Correspondence from Coletta to Barksdale Re: Police Firing Range

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Date is approximate.

Impact area
- Criminal Justice
Topic
- Police Accountability
LDF Attorneys
Cooperating Attorneys
Organization
- LDF
Matter
- Garner v. Memphis Police Department
Case
- Garner v. Memphis Police Department
U.S. state
- Tennessee
Collection
- Case Files
Taxonomy
Identifier
- 5f2754b5-33a8-f011-bbd3-000d3a53d084

Case Files, Garner Working Files. Correspondence from Coletta to Barksdale Re: Police Firing Range, 1973. 5f2754b5-33a8-f011-bbd3-000d3a53d084. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/28d7e877-fd32-4c88-92f1-fd892bb16551/correspondence-from-coletta-to-barksdale-re-police-firing-range. Accessed November 05, 2026.

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FIRING lO\NGJv 
MI>II>1I1S, lliNKFSSFE &

MR. C. L. RA1G<SDALE 
INSJ'i-.CTOK 
TRAINING P.UREAU 
MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT

wv-ar E'li':

In June o f  1973> i t  was brouf ;ht to  our a t t e n t i o n  a t  the I ' irJn” 
Ran^e tliat the men in  the f  i e ld  were c o m p la in in g  about  the; in. dc -  
quaoy o f ,  number one ,  our presen t  s e r v i c e  lo a d  (wliich i s  tlio l.lC Or. 
Semi-."j aclcet eci h o l l o w p o i n t  by SmitJi t> L e s s o n ) ,  and number two,  < .if 
. 38  S n o o ia l  c a l i b e r  c a r t r i d g e . -  At about t h i s  s^me periov'. <if (ir.n 
\'’e r e c e i v e d  in fornit it ion  th a t  the  Me/uphis P o l i c e ' A s s o c i a t i o n  had 
adopted a r e s o l u t i o n  to  atteiapt to  change our  s e r v i c e  r e v o l v e r  t o  
a l a r g e r  C v n l i b e r ,  This  in fo im iat ion  a l s o  i n d i c a t e d  t;hat t i . i s  la i -ger  
e a ] i l ) o r  wo.ild bt* the ,41  Magnum.

(in Ju ly  6, 1973, Capt. J .  A. C o l e t t a  went b e f o r e  the. T a c t i c s  
and l i iuirment Board <ind requested  th a t  a study be made on tin 
f e a s i b i l i t y  o f  t h i s  Department a d o p t in g  a l a r g e r  c a l i b e r  s e r v i c e  
weapon,

'J’hii. iacfrting s t a r t e d  the Range on a program o f  t e s t i n g  and 
,Iuatdng v a r io u s  c a l i b e r s  and guns.  The f o l l o w i n g  lo<iris have been 

< < .s ted ;

.38

.38

.38

38

Splo C a l i b e r  Remington 
h o l lo w  p o i n t .
S p ] . C a l i b e r :.iii

95 Gr. s e m i - ja c k e t e d  

113 Gr, sem i-  

110 Gr, s e m i - ja c k e t e d  

s e m i - j  a cketed

.th (V V.'esson 
j a c k e t e d  h o l low  p o i n t .
S p l . C a l i b e r  i u p e r v e l  
ho l lcv /  p o i n t .
S p l .  C a l i b e r  Remington 125 Gr, 
h o l lo w  p o i n t ,
S p l .  Smith f '  V.'esson 125 Gr, s e m i - j a c k e t e d  
h o l lo w  p o i n t .
St)l,  Remington I 58 Gr. l e a d  semi-v/ad c u t t e r ,  
S p l .  V . inchester  I 5S Gr, l e a d  ho l low  p o i n t ,  
S p l ,  C a l i b e r  \vestern I 58 Gr, lu b a l o y  round 
n o s e .
ACP C a l i b e r  '(eraington. 23O Gr. l ead round 
no se .
Auto Rim Remington 230 Gr, lea d  round n o s e .  
Magnum Remington 210 Gr, l e a d  eemi-wad c u t t e r  
Magnum Remington 210 Gr. s e ra i - ja ck e te d  s o f t  
p o i n t ,

, 9 ‘̂M C a l i b e r  >>estcrn 115 Gr. metal  c a s e ,
,44 C a l i b e r  ( S p l )  Remington 256 Gr, l e a d  round 

n o s e .

.38

.38

.38

.38

.45

.45

. 4 1

. 4 1



r 1.0(1

in to

f o r

1 "
vei'

Old oxton^^v^ Of th^s ammunition and weapons have been both  vn 
and e x t e n s i v e .  Ihe  f o l l o w i n g  items were no ted  in  r e g a rd s  t o  ov 
b u l l e t  per form ance  o f  tlie above l i s t e d  round s .  T es t  f i r e d
s o f t  m odel ing  c l a y  and the r e s u l t s  r e c o r d e d  on f i l m .  T e s t  ,7 2 
Chronograph re a d in g s  f o r  each l o a d .  T es t  / /3, ammunicion t e s t e d  
c c o u r a c y  from machine r e s t ,  r e s u l t s  r e co r d e d  on f i l m .  T es t

The f i r i n g  through 1 "  f i n i s h e d  lumber s p a c l ' i
a pa t .  The c o n c l u s i o n  rea ched ,  at  t h i s  p o i n t ,  i s  th a t  a revo l  
chambered f o r  the .45  ACT (which w i l l  a l s o  a c c e p t  . 4 5  Auto Simi 
wou]d b e s t  meet our r e q u ire m e n ts .   ̂ ^

 ̂ On August 20, 1973,  the T & b Board nut  a t  the  F ir in g  . e  l o
A r t h i l ’ îagnu■u, 9MM Automatic  and . S S ^ e c i a J .
At t h i s  time we re q u es ted  that  in the  i n t e r e s t  o f  t ime a n d ^ ^ lo r -

- e r e  sliron The t i l d e s  o f  the above t e s t  where c^ppllcabie
01 e slioun. m e  data c om p i led  in  t e s t s  where no p i c t u r e s  were f -u en

“ “ r “  P b fs e n t in i ;  t h i s  da ta ,  a c r i t i q u e  the
tl’ o f l o o r  was "pen t o, loiu. ,u.o d i s c u s s i o n .  Members o i ’ the Board were g iv e n  thc' 

o p p o r t u .n t y  to  f n r e  a l i m i t e d  pumbor o f  rounds (due to  sup p ly  o f  
Ibo v a r io u s  c a l i b e r s  o f  ammunition. Those who f i r e d  t h r  4 .ia°„um
n i t e d ‘'‘ a s " r " d ' :^ e r e ^ t  the  e M o s s i v e  r e c o i l ,  which has beenas d d e t e r e n t  ( t o  p rop er  t r a i n i n g )  by Range P e r s o n n e l .

r o o e m m en c"M iorr ' ' “ ? i r a , ' ’ ^ r '^ ‘f® " .e e t in g  th c  hoard made the  . ' o l l o t i n q  i ' . r  f- c ^ f j o u s .  l i r s t ,  th a t  wo im m ediate ly  adopt the  Remington
■f t  ,? '’ " '  " " " T - ? - ’ t k e t e d  h o l l o w  p o i n t ,  .38 S p e c i a l  i L d .  T^r, p a 4  
O t lu . ,  awm.inrtion w i l l  be c o v e re d  by the  F lr inR  Rai.ue budget  l o r  
Sfrvice ai, , 'un it icn  l or the f i s c a l  y ea r  o f  1973-1974 Second i 
was recommended th a t  we a c q u i r e  f i v e  ( j )  each o f  s e C a ra rn a n c ’ suns 

b e l o w ) ,  and s u f f i c i e n t  ammunition f o r  each (-yre to  
c o n r u c t  i i e i d  and in  s e r v i c e  t r a i n i n g  t e s t s .  The monies f o r  the
RanJe‘‘'b u d ° c t ’' ' " " T h e " f o ^ l ‘ ' 7  = " ° t  a v a i l a b l e  from the F i r in sangt Budget. The f o l l o w i n g  i s  a l i s t  o f  the weapons and the

{p ro x im a te  c o s t ,  as  w e l l  as ammunition and approximate  c o s t .
WEAPON COST

S & W Model 5,8 $ 86 .91

S & W Model 59 10 8 .64

C o l t ,  Government  1 3 4 , 9 5  
Mark IV ,

i
S & W Model 25 1 1 2 .26

T 0 T A L - -$ 2 ,2 13 ,8 0

AMMO

,43 Magnum 
210 Gr. S o f t  
P o i n t ,

9MM j a c k e t e d  
h o l l o w  p o i n t .

.4 5  ACP 
h o l l o w  p o i n t .

. 4 5  Auto Rim

COST

^16 6 . 6 0  p er  M,

1 2 4 . 8 0  per  M.

1 6 0 . 20 per  M,

160 .20  per  M,



This  r e p o r t  c o v e r s  e v e r y t h in g  which has taken p l a c e  regcrc l inp 
t he cliange of s e r v i c e  r e v o l v e r  and ammunition, up t o  the d a te  o f  
t h i s  l e t t e r .

R e s p e c t f u l l y  s u b m it te o ,

LBJ;JAC/rs

*1, A, C o l e t t a ,  Capta in  
C h i e f  Range O f f i c e r

CC: I n s p .  B a r k s d a l e  
C h i e f  Crumby 
C t i i e f  H o l t  
C h i e f  H u t c h in s on  
F i l e

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Correspondence from Coletta to Barksdale Re: Police Firing Range

Impact area

Topic

LDF Attorneys

Cooperating Attorneys

Organization

Matter

Case

U.S. state

Collection

Taxonomy

Identifier

Copyright notice

Additional info

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