[Dane Burns]

I have used and abused Peerless. What are you guys using, and what do you like, and why? Chains or hinged?

 

[Rich]

S&W's are rougher, don't have the tendency to get 'un-double locked' by repeated impacts like Peerless.

I'm out of uniform and use American Ultra lites, chained and hinged.

Rich

 

[Shane1911]

Second that on the S&W pieces.

Also carry some nylon tie straps 3/8" wide.
I have not had the strongest man on my dept. break, twist or tear one off.....and we've got some BIG guys.

 

[Chris Oslin]

I have an old pair of Colt cuffs, that now reside secure in my safe, that are the best cuffs I have ever owned. (No, Rob, you can't borrow them!)

I like and now use the squared military cuffs by American Handcuff Company of Fon du lak (sp?) Wisconsin. I had a pair of Hiatts once get stuck on a prisoner as the judge entered the court room. I finally got the cuffs off, and sent them to the factory, and had them refurbished and sent back to me within 10 days. Kudos to Hiatts for great customer service. :grin::

No matter what, I use chained cuffs, because hinged cuffs are too tough to use when a subject is fighting. The hinged ones do restrain better, but I can hog-tie, belly chain, etc., once the initial cuffs are on. Just a personal preference.

 

[Ken Neal]

I still like the S&W chains, they are tuff and I can hook 'em up a lot eaiser than the hinged ones. Both have their place, but for the wild and wooley times I like chains best.

 

[SNAPCUT]

I carry a pair of hinged, and a pair of chained, Peerless cuffs on duty. A third pair, the Dept. issue S&Ws, hang on my patrol gear bag. I have always prefered Peerless, but I could not articulate exactly why. Perhaps I have merely grown accustomed to them.

 

[EXEC]

Only S&W cuffs for many years.

I just upgraded to the new S&W Model 1 Universal cuffs,one set chain, one set hinged. They upen wider and cinch down smaller than all the other models, and they have that piston-style doublelock which Peerless has always employed, a bit faster for me to operate in some stressful street situations.

I also keep a set of the S&W Mod 110 big-motha size cuffs in my war bag, for those subjects with truly huge wrists. On patrol, I seem to encounter this about once a month, usually when going out to a residence to serve an outstanding warrant of some type etc.

All in all, I usually end up reaching for the hinged cuffs to hook-up a "No" person, and more to the chain cuffs for a 'yes" [compliant]person or ANY suspected drunk or EDP; however, when they decide to try out that launch into space move with only one of the cuffs applied, I'm always glad to have the hinged ones out, cause I can usually complete the restraint process faster with that design.

By the way, HYATT has a new model out called the Ultimate, which folds open and closed and is faster than anything else to apply, and more restraining. The downside is that my dept,and probably a bunch of others, hasn't tested/approved any Hyatts for duty use, and I ain't about to get into a stupid liability hassle after an arrest over something chickensh** like using non-approved/unauthorized safety equipment.
If you work in a busy district/precinct, and your dept DOESN'T restrict you to specific cuff brands [ours is S&W or Peerless ONLY], try out those new Hyatt "Ultimate" cuffs. I think they're potentially the best design on the market for speed cuffing.

Reminder: With any of these new, larger cuff designs, like the S&W Mod 1 or 110, the Hyatt etc, be sure to get a cuff case which specifically fits them cause the old standard sized ones won't.

 

[Chris Oslin]

One of our guys showed up to work the other day with a pair of lightweight cuffs by American Handcuff Company. THey have steel inserts and are SUPER light, and I beat them up a little, and they didn't flex, bind or fail.

I am ordering some, and will report on a longer term use and abuse test, but they seem to be the best I have seen to date.

 

[Rand]

Peerless seem to me to be the best of the bunch as far as fit, finish, and smooth mechanics...It's the good ol fashion chain for me, allows you to apply the cuffs quicker when your going at it.

 

[Seventh Fleet]

I have six pairs of cuffs most made by Smith & Wesson which are the chain kind and I have a pair of hinged cuffs, which are hard to use if the prisoner is resisting arrest. I keep a spare pair of cuffs hanging on the steering wheel position adjuster, just below the turn signal stalk, on my Crown Vic, in case they are needed in a hurry and I keep a couple of spare sets in the trunk in my gear box, plus one set on my duty belt.

7th

 

[Dwolf00]

I was issued a pair of Peerless and since graduating from the Academy, they have been hanging on my gear bag. I carry a set of S&W chain as well as a set of hing. I had carried a set of the black S&W chain cuffs, but got tired of cleaning rust off of them every time it rained. I think the position of the unlock is easier to get to on S&W and that's why I prefer them, not to mention there heavier duty than my Peerless. I like my hing for female prisoners, but also for those you I'm usually struggling with. I carry my chain cuffs on the front of my gunbelt and the hing set on the back of my gunbelt. I think Hiatts makes a good set of cuffs as well.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Dwolf00 on 2002-02-25 00:06 ]</font>

 

[Denny]

AMerican hinged. I get more control and the person I am arresting has less movement. For long transport I would use a belly chain and leg irons. Handcuffs are a "temporary" for of restraint.

 

[joesaxon]

I carry and abuse two sets of S&W cuffs, I like the chain because it seems to give me more "mobility" during the more intense times of the job. I have used Hiatts hinged cuffs while teaching speed cuffing, but only because they load from the rear with ease.

 

[Runner]

Peerless hinged, I like them just fine, and they are issued! :smile:

_________________
God Bless John Wayne and the U.S. Marine Corps,
Runner :grin:

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Runner on 2002-04-03 19:53 ]</font>

 

[Branspop]

On duty, I carry two sets of S&Ws, one hinged and one chained on my belt. In the car I have two more chained pairs and one oversized set. Off-duty I have a set of American Light weights.

I don't care much for the way the other's (Peerles and Hiatts) feel to me.

I have a set of Gall's Brand that just lay around. I would never use those on the street.

 

[kanak]

Unfortunatly our department (Honolulu, Hawaii) doesn't allow anything but peerless chained versions. Does having hinged cuffs allow better control of the suspect?

 

[Branspop]

The hinged really work well for me in keeping those annoyinly double jointed persons from swinging their arms to the front while in the back of the car. I have had a few do that in the chained. No body has done it with the hinged, but a couple have tried. I always carry two on me because I have used multiple pairs frequently, I have had a pair knocked out of my hand while trying to cuff and I am a bit paranoid at times.

 

[Poohgyrr]

I carry two sets of Peerless chained and a rope hobble. The Peerless have been trouble free, two pair of Smith's broke on me back when. Three more chained cuffs, two rope hobbles and one strap restraint in a gear bag. The hobbles are life savers when it comes to wackos.

_________________
John

"Happy homes are the responsibility of husbands and fathers- but inevitably it is wives and mothers who make it so."- T.R.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Poohgyrr on 2002-04-24 23:15 ]</font>

 

[N-Frame Guy]

I used the S&W chain for years as well as the Peerless hinged. I recently got two pairs of the S&W model 1's (1 chain ,1 hinged) from my friend the S&W rep. I can't say enough good stuff about the new Smith's. They open bigger and close smaller than anything else out there. I have huge wrists, you can't put a standard Smith on me and can get one click (maybe) on the peerless. In training people normally use leg irons on me. With the Model 1's you can get 3 or 4 clicks on me. That says alot

 

[Branspop]

N-Frame

Will they fit in a standard cuff-case?