Baseline Specifications for Law Enforcement Service Pistols

specifications for law enforcement service pistols with additional technology to enhance the security of firearms. The additional security specifications found in
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U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs 810 Seventh St. N.W. Washington, DC 20531 Loretta E. Lynch Attorney General Karol V. Mason Assistant Attorney General Nancy Rodriguez, Ph.D. Director, National Institute of Justice This and other publications and products of the National Institute of Justice can be found at: National Institute of Justice Strengthen Science Ł Advance Justice http://www.NIJ.gov Office of Justice Programs Innovation Ł Partnerships Ł Safer Neighborhoods http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov The National Institute of Justice is the research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. NIJ™s mission is to advance scientific research, development and evaluation to enhance the administration of justice and public safety. The National Institute of Justice is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the Office for Victims of Crime; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Opinions or conclusions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

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National Institute of Justice | NIJ.gov Introduction On April 29, 2016, the U.S. Departments of Justice (DOJ), Homeland Security (DHS), and Defense (DoD) submitted a joint report to the President outlining a strategy to expedite deployment of gun safety technology, in response to Presidential Memorandum, Promoting Smart Gun Technology. The report described the potential benefits of advanced gun safety technology, but noted that additional work was required before this technology is ready for widespread adoption by law enforcement agencies. In particular, the report stressed the importance of integrating this technology into a firearm™s design without compromising the reliability, durability, and accuracy that officers expect from their service weapons. To address these issues, the report called on law enforcement agencies to develop ﬁbaseline specifications,ﬂ which would outline the agencies™ operational requirements for any firearms equipped with gun safety technology. By developing baseline specifications, federal, state, and municipal law enforcement agencies can make clear to private manufacturers what they expect from this technology. It is hoped that this document can inform research and development efforts focused on incorporating additional features into law enforcement pistols. DOJ and DHS recently assembled a working group of experts in firearms technology to identify operational needs and prepare a draft document that defines generic baseline specifications for law enforcement service pistols with additional technology to enhance the security of firearms. The additional security specifications found in section 4.18 that may be addressed by smart gun technology are distinguished from more familiar firearm safety mechanisms found in section 4.17. The distinction between safety and security can be nuanced, and the additional security specifications may also function as safety features under certain circumstances. However, this distinction forms the basis of the use of the different terminology. The working group was led by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and was comprised of subject matter experts from federal law enforcement agencies, including: Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Office of the Deputy Attorney General (ODAG) Baseline Specifications for Law Enforcement Service Pistols with Security Technology 1

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U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) Federal Protective Service (FPS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of the Secretary / Office of the Military Advisor Office for State and Local Law Enforcement (OSLLE) Office of the Chief Security Officer (OCSO) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Department of Defense Office of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CSAF) Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) US Army RDECOM – Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) The development process for this document followed a consensus-based approach. The limited amount of time available to publish a final version of the document required using already existing specifications and test procedures. The content is drawn from actual Federal procurement actions and represents a reasonable set of physical characteristics and performance requirements achievable by pistols today for general purpose use by law enforcement, Section 4.18 notwithstanding. The information detailed in this document is informed in part by specifications enumerated in recent handgun solicitations by the FBI and ICE, which are publicly available on FedBizOpps (http://www.fbo.gov) under solicitation numbers RFP-OSCU-DSU1503 and HSCEMS-16-R-00003, respectively. A draft version of this document was published for public comment for 60 days on the Federal Register (https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2016-16759). The public comment period opened on July 15, 2016 and closed on September 13, 2016. DOJ and DHS also convened a number of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and law enforcement professional associations on August 17-18, 2016 in Washington, DC to review and discuss the draft specifications prepared by the interagency working group. Any features discussed in the April 2016 report, public comments to NIJ, and the topical meeting over the summer of 2016 that are not included in this document are due to the lack of time to achieve consensus on how to best incorporate these features into law enforcement firearms. This should in no way imply that these features should not be explored by both law enforcement end users and industry. This document is not a procurement action. Any manufacturer™s claim of meeting the specifications herein does not obligate the Government to award a contract. Any such claim shall be subject to verification. Agencies that acquire firearms should take appropriate National Institute of Justice | NIJ.gov Baseline Specifications for Law Enforcement Service Pistols with Security Technology 2

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National Institute of Justice | NIJ.gov steps to consider whether including such technology in specifications for acquisition of firearms would be consistent with operational needs. This document uses the following in accordance with international standards: Š ﬁshallﬂ indicates a requirement; Š ﬁshouldﬂ indicates a recommendation; Š ﬁmayﬂ indicates a permission; Š ﬁcanﬂ indicates a possibility or a capability. Pl ease send written feedback on this document by email to [email protected] . Please include ﬁBaseline Specificationsﬂ in the subject line and address comments to the attention of the Policy and Standards Division Director. Please send written feedback on this document by letter to: Director National Institute of Justice 810 7th Street NW Washington, DC 20531 Attn: Policy and Standards Division Director Baseline Specifications for Law Enforcement Service Pistols with Security Technology 3

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National Institute of Justice | NIJ.gov Baseline Specifications for Law Enforcement Service Pistols with Security Technology 1 Scope 1.1 This document defines generic baseline specifications for law enforcement service pistols with additional technology to enhance the security of firearms. 1.2 The pistols defined by this document shall be semi-automatic, recoil-operated, magazine-fed, striker-fired, and fire 9 mm Luger or .40 S&W ammunition. 1.3 Class I and Class II pistols shall have the same operating system and control mechanisms with the only difference being the slide, barrel, frame, and grip dimensions. 1.4 This document defines performance and testing requirements in addition to the baseline specifications. 1.5 Unless a specific class of pistol defined in Section 3 is deliberately called out in the document, any given specification or requirement shall be understood to apply to all pistols within the scope of this document. 1.6 This document does not define any specifications or performance and testing requirements related to ammunition other than requiring the use of 9 mm Luger or .40 S&W ammunition. 1.7 This document shall not be understood as addressing all of the safety risks associated with testing firearms. The user of this document is responsible for following appropriate safety practices when handling or operating firearms. Baseline Specifications for Law Enforcement Service Pistols with Security Technology 4

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National Institute of Justice | NIJ.gov Pistol The pistol shall be defined as all parts and features of the firearm system including any externally worn items, such as rings, wristbands, or tokens that may be associated with the security device. The definition shall exclude ammunition. Product Kit The product kit shall include night sights, six magazines, any additional accessories required for normal operation, an agency-approved gun lock, an operator™s manual written in English, and a stackable hard plastic container. SAAMI Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers™ Institute. 4 Baseline specifications 4.1 Action 4.1.1 Pistols shall be semi-automatic, recoil-operated, magazine-fed, and striker-fired. 4.1.2 Pistols shall not have a hammer, either external or internal. 4.2 Caliber 4.2.1 Pistols shall be chambered for 9 mm Luger or .40 S&W cartridges, which are compliant with SAAMI standards. 4.3 Barrel 4.3.1 The Class I Pistol barrel shall be a minimum of 3.75 inches and shall not exceed 4.25 inches. 4.3.2 The Class II Pistol barrel shall be a minimum of 4.26 inches and shall not exceed 5.20 inches. 4.3.3 The barrel lengths between the two classes of pistol shall not be closer than 0.5 inches. 4.3.4 The chamber headspace shall meet dimensional tolerances as specified by SAAMI standards for 9 mm Luger or .40 S&W ammunition. 4.3.5 The barrel shall be matte black or dark grey in color. 4.3.6 The barrel shall have a corrosion resistant bore and exterior finish. 4.3.7 The barrel shall be rifled with a twist rate of 1 revolution to 12 inches or faster. 4.3.8 The barrel shall not be ported. Baseline Specifications for Law Enforcement Service Pistols with Security Technology 6

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National Institute of Justice | NIJ.gov 4.4 Bore axis˜ 4.4.1 Pistols shall have a bore axis height of less than 1.75 inches. ˜ 4.4.2 The bore axis height shall be verified by measuring from the centerline of the ˜ bore to the lowest point in the grip back strap from the highpoint on the grip ˜ where the web of the firing hand rests in accordance with Figure 1. ˜ Figure 1 4.4.3 The bore axis height shall be measured with a medium back strap and/or grip ˜ panels and/or chassis grip installed.˜ 4.5 Weight˜ 4.5.1 Class I Pistols shall not exceed 35.0 ounces in weight with an unloaded standard ˜ capacity magazine.˜ 4.5.2 Class II Pistols shall not exceed 42.0 ounces in weight with an unloaded standard ˜ capacity magazine.˜ 4.6 Height˜ 4.6.1 The Class I Pistol height shall be no less than 4.75 inches and no greater than 5.60 ˜ inches.˜ 4.6.2 The Class II Pistol height shall be no greater than 6.00 inches.˜ 4.6.3 The height shall be measured with a fully seated standard capacity magazine. ˜ 4.6.4 The height shall encompass the highest and lowest most protrusions of the pistol. ˜ 4.6.5 Height shall be measured with a medium back strap and/or grip panels and/or ˜ chassis grip installed.˜ 4.7 Length˜ 4.7.1 Class I Pistols shall not exceed 8.00 inches in length.˜ 4.7.2 Class II Pistol shall not exceed 9.00 inches in length.˜ 4.7.3 The length shall be measured with a fully seated standard capacity magazine. ˜ 4.7.4 The length shall encompass the forward and rearward most protrusions of the pistol.˜ Baseline Specifications for Law Enforcement Service Pistols with Security Technology 7

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National Institute of Justice | NIJ.gov 4.7.5 Length shall be measured with a medium back strap and/or grip panels and/or chassis grip installed. 4.8 Width 4.8.1 The duty pistol shall not exceed 1.35 inches. 4.8.2 Width shall be measured with a medium back strap and/or grip panels and/or chassis grip installed. 4.8.3 The width shall encompass the furthest most left and right protrusions of the pistol. 4.9 Magazines 4.9.1 Class I magazines shall hold a minimum of 14 cartridges. 4.9.2 Class II magazines shall hold a minimum of 16 cartridges. 4.9.3 Magazines shall positively lock in the magazine well. 4.9.4 Class II magazines shall fit in Class I pistols and the pistol shall function as designed. 4.9.5 Extended magazines, or ﬁ+ﬂ floor plates, shall not be permitted. 4.9.6 The magazine shall have a release method and mechanism allowing the magazine to fall free from the pistol, regardless of the number of cartridges contained within the magazine and regardless of the position of the slide (i.e., forward or locked to the rear), and when the pistol is held with the sights level and with the magazine floorplate oriented down. 4.9.7 All magazine components shall be constructed of a material which is rust and corrosion resistant. A finish may be applied to metal magazines. 4.9.8 The follower shall move freely in the magazine body without binding and shall position each round for positive feeding. 4.9.9 The follower should be a high visibility color, such as orange, red, or yellow. 4.9.10 Magazines shall have witness holes which will permit viewing the number of rounds in at least 5 round intervals. Witness holes should exist for each cartridge contained in the magazine starting with cartridge number 4 and showing every cartridge contained in the magazine thereafter. 4.9.11 The magazine floor plate shall: Š Be removable for magazine disassembly without the use of specially designed tools. Use of the supplied armorer™s tool is acceptable. Š Remain securely affixed when dropped from a height of 48ﬂ onto a hard surface regardless of the number of cartridges contained in the magazine or the orientation of the magazine upon impact. Baseline Specifications for Law Enforcement Service Pistols with Security Technology 8

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National Institute of Justice | NIJ.gov Š Aid in the positive seating of the magazine during loading. Š Enable positive gripping and rapid manual extraction of the magazine if the magazine is locked in place as a result of a malfunction (e.g., double feed) or if the operator is wearing gloves. Š Have a small ledge (ﬁtoeﬂ) on the front of the magazine to aid the operator in rapid extraction of the magazine. This ledge shall protrude forward of the grip (nominally 0.10ﬂ – 0.15ﬂ) to enable the non-shooting hand to strip the magazine from the pistol. 4.9.12 Magazines shall be matte black or grey in color and corrosion resistant. 4.10 Magazine disconnector/safety 4.10.1 The pistol shall fire with the magazine removed and a live round in the chamber. 4.11 Magazine well 4.11.1 The Class II Pistol should have a flared magazine well entrance that extends no more than 0.100ﬂ beyond the outside of the grip on each side. 4.12 Magazine catch/release 4.12.1 The magazine catch should be located on the frame near the junction of the trigger guard and the grip. 4.12.2 The magazine catch should be of a lateral push button design. 4.12.3 The magazine catch shall be ambidextrous or reversible. The magazine catch button can be moved from the left side to the right side by a gunsmith. 4.12.4 The magazine catch should be activated by depressing the catch with a lateral movement by the operator™s thumb/finger. 4.12.5 The magazine catch may not be activated by a downward movement. 4.12.6 The magazine catch should be designed to allow for positive release of the magazine when fully depressed by the operator. 4.12.7 The magazine catch shall be designed and positioned to reduce the likelihood of inadvertent release of the magazine during handling and/or firing. 4.12.8 The magazine catch shall release with a minimum of 4 lbs. of pressure and shall require no more than 7 lbs. of pressure to release. 4.12.9 The magazine catch should be available in standard and extended sizes. 4.13 Trigger 4.13.1 The trigger pull shall be consistent in both length of travel and weight of pull for the first shot and all subsequent shots. Baseline Specifications for Law Enforcement Service Pistols with Security Technology 9

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