Major virtue of a revolver

U

UncleEd

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N. Georgia
This is not an original thought nor necessarily something that
hasn't been said before.

But the major virtue of a revolvers, reason to like them so much,
is that they are not ammo dependent to operate.

An auto can't work well beyond certain perimeters of power, be
they high or low.

A single revolver offers extreme versatility.

Whatever your flavor (mine's .357 revolvers) you can load powder
puff loads to wall shaking loads and happily work the gun.
(Obviously I don't mean loads so weak they can't clear the barrel
nor ones that will blow the gun apart.)

Add to that they are not dependent on a magazine to operate
properly short of it being a single shot. It is a constant that that
"box" being shoved into the butt may have developed a nasty
failure to feed or be demaged in a way not detectable. Or
the magazine is lost or dumped for whatever reason and
no spare is available.

Regarding this "feeding" of the gun, the revolver is so much easier
to check that the rounds (unless unknowingly defective) can be
checked, A simple spin check (know how to safely do it) will tell
if the rounds will roll up, "feed" into firing position.

Personally I like that I can carry extra rounds in a speed strip,
speed loader, maybe a moon clip, belt loops or even loose in a
pocket but they are all readily loadable into the revolver. I can
even mix different load levels of rounds and not impair its working.

Again, nothing new being stated here but just a reminder of why
so many of us gravitate to this particular section of The High Road. :)
 
and many grip choices to make its geometry uniquely yours.

my go-to video on revolvers:

youtu.be

Revolvers for EDC?

Over 20 reasons why a revolver has an advantage over a semi-automatic when it comes to EDC for personal protection.Please note: THIS IS NOT A WHEEL V. SEMI ...
youtu.be youtu.be

eternal handgun debates:
1. revolver versus pistol,
2. using rimfire for protection.
 
Having been a confirmed “1911 Guy” for several years running, I didn’t expect to take the strong revolver “turn” that I have more recently. Many of the reasons stated above apply to my personal experience, to be sure.

Make no mistake, I do love a good 1911 still. I just don’t own one as of this typing, having sold my last one to fund the purchase of a special-to-me revolver. It’s simplistic to say it this way, but revolvers just “work better” for me.
 
TheFrontRange said:
Having been a confirmed “1911 Guy” for several years running, I didn’t expect to take the strong revolver “turn” that I have more recently. Many of the reasons stated above apply to my personal experience, to be sure.

Make no mistake, I do love a good 1911 still. I just don’t own one as of this typing, having sold my last one to fund the purchase of a special-to-me revolver. It’s simplistic to say it this way, but revolvers just “work better” for me.
Click to expand...
I like 1911’s myself , but I also have revolvers I have them in 9mm , 38 super, 38 special, 357 magnum, 44 magnum , 45 Auto Rimmed , 454 Casull and 45/70 . Even though I have 1911’s and some other semi auto’s I find I shoot revolvers more for all the reasons that have been mentioned and to quote you they also just work better for me.
 
shoebox1.1 said:
Inherently more accurate with sights fixed to barrel
Click to expand...
Possibly. But compared to a good auto (which can also have sights fixed to the barrel) a revolver also has to do weird things like have multiple chambers line up with the barrel, then the bullet has to jump a gap and then get mashed into the forcing cone and rifling. Both systems have their own challenges.
 
A dud round that will choke a semiauto is cured by another trigger pull from a DA revolver.

The revolver is slower to reload because the shooter "is the magazine", loading the ammo into each chamber. If the round won't fit correctly (looking at you, cheap 22's), it's discarded. A round that isn't properly to spec in some way will often fit into the magazine of a semiauto, but then jam up when the pistol tries to chamber it.

Semiautos can also have magazine problems, be "limp wristed", or knocked out of battery in a struggle.

When I go to the range, there is almost never a revolver malfunction. Semiauto malfunctions aren't all that uncommon.

I also have way more muscle memory for revolvers, so all in all I prefer them.

If other people prefer semiautos, that's their decision and none of my concern.

Talking to a friend about CC and so forth. He lives in a gated community, has alarms and a dog. I have tall fences around my property and an extra-large dog. We are both under the impression that if we're going to be subject to a random assault, it's most likely to happen while running an errand, such as getting groceries or gas.

Ten years ago we were both carrying LCR's. He switched to a G43 for more capacity. Then an M&P, for the same reason. Now it's the biggest Sig 365, with a red dot. Because it holds 17 rounds. That thing is slow to draw. Nearly impossible while sitting. 17 rounds and a spare mag sounds good, but he's not a LEO or an infantryman.

If someone walks up to blindside me with a brick while I'm pumping gas, I want something that's very, very fast to draw and get a shot off with. I probably won't be able to spare a hand for a two-handed draw. A "contact" shot is fairly likely. If the problem isn't solved in a few shots, my head will be bashed in. Sounds like a job for a revolver.

Smith And Wesson Model 642-2

Smith And Wesson Model 642-2

 
Last edited:
I think you guys are talking two different activities - dump the brass and reload in a gunfight, or dump the brass in your hand to stash for reloading while at the range. On the other hand, I did read that there was a shootout back in the day where police officers were found with pocketsful of empty brass, because they had been taught while at Dept range to carefully account for spent brass, which hindered their speed on reloading in an actual fight, muscle memory and such. If training for a gunfight, dump it.
 
I, too, am a long-time 1911 aficionado. And I've also come around to revolvers. For me:
  • Revolvers and 1911s point the same. If I'm looking at the B on the spine of a book across the room and I draw, the sight picture is right where I want it to be with both.
  • There's something about the 357 cartridge. Not that there's anything wrong with 45ACP or 9mm.
  • They carry differently. I don't worry about concealment, really, but sometimes a 3" GP100 feels just about perfect.
  • Revolvers helped me shoot better by trying to master the double-action trigger. Not that I've mastered anything pistol, but I got pretty good with a DA trigger (to the point that I'm not much more accurate single action) and as a result I find I shoot much better with other pistols that I used to really notice the trigger on. My neighbor's 19X shot well, and I've never complimented a Glock before. Ever. Stupid soul-less pieces of plastic.
  • Friends who don't shoot as much as I do occasionally get failures to feed on some of my pistols, where I never (well, mostly never) do. I attribute this to limp wristing. Not a problem with a revolver.
There's a lot to be said for a revolver, either as a range toy or for carry. Assuming, of course, the capacity is sufficient. I haven't found a reasonable way to carry speed loaders yet, so bottom feeders have a real advantage there.
 
Tallball said:
A dud round that will choke a semiauto is cured by another trigger pull from a DA revolver.

The revolver is slower to reload because the shooter "is the magazine", loading the ammo into each chamber. If the round won't fit correctly (looking at you, cheap 22's), it's discarded. A round that isn't properly to spec in some way will often fit into the magazine of a semiauto, but then jam up when the pistol tries to chamber it.

Semiautos can also have magazine problems, be "limp wristed", or knocked out of battery in a struggle.

When I go to the range, there is almost never a revolver malfunction. Semiauto malfunctions aren't all that uncommon.

I also have way more muscle memory for revolvers, so all in all I prefer them.

If other people prefer semiautos, that's their decision and none of my concern.

Talking to a friend about CC and so forth. He lives in a gated community, has alarms and a dog. I have tall fences around my property and an extra-large dog. We are both under the impression that if we're going to be subject to a random assault, it's most likely to happen while running an errand, such as getting groceries or gas.

Ten years ago we were both carrying LCR's. He switched to a G43 for more capacity. Then an M&P, for the same reason. Now it's the biggest Sig 365, with a red dot. Because it holds 17 rounds. That thing is slow to draw. Nearly impossible while sitting. 17 rounds and a spare mag sounds good, but he's not a LEO or an infantryman.

If someone walks up to blindside me with a brick while I'm pumping gas, I want something that's very, very fast to draw and get a shot off with. I probably won't be able to spare a hand for a two-handed draw. A "contact" shot is fairly likely. If the problem isn't solved in a few shots, my head will be bashed in. Sounds like a job for a revolver.

Smith And Wesson Model 642-2

Smith And Wesson Model 642-2

Click to expand...

I agree with this train of thought. First and foremost, my main weapon is the six inches between my ears. OODA.

It’s my belief that statistically I’m more likely to have “an encounter” outside the home, and specifically at the gas station, grocery store, liquor store, or some other location outside of my vehicle. And that encounter will be close, not some running gun battle with a bunch of jihadists or a shootout with a lone sniper that I am stupid enough to pull my weapon for which I could (in my mind) justify a higher capacity pistol to get my bacon out of the frying pan.

So any encounter that’s likely to deteriorate is most likely going be at bad breath distance. For that reason I have been carrying a Colt Agent (70s vintage) for most of my adult life, and I will continue to do so.
 
Last edited:
StrawHat said:
I was taught, and taught others, to dump the brass on the ground, reload and get back to what you were doing.
Click to expand...

If you just put them with the other fired brass, picking it up off the ground won't be on the list of things you were doing.

UncleEd said:
Whatever your flavor (mine's .357 revolvers) you can load powder
puff loads to wall shaking loads and happily work the gun.
Click to expand...

No doubt about it.

BD7E4BB4-7A70-473E-BA3C-26010994E492.jpeg
 
Mostly Lead said:
Forget where I heard it first, but a mantra that made sense to me:

If you haven't solved the problem in six shots, more ammo probably won't help...
Click to expand...
Bad guys travel in packs. No one has ever been in a gunfight and wished they had a smaller caliber gun or less ammunition.

Now, that doesn't mean the revolver is a bad choice. It just means you need to know the limitations of the platform and how to work it. I mostly carry revolvers since I hanged up the badge. But I train with revolvers, carry speed loaders, know how to do one-handed reload drills, etc...

But the bottom feeder with 17rds or more is a better choice. I just personally accept the limitations of the revolver and have trained to work around it.
 
Tallball said:
A dud round that will choke a semiauto is cured by another trigger pull from a DA revolver.

The revolver is slower to reload because the shooter "is the magazine", loading the ammo into each chamber. If the round won't fit correctly (looking at you, cheap 22's), it's discarded. A round that isn't properly to spec in some way will often fit into the magazine of a semiauto, but then jam up when the pistol tries to chamber it.

Semiautos can also have magazine problems, be "limp wristed", or knocked out of battery in a struggle.

When I go to the range, there is almost never a revolver malfunction. Semiauto malfunctions aren't all that uncommon.

I also have way more muscle memory for revolvers, so all in all I prefer them.

If other people prefer semiautos, that's their decision and none of my concern.

Talking to a friend about CC and so forth. He lives in a gated community, has alarms and a dog. I have tall fences around my property and an extra-large dog. We are both under the impression that if we're going to be subject to a random assault, it's most likely to happen while running an errand, such as getting groceries or gas.

Ten years ago we were both carrying LCR's. He switched to a G43 for more capacity. Then an M&P, for the same reason. Now it's the biggest Sig 365, with a red dot. Because it holds 17 rounds. That thing is slow to draw. Nearly impossible while sitting. 17 rounds and a spare mag sounds good, but he's not a LEO or an infantryman.

If someone walks up to blindside me with a brick while I'm pumping gas, I want something that's very, very fast to draw and get a shot off with. I probably won't be able to spare a hand for a two-handed draw. A "contact" shot is fairly likely. If the problem isn't solved in a few shots, my head will be bashed in. Sounds like a job for a revolver.

Smith And Wesson Model 642-2

Smith And Wesson Model 642-2

Click to expand...
Revolvers can and do have malfunctions.

*Spent brass under star, causing ejection failures, failures to cycle, and failures to close.
*Grit under the star, causing failures to close.
*Grit on the cylinder face, causing failures to close and failures to cycle.
*Loose ejector rod, causing failures to open and failures to cycle.
*Squib load that gets stuck between the cylinder fave the and the forcing cone, locking up the gun.

I've had it all happen with my revolvers since I shoot 'em enough.
 
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