The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-06-16
Older Men Have to Change Re yOlVer and Uniforms and Make Big Dents in Pay En- VelopS-NeW Members, With What is Claimed a Superior Gun, Must Change 1t. For Z Selected Type.

The selection by the police board of the Colts .3s calibre police posi- tive revolver as the official weapon for the policemen to carry has creat- ed a great amount of discussion among affairs as it necessitates many of the older members of the department purchasing new revolvers.
 Last evening at the meeting of the board of police commissioners, July 1 was set as the day when the entire department will be inspected by the commissioners and all members of the force will be obliged to appear in the new uniform recently adopted as the standard for the department and al- so have all the accoutrements which include revolver, keys, whistles, etc.
 Including special make of ,revoI- yer in the outfit with which 1- each policeman must provide himself has stirred up a proverbia1 hornets nest among the cops for the added ex- pense that will be encountered in com plying with the boards dictates.
 When the TO new policemen were added to the force on May Is. they were told to purchase Colts .38 call fbre police positive revolvers, which shoot either 8 .38 short Smith Wes- son bullet or the police positive bull let made by several different compan- ies. But many of the new policemen purchased or received from their friends. .SS ca1ibre Colts police posi- tive special revolvers which are the same as the other gun in all respects save the magazine which is about one quarter of inch longer. The long I CT chamber allows the use of the same bullets that are used in the 1 police positive gun or a special bull let known as the 3s long
 During the last week the new men who have the special revolver, receiv- | ed notice from President J. c. Stanley of the board stating that that type of revolver would have to be exchanged for the one with the shorter barrel. This order has created a great deal of 1 criticism and comment among the men | as the move is regarded as being a mistake. in that men familiar with ] both types of gun, state that the sne- cial make is more desirable than the l other as both, long and short bullets can be used and the carrying power is greater.
 Since the receipt of the communica- ton from the president of the board most of the men who were equipped 1 with the special revolver have gone | to the store where they were purchas- | ed and exchanged them in accord with i orders. Though both guns retail or the same price, the special is claimed to be the better and many of the men
 
 should order the change.
 No particular make of revolver has ever been designated as the official department weapon and as a result the older members of the force are pro- vided with various makes of gun Some have Smith & Wesson, others Colts, while some are said to possess Tver Jobnson's These must now be discarded and the police positive re- volver purchased.
 Coming as it did soon after the men have had to change the uniform, the order is believed to be severe, fol though many of the men simply had the coat and collar altered and did not have to purchase new summer bIous- es. others were required to purchase , the new uniform as the winter over coats are to be changed, the expense will be considerable. Some of the men may disobey the orders of the commissioners and ap- pear at the inspection with the re- volvers that they have been using but if they do, they will probably be 1 charged with neglect of duty and be