Deputy US Marshals carry a 9mm Glock 47 as their standard duty sidearm, with Remington 870 shotguns and AR-platform carbines added when the mission calls for more range or stopping power. The tactical Special Operations Group fields a heavier loadout on top of that. No official public inventory lists every firearm the Marshals Service issues, so the picture of what guns US Marshals carry comes from procurement records, training documents, and field reporting rather than a single agency roster.
The Standard Duty Sidearm
For years the standard-issue pistol was the Glock 22 (full-size) or Glock 23 (compact), both chambered in .40 S&W. That changed as federal law enforcement shifted to 9mm. The FBI led the move around 2015 and 2016, pointing to better shot placement, higher magazine capacity, and modern 9mm ammunition that closed the performance gap with .40-caliber loads. The Marshals Service followed.
The current primary duty handgun is widely reported to be the Glock 47, a full-size 9mm originally developed for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2019. It uses a proprietary frame that accepts standard Glock 17 magazines and shares the same sight radius, so parts compatibility across the Glock 9mm lineup is broad. Deputies typically carry it in a belt holster on regular duty and in a thigh rig during tactical operations.
The authority to carry is statutory. Under 28 U.S.C. § 566(d), every US Marshal, deputy marshal, and designated USMS official may carry firearms and make warrantless arrests for federal offenses committed in their presence or federal felonies when they have reasonable grounds to believe the person committed one.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 566 – Powers and Duties
Shotguns and Carbines
Handguns handle the everyday work. Many operations call for something with more reach.
The Marshals Service has long issued the Remington 870 pump-action shotgun in 12 gauge. In the early 1980s the agency developed its own variant called the Marshal’s Service Short Shotgun, built on Remington 870 receivers with barrels trimmed to roughly 14.5 inches. About 250 were produced, split between the Witness Protection program and warrant squads, with different stock configurations for each role. The short barrel made them practical for close-quarters work like vehicle protection details and building entries.
For longer engagements deputies carry AR-platform carbines. Specific models vary by district and unit, but Colt M4-pattern rifles, including the M4A1 and shorter-barreled variants, appear most often in the field. Sons of Liberty Gun Works and LaRue Tactical have also supplied rifles to certain units. These carbines give marshals effective capability out to several hundred yards, which matters during rural fugitive apprehensions where distances stretch well beyond what a pistol can handle.
Special Operations Group Weapons
The Special Operations Group (SOG) is the agency’s tactical unit, deployed for barricaded fugitives, high-threat protection details, and national emergency response. SOG operators run a different loadout than standard deputies. Their primary sidearm is reported to be the STI Staccato-P in 9mm, a double-stack 2011-style pistol favored for its accuracy and trigger quality under stress.
SOG also fields fully automatic weapons, projectile launchers for less-lethal munitions, chemical agents, flashbang grenades, and explosive breaching charges. The inventory tracks closer to a military special operations unit than a typical law enforcement team, which reflects the situations SOG is called into. When a fugitive has fortified a structure, or when marshals are moving a high-value witness through a hostile environment, the standard deputy kit is not enough.
How the Mission Shapes the Loadout
A marshal protecting a federal courtroom carries a different kit than one executing a high-risk arrest warrant. Court security typically means a concealed handgun with a shotgun staged nearby. Deputies working inside a public building full of civilians, attorneys, and jurors balance the need to be armed against the environment they’re operating in.
Fugitive apprehension looks different. A warrant squad heading out after a violent fugitive might roll with carbines, shotguns, ballistic shields, and body armor on top of their sidearms. Prisoner transport falls in the middle. Marshals need to be armed but often work in close proximity to the prisoners themselves, so weapon retention becomes a primary concern.2U.S. Marshals Service. What We Do
Off-Duty Carry Under LEOSA
Deputy US Marshals don’t lose their carry authority when the shift ends. Under the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA), codified at 18 U.S.C. § 926B, any qualified law enforcement officer carrying agency-issued photo identification may carry a concealed firearm in all 50 states, regardless of state carry laws.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 926B – Carrying of Concealed Firearms by Qualified Law Enforcement Officers The officer must be authorized by their agency to carry, must not be under disciplinary action that could suspend police powers, must meet agency qualification standards, and must not be prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.
LEOSA has limits worth knowing. It does not override private property restrictions, so a business or landowner can still prohibit concealed carry on their premises. It also does not cover machine guns, silencers, or destructive devices. Off duty, a deputy’s personal carry gun is a matter of individual choice within the LEOSA framework rather than an agency-issued weapon.