Assistant Commissioner responds to handgun issue

“SAPOL are currently using the Smith & Wesson…revolvers and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future,” wrote Assistant Commissioner Graham Barton in a letter to Police Association secretary, Andy Dunn, late last February.

Mr Barton’s edict came after the expression of grave PASA concern about the high incidence of shrapnel injuries caused to its members by the model 66 revolver.

PASA had written to Assistant Commissioner Barton seeking an explanation of the way in which SAPOL intended to address the issue.

In his return letter, Mr Barton explained that SAPOL had ordered 275 new model 66 revolvers, of which he expected delivery in May this year.

Moreover, he outlined – under the heading Safety Audit – that Ballistics Section members were conducting safety audits on operational handguns in all LSAs and branches.

“This is ensuring,” he wrote, “that all SAPOL handguns are within factory specifications. Any that are outside factory specifications are being removed for repair or being condemned.”

Mr Barton conceded in his letter that “a number” of firing pins in the model 66 revolvers had broken during training. He explained that SAPOL had decided to replace these with titanium firing pins, a feature of the new Smith and Wesson revolvers on order.

Under the heading Firearm Splatter, Mr Barton asserted that, on advice given to SAPOL, material expulsion (a euphemism for shrapnel injury) from any revolver always remained a possibility.

“...with increased servicing of current revolvers,” he wrote, “and the enhanced specifications on the newly ordered revolvers...the likelihood of splatter should be significantly reduced. The risk should further be reduced by the enforcement of firing range guidelines.

“SAPOL will improve the servicing level of operational handguns.” Mr Barton ended his letter with the assurance that SAPOL had placed a “high priority” on all issues related to the Smith and Wesson revolver.