No, the caps lock isn’t stuck. DPS SOG? That’s Department of Public Safety, Special Operations Group to you and me. And SIG wants you to know that the Texas Rangers won’t be carrying some plastic fantastic on their appointed rounds. Instead, they’ve decided to pack SIG’s big boy tactical 1911. Press release after the jump . . .
EXETER, N.H. (Oct 17, 2012) — SIG SAUER®, a U.S.-based leading manufacturer of law enforcement and military firearms, has been selected by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Special Operations Group (SOG) to provide .45 Auto 1911 TACOPs as the agency’s official sidearm.
The SOG is the tactical unit of the Texas DPS that includes the Texas Ranger Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team, the Texas Ranger Reconnaissance Team, and the Special Response Team.
“SIG SAUER has a long history of service with the famed Texas Rangers, and are honored to see it continue,” said Gary Wade, SIG SAUER vice president of law enforcement, government and military sales. “It’s fitting that such a renowned agency has selected what many consider the all-American handgun in the 1911.”
The intensive testing process began when the group sought out a large-caliber handgun capable of making fast and accurate follow-up shots. After intensive endurance and environmental testing was concluded, the SIG SAUER 1911 TACOPs pistol was selected by the Texas Ranger SWAT Team. Since then, DPS SOG has authorized officers the option of carrying either the 1911 TACOPs or their duty issued SIG SAUER P226 DAK in .357SIG.
I’m more concerned about the DPS thinking that it needs a SOG. More mil-speak in civilian law enforcement, anyone?
This. It’s like their goal is to see how much of the country can be military / police to intimidate the rest of the population.
or it could just be to protect THEMSELVES over the criminals, rather than intimidating?
Yes you are correct. I am a police officer and the reason we gear up the way we do and now train the way we do is to always have the advantage over the bad guy. What good are we if we get beat by the bad guy and are not ready for them. People do not understand that 80% law enforcement are NRA members who love guns and will never let anyone come and take em or harm the american society. So long story short we do not want to be a military we just want to be well equipped and trained to be able and protect the people in a professional matter and not lose the battle. Our job is to win not lose.
in response to Chris from 18/9/14…..I am an Army Vet and I grew up in a bad urban environment, I understand the horrors that law enforcement face that the avg citizen is simply unaware of. I believe all police need to be ready for that “what if” situation because you never know when it is coming. I have seen people that have AK’s and various other assault rifles in their possession and they are not supposed to have them, as officers outside of protecting citizens, citizens need to understand that at the end of the day it is a job, and like any other job in the world you guys want to be able to clock in and clock out and return home safely so I’m all for various weapons and training to allow law enforcement an upper hand on the criminal. I know we live in a world where a lot of police officers get a bad rep but, nothing has changed. Not all cops are bad, and yet their presence is needed now more than ever.
While I dislike police militarization as much as anyone on this website, if you spent any time at all within 30 miles of the Texas-Mexico border, you would understand the need for something like a police SOG.
Seems to me that international border issues are already covered by a Federal agency.
The feds may have jurisdiction, but the only thing they cover down by the border are each other’s asses. I’d much rather see the individual border states gear up than the feds.
You might want to remind Obama, Holder, BATFE, etc. of their responsibilities..
You’d be wrong. Texas DPS now has gun boats on the Rio Grande river due to the increasing encounters with heavily armed drug traffickers who don’t hesitate to fire on law enforcement. That are very similar to the Vietnam PBRs, but more modern.
+1 That area gets sketcher every year as Law Enforcement cracks down and cartels get more brazen, I think BP agents are now carrying HKs. As far as ‘militarization’, here in Texas O.I.F. vets get preferential treatment over an equivalent applicant so it make sense that some terminology would emulate as a result. can’t say much on equipment choice, having never shot the Sig 1911, but it seems that it hinged on caliber choice; considering the significant downsize in mag capacity, robust nature of the p226 reliability, and additional cost and consolidation of ammo. SOG is actually broken down into 6 groups which from a domestic stand point could be considered high risk, especially as a boarder state.
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/TexasRangers/specialUnits.htm
-new M4’s and 1911 don’t worry me (stuff we civiys can procure), it’ll be a justification for heli mounted d.aero mini’s, tanks, and recon drones that’ll have me fretting.
Then what is the Border Patrol, a cub scout organization?
Yeah, I didn’t know the Rangers had a swat team, a recon team, or anything else for that matter. I have only ever seen/met their investigators (and all of them carried privately owned and customized side arms, btw). So between the US Army, National Guard, Texas Rangers, Border Patrol, Texas Highway Patrol, Sheriffs, Local Police (am I missing any?), this place is starting to get a little creepy with the militarization.
TX DPS has had a SOG team for a loooooong time. They are the DPS’s SWAT team. We had a riot at a county jail a few years ago and DPS SWAT (part of their SOG) responded. Anyway, not a new idea….
It’s a common sense approach. Just as the punishment fits the crime, the cure should treat the problem. Spend some time as a LEO and still if you remain comfortable with your standard issue of equipment. Good luck with that
Talk about militarization of the police. They do know that the “SO” in SOG stands for “Studies and Observations” don’t they?
+1
BTW-Nice choice. That might just win them the d!ck measuring contest at next years NTOA conference.
Think I would chose the big Glock .45
The Texas Rangers and Navy Seals will never carry a Glock.
It will more than likely be a Sig or Colt.
Wrong. Seals are issued glocks.
Actually, the Biggest Dick Award goes to the agency that conducts the most unnecessary no-knock raids.
Edit: meant as reply to TTACer
Setting aside the SOG and militarization issues other folks have already ably pointed out, I still can’t not comment on their choice of gun.
And I say this as a huge Sig fan, and a huge 1911 fan: A Sig 1911? Really? I’ve never had a Sig that wasn’t a 1911 that didn’t run perfectly — and I’ve never seen a Sig 1911 that didn’t have something wrong with it. Given, it’s been a few years since I’ve messed with their 1911s, and maybe they’ve turned things around, but they were utter garbage the last time I checked. And the decision to go with a Sig 1911 is even more baffling given the plethora of 1911 choices that have unimpeachable track records.
The people in weapons procurement have different goals and agendas versus the people who have to actually use those weapons.
I’ve had a SIG 1911 Tacops for about six months now and it’s been a stellar performer, although I’ve only used it with Wilson Combat mags, not the four that came in the box. I’m about “this” close to buying a non-SIG 1911 based on my experience with this firearm. It’s a very nice package.
I can answer to that, I own currently, 4 sig 1911’s: a tac op, 2 3inch ultra nitrons and a scorpion.Of those, the scoprion had a problem with the extractor and I’m selling it (cause I’m lazy and have ADD and don’t want to wait to get it fixed) the other guns are reliable tack drivers at 50 yards out of the box (no I’m not blowing smoke), if I ever have to pick one gun to keep and sell the rest of my collection, it will be one of the nitrons. Too many people rag on Sig because of problems they have had in the past… haters 🙂
Well, I did have a problematic Sig. About two years ago I bought a brand new P226 and when it started to get dirty, after about 100 rounds, it would keep jamming. I got rid of it shortly thereafter. I was thinking of getting a P220 Carry, but now I’m somewhat reluctant to buy one.
You really need to shoot it a lot more than 100 rds to get it loosened up a bit and broken in before you start complaining of it getting dirty and not shooting well. Cleaning during and after break in is not a bad idea either.
Just my opinion, to each his own.
A “SOG” and carrying 1911s. Gonna call the Rio Grande the “Meekong”? When do they start wearing tiger stripe boonies? Ugh.
Worth remembering that back in the 1920s los Rinches were refered to as “the governor’s asassins” and it wasn’t a joke.
How come the gun doesn’t come with a trigger?
It is pretty faint in that picture, isn’t it? Guess they should have drilled some holes in the trigger body to make it super tactical, not to mention easier to photograph.
I was thinking maybe it’s a new invisible trigger to go along with some new stealth tactical combat operation.
Lets hope they at least got a good deal on their trade-ins. Those Sig 1911 Alphabet-soup-specials run right around 1000$ (or more).
I will never understand why some police agencies feel the need to purchase these sorts of overpriced guns. Sure, a 1k$ 1911 is a nice gun for the range, competition, and defense, but its NOT better than a 500$ Glock, S&W, Springer XD etc. At least not by any objective measure and in some ways it is Measurably worse (magazine capacity anyone?).
Someone mentioned d!ck measuring contests…I think that might be right on the money.
DPS has had a contract with SIG for some years now, supplying the entire state’s worth of road troopers with P220’s in the ’90s & P226’s in the ’00s to now, so they very likely did get a good deal on both trade-in and low purchase price. Not to mention spare parts, armorer training & magazines.
Also probably why they went with the SIG over lower priced options.
(most Speical Operations Group members use their sidearm as: 1. a secondary weapon and, 2: practice more in a week than most do in a month – and so are very accurate with it. Both negate the need for high capacity magazines)
Oh, and as far as D!ck Measuring Contests go, Rangers usually win anyay….
Cops have the right for high powered firearms. Since obama’s boot lickers are giving guns to the cartels they need to protect themselves. The Border Patrol can’t be everywhere, its up the each state to protect their citizens.
…Or up to each state’s citizens to protect themselves.
I know a few Texas Rangers. I wouldn’t suggest bad mouthing them in person. Course, most keyboard commandos wouldn’t think of doing that anyway.
I’m surprised a Texan law enforcement group would pick a non-American made 1911. Seems wrong somehow.
Might be made here in New Hampshire.
No comment about the militarization of Texas DPS, but I own this gun and its the best 1911 I’ve ever shot. It’s light years better than a Glock.
And I prefer it to all the Colt 1911’s Ive shot.
I had a Tacops. Got rid of it, well I’ll tell my story. It would not feed hollowpoint ammo. Got a tag, sent it back. Very good customer service eight day turn around to get the pistol back. A bit better but not 100 %. I shot five full magazines with a variety of ammo including my Berry’s 200 gr. SWC load that shoots one hole. It would fail to go into battery three out of eight times depending on the ammo. With the Berry’s load every other round would not go into battery. Most times you could push the slide closed and fire. Within those five mags, three would not lock the slide open on the last round, a new problem. Since the purchase was LE I did not lose any money when I sold it to a local gunsmith. I ended up with a Smith E-Series which still works 100% after 2500 rounds.
A fellow officer purchased a Sig carry Scorpion that had the same issues I had, failing to go into battery. He sent it to Sig, got it back, same problem. We took the pistol to southwest Missouri’s best 1911 gunsmith. He worked on the feed ramp and a slight turn with a reamer, runs like a sewing machine.
I know Derek could have made my Tacops run but the whole thing pissed me off. I was very disappointed having to send the pistol back and it not working after it returned. Since it was a duty gun I just didn’t have any confidence in it. To bad, I love my Sig 516 and 716 rifles.
I left out another thing, good luck finding a duty holster. Safariland does not make one because the slide differs from other manufactures and it WILL NOT FIT. Blackhawk holster will work even with the light rail but you must loosen the retention screw almost all the out.
Look, overall the pistol is very well built and you get a ton of features for your money. Stainless slide and frame, checkering, magwell, ambi safeties (won’t like it if you ride the safety…too small), night sights, and beavertail grip safety (did not like the scallops bites a little). When it shot the pistol was accurate without one fail to eject. With that said, good luck finding your brass if you reload. My Smith also has an external extractor but it doesn’t throw brass a mile away. I hope my blog helps if you’re experiencing some of the issues I had.
Does anyone know if the used pistols are sold to the general public or a dealer once the new pistols are issued? I don’t know if their pistols are engraved in any way, but if so I would love to purchase one. It wouldn’t be a EDC so it wouldn’t matter to me if they were Hi-Points. I’ve seen a few police department trade ins for sale with the department name engraved on them, but what could be better than owning one that says “Texas Rangers” or “Texas TACOPS”, “Texas DPS SWAT”, etc.? If you know how I might be able to purchase a Texas Ranger pistol or rifle, please let me know.
I’m sure it’s not the same with the Texas Rangers as compared to the SOG in Viet Nam. You honestly don’t think they’re going over the border into Mexico and conducting missions do you?! Lol! Different meaning I’d bet.