Law & Order - Season 6

Law & Order - Season 6 (1995 – 1996)

Season 6 of Law & Order saw the addition of Benjamin Bratt as Detective Rey Curtis, replacing Chris Noth as Det. Mike Logan, who was transferred out of the precinct following his actions in the season 5 finale. Curtis was much more of a straight arrow, a religiously devout family man who saw the world in black and white. Richard Brooks reprised his role as Paul Robinette for the first of three appearances, revealing that he had left the DA's office for private practice.

The season finale of season 6 is notable for its departure from the usual Law & Order formula by not featuring any crimes and focusing only the private lives of the detectives and ADAs. The episode began with Briscoe, Curtis, McCoy and Kincaid witnessing New York state's first execution, a case investigated by Briscoe and Curtis and prosecuted by McCoy and Kinkaid (albeit offscreen.) Each one is shaken and slowly unravels, with Kincaid contemplating quitting the profession, family man Curtis cheating on his wife (in his defense, the other woman was a 24 year old Jennifer Garner) and Briscoe falling off the wagon. Kincaid is then killed in an auto accident while driving a drunk Briscoe home, bringing Jill Hennessy's tenure on the show to an end after 68 episodes.

Season 6 was also the only season in which the show won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, despite having been nominated eleven years in a row.

Cast:

Law

• Detective Lennie Briscoe - Jerry Orbach
• Detective Rey Curtis - Benjamin Bratt
• Lieutenant Anita Van Buren - S. Epatha Merkerson

Order

• Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy - Sam Waterston
• Assistant District Attorney Claire Kincaid - Jill Hennessy
• District Attorney Adam Schiff - Steven Hill

The following weapons were used in Season 6 of the television series Law & Order:

Handguns

Smith & Wesson Model 36

Detective Lennie Brisco (Jerry Orbach) and Lieutenant Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson) are armed with Smith & Wesson Model 36 revolvers. Despite the NYPD having officially switched to automatic pistols on January 1st, 1994, older officers like Briscoe and Van Buren were grandfathered in and allowed to continue carrying revolvers.

Smith & Wesson Model 36 - .38 Special

Det. Briscoe with his S&W 36 drawn in "Rebels" (S06E02).

A S&W 36 is picked up from a dead undercover officer in "Savages" (S06E03).

Briscoe draws a bead on the suspect in "Hot Pursuit" (S06E05).

Curtis opens up and checks a suspect's S&W 36 in "Humiliation" (S06E07).

Briscoe and Van Buren with their S&W 36's drawn in "Slave" (S06E19).

Glock 19

Detective Rey Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) and other NYPD officers are armed with Glock 19 pistols. Curtis is the first detective on the show to carry an automatic. All subsequent "junior" detectives would carry the Glock 19 as their service weapon.

Glock 19 (2nd Generation) - 9x19mm

An angry Curtis draws his Glock in "Rebels" (S06E02). As angry as he is, his finger is never on the trigger.

Different angle.

Curtis takes aim at a suspect in "Hot Pursuit" (S06E05).

Det. Rey Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) quiets a woman while drawing his Glock in "Charm City" (S06E13). This episode was the first Law & Order episode that crossed over with Homicide: Life on the Street. (The first crossover had occurred a year earlier in an episode of Homicide.) This case finished up two nights later with the Homicide episode "For God and Country" (S04E12).

Ruger GP100

A stainless Ruger GP100 is the murder weapon in "Savages" (S06E03).

Ruger GP100, the Stainless Version - .357 Magnum

Curtis with the bagged murder weapon in "Savages" (S06E03). The wood-rubber grips give it away as a GP100.

Browning Hi-Power

Suspect Leon Trapp (Rusty De Wees) is armed with a Browning Hi-Power during his spree in "Hot Pursuit" (S06E05).

Classic Commercial Browning Hi-Power (Belgian Mfg) - 9x19mm

The suspect confronts Briscoe and Curtis in a standoff. (Yes, that IS a young Amanda Peet as his accomplice in her first TV appearance ever.)

Surveillance video of the suspect with the Hi-Power.

Smith & Wesson Model 10HB

Smith & Wesson Model 10s are carried by the NYPD Officers in the initial seasons of the series. The Smith & Wesson Model 10 was an authorized weapon for all NYPD officers who had entered onto the job on or prior to 1986.

Smith & Wesson Model 10 HB (heavy barrel) revolver (Post 1950s Model) - .38 Special.

A store owner guns down the suspect in "Hot Pursuit" (S06E05).

ESU with a S&W 10HB in "Encore" (S06E15). This episode was a sequel to "Coma" (S05E02).

A uniformed officer with his S&W 10HB in "Pro Se" (S06E21). Note the other officer with the Glock 19.

Colt Huntsman

The murder weapon in "Humiliation" (S06E07) is a nickel-plated Colt Huntsman with a 4.5" barrel. It can be identified as a Huntsman by its black plastic grips (which were only used on early 3rd series guns), straight barrel and fixed sights. It had been previously identified in the dialogue as a "Colt .22."

Colt Huntsman, 4.5" barrel - .22 LR. This is an Early model gun as indicated by the black plastic grips as opposed to the chequered walnut grips which were used on later guns.

Defense attorney Lawrence Weaver (Bob Dishy) unveils the newly found murder weapon.

Weaver brings it over to Jack McCoy.

Unknown pistol

Karen Gaines (Ellen Greene) guns down suspect Nick Capetti in the courtroom in "Bitter Fruit" (S06E01). (Capetti is played by longtime recurring guest star and later Sopranos regular John Ventimiglia.) This is the only time it's seen, and there's not enough details to make an ID.

Shotguns

Ithaca 37

Ithaca 37s are carried by NYPD Officers and ESU Officers in a few episodes.

Ithaca Model 37 riot version - 12 Gauge

An ESU officer with his Ithaca 37 in "Hot Pursuit" (S06E05).

Rifles

MGC M-16 Model Gun Corp Replica Rifle

ESU officers are sometimes seen with MGC M-16 Replica Rifles with A2 handguards..

MGC M16

An ESU officer with his replica M16 in "Hot Pursuit" (S06E05). (It's like someone TOLD him to put his finger on the trigger at all times.)

Trivia

"Corpus Delicti" (S06E11) was unique in that it was not only one of the few instances where the audience sees the detectives actually fire their weapons, but they also had a candid discussion about their firearms.

Curtis: Oh that's beautiful Lennie, a real antique. (referring to Briscoe's S&W 36.)

Briscoe: Oh yeah? When that semi-auto of yours jams up, this "antique" will still be firing.

Curtis: Sure, until it runs out of bullets. All six. (S&W 36s only hold five rounds.)

Briscoe: It's not how many, Rey, it's where they go.

Curtis firing his Glock.

Briscoe with his "antique."

"It's where they go" is right. Especially if they all go in the ten ring.