Which rifles do HSI use?

1. What the official documents say about HSI rifles

A FOIA-released ICE policy labeled “hsiAuthorizedFirearms_09.25.2020.pdf” confirms that HSI armed personnel are authorized to utilize ICE-issued shoulder-fired firearms, explicitly recognizing a class of agency-issued shoulder-fired weapons for HSI operations ^[1]; the document’s snippet in the provided search results repeats that authorization but does not list brand names or models in the excerpt available here, which means the primary official source in this set verifies authorization but is incomplete for detailed identification ^[1].

2. What the rest of the record does — and doesn’t — show

DHS-level firearms policy exists for duty handguns, indicating the department maintains formal guidance on agency-issued small arms and calibers for officers ^[2]; nevertheless, the specific DHS handgun guidance in the search results does not substitute for a rifle inventory and the available materials in this collection do not include a publicly posted HSI rifle inventory or procurement list naming AR platforms, precision rifles, or specific manufacturers ^[2]. Outside official policy, hobbyist and vendor sites (H-S Precision, firearms dealers) appear in the results but reflect manufacturers and commercial sellers rather than agency-issued inventories, so they cannot be taken as documentary evidence of what HSI actually issues ^{[3] [4]}.

3. Why public specificity is limited — operational and transparency angles

Law-enforcement agencies commonly withhold granular weapons lists for operational security and procurement flexibility, an implicit rationale consistent with the absence of a full model roster in the provided FOIA policy excerpt ^[1]. That protection of tactics and equipment is a competing public-interest argument: transparency advocates call for clear accountability on equipment authorized for use, while agencies argue that publishing detailed inventories can reveal vulnerabilities or constrain operational responsiveness; the sources here show the balance tilts toward limited public disclosure in the materials provided ^[1].

4. What additional evidence would resolve the question

A complete answer requires either a full public release of the ICE/HSI firearms policy annex that enumerates authorized rifle models, a procurement or acquisition record listing awarded contracts or line items for specific rifle systems, or on-the-record confirmation from HSI or DHS procurement offices; none of those complete lists appear in the search results supplied, so this report cannot authoritatively name make-and-model rifles beyond noting the existence of ICE-issued shoulder-fired firearms referenced in the FOIA document ^{[1] [2]}.

5. Context, alternative viewpoints, and caveats

Open-source commentary such as forum queries and vendor pages show public interest in what agents train with and what field options exist, but those are not official inventories and may reflect speculation or consumer products rather than agency issue ^{[5] [4]}. Academic or policy presentations on HSI activity note the bureau’s broad investigative scope — including arms trafficking and international operations — which drives the need for a range of enforcement tools, yet the provided presentation material does not translate into a service rifle roster for HSI personnel ^[6]. Given the limits of the supplied documents, definitive claims about precise rifle brands or models in routine HSI service cannot be supported here.