I can't speak for police forces, but back in the early 70's I
was a Sky
Marshall for the US Treasury Dept. Part of the standard issue
-- along
with cuffs, 4" revolver, and other tools -- was a nasty
little sap
consisting of a 4" lead slug attached to a strong spring and
handle. The
lead slug would rock back and forth on the spring, and you
could really
work up some torque. Bounced in off my partners head once
while playing
around. You could hear the "thonk" from a distance of several
feet.
That little devil was in marked contrast to the sap my
grandfather used
in the 20s in his capacity as small-town deputy -- a stitched
leather
pouch filled with sand attached to a hard leather handle. I
have this
treasure, along with his badge, as part of his inheritance. I
wonder if
he ever used it, because it would appear that the seams would
split upon
contact with any head.
Best regards,
... Reed
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