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Good post soup!
I saw a TV documentary about the policing of the 1930s. Apparently the bank robber gangs had gotten a hold of some BAR 50s and Thompson sub-machine guns. The Police were no match using 38 stub-nosed specials. They had to upgrade their fire power just to be able to keep up with the gangs.
I suppose that what we see today is that law enforcement never wants to play catch up again.
The difference is that while Bonnie and Clyde were wanted dead of alive, the SWAT teams of today are being used in far lighter crimes. It's like they want to instill fear in the average law abiding citizen. This culminates in deaths in raids that used to just cause arrests.
No Thompson's, Clyde's weapon of choice was the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) chambered for the 30-06 and the .45 ACP M-1911-A1 pistol.
All were stolen form National Guard armories.
Law enforcement officers back then were responsible for supplying their own firearms. During the 20's and 30's money was tight and the .38 Special revolver was the weapon most could afford. Usually with a six inch barrel not a snub nose revolver.
As for today, it's interesting who these police chiefs are who are arming their departments with just not military full auto weapons but also with armored assault vehicles, most are liberal "progressive police chiefs."
When I drive through the city of Monrovia, Ca. today which has a population of around 36,000 it's hard not to shake your head and breakout in a laugh when you see their black armored assault vehicle driving down a residential neighborhood with a machine gun turret on top.