Well opinions are like noses, pick the one you like.IMHO, this argument is usually made by folks with little revolver experience, special forces or not.
Well opinions are like noses, pick the one you like.IMHO, this argument is usually made by folks with little revolver experience, special forces or not.
Got to disagree, and I suspect Jerry would too. As blazingly fast as his revolver reload is, his magazine feed handgun reload is as fast or faster.
Assuming a given skill level with similar time invested in practice with both handgun types the semi-auto pistol will almost always reload faster and less fumble prone than a revolver to reload.
I spent the past four years shooting revolvers only in USPSA and IDPA competition. I am not Jerry or Travis but can hit a sub 2 sec revolver reload when things go right. I bought a Limited setup earlier this summer and after just a few practice sessions and a match or two sub 2 sec reloads where relatively easy with my R1 Limited.
Semi auto are generally easier and faster to reload and almost more importantly they are less fumble prone than revolvers to reload. Magazines are also more robust than moonclips or speed-loaders. And magazines almost always hold more rounds...
I'm pretty much with you-------except when it comes to 1911s and Ruger MK pistols. Then I smile just as big as I do at revolvers. The smile lasts until I start hunting my semi-auto brass and then it sorta fades away. Mine seems to hide in the grass and weeds even when there is little of it to hide in.Revolvers are better at bringing a smile to my face when I see them, hold them, and (with some models) fire them.
Semi-autos can make me smile, just not as big.
JM would also be the first to tell us that he looks down during a revolver reload. Not the greatest plan in a real fight. And the revolver is way out of the "workspace" and down near his belt.
It's even possible that your instincts could fight you, and force you to keep your eyes on the threat, which will completely jack up a revolver reload. Race techniques don't always match tactical techniques. Nothing wrong with that. But I use competition as training.
I can reload a Glock with my eyes closed, I don't stand a chance doing that with a revolver.
For "practical use", can't think of a single purpose where autos run circles around revolvers. Actually quite the opposite.I like revolvers -- as historical artifacts. For practical use, semiautomatics run circles around them.
IMHO, concealed carry and duty are two completely different purposes that beg for different tools and different mindsets. A Prius might be great for Manhattan but do you want it as a police interceptor??? Probably not. If I was a uniformed law enforcement officer, I'd carry a high capacity .45ACP. However, I am not and the needs/requirements of concealed carry by non-LEO's are completely different.Revolvers are not usually a good choice for carry/SD/duty IMHO.
I never look at the revolver during a speed reload and of course, practice, lots of practice reloading without looking.JM would also be the first to tell us that he looks down during a revolver reload. Not the greatest plan in a real fight. And the revolver is way out of the "workspace" and down near his belt.
It's even possible that your instincts could fight you, and force you to keep your eyes on the threat, which will completely jack up a revolver reload. Race techniques don't always match tactical techniques. Nothing wrong with that. But I use competition as training.
I can reload a Glock with my eyes closed, I don't stand a chance doing that with a revolver.
The sheer versatility of a revolver being able to have a completely different bullet with a mere pull of the trigger. For instance with my 6 shot 357 when in the woods I can have 2 rounds of snake shot, 2 middle of the road swc, and 2 full house HPs. Shoot with a Judge I put 2 bird shot, 2 buck shot, and 2 slug or 45 colt. That would take care of any situation that comes at you. No semi could handle that.
I never look at the revolver during a speed reload and of course, practice, lots of practice reloading without looking.
It may not be easy being green, but reloading a revolver without looking is not very hard.
It really is that simple.
Using a speed loader and not wadcutters, I'd agree.I never look at the revolver during a speed reload and of course, practice, lots of practice reloading without looking.
It may not be easy being green, but reloading a revolver without looking is not very hard.
It really is that simple.
''How does that work when the first round you need is the full house HP or the 45 Colt when you have 4 other less effective trigger pulls to get to it?''
It's quite simple, you can put them in any order you want. Open cylinder, rotate to what you want, fire away. With critters even the snake shot sound will scare them away or cause them to pause. Within 2 seconds or less the bigger projectiles will be hitting them anyways.
Using a speed loader and not wadcutters, I'd agree.
Just to throw a little grease on the fire, consider being disabled in one arm.
Which is easier to reload, revolver or semiauto?
...Capacity aside are revolvers better than semis? ...?
How does that work when the first round you need is the full house HP or the 45 Colt when you have 4 other less effective trigger pulls to get to it?
I see that appeal of the mixed revolver load-out but in practice I have found I simply load my revolver with "full power loads" and critters I would have used the less effective loads on die just as easily to the full power loads. (ie the snake dies from full house HP to the head just as well as charge of snake shot)
Would you be faster if you looked?
The important aspect IMHO in this aspect of the discussion is not can you reload a revolver with or without looking. It's about simplicity and return on training time invested. Magazine reloads are simply easier and for the overwhelming majority of shooters, for an equal amount of training time invested, the magazine feed reload will be faster, require less visual attention, and will have a much lower percentage of a fumbled reloads than a revolver reload will.
I don't care if we are talking J-frames and LCPs or X-frames and Desert Eagles. Magazine feed handgun reloads will always be superior (faster, less fumble prone, and utilize more robust reloading devices) to revolver reloads. You can argue a lot of positive things about revolvers for various application but reload speed/robustness for any of those application is IMHO not one of them.
Even with wad cutters it's more technique and practice than a visual necessity. Muscle memory, lots and lots of repetition and learning to get one first is the key. Also, as I mentioned above, the really important thing is not speed but keeping eyes on the threat, on situational awareness.Using a speed loader and not wadcutters, I'd agree.
Just to throw a little grease on the fire, consider being disabled in one arm.
Which is easier to reload, revolver or semiauto?
No, about the same. It's just like using a magazine, a matter of muscle memory. But then speed really is less important than keeping your eyes on the threat anyway.
the really important thing is not speed but keeping eyes on the threat, on situational awareness.
That was a few years ago and validates the incidents I've studied. As much as legitimate training is geared towards this, the predominant response these days seems to be the "mag dump" even for LEOs who should know better and gang bangers who don't. Civilians with double stack firepower aren't immune. What should be disconcerting is the number of misses compared to hits. There are too many reports of police firing 40+ shots in an urban area and only a handfull connecting with the perp, Gang shootings OTOH seem to nearly always result in collateral death of an innocent sometimes as far as a block away, at least in my town.Anyone else read the Justice study a few years ago? The AVERAGE number of shots fired in a CIVILIAN gunfight is 2.5. Facts are tough sometimes
Which one shoots half-rounds? Revolver or semi??Anyone else read the Justice study a few years ago? The AVERAGE number of shots fired in a CIVILIAN gunfight is 2.5. Facts are tough sometimes