Why so put off?

[Singularity]

Hey all you LEO's,

First let me say I have a BS in Criminal Justice from Sac State (with honors), yet I went into IT. :-(

I recently went to a Raiders game and had club tickets. In the club Oakland PD is present. I talked to some officers and asked them what side arms they carry and got the brush off (I look totally normal BTW). I thought it was rude, but maybe these officers had heard this sh*t too much.

Later I asked another officer (African - not American, as he had an accent) what he carried and he told me. He also told me he doesn't own any guns personally.

When I took my kids camping on Mt. Diablo earlier this year I stopped a ranger and asked him about his weapons and he explained to me what he carries and why.

I know officers don't know me from adam, and that they don't have to tell me jack, but as a gun enthusiast I figure most LEO's have their own weapons and shoot on a regular basis. So knowing this, what can I do, as a civi, so as not to strike alarm in LEO's when I ask them what they carry, or should I just not ask at all.

The way I see it is that if LEO is carrying XYZ, then it must be good for me and that is why I ask. I helped a COCO sheriff with his computer problems a while ago and he told me they were carrying SIG 226. I went to the shop, saw the price of a 226 and got a glock 22.

I am not against LEO, but for, so as a civi, how should I approach and talk to LEO about guns? OR should I just not do it? I figure anyone in LE is probably into guns and likes to talk about them...

[biochembruin]

Officers are people. Some people like guns and some don't. Some people are friendly and talkative and some aren't. It's pretty much that simple. Maybe start the conversation with something other than guns, as you probably would with anyone else.

[Roddd]

I'll talk for hours about guns, be forewarned. But other officers could care less about guns. It depends on the officer you ask. Also, we're approached by some...mentally disturbed...people who tend to look at our guns a lil too closely and that sets off some red flags. I'm not saying you're crazy, but some officers may interpret it that way. Myself, I'll answer any questions and shoot the stuffing with you all day if I have the time. Hope this helps a bit.

[ls2monaro]

Most guys I work with don't care about carrying a gun, they see it as a tool like their handcuffs or pepper spray. So it is like asking them what kind of handcuffs do you have? Oh, those are so cool! They only shoot during qualifications (that's 90 rounds a year) and never carry off duty.

On the other hand, there are some like me who will shoot the breeze if I have a few minutes. However, I do tell people that wearing a sam browne with 20+ pounds of crap on your hips does get old after a while (especially standing on a perimeter for 12+hours).