In Praise of Revolvers

[Shawnee]

Hi Green...

I shot competition with a S&W 686 and a Colt Series 70 Gold Cup and loved them both. But since I no longer shoot in formal competition I am perfectly happy with my...

 

[Brassman]

I own 10 handguns evenly divided between bottom feeders and revolvers. I very much more enjoy shooting, and would rely on the revolvers in dire situations. The semis sometime get finicky with feeding or extraction issues, but the revolvers always go bang when needed.

Recently I was introducing a married couple to handguns for CCW purposes. In the course of this introduction I mentioned that I had a 9mm semi that I would offer to sell them if they liked it. They shot the weapon and said they would consider buying it from me. They also shot 3 of my revolvers and the man liked the 9mm better, while the woman preferred the Smith airweight. He asked me which I would prefer. Even though I really wanted to move the 9mm to someone else, I could not lie. I told him my preference would in most cases be the airweight for CCW for most people who don't normally go into harm's way. IMHO there is no better CCW piece. That's the advice I was given by my gunshop owner when I was just getting started in CCW, but I didn't listen and bought a semi first, then changed my mind in favor of an airweight.

 

[Hawk]

BTW - a question for those that were shooters during the AWB years: Did you notice revolvers getting more popular then, with the 10-round magazine limit? Sure, misnamed "high-caps" were out there if you already had them or had a boatload more money than you should have NEEDED for them. But I imagine some new shooters began during those years. I would guess that revolvers looked more attractive compared to some big autos that only held a few more shots than some wheelguns....

Olde guy checking in...

Seemed to me the resurgence was in single stack semis, heavy on the .45 ACP.

Some areas of the country saw an odd confluence of "Shall issue" legislation with the ten round magazine limit. IMHO, this had far more to do with the 1911 renaissance than any other single factor. It didn't hurt 8-round P7s, Kahr in general or things like P239s either, but the 1911 seemed the real beneficiary.

Take the year 2000 as an example: the 10 round limit was 6 years old, the Texas "shall issue" statute was around 5 years old and Smith & Wesson was celebrating the onset of a boycott that still has echos, or has simply mutated into a "lock boycott" depending on one's perspective. I'd hazard a guess that S&W saw scant benefit from political realities due to magazine size limitations in 2000 and Colt was out of the business.

AWB '94 lit a rocket under CCO-sized 1911s and other single stacks. Some "J" frames and Tauri 85 type revolvers may have gotten sucked up in the wake turbulence but I doubt that's where the real market explosion occured.

 

[Snowshoe]

I have shot IDPA matches with both a custom built 1911 and a box stock Ruger Security Six.
Given the results of those competitions and the fact that I retrieved all of the revolver brass, I'll stick with the Ruger.

One competitor actually complained that the brass coming out of my 1911 was too hot for him to catch and keep in his pocket.

I don't shoot there anymore.

 

[fiVe]

Pistols do seem to get all the press/attention, but the bottom line is that revolvers really do rule.

 

[shooter429]

I am tired of autos and switching all over to wheelies

After being a Glockoholic, and spending tens of thousands on buying and customizing autos, I have come to the realization that they are just too idiosynchratic for my taste. I just traded in my custom 23 and picked up my custom Redhawk and I have never felt better about my carry gun. I do not have to worry about springs or feed ramps or barrel bushings or any other blah blah. I do not have to load to a certain power level to make the gun function. In short they go bang every time you pull the trigger no matter what the ammo is or what cover you are leaning against etc.

Now getting rid of KT backup and picked up a 442. What a beautiful difference. No more jams, no more crappy trigger no more buttons, levers or such.

Simple, reliable, comfortable and omnivorous that is what a quality wheelgun is. Gad I love it!

Shooter429

 

[MCgunner]

Autos, small ones, are getting more powerful. There are now pocketable .40s. 9mm is a very powerful round (despite what the big bore guys think), more powerful than any .38 load, yet easy to shoot in a pocket sized gun. Reloads are faster and easier to carry. For CCW it's really hard to beat the new generation of subcompacts. But, I still often carry revolvers. I prefer revolvers. I do have a couple of subcompacts that get the most carry, I have to admit, but I own 4 center fire autos and 8 centerfire revolvers. I have 4 in .357 magnum alone, 3 .38s, and a .45 colt. Then there's the 2 .22s and the two cap and balls I'm not counting. I plan to add a P3AT next, so that'll get me closer to even I suppose.

I still think of myself as a revolver guy, though. I don't like 1911s at all, been there, done that. Some of my collection is for outdoor work. I feel comfortable carrying a revolver for self defense. I don't sweat the firepower thing at all. I know, when I'm totin' one of my .357s, I've got the power of thor as close as the trigger and I can put it where it counts. .45acp don't impress me that much. I do own one, though. It's an attitude thing, but I still carry autos more often, probably 70 percent of the time, though I have my 3" Taurus 66 in thunderwear today. Giving my nine a break.

 

[Phydeaux642]

But I've recently come to accept a reality that I had managed to push to the side: in at least some areas - double actions specifically, they are dieing.

It doesn't seem that way to me. It seems to me that the companies that do make wheelguns are introducing new models on a somewhat regular basis and selling the current line-up at a brisk pace. The Smith and Wesson 642 was the most popular handgun in their line-up in 2006. It is a double action and seems to be alive and well despite the internal lock.

That being said, I like just about anything that goes bang and carry differently depending on the situation. That includes autos and wheelies both.

______________________

"Phydeaux, bad dog....no biscuit!"

 

[FerFAL]

For the elite tactical operators living high-speed low-drag lives, who start hyperventilating and tearing up at the thought of not being able to top off their 15-round 10mm magazines, the prospect of being "limited" to six rounds is apt to make them thrash around on the ground, wrinkling their carefully-pressed multicam as they kick and scream, tears running down their flushed cheeks. I bow to these people's highly-trained and lethal skillset, and would not wish to saddle them with equipment that would compromise their ability to Get The Job Done. Because, as we all know, the type of gun you use and amount of ammo you have on hand are the sole predictors of your survival in a dangerous situation. For the rest of us, though, revolver capacity is a tradeoff that must be weighed against the numerous advantages the platform provides.

Yeah… you can keep the revolver, I’ll take that Glock 15+1 10mm over any revolver if a handgun is all I’m going to have to fight bad guys.

I love revolvers, I do( got a S&W 629-1, S&W 1905 Hand Ejector, S&W 12 snubby, Colt Detective, Colt Police Positive) , they are beautiful weapons, I carry one as backup on occasions, leave one loaded for my wife, but I don’t see why revolver fans see the need to make fun of people that see what is pretty obvious: In a gun fight more ammo is always better. If it ends with one shot then hurray for you.
Most of the time not even 1 round is needed , 90% of the time the mere presence of the weapon defuses the situation. Does that mean you’ll go around with an empty gun? Because there’s 90% of chance of not needing it? Same logic applies to higher capacity.
It’s not strange to find autos that have shot 1000s of round without a single misfire.

Carry a revolver or choose one for defense if that’s what you like, but making fun of other choices… well.. I don’t hear the auto crowd making fun of those low capacity revolvers, maybe they’ve got nothing to prove.

FerFAL

 

[Shawnee]

Hi Ferfal...

I looked this thread over twice and could not find that passage you quoted about "... elite tactical operators leading... etc." I could have missed it but I don't think I did.

Leaves me a bit perplexed.

So why did you bring it onto this thread ?

Did you do that simply so you could pretend someone here wrote it and then bash this group because they like revolvers ? That's what it looks like right now - and that's no fun.

How 'bout an explanation for that, FerFal ?

 

[Phydeaux642]

Hi Ferfal...

I looked this thread over twice and could not find that passage you quoted about "... elite tactical operators leading... etc." I could have missed it but I don't think I did.

Leaves me a bit perplexed.

So why did you bring it onto this thread ?

Did you do that simply so you could pretend someone here wrote it and then bash this group because they like revolvers ? That's what it looks like right now - and that's no fun.

How 'bout an explanation for that, FerFal ?

Yeah, I am kind of perplexed myself. This isn't the first thread where I have seen a poster import a quote like this to start an arguement.:banghead:

And, speaking of revolvers, I have a "ten-percent-off" coupon good at Bass Pro until tomorrow (they informed me that I am in the top 10% of purchasers at their store), so, I may be picking up a Ruger GP100.

_______________________

"Phydeaux, bad dog....no biscuit!"

 

[mbr]

I have owned both autoloaders and revolvers, but keep coming back to small to medium framed revolvers. They simply fit my hand better, point better for me, are easier to shoot for me, and conceal better for me. I do not get the opportunity to shoot nearly as often as I would like, and it is comforting to me that there are no safeties to remember to thumb, no stovepipe drills to worry about, and if I want to check if my sp101 is loaded I simply swing open the cylinder and look. Not to mention that I can buy two revolvers for the price of one HK, Sig, or 1911!

 

[shooter429]

10mm Glock for fighting?

Though the 10 is a nice enough cartridge and 15+1 is good ammo capacity, I hardly think it trumps any of the high quality high capacity wheelies in .357/.38. Given a choice, I would hand off that Glock in exchange for a S&W Model 327 M&P R8 any day. More power, more reliability, better ergonomics, rail versatility etc. I always feel more confident when carrying a quality revolver. Maybe it's just me though.

Shooter429

 

[Shawnee]

"I always feel more confident when carrying a quality revolver. "

Confidence is a good thing, fersure, Shooter, and you may have hit upon yet another "plus" for the revolver.

Perhaps the revolver is more likely to encourage discretion re: the decision to get into a gunfight - as opposed to a high-mag capacity firearm possibly causing a potentially dangerous overconfidence that might result in the hasty decision to engage in a gunfight that could have been avoided.

 

[bigbadgun]

In short they go bang every time you pull the trigger no matter what the ammo is or what cover you are leaning against etc.

Could not have put it better myself

 

[FerFAL]

Shawnee wrote:
Hi Ferfal...

I looked this thread over twice and could not find that passage you quoted about "... elite tactical operators leading... etc." I could have missed it but I don't think I did.

Leaves me a bit perplexed.

So why did you bring it onto this thread ?

Did you do that simply so you could pretend someone here wrote it and then bash this group because they like revolvers ? That's what it looks like right now - and that's no fun.

How 'bout an explanation for that, FerFal ?

Hi Shawnee…
Sure.
Here’s the explanation.

The part quoted is just an excerpt from the original article.

To read the full article, click on the part where it says “Full article here”, on the original post.
Read the entire article (click next page)

I’m quoting the article the poster wrote. Check better before accusing people next time, ok?

As I mentioned before, I like revolvers a lot, but I just don’t see the need of ridiculing those that carry autos.
If you like revolvers that’s great, if you think high capacity autos are just for tacticool guys you are mistaken.

Shawnee wrote:
"I always feel more confident when carrying a quality revolver. "

Confidence is a good thing, fersure, Shooter, and you may have hit upon yet another "plus" for the revolver.

Perhaps the revolver is more likely to encourage discretion re: the decision to get into a gunfight - as opposed to a high-mag capacity firearm possibly causing a potentially dangerous overconfidence that might result in the hasty decision to engage in a gunfight that could have been avoided.

I understand the person that says he feels more confident carrying a revolver, but does carrying one or another influences your decision to get into a gun fight?????????

I’ve heard a lot of crazy stuff in the eternal “auto vs. revolver” debate, but this one is the most outrageous.
I carry a high capacity auto and not once did it influence me in such a way.

I don’t think there’s a sane person out there who would be more inclined into shooting somebody based on his carry weapon.

Ver Humphrey wrote:
I've never shot anyone with an automatic -- but I have with the revolver I carried my first tour in Viet Nam. Despite that, I feel a good automatic is a better carry and self-defense piece, a revolver better suited to trail and hunting.

I feel the same way.
I also think its the best weapon (better than autos) for those who simply don’t train that much but still want to keep a weapon handy at home, or elderly, frail people who could have problems managing an auto.



FerFAL

 

[Shawnee]

Hi Ferfal...

Thanks for the explanation, Ferfal, and I am glad it is what it is.

I had, in fact, skimmed the full article before posting to you. But I missed that segment because I was looking for it to be a stand-alone paragraph rather than buried in another.

I still think toting a high-capacity semi-auto might possibly foster some over-confidence that could have a negative effect on someone's judgement re: engagement or non-engagement.
I could be wrong about that - but I've never known a Corvette owner who hasn't driven his/her 'Vette well over the legal and/or safe speed limit at least a few times.
Doesn't really seem too "outrageous" or "crazy" to think the same dynamic might possibly apply to an adrenilized someone who is too enamored of their "tacticool" pistol.

Local opinion may vary, of course.

Thanks again for your explanation

 

[FerFAL]

I suppose that the Rambo wannabe’s are generally more fascinated with modern autos.
Also keep in mind that stupidity isn’t restricted to autos owners. I remember someone asking about a good defensive load against humans for his 500S&W ( or was it 480?) CCW.

That doesn’t change the fact that many of us look at this with an objective point of view and choose high capacity autos for the real advantages they provide and not the Hollywood allure.

One things for sure. The guy with 6 or 5 rounds better make the best out of each shot. There a thread around here where it’s easy to see how more rounds in the bad guy’s gun could have changed the outcome of the story.
Police survival battle


Candiru, other than that small paragraph, very well written article

FerFAL

 

[fearless leader]

Yes, Revolvers rock, but why the ACP?

Quote: Are revolvers starting to make a "comeback" all around, or is it just me?

I think the manufacturers are preparing for another National Socialist presidency.

I love revolvers. I have several, most of which are 38's and 357's, but the ones I really love are the N-frame 45 LC. I had one that was sooooo sweeeet to shoot.

If I aimed at a walnut, I hit the walnut, providing it was in reasonable range.

S&W just came out with the new Night Guard Series of snubby 357's, 44's and 45 ACP (no long Colt?)

Except for fast reloads, I don't understand why people want 45 ACP in a revolver, when 45 LC is so much more potent.

A properly applied 45 LC doesn't need a rapid reload, unless you are in an onslaught of mayhem, in which you likely should retreat to a place to better arm yourself with a long gun.

A slow, heavy slug weighing 255 gr. has got have more striking power than a 230 gr. slug.

The ACP was made because they couldn't get the Long Colt into an auto pistol, so they made the next best thing.

Why then, whould anyone want the weaker ACP round in a full power capable 45 revolver?

 

[Candiru]

Candiru, other than that small paragraph, very well written article

FerFAL

Thanks for the compliment, FerFAL. I didn't mean to bruise any feelings with that comment, which I tried to make as hyperbolic as possible so that it was clear I was just gently teasing people who fixate on round count. More rounds are almost always better (unless overshadowed by factors such as weight or grip ergonomics), but that doesn't necessarily mean that less rounds are bad. I'd never presume to tell people not to carry as much ammo as it took to feel happy; at the end of the day, they're the ones that may have to use it.

 

[crebralfix]

Except for fast reloads, I don't understand why people want 45 ACP in a revolver, when 45 LC is so much more potent.

I really like the 45 ACP revolvers. As stated, the fast reload is a big advantage. Mainly, though, I like 45 ACP in a wheel gun simply because of logistics: it works in most of my handguns. I don't need to switch the dies in my reloader.


There is data for 45 Auto Rim that uses heavy bullets (saw one up to 300 grains!). So it is possible to get the advantages of both 45 LC and 45 ACP.

 

[Shawnee]

Hi FerFal...

I'm probably as objective as most people and I simply don't see the amount of advantage in high-capacity as you do. That may be be cause I would consider an armed adversary dangerous whether they were armed with a 10-peater, a six-shooter or a single-shot. I would not be less wary of the fellow with a six-shooter than the fellow with the 15-round semi-auto.

But I think maybe we're into a subjective area here so, like Candiru says, none of us really has a good footing on the high ground and the choice one way or the other is more personally right than Universally Right.

 

[Cosmoline]

I appreciate semis and I've owned quite a few, but they rarely speak to me in the same way a fine revolver does. No matter how you design them, they're still a dangerous flying piece of steel right next to your hand. And if you have thick stubby hands like mine you'll be "bitten" by semis quite a lot. A revolver is free from the constraints of ammo storage in the grip frame, so it can fit the hand exactly.

 

[bikerdoc]

good thread, have several autos 9mm, 45, - 3 revolvers (357) a lever action in 357 and carbine in 9mm love them all, daily carry is a revolver for all the above stated reasons. well said guys. just my .02 but what ever you use -be safe and practice

 

[orchidhunter]

As a fee graber in north Georiga many years ago we paid for our sidearms, pick what we wanted, there were S&W 59s and Browning Hi-Powers, about all of us picked revolvers, still my pick today. orchidhunter