My Latest Purchase (or just pictures of your current guns)

[ChuckMK23]

Given the wide-spread, national adoption by all levels of LE and the military, I'm not sure that skepticism is warranted. And think about duty carbines, which are used all the time now in LE. In 2026, are you skeptical of an Aimpoint on a M4? Seeing SageDynamics brutally abuse both open and closed emitter optics and show they are still completely functional and accurate really put all of that out of my mind.

The one caveat (as you know) is not all RDS are the same. Put a SRO on a duty pistol? Eh, probably not. Put a RMR (or now RMR HD) on there? Absolutely.

Great points. My 14 year old RMR on my M&P is rugged and great for daylight use at USPSA events - the tritium illumination is long ceased to provide a dot at night.

Duty carbines with Aimpoint et al I totally get. And I'm surely out of touch with what the latest pistol optics can do as far as rugged daily use and battery life. I might have to upgrade to one of the new closed emitter pistol optics!

One of our reservists is an FBI SA, and when he shows up to drill, he carries his Gen 5 G19 under his OCP coat - still night iron sights.

 

[sevenhelmet]

One of our reservists is an FBI SA, and when he shows up to drill, he carries his Gen 5 G19 under his OCP coat - still night iron sights.

FBI is still issuing those, no doubt. Do those guys get some kind of special carry permit to bring guns on base?

I still scratch my head over how I was regularly trusted with enough power to destroy a neighborhood, but couldn’t carry a firearm on base, despite being 100% legal in town. Our rules are weird. You would think there would be a way for someone with so much trust and confidence- engaged in the business of warfare- to be legally armed at all times.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Do those guys get some kind of special carry permit to bring guns on base?

I still scratch my head over how I was regularly trusted with enough power to destroy a neighborhood, but couldn’t carry a firearm on base, despite being 100% legal in town. Our rules are weird.

I believe all Fed LEO types are permitted without restriction. (Was told this anecdotally)

When he goes coat-less in the office you can clearly see badge next to holster.

My office sits next to an AF OSI detachment and those folks host exercises with their fellow Fed agency partners all the time.

 

[wink]

FBI is still issuing those, no doubt. Do those guys get some kind of special carry permit to bring guns on base?

I still scratch my head over how I was regularly trusted with enough power to destroy a neighborhood, but couldn’t carry a firearm on base, despite being 100% legal in town. Our rules are weird. You would think there would be a way for someone with so much trust and confidence- engaged in the business of warfare- to be legally armed at all times.

When I was doing the hobby cop thing, I would drive a fuel tank trailer onto an air force base for cheap government fuel for our helicopters.I was in duty uniform and armed the time , and no one said boo. Don't know the actual rules.I just showed my mil ID and rolled on through.

 

[GroundPounder]

When I was doing the hobby cop thing, I would drive a fuel tank trailer onto an air force base for cheap government fuel for our helicopters.I was in duty uniform and armed the time , and no one said boo. Don't know the actual rules.I just showed my mil ID and rolled on through.

I go on our local post quite frequently, and have no issue either. Over the last several years the gate guards have gotten interested in where I was headed, where in the past I got waved through.

 

[Gatordev]

One of our reservists is an FBI SA, and when he shows up to drill, he carries his Gen 5 G19 under his OCP coat - still night iron sights.

A buddy of mine is an agent in TX and is on their entry team out there. He said he was recently issued a RMR HD. I'm guessing given the other kit he has being on that team, the HD isn't given to everyone, but the sense I get is there are options beyond irons if interested.

Do those guys get some kind of special carry permit to bring guns on base?

It seems like it depends on the base, at least for the Navy. There was a Reservist who was a state game warden and while the squadron was still at Mayport, they refused to let her bring her kit onboard the base. She's a pilot and was on call 24 hours, so it wasn't unheard of for her to be drilling and then have to leave to go straight to her helicopter. But thanks to Mayport, nope. NAS Jax was cool about it and gave her no issues.

I'm not sure if that was the Base CO or a heavy-handed Security department that was causing the issues. I can't remember if she ever bothered to appeal it to the CO, but since the squadron was moving soon, but the last I had heard about it, she just played along until they left.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

A buddy of mine is an agent in TX and is on their entry team out there. He said he was recently issued a RMR HD. I'm guessing given the other kit he has being on that team, the HD isn't given to everyone, but the sense I get is there are options beyond irons if interested.



It seems like it depends on the base, at least for the Navy. There was a Reservist who was a state game warden and while the squadron was still at Mayport, they refused to let her bring her kit onboard the base. She's a pilot and was on call 24 hours, so it wasn't unheard of for her to be drilling and then have to leave to go straight to her helicopter. But thanks to Mayport, nope. NAS Jax was cool about it and gave her no issues.

I'm not sure if that was the Base CO or a heavy-handed Security department that was causing the issues. I can't remember if she ever bothered to appeal it to the CO, but since the squadron was moving soon, but the last I had heard about it, she just played along until they left.

A friend of mine is a retired CWO3 and current Federal LEO, it was lunchtime and he was driving by NS Everett and figured he would get gas in his govt vehicle and get some lunch at the same time. When he went to the gate the MA inquired about the govt vehicle, he let the MA know he was an on duty Federal LEO and he was armed, the MA said he couldn't come on base that it wasn't allowed as the only ones allowed to be armed on base were security, he asked the MA to call his supervisor who denied him access.

Then last year there was a career event that I volunteered to go to assist veterans getting out with their resume's, the coordinator sent out a form to fill out for base access, I responded I am retired military and received the "thanks". Then several weeks later I was told I needed to fill out the info as some MA2 said a retired ID only allows you to come on base for personal reasons, if you are coming on base for any other reason you must have clearance several weeks prior or you will be denied access. Since I was moving many things around to make this happen I just bowed out.

Fast forward to last month, same event, some friends are going so I decided to play this MA2's silly game, the civilian doing the security screening contacts me and puts in the notes if retired military let me know, I did and the response was "OK, no other info needed".

This base didn't used to be like this and I think it all is coming from the CO when the new CO took over is when this all started happening.

Neither my friend or myself have been treated this way at any base in the area.