Posted: 4/15/2006 10:07:45 PM EDT
| I am getting back into a reserve police officer program after about a two year hiatus for work and family related reasons. I sold most of my gear after I got out of a program two years ago and can't for the life of me remember what handcuffs I had. All I can remember is that I had hinged cuffs but not the manufacturer; think it was either peerless or hiatt. Anyhow what cuffs do you all recommend? Figured I 'd ask the pros before I spent the money. Thanks for your help AND your service!! |
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Smith and Wesson/Hinged, easy/fast deployment when you're wrestling a drunk suspect and need to restrain them quickly, plus you can control the person better when you're stuffin' them in the car. Just crank down on those bad boys when he/she gets a little froggy on you. SFK9handler |
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Thanks for the photo Striker those are excatly the ones I used to have. In ARFCOM tradition I think I'll get both...S&W hinged and Peerless hinged and see which I like better. Sounds like both are great sets of cuffs. BTW rodent, I keep the furry cuffs at home for the wife.  Edit to fix spelling. |
| Since there isn't a store here in my town that sells LE related gear and I don't want to drive an hour just to go to the store that does, what is the best online dealer you all go to? I have used galls in the past but soemtimes their shipping charges really aggravate me. Are they the one and only game online for the stuff you guys need? |
Try The Officer Store. 20 |
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I cant beleive more people haven't posted about the asp cuffs. I dont have a pair, but a coworker does. He loves them, lightweight, super smooth action. I didn't buy any, mainly because they're SO lightweight. I just don't like the thought of having a pissed off 300lb criminal restrained by those things. But, it all comes down to personal preference. I use peerless because I like the way the double-lock mechanism works compared to the s&w. |
Use a set of oversize cuffs for most people. You'll find that they are easier to get on them. I've arrested more large people than small people. Therefore, when I worked the road I carried a regular pair and a large pair. The large pair got used the most...until my partner bent them by banging them on a bad guy's head!
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I got to play with a pair of those ASP cuffs last week on police ride along and needless to say i was not impressed! They are super light weight and the pivioting arm thing that rachets in appears to be completely made of PLASTIC. Im a big panzy so i probably wouldnt be able to break them but im sure that any meth addict over 200 pounds would be able to simply gnaw them off. You can buy anything you want to restrain violent criminals.... but for the love of god let it at least be made out of metal P.S. I asked the officer if he thought i could break them and he said "yes i do, so dont try" I would let anyone with the time and determination go after a pair of S&W's |
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I use Peerless. Primary are hinged, 2ndary are chained. Both are nickel plated (a must have, IMO) Have used S&W in the past. They work OK. Can always lock, DL, and unlock them no matter the positioning. I remember seeing a training vid about the ASP cuffs breaking, no way I'd use them. |
| i mean in an experimental setting of course. Of course i would not sit there and watch hannable lector gnaw on a pair of handcuffs. Im simply saying that S&W's are built strong enough that the average person would not be able to incredable hulk their way out of a pair. |
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I actually witnessed a video of one of the inmates actually showing staff how an inmate can get off a double locked set of cuffs and even a set of four-point restraints (handcuffs, black box and a martin chain) Getting out of a set of handcuffs is not hard at all. Even if they are double locked, some inmates can get out fo them pretty easy. First hint they'll give you is "Can you loosen these up, officer/CO they too tight". DONT! if they can get at least 3-4 notches on the ratchet, they can get out of them. |
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yeah im not too bad at getting out of handcuffs because i own a pair and have way too much free time. I have long monkey arms that i can get past my butt and under my shoes while crouching down so its easy to get my hands out from behind me to the front where i can work with the cuffs. What you as an officer should keep in mind it that handcuffs use SMALL KEYS THAT CAN BE HIDDEN EVERYWHERE. im a criminal justice major and all of my buddies run around with cuffs in their backpack that they like randomly cuffing me with. I got tired of having one arm cuffed to the chain link fence surrounding the volleyball pit at Sonic so i cut a small slit in the inside of my tennis shoe tongue and slid a key in there. Usually when the cuff me they look for a hidden key and they have never found it there. Also since i have 2 tongue rings when i dont want to wear them i will keep them in between my cheek and lower gums. I got used to hiding small objects in my mouth and when i hang out with my friends sometimes i will hide a key in my mouth! Basically be aware that people, especially criminals, are very crafty and can hide a key anywhere. Also, just about anyone with access to a set of cuffs and a half an hour of time can teach themselves how to defeat cuffs by trial and error learning. In summary: If you are going to handcuff me (assuming im a goblin or turd) make sure that you sufficiently search me for handcuff keys or other contraband that i may be able to use to get out of cuffs and most importantly... Always keep your partitions fucking CLOSED in your squad car because if im going to get out of cuffs and cause trouble as a bad guy its going to be when you are driving down the road or at a stop light. Im sure that this is all common sense to you guys but i felt that it was worth covering anyways. |
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lol apparently a site administrator removed the part where i mentioned how to release handcuffs when they are double locked, id like to apologise if that information is offensive to anyone or poses a security risk to their profession. I just thought that a security flaw on commonly used handcuffs is something that officers should know about in order to better prepare and protect themselves. Ok so ill just say this, there is a way for a criminal to un-double lock handcuffs in about a 1/10th of a second if they wanted to and this may pose an escape risk to officers so if you dont know about this design flaw with modern handcuffs ask some of the more senior officers in your department about it and know what to do if this happens to you! |
Thank you for your insight. Are you into the Fetish scene or something  Just messing with you. A highly motivated criminal will look at cuffs as a minor inconvenience. If they get one slipped or opened it could be more than a major pain for the officer. |
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nope no fetishes or anything, just a bored college student with too much time on his hands. Everyone around here is a cop wannabe who carries cuffs in their car or backpack and thinks randomly cuffing each other never stops being funny. I bought a pair freshman year and played with them for about a week and got bored with em. I learned how to pick them as a party trick but i havent managed to un double lock them yet. Im not sure if S&W's are designed not to malfunction like this and maybe other brands do, or if im just not strong enough to unlock them with the method thats commonly used. I just figured that yall should know that many civilians know how to get out of cuffs, garanted this is obvious but still. Also, just because i know how to get out of them doesnt mean i would. I know that doing so is a guaranteed ticket to getting my ass kicked by an officer. Hopefully most bad guys know this too.1 |
These are the ones I keep at home for my wife:   Gee, I never thought I'd be able to use that pic again; first used it about six months ago in the Women Shooter's forum. 
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| I will be using one pair of ASP chain cuffs on duty and also one parr of Peerless hinged cuffs for the uncooperative asshole who has got his Budweiser muscle going. I have been using the ASP cuffs for over 4 months now during the Academy and I will be taking them on duty with me. It's all about personal preference, "opinions are like assholes, everybody has one". I have had old timers swear by them, and I have had newer guys tell me they suck. I think they are a good pair of cuffs, and people who say they have seen someone break ASP cuffs must have also seen the video where the prisoner breaks the chained metal cuffs. Like in one of the past posts, they are only temporary restraints so none of them are 100% pick or break proof. Just go with what you like and what you feel comfortable with,. |
| I don’t like the ASP because they don’t fit in a standard cuff case not to mention they are made mostly of plastic. I carry one set of S&W hinged for females and smaller suspects and one set of Peerless for the big guys. The action on the S&W is much tighter than the Peerless. I think the S&W is better quality but they are to small for ever suspect. |