Are Revolvers Actually better than Autos?

[ORHunter79]

Tell you what Ragnar, in a 'combat application' all the bullets in all the magazines the world won't do you any good if you don't have the right mind-set - without that you'll just be sprayin' and prayin'.

Well put! With the right mind set and training you'll be good to go with either. That being said, in combat I'll still use an auto (what I've trained with the most). Also, how you define combat shows how you think. To me combat isn't just killing insurgents in Afghanistan (COIN), it's anytime/anywhere a threat raises it's ugly head long enough for me to blow it off.

Who would you rather have next to you; A guy who trained and perfected the use of his revolver or a guy who got the required one day of training to carry his auto.

So which is better, the one you train with the most. Rant over.....

 

[Shadow 7D]

Hum
28 parts

anybody wanna guess
auto or revolver???

 

[Skribs]

I realize coming in this late that most of these have probably been discussed already, but here goes...

1 Out of the box they are considerably more accurate than most autoloaders, and more forgiving of load.

With the exception of my pocket pistol, I've had no issues with the accuracy of my autos. You actually have a longer sight radius with the same length pistol in an auto, and for me the revolver and auto have been about the same overall accuracy.

2 They will shoot heavy loads, and light loads without ever having to worry about which recoil spring is installed. Will it function the action? Not to worry, if there's powder and a primer, she'll go bang.

True. But if you only have a gun for a specific load (i.e. my handgun is designed for HD/SD, and practicing for HD/SD), then you know the gun can handle it.

3 No FTF's, FTE's, Stovepipes, etc.

Maybe not those failures, but I've seen a revolver fail to fire and I've seen the cylinder lock up more often than my autos have failed.

4 Not too many autoloaders that can go toe to toe with the revolver on power.

Not too many revolvers that can go toe to toe with an auto on speed while maintaining the power advantage.

5 You know when it's loaded.

Actually it's easier to tell if my XD is loaded than if my revolver is loaded, especially in the dark.

6 The revolver is ideal to introduce the new shooter, clearing, loading, and shooting are so much less complicated.

Everyone I know that I've started I started on an auto, and they seemed to pick it up just fine. Actually with a lot of shooters today, autoloaders make more sense than revolvers, because they're more used to seeing them in movies/video games and know at least the basics of how they operate.

7 You can easily see that it's loaded.

See number 5.

8 If you reload, your brass is really really easy to find.

True.

9 "Glock Leg" much less likely to happen

It is likely to happen on an auto?

10 And you gotta just love watching the cylinder turn.

Not really. I like watching the slide slam back.

 

[trapper1]

I own a variety of both. I enjoy shooting both. I'm not certain how important this is to anyone else, but becuase of the lower capicity, I'm forced to plow alot less rounds in a shooting session with my revolvers, then the much higher capacity clips of my autos. I guess I concider that a good thing, the price of ammo being what it is these days.

 

[MCgunner]

With the exception of my pocket pistol, I've had no issues with the accuracy of my autos. You actually have a longer sight radius with the same length pistol in an auto, and for me the revolver and auto have been about the same overall accuracy.

It is the rare centerfire auto that shoots to 1" at 25 yards as is my standard for outdoor carry revolvers. That may sound like a ridiculously strict standard to you, but shoot at a squirrels head at 25 yards sometime. I like to carry 4" .357 medium frame revolvers on the trail and my Taurus 66 shoots to this accuracy standard with a 148 Wadcutter OR a hot .357 hunting load should I be in hunting season and need it to forage which I've done in the past. Revolvers are also much more versatile in that light to heavy loads or bullet profile doesn't bother them. This is why I prefer revolvers on the trail, hunting, outdoor uses (excepting my single shot Contender for hunting). Also, for hunting medium to large game, excepting 10mm, auto pistol calibers just aren't appropriate.

All depends on what you want the gun for. My fave pocket guns for self defense are autos and my fave .22s are autos. I really prefer to pick the right platform for the job, though I still occasionally carry revolvers for self defense when I get in a revolver mood as they're just as effective in a modern world.

 

[rha600]

All I'm going to say is, I went to the range last week and I shot my Beretta PX4 (9mm) and my S&W 686 (with full load 357 rounds) and I had a ball with both. Both shot extremely accurately. And both have more capabilities than I have at the moment.

The PX of course has more capacity, the 357 more power. I guess you can say the PX would have more of a chance to fail since it has more moving parts (Murphy's Law?) but I've never had a single failure out of ether.

I think, like anything else in the world, there are good points and bad points about anything, it just depends on what job you have planned for it. This is kind of like asking which is better, a sports car or an SUV. Sure there are SUVs that will outperform a corvette in a straight line, but will that same SUV get you out of a mud hole?

 

[charlie echo]

In most, over 99% from some statics sourced within this THR Forum, "social work" involving armed citizen with cencealed carry do not reload at all during the gun fight while most of the contacts are concluded within about two shots.

Functional beauty results from shootability in near panic situations that makes accurate hits with penetrating force.

Revolver's the more proven tool in more situations involving self-defense. For those starting the gun fight in very close quarters then semiauto pistols may have the advantage, in capacity.

 

[tomrkba]

Check this out:

http://pistol-training.com/archives/6400

Summary: A bullet fired at a police officer passes between his leg and holster. It strikes the take down lever on his SIG. He draws the gun and the slide stays in the holster. Talk about a moment!

This is another reason to use a revolver!

(Okay, not really).

 

[45_auto]

Sure there are SUVs that will outperform a corvette in a straight line

Exactly which SUV's would those be?

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Post # 131...from Ragnar...
"CraigC, when's the last time you had to reload while moving and getting shot at by people with automatic rifles? 5 or 6 of them at once? Reload right now or die. Put 5 or rounds down that hallway (and still have enough to fight) while your buddy maneuvers or he's gonna die.

"Better" is based off of what you're using it for. Clearly you've never had to use a handgun in a combat situation, so naturally your reasons for thinking revolvers are "better" excludes combat applications...."


But, but..what if there's 10 of 'em? MS13 members... And they've got RPG's and stuff, and they're on meth and coke??!! I mean, as long as you are fantasizing you might as well go big.

Tell you what Ragnar, in a 'combat application' all the bullets in all the magazines the world won't do you any good if you don't have the right mind-set - without that you'll just be sprayin' and prayin'.
A auto-loader might give you an edge, then again it might just make you overconfident.
Speed is good - accuracy is final.

Nice of you to dismiss people's real experiences as fantasy.

I've used my M9 in Afghanistan. I was glad it was a semi-auto. I was glad it was 9mm and had enough rounds. I needed most of them, and it wasn't due to having a poor mindset. There are enemies out there that do have "rpgs and stuff". It's good to have enough rounds to deal with them. And there are plenty of other THR members who know this too. I can't say we've all had to use the M9 in combat, it's somewhat unusual. But some of us have, and I for one was glad it was a magazine fed weapon with a lot more than 5 or 6 rounds ready to go.

Which brings me back to restating myself. Better" is based off of what you're using it for.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

-I can have a revolver loaded and ready, set it down for 10 years, and if I have to grab it in the middle of the night, I know it will still shoot. Don't have to worry about worn out mag springs, etc.

Someone here on this forum, I think it was one of the mods, found a 1911 in a chest that was loaded, cocked and locked for over 70 years and fired perfectly without a mag and ammo change. My handgun is always loaded to capacity and I've never noticed a spring wearing out. Use wears out a magazine, not being left loaded.

Summary: A bullet fired at a police officer passes between his leg and holster. It strikes the take down lever on his SIG. He draws the gun and the slide stays in the holster. Talk about a moment!

This is another reason to use a revolver!

(Okay, not really).

The cylinder on a revolver is much easier to hit than the take down lever and will also make the gun useless, probably even more so as you could possibly put the slide back on with an autoloader.

 

[hariph creek]

I will submit that, anyone who loads a self defense gun (semi-auto or revolver). Then lets it sit for 10 years, or even 1 year. Is not getting enough trigger time and may not be the best judge of ''what's best.''

 

[rha600]

Exactly which SUV's would those be?

Jeep SRT8, BMW X5M or X6M.


Vette's 0-60 is 4.3ish
the BMWs are 4.0ish and my Jeep reguarly runs 3.9 stock.

That 4WD is a nice little feature off the line.

 

[scythefwd]

Vette's 0-60 is 4.3ish
the BMWs are 4.0ish and my Jeep reguarly runs 3.9 stock.

If we are going to compare.. might as well compare the top of each line (like that srt8)

Vettes - z06 turns in a 3.9 second 0-60 (real world testing)
- Zr1 - 3.4 seconds (claimed by chevy)

BMW - 4.05 seconds (real world testing), BMW claims 4.5 seconds

Jeep srt8 - videos of 3.6 seconds, not sure if it is stock out there
Jeep was claiming 4.8 seconds

You wanna allow for modified cars? Pretty sure we'll find an 8 second vet out there.. wanna place bets on the bmw or jeep?

 

[rha600]

If we are going to compare.. might as well compare the top of each line (like that srt8)

Vettes - z06 turns in a 3.9 second 0-60 (real world testing)
- Zr1 - 3.4 seconds (claimed by chevy)

BMW - 4.05 seconds (real world testing), BMW claims 4.5 seconds

Jeep srt8 - videos of 3.6 seconds, not sure if it is stock out there
Jeep was claiming 4.8 seconds

You wanna allow for modified cars? Pretty sure we'll find an 8 second vet out there.. wanna place bets on the bmw or jeep?

This is totally out of the scope of this discussion, but why would we compare top of the line to top of the line? that's retarded. why not compare price for price? I can buy two SRT8 Jeeps for the price of one ZO6.

Oh, and if you want to compare modified for modified, haha, there are several 1100hp low 9 sec Jeeps and there and two guys in Russia with 1500+hp that run the 1 mile and have not tried the 1/4 mile yet.

Oh, and that's in an 5000 pound SUV with the aerodynamics of a brick that runs as a daily driver. I believe the quickest ZR1 right now only runs mid 9's. You sure you want to bet on that vette?

 

[scythefwd]

sure
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/dra...ficial-7-second-vette-doctors-pro-8-pass.html

 

[rha600]

hahaha he can't even drive it to the track. has to trailer it. Hell I can build a fiat that can do that.

 

[hariph creek]

Clearly, the flintlock pistol is the best. It's all been down hill from there.

 

[rha600]

after watching last week's Top Shot I actually started looking at one. haha. I've hunted with black powder rifles but never shot a pistol.

 

[CraigC]

I've used my M9 in Afghanistan.

"This" ain't Afghanistan. Apples and oranges. All day long.

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

"This" ain't Afghanistan. Apples and oranges. All day long.

Hm. I didn't realize "this" was a totally different universe where an autoloader that works better in one situation has nothing to do with anything.

What's your point? The initial premise of this thread was that revolvers are "better" than autoloaders. I pointed out a situation in which that was, and is not the case. Your only response to that seems to essentially be "yeah, well...so what".

 

[Cosmoline]

It's silly to try to claim one over the other. For one thing WHICH autos and WHICH revolvers for WHICH purpose? A 6" Colt Python is better in almost all respects than a Bryco .32. Unless you really need to conceal, then even the Bryco is better.

I tend to prefer revolvers, mostly because of my big bore needs and because they tend to fit my hands better than double stack semis. But they're all good.

And don't kid yourself about revolvers never failing. I've had many fail over the years. They're not as frequent, but revolver failures tend to be much worse than semi failures. You may not have stovepipes, but you can have mainsprings break, bullets come unseated, cranes get wedged in place, cartridges that fail to seat properly and wedge up the works, etc. Shoot enough rounds and even the most reliable firearms, from Glocks to Rugers, will have problems of one type or another.

 

[sirsloop]

only reason I would say a revolver is better isssss because of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30KNrUH4n5o

and the fact that I feel totally badass with a 6 shooter strapped to my hip.

 

[CraigC]

I didn't realize "this" was a totally different universe...

"THAT" is the problem. You DON'T realize that this is a totally different universe. Not everybody buys a pistol to train for the gunfight that never happens. Some of us actually USE them for other things.

 

[Greg528iT]

only reason I would say a revolver is better isssss because of this:

That's a pretty sloppy fit barrel in that auto. I could look around and find revolvers with sloppy cylinder lock up too.

I'm just saying.

My 3 old as hills design 1911's lock up the barrel way tighter than that. I'll say, nicely snug.