[No.6]

Or, *gasp* since we supposedly trust these air marshalls, we could give them a firearms allowance and tell them to buy the firearm they themselves are best and most comfortable with.

[No.6]

^ read "pilots" not "air marshalls"; my error.

[frostbit]

I would agree, but remember that this is a gov't agency. Most decisions have to include maintenance and spare parts for the weapons, and they don't want to have to stock a hundred different types.

We have a pretty good middle-of-the-road system. We are issued one brand, but also have a list of other authorized "Personally Owned Weapons" that the agent can buy on their own. Once it's blessed and approved, upkeep is the agency's responsibility, not the individual. Seems to work pretty well. As you said, some people just aren't comfortable with the one-size-fits-all choice of weapon.