Duty Arms IndexWhat guns do North Carolina police carry?
Data coverage: Based on 20 North Carolina agencies in the Duty Arms Index with a current, sourced pistol, rifle or shotgun entry: 15 with a primary duty pistol, 2 with a patrol rifle and 3 with a duty shotgun (SWAT/tactical-unit guns and 1033 military-surplus rifles excluded). Agencies that authorize several primaries count once for each. Counts include only current entries with a public source; agencies not yet in the index, or without a sourced entry for this item, are not counted, so treat shares as a picture of the Duty Arms Index, not of every agency. Data last updated Oct 10, 2026.
Most common duty pistols: North Carolina police
Primary duty pistol, counted once per agency per model family.
- 1Glock G17who uses it4 (26.7%)
- 2Glock G45who uses it4 (26.7%)
- 3Glock G19who uses it3 (20%)
- 4SIG Sauer P320who uses it3 (20%)
- 5FN 509 Fullsize1 (6.7%)
- 6Glock G22who uses it1 (6.7%)
- 7Glock G341 (6.7%)
- 8Glock G47who uses it1 (6.7%)
Share is of 15 agencies with a sourced primary duty pistol. Generations and optic-cut variants are combined per model family.
Pistol brands
Of 16 agencies with a sourced primary duty pistol maker (incl. entries that name the maker but not the model).
- Glock11 (68.8%)
- SIG Sauer4 (25%)
- FN1 (6.3%)
Pistol calibers
One primary duty pistol per agency, 15 agencies.
- 9mm Luger14 (93.3%)
- .40 S&W1 (6.7%)
Nationally, the Glock G17 leads at 27.1% of 623 agencies. Here it is at 26.7%.
Patrol rifles: only 2 North Carolina agencies have a sourced patrol rifle so far, too few to rank (so far: Smith & Wesson M&P15, Colt M4 Carbine, SIG Sauer SIG516). See the national patrol rifle ranking.
Shotguns: only 3 North Carolina agencies have a sourced duty shotgun so far, too few to rank. See the national shotgun ranking.
Top duty pistol by agency type
What major North Carolina agencies carry
Agencies among the nation's largest by sworn officers first, then statewide agencies, sheriffs and local police A–Z. Primary duty pistol and patrol rifle as sourced on each agency page (or the agency's other current pistol / rifle entry where no primary is sourced).
| Agency | Duty pistol | Rifle |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department | Glock Model not specified | not yet sourced |
| North Carolina State Highway Patrol | SIG Sauer P320 | Smith & Wesson M&P15 |
| North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Law Enforcement Division | Glock G45 | not yet sourced |
| Chowan County Sheriff's Office | Glock G45 | not yet sourced |
| Davidson County Sheriff's Office (North Carolina) | SIG Sauer P320 | not yet sourced |
| Forsyth County Sheriff's Office | Glock G17 Gen6 | not yet sourced |
| Guilford County Sheriff's Office | Glock G47 | not yet sourced |
| Haywood County Sheriff's Office | Glock G45 | not yet sourced |
| Pasquotank County Sheriff's Office | Glock Model not specified | not yet sourced |
| Randolph County Sheriff's Office (North Carolina) | Glock G17 | not yet sourced |
| Wake County Sheriff's Office | FN 509 Fullsize MRD-LE | not yet sourced |
| Asheville Police Department | Glock G17 | not yet sourced |
Frequently asked
- What handgun do North Carolina police carry?
- The Glock G17 and the Glock G45 are tied as the most common primary duty pistol among North Carolina agencies in the Duty Arms Index, at 4 of 15 agencies with a sourced duty pistol each.
- What brand of pistol do North Carolina police use most?
- Glock: 11 of 16 agencies (68.8%), then SIG Sauer (4) and FN (1).
- Do North Carolina police carry 9mm?
- Mostly. 14 of 15 North Carolina agencies with a sourced primary duty pistol (93.3%) issue a 9mm; the rest include .40 S&W (1).
What police carry in other states
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