Do you feel under gunned with a revolver?

[SwampWolf]

Shot placement is the important thing. 3 shots in a 2" circle at 15 yards beats 17 shots scattered over half a block every time.

And 17 shots in a 3" circle @ 15 yards beats an empty gun every time. Just because you have more rounds at your disposal doesn't mean you have to fire them inaccurately. Good training and regular practice will help keep bullets hitting where they're aimed, whether you have five or twenty on board.
I've made this point before but I think it bears repeating here. My thirty years experience in le gave me the opportunity to talk to and/or debrief armed citizens as well as peace officers involved in shootouts and a couple of things became clear to me over time:
(1) No matter how well trained you are in terms of tactics; no matter how good of a shot you are and no matter how cool-headed you think you'll perform in a gunfight, when real bullets are being fired at you, your state of awareness will be diminished and your shots will not be as accurate as they were on the range. Though there is no substitute for good and frequent training and that said training is about the only thing you can count on to increase your survival chances when bullets are being exchanged, it has to be acknowledged that no amount or kind of training will ever replicate a scenario where there's a good chance you might really get killed.
(2) Though I'm not saying that a five-shot revolver is necessarily an inadequate self-defense firearm (so much of what type and size gun we carry is dependent on the circumstance we find ourselves in at the time: Are we in a high-crime area? Does the nature of our assignment require a "deep-cover" gun? Does the weather or social condition dictate the state of our attire-which, of course, goes a long way in determining what size of handgun is practical to carry concealed?,etc.), I am saying that no one I've ever interviewed has ever said that they would have been satisfied with less ammunition than what they had at the time nor that they would not have appreciated having even more rounds available to them at that awful time in their lives when they needed bullets the most.

 

[BrocLuno]

If SIX won't do it, I guess I'm in trouble? 10 or 17 ain't gonna fix it any better

 

[txhoghunter]

Statistics might say the 99% of the time fewer than 6 shots are fired in a self defense situation....but I do not want to be involved in that 1% and not be prepared for it

 

[oldbear]

No! Carried a revolver for over 40 years, I see no need to switch now.

 

[zombie44]

Of course, if I had been shooting a .357 instead of a 9mm, a couple of my rounds may have punched through the car door that I put three rounds into trying to get to the guy shooting at me from behind it.

What were those guys shooting? I wonder if they heard a much more powerful round being used against them if they would have reconsidered things sooner. 15 rounds of 9mm sounds nice but I'd think the sound from a 357/44 mag would make most people want to **** of that situation ASAP

 

[stinger 327]

I would rather have 5 or 6 reliable shots than take chances with an auto that may have an ammunition failure no matter how well made the auto pistol is. It's the ammo that can put a stopper on things when it doesn't go bang or jams.

 

[txhoghunter]

15 rounds of 9mm sounds nice but I'd think the sound from a 357/44 mag would make most people want to **** of that situation ASAP

Maybe I'm not as smart as a criminal....but bullets in general flying at me would make me want to get the heck outta there....fast.

 

[SwampWolf]

If SIX won't do it, I guess I'm in trouble? 10 or 17 ain't gonna fix it any better

How about "if FIVE won't do it, I guess I'm in trouble?" Empty guns certainly "ain't gonna fix it any better". If five or six bullets aren't enough, yeah, I think I'd like to have a few extras on board so that I can throw some bullets at my adversary instead of an empty gun at him, running away or throwing my hands up.
One of the reasons I carry a Colt Cobra revolver instead of a Smith Airweight and opted for the "plus" version of the Smith Model 686 over the six round capacity "standard" version is for the slight (but potentially important) advantage these revolvers afford in terms of ammunition capacity. Everything else being essentially equal, in a handgun being used for self-defense, there's simply no downside to having more rounds at your disposal. None.

 

[TonyAngel]

I agree with Swampwolf. Too much is always better than not enough.

 

[20x12ga]

It sounds as if your skills with the revolver could have been an issue if you feel so under gunned with only 6 shots.If you need more than 6 shots ,than by all means get your 15 shot or whatever you need to hit something with. Practice ,Practice,and more paractice and with that being said I don't see more than 6 shots being the issue for me. Ever heard of speedloaders ?

 

[stinger 327]

Maybe I'm not as smart as a criminal....but bullets in general flying at me would make me want to get the heck outta there....fast.

I would think a criminal would prefer a revolver since it leaves less evidence at the scene. No brass.

 

[stinger 327]

What are the statistics on shootings involving self defense/personal protection on how many rounds were used. 7 yards point and no aim?

 

[cougar1717]

Of course I feel undergunned with a revolver! Everytime I get in the typical, generic SD situation, I just spray and pray; but with only six shots, no ability to aim, no foresight to have readily available speedloaders for reloads, with the resolve that I must fire and empty the cylinder and a mental block that tells me that more capacity is more powerful than one on target shot, I just throw the empty gun at my attacker and run.

 

[easyrider604]

I will not feel undergunned with a 6-shot .357 magnum, specially if my BUG or New York reload is a Glock 22.

 

[stinger 327]

I will not feel undergunned with a 6-shot .357 magnum, specially if my BUG or New York reload is a Glock 22.

does the .40 Cal. do more damage than the .357 or .45 ACP?

 

[NMGonzo]

At the speed I can draw and fire the sp101 ... nope.

My gunfight at work will be at arms length, maybe a couple steps.

 

[Manco]

does the .40 Cal. do more damage than the .357 or .45 ACP?

Are you trying to turn this into a caliber war?! It's more about issues like shot capacity and reliability, I think. The differences between these three calibers themselves are of a smaller scale.

 

[PabloJ]

I will take my pistol with 15+1 capacity over wheelie gun any day or night.

 

[sig220mw]

No.

 

[Hagen442]

Under Gunned ?

My normal Carry Gun is a 45 Colt SA Sheriff's Model (6 Rounds)
I agree with Wyatt Earp's Opinion on the Topic
"Fast is fine but accuracy is everything"
Hagen

 

[Steel Talon]

Did any of you get to see on the NGC "The History of The Revolver" today very good show lots of history in the revolvers evolution here and in Europe.

If you haven't I suggest you try and see it..

 

[20x12ga]

Well good luck with your "LITTLE" Pistol ! As stated before I'll stick to my revolver as in well over 45 years of use, has "NEVER" seen a jam.While you are trying to extract the case of your expired round or maybe even trying to get the first one in the chamber to shoot,I'll have the job done with my wheelie gun as you put it. I have owned my fair share of pistols and they are fine for target and even hunting non-dangerous game ,I have yet owned one that hasn't at one time or another jamed. Doesn't matter with what ammo either.Have had jams with factory and my handloads.Anybody that hasn't had at least one malfunction with theirs is either not telling the truth or hasn't shot it enough yet.With that being said,I know there are alot of well made pistols and MOST don't jam round after round ,BUT - In the life or death situation ,If I want even One good dependable shot,I'll carry one of my revolvers Thank You.I agree with the ones that say if 6 shots won't get it done then probably 7 or more won't either.And also as I stated before,there are speedloaders if you can get it done with the first 6 !Another thought, maybe you might think of a BIGGER Caliber than what your LITTLE Pistol shoots? Most carry guns(pistols) shoot whippy bullets! try the real mans gun !

 

[230therapy]

If SIX won't do it, I guess I'm in trouble? 10 or 17 ain't gonna fix it any better

Really? Are you sure? What if you hit six times and the bad guy still doesn't go down? What if you shoot all six and more bad guys pop up? These are not hypothetical questions; they're based upon what has happened in past fights.

My answer to these questions are: know your tactics, know how to run your gun fast, be able to shoot while moving, carry extra ammo, have additional weapons, and carry a spare revolver. Furthermore, do you know how to transition to other weapons and techniques? The gun may not be the optimal solution. For example, the goblin may be too close and the correct solution is combatives or a knife. If your gun is in hand and the cylinder is empty, you can still punch him with the muzzle or beat him with it (this is where steel has a definite advantage over plastic ).

Michael J. de Bethencourt has some interesting things to say about running a revolver. He carries two small revolvers for defense. The OPS Snubby Summit has some good information regarding using revolvers for self-defense. I'm looking for a link now.

My normal Carry Gun is a 45 Colt SA Sheriff's Model (6 Rounds)
I agree with Wyatt Earp's Opinion on the Topic
"Fast is fine but accuracy is everything"
Hagen

Sure...and the bad guy doesn't get a say in the outcome? He's not going to just stand there. You missed...and kept missing...now what?

People seem to make too many assumptions and fail to think things through when it comes to this topic. Louis Awerbuck's Tactical Reality is a great resource when thinking about these sorts of problems.

 

[230therapy]

General blog: http://snubtraining.com/blog/

Some videos on reloading the revolver (right and left handed):

http://snubtraining.com/blog/?cat=241

Some videos from the Snubby Summit:


http://www.officer.com/posa/videos/snub/snub1_wmv_police_one_final.wmv

http://www.officer.com/posa/videos/snub/snub2_wmv_police_one_final.wmv

http://www.officer.com/posa/videos/snub/snub3_wmv_police_one_final.wmv

http://www.officer.com/posa/videos/snub/snub4_wmv_police_one_final.wmv

http://www.officer.com/posa/videos/snub/snub5_wmv_police_one_final.wmv

http://www.officer.com/posa/videos/snub/snub6_wmv_police_one_final.wmv

http://www.officer.com/posa/videos/snub/snub7_wmv_police_one_final.wmv


The bottom of this page as a bunch of downloadable videos on various topics:
http://www.officer.com/posa/video/D...volver_-_part1/18425300001:18982257001::::::/

Note: you need all the colons and the slash at the end. You should right click on the link above, "Copy Link Location", and then paste into your browser.

 

[megatronrules]

I don't feel undergunned with a revolver in fact my carry gun 95% of the time is a S&W 640 that's been customized by mark at Gemini customs,it wears a set of pachmayre compac professional grips. I carry with .357 magnum Remington 125gr golden sabers,these shoot well and the gun has enough weight to make control a non issue.

I'm not bothered by the fact it holds 5 shots as I practice a lot with it and am confident it will do the job,god forbid it ever come to it. I also have a high cap 9mm guns but my lower back is bad and carrying them even in proper gear is a pain literally. My 640 just drops in my right front pocket Kramer holster and all and I'm on my way.

I've always preferred revolvers over semi autos but I own and like both. It's just for me these days a snub nose revolver suits my needs better and I certainly feel undergunned with one.