granted by the department member’s division commander only when the department member is on administrative leave or when extraordinary circumstances prevent them from qualifying

Return to duty

• upon return to full duty, department member is responsible for scheduling makeup firearms qual to remain compliant w/POST

All department members will adhere to the four firearms safety rules:

1. All firearms will be considered loaded at all times

2. Do not point the firearm at anything you are not prepared to destroy

3. Never put your finger on the trigger until on target and ready to fire

4. Always be able to identify and isolate the target and its surroundings