Do Cops Carry Backup Guns? Types, Placement, and Policies

Yes, most police officers in the United States are allowed to carry a backup gun, and many do. In one widely cited industry survey, roughly 85 percent of responding agencies permitted a secondary handgun on duty. The reasons are practical rather than dramatic: a primary weapon can fail, run empty, or be taken in a struggle, and a second concealed firearm gives the officer an immediate alternative. How that second gun gets chosen, carried, approved, and qualified is governed by a mix of tactical logic and strict departmental rules.

Why a Second Gun

Redundancy is the first reason. A duty pistol is a mechanical device, and mechanical devices fail. A broken firing pin, a jammed slide, or an empty magazine in the middle of a confrontation creates a gap that clearing a malfunction or reloading cannot always close fast enough. A backup gun already loaded on the officer’s body closes it in seconds.

Weapon retention is the second. In close-quarters fights, officers sometimes lose control of the sidearm on their hip. A suspect who grabs or knocks away the duty weapon leaves the officer temporarily unarmed unless a second gun is on hand. Because backup guns are concealed, an attacker who takes the primary weapon usually does not know a second one exists.

Accessibility is the third. A full-size duty pistol sits on the strong-side hip, and there are body positions where reaching it is awkward or impossible: pinned on the ground, buckled into a patrol car, or grappling at close range. A smaller gun on the ankle or chest can be far easier to reach in those moments.

What Kind of Guns Officers Carry as Backups

Backup guns are smaller and lighter than duty pistols because they need to disappear under a uniform and come out fast. They fall into two broad categories, and each has real tradeoffs.

Compact semi-automatics like the Glock 26, SIG Sauer P365, and Smith & Wesson M&P Shield are popular. They fire 9mm, which most departments already issue for their duty weapons. The Glock 26 pairs especially well with the Glock 17 or 19 because it accepts the larger pistol’s magazines, giving the officer a shared ammunition pool if a fight runs long. The tradeoff is bulk: compact semi-autos are harder to conceal in some carry positions than a small revolver.

Small-frame revolvers, typically the Smith & Wesson J-frame in .38 Special, remain common despite holding only five rounds. Their appeal is simplicity. No magazine to eject, no slide to rack, and a very low chance of a mechanical failure that takes the gun out of the fight. A revolver can also fire reliably when pressed directly against a target at contact distance, where a semi-auto’s slide might be pushed out of battery.

Where on the Body It Goes

Three carry positions dominate, and the choice depends on the officer’s build, uniform, and daily work.

Ankle holster. The traditional method. The gun rides on the inside of the non-dominant ankle under the pant leg. It is easy to reach while seated in a patrol car, but drawing from the ankle standing up requires bending down, which is slow and exposes the officer.
Vest or body armor mount. A holster attached to the front of the ballistic vest under the uniform shirt. It is accessible with either hand, distributes weight comfortably over a long shift, and stays secure during a foot chase or physical struggle.
Pocket carry. Officers with cargo-style uniform pants sometimes carry a subcompact pistol or small revolver in a pocket holster that keeps the weapon oriented correctly and covers the trigger. The officer can rest a hand on the gun without anyone noticing.

Whichever position the officer chooses, most serious firearms policies require a holster designed for that weapon and location. A pistol shoved loose into a waistband or boot will not pass inspection.

What Departments Require Before an Officer Can Carry One

Policies vary, but agencies that allow backup guns almost always attach conditions. Common ones:

Approved models and calibers. Departments typically maintain a list of acceptable firearms. Some restrict officers to guns within the same manufacturer family as the duty weapon. Federal agencies under the Department of the Interior, for instance, require secondary pistols to be at least.380 caliber.¹
Armorer inspection. The weapon usually must be inspected and approved by the department armorer or rangemaster before it goes on duty.
Serial number registration. Departments record the make, model, and serial number of every approved backup gun. That paper trail also protects the officer from any accusation that the weapon is an unregistered “throw-down” gun planted at a scene.
Personal purchase. Unlike duty weapons, backup guns are almost always bought and maintained at the officer’s own expense.

A minority of departments prohibit backup firearms entirely. The broader trend over the past two decades has moved toward permitting them with conditions.

Training and Qualification

Buying a backup gun and strapping it on is not enough. Officers must qualify with the weapon on a regular schedule. Under Department of the Interior policy, which reflects the approach many federal and state agencies take, officers qualify with every approved firearm they carry at least twice a year, with sessions separated by at least 90 days. Courses must include both daytime and reduced-light shooting. The minimum passing score is 70 percent, though individual bureaus can set a higher bar, and officers get no more than two attempts per session, with remedial training required before a reattempt.¹

Officers are only authorized to carry firearms for which they are currently qualified. An expired qualification means the backup gun goes back in the safe until the officer passes again. Qualification courses generally require the officer to draw from the actual holster and carry position used on duty. Drawing from a bench is not the same as drawing from an ankle holster under stress, and departments design their courses to reflect that.¹

What Happens to the Backup Gun After a Shooting

When an officer discharges a firearm on duty, the investigation does not stop at the duty weapon. Standard protocol requires investigators to inspect the primary and backup firearms of every officer at the scene, whether or not that officer fired. Investigators document the serial number, make, model, and caliber of all weapons present, including those still holstered.²

Officers are instructed not to move, unload, reload, or otherwise handle any firearm after the incident. If a weapon was dropped, it stays where it fell. If it is holstered, it stays holstered.²

This is where registration pays off. An officer whose backup gun is on file, approved, and documented faces a straightforward evidence review. An officer carrying an unauthorized weapon introduces questions that can complicate both the criminal investigation and any civil suit that follows.

Off-Duty and Retired Carry Under Federal Law

The rules above cover on-duty carry. Off duty, the picture shifts. The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, known as LEOSA, allows active and retired officers to carry a concealed handgun nationwide, overriding state and local laws that would otherwise restrict concealed carry. For active officers, LEOSA applies as long as the officer is authorized by the agency to carry a firearm and meets the agency’s regular qualification standards.³

For retired officers, the bar is more specific. A retired officer must have served at least ten years in aggregate, separated from service in good standing, and met the firearms qualification standards for active officers within the most recent twelve months, at the retiree’s own expense.⁴

LEOSA uses the word “type” to describe what the officer must qualify with, and the statute defines firearm types as handgun, rifle, or shotgun. A retired officer who qualifies with any handgun is covered to carry a different handgun, so someone could qualify with a full-size duty pistol and legally carry a compact backup-style gun under LEOSA.⁴

LEOSA creates a privilege to carry concealed, not a blanket right. Private property owners and certain government buildings can still prohibit firearms, and some agencies enforce their own restrictions on what officers carry off duty. Whether LEOSA overrides an agency’s internal off-duty weapon policies is unsettled, and officers who carry off duty should know their department’s specific rules.⁵

1
Department of the Interior. Firearms Standards Policy and Handbook
2
U.S. Department of Justice, COPS Office. Officer-Involved Shootings: A Guide for Law Enforcement Leaders
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 926B – Carrying of Concealed Firearms by Qualified Law Enforcement Officers
4
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 926C – Carrying of Concealed Firearms by Qualified Retired Law Enforcement Officers
5
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. Legal Digest: Off-Duty Officers and Firearms