BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE OF SWITCHING TO LARGER CALIBER PISTOLS, MOST POLICE DEPARTMENTS HAVE EITHER RETAINED THEIR WORKHORSE .38 SPL WEAPONS OR UPGRADED THESE GUNS WITH MORE POWERFUL .357 AMMUNITION. EVEN IF UPGRADED, THE .38 SPL HAS LIMITED STOPPING POWER AND RANGE. A SERIES OF TESTS SHOWED THAT THE .41 MAGNUM HAS HIGH STOPPING POWER BECAUSE THE BULLET DOES NOT HAVE TO EXPAND TO BE EFFECTIVE AND THE RECOIL IS NOT MUCH GREATER THAN THAT OF THE .38 SPL. AUTOLOADERS, WHICH HARNESS THE FORCE OF RECOIL TO EJECT THE FIRED CASE AND CHAMBER A FRESH ROUND, COME IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT STYLES. THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF EACH MUST BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED IN LIGHT OF AN INDIVIDUAL POLICE OFFICER'S NEEDS. MANY POLICE OFFICERS CONSIDER THE .45 ACP, THE OFFICIAL PISTOL OF THE U.S. MILITARY, TO BE THE IDEAL WEAPON BECAUSE IT COMBINES THE IMPACT OF THE .41 MAGNUM WITH THE RAPID, ACCURATE FIRING OF AN AUTOMATIC. A VARIETY OF FACTORY-LOADED AMMUNITION IS AVAILABLE FOR THE .45 ACP. THE .44 AUTOMATIC MAGNUM IS CALLED TOO LARGE FOR POLICE WORK. TABLES GIVE THE RESULTS OF THE TESTS WITH FOUR BRANDS OF .357 MAGNUM AMMUNITION, ONE BRAND OF .41 MAGNUM AMMMUNITION, AND THREE BRANDS OF .45 ACP AMMUNITION. THE VARIOUS TYPES OF GUNS AND AMMUNITION ARE ILLUSTRATED. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED.