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A r m o r e r ’ s S e c t i o n S e t s S i g h t s o n S a f e t y, T r a i n i n g
The Massachusetts State Police Armorer’s Section is comprised of three sworn members who are responsible for the selection, control, and operational readiness of all lethal and less-lethal weapons, ammunition, and body armor in the Department inventory. In addition, the Armorer’s Section provides support for firearms training and qualification. The majority of section operations take place at the range facility located at the State Police Academy in New Braintree. Should a weapon require service, it is repaired in New Braintree. The Department currently issues six different weapon systems, ranging from duty pistols to patrol rifles. Each armorer must be proficient in diagnosing and repairing problems in all of these issued weapon systems. This requires a significant amount of training; each armorer regularly attends recertification courses to stay current in the repair and maintenance of our different weapons. Recently, the Armorer’s Section, along with the Firearms Training Unit, completed transitioning the entire Department from the Sig Sauer P226 .40 caliber duty pistol to the Smith & Wesson M&P .45 caliber duty pistol. The transition began in March, 2012. The new duty pistol has been well received and its ease of operation has instilled great confidence in our personnel. In order to ensure that each officer receiving body armor gets the best gear available, every model of body armor being considered is live fire tested by the section. Only those vests that are both National Institute of Justice certified and able to pass the MSP testing protocol are considered for purchase by the Department. This testing protocol was validated by a recent shooting where one of our Troopers was shot almost point blank in the chest. Because he was wearing certified body armor, he survived with nothing more than a bruise and was back to full duty days later. The success of the MSP testing protocol has led the Armorer’s Section to assist other Massachusetts municipal police agencies with their body armor testing and selection protocol. In the arena of officer safety, the Armorer’s Section does not compromise; lives are at stake. The section works very closely with the Firearms Training Unit to ensure that quality equipment and training is provided. In addition to transitioning to the new duty pistol, over 100 new patrol rifles and dozens of shotguns have recently been distributed to members of our Department. Training is not limited to the members of our Department; the Armorers’ Section regularly provides firearms-related training to officers from many different municipal and campus police agencies across the Commonwealth. The Armorers’ Section commander is Sergeant Paul Wosny. He can be contacted at 508-820-2233.
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MSP Armorer Trooper Mike Wilmot replacing the barrel on a patrol rifle
MSP Armorer Trooper Rob Outwater working on the Department’s new duty pistol, the S&W M&P 45
French·and·electric·blue·September·2013·page·10