San Diego, Calif. - The February issue of American COP singles out a discouraging trend facing many police officers: the lack of tactical training offered by departments. With officer survival at stake, Officer John Thomas Grohn advocates the importance of self-training and provides practical suggestions for officers to combat this state of affairs.

"There's nothing wrong with self-training - if you do it right. Practice the things you suck at; like weak-handed shooting and shooting past 15 yards," Grohn suggests. "Call your partners and train with them. It's good to have a shooting partner who can push you to perform better."

In "A Custom Duty Auto," Contributing Editor John Russo takes on the prospect of pairing America's favorite pistol, the 1911, with law enforcement's most popular caliber, the .40-caliber. Teaming up with Robar and other industry leaders, the finished product left Russo with a duty-ready custom 1911 that not only functions flawlessly, but also is capable of achieving eye-catching accuracy.

"You usually don't hear people bragging about how accurate their .40-caliber duty gun is, but accuracy was a recurring theme with this gun," Russo writes. "The fit and finish is satisfying, it shoots extremely well and I would confidently bet my life on it. If you're looking for a .40-caliber 1911, the search is over."

This issue of American COP also includes a special feature updating police officers on the latest advancements in night vision and optics, reiterates the importance of "See, Stop and Ask" to counter suspicious activity, examines the magnification-advantage and presents an affordable option for updating duty shotguns with an integrated fore-end light.

A Mossberg 500 Persuader 6-Shot Tactical Light For-end Shotgun highlights the February American COP Gun of the Month Giveaway. Valued at over $1,150, this prize bundle also includes the sturdy Individual Demolition Tool from TOPS Knives and an LE Range Box from Otis Technology that comes equipped with cleaning supplies to keep any firearm fit for duty. Readers can enter to win this giveaway online at www.americancopmagazine.com/giveaway.

One-year subscriptions to American COP are available at their lowest rate ever, $9.11 for 12 issues, and include a free Streamlight Key-Mate COP flashlight. To take advantage of this limited-time offer, visit www.americancopmagazine.com/911.

American COP is a no-nonsense resource, featuring engaging product reviews and helpful approaches to daily police work. To sign-up for a free digital subscription and to access every previous edition of American COP, visit www.americancopmagazine.com/digital-editions.