While there are still many revolvers on the job, one might ask what happened to all those wheelguns of yesteryear? After the wave of semi-auto mania swept through the ranks of law enforcement, advertisements in publications such as Gun List and Shotgun News still offer used police-type revolvers at bargain prices.
Today, the semi-auto is the more popular handgun for police work by far. 357 Magnum revolver was the standard sidearm for police, and for that matter, the choice of those on the other side of the law as well. But they have always been required to offer power, reliability, and long service life.
Service weapons have never been the fanciest, most expensive sidearms available.