Old Age and Revolvers

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Kleanbore

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This isn't about any of the usual things.

I am old. When I was a kid, I was interested in...
  • The single action Colts of the Western stars
  • My grandfather's .32 Smith and Regulation Police revolver, which I have today
  • Jack Webb's Colt Cobra, in an old Dragnet episode
  • Harry Gibbs' (Texas Bruce of St Louis television, a real cowboy) DA .38
  • All of the guns in my old Shooter's Bible and Gun Digest First Edition books--most of the center fire handguns were revolvers in those days
When I reached adulthood, I wanted to buy a Smith Combat Masterpiece, but they were hard to find because of Government contracts. I bought a Smith Model 39, recommended by Elmer Keith.

When I got my CCW permit in 2008, I bought a Smith Model 642 that dropped right into a jeans pocket.

I found that I knew nothing about self defense shooting, and some training led me to switch to a semi-auto.

But I do still like revolvers. The idea of six-shot revolver with a good DA pull appealed to me. and I bought a Kimber K6.

Then the new Colts came out. Our member Old Dog speaks very highly of them,

Maybe, just maybe,....
 
Im young, but when I was 10 there was a book around the house that detailed the old gunfighters of the old west. There was a series of pages that had detailed photos of various revolvers favored by the seasoned gunman. I just, grew to like them.
After a while, i preferred Call of Juarez over Call of Duty.
Dont know, i started with the 1800s era and it still has a special spot for me.
 
At 68, I am looking back at more years than I am seeing in front of me. It has been revolvers all my life. I tried to warm up to the 1911 but it never gave the warm fuzzy feeling that I knew it well enough to depend on it, or more specifically, depend on my knowledge of the 1911 to be comforted by it. But, I did like the cartridge and once I found the ACP, N frame, preferred them to all others.

I have had a variety of them. Lately, the 4”, Model 22-4 is my edc of choice. I have longer barreled ones for other uses.


Kevin
 
I got my first revolver at age 14 in 1990 and my first semi-auto at 18 in 1994. My current population of both is about 50/50. I guess I have been pretty much equal opportunity my whole shooting life. For civilian non-LE EDC, I feel both offer good qualities and can provide an adequate level of protection- regardless of "expert" opinions. o_O:scrutiny:;)
 
After getting out of the military I joined a prestigious pistol club and learnt real pistol craft using a club owned rimfire Colt OMM. I still have the confidence stemming from decades of training with revolvers to step up to the firing line and do as well with most of my favorite six inch revolvers as I can do with any Hammerli, SIG P210, Nowlin, HK Expert, P9S, Parabellum or any other sophisticated target pistol.
 
In my youth, I was mostly interested in semi-autos.

When I got into reloading, I got tired of chasing brass and revolvers began to look good.

I’ve became a 1911 and S&W revolver junkie for the past 40-50 years. Best of both worlds!

But I do have a few firearms from other manufacturers.

I just past 70 and had cataract surgery a few years ago. Shooting well is a bit more challenging these days but plinking is still enjoyable. (I see distance well but need readers for close work)
 
I went through a period in my early 30s when I almost got entirely out of the revolver game, went down to two (a cherry Model 10 and a nice Taurus 85), having sold off a few (including a sweet Colt Trooper, an unfired Model 37 no-dash, a mint Model 19-3 4" and a snub Model 66-4) that almost make me sick when I remember it now. Fortunately, I got on a revolver kick when I started on the whole internet forum thing (TFL, THR, S&W and Colt forums, thanks, I coulda sent both kids to Ivy League universities otherwise). Revolvers just have this cachet that most autopistols don't possess.

Interestingly, at a couple recent gatherings with friends and families, several of the teens and twenty-somethings really gravitated to some of the revolvers (a couple teen gals used up about 200 rounds of my .38 SPL, which I didn't begrudge). None except a couple of the young males showed any desire to shoot any of the myriad black plastic pistols present. So maybe there's hope.

I think there's something like a ritual when loading revolvers and only having a few rounds on tap. People seem to pay more attention and appreciate the whole experience, rather than just pulling triggers real fast and doing mag dumps.
Kleanbore said:
The idea of six-shot revolver with a good DA pull appealed to me. and I bought a Kimber K6.
Click to expand...
Speaking of the K6, I really want one of the Royal models. Now that's an impeccable finish..
 
.455_Hunter said:
I got my first revolver at age 14 in 1990 and my first semi-auto at 18 in 1994. My current population of both is about 50/50. I guess I have been pretty much equal opportunity my whole shooting life. For civilian non-LE EDC, I feel both offer good qualities and can provide an adequate level of protection- regardless of "expert" opinions. o_O:scrutiny:;)
Click to expand...

I'm 1 year older than you.
I inherited my Dad's Colt Series 70 Government Model 45acp at age 13. A family friend held on to it till I was 21. I added Marlin Model 60 and Mossberg 500 20 gauge to it in my teens. I brought the Colt to college with me my senior year and kept it in my car. The 1st handgun I personally bought was a Glock 21.

The late 1990's was good time to buy used S&W revolvers. They were relative inexpensive at $400 or less and I had a bunch that I should've held on to.
I blame Bass Pro and Cabelas for jacking up the price of used S&W revolvers, overnight, with their fine gun rooms.

I carry the plastic fantastic but when visiting gun shops, I'm looking at / for revolvers.
 
My first two handgun purchases (I turned 21.in 1988) were a 6” Taurus 66 .357 in satin nickel, and an Iver Johnson TP-22 .22 LR.

The revolver was later sold to pay some bill, the TP-22 was stolen. It was recovered and I got it back about four years later, I still have that one.

Thinking about the ratio, after my CZ 9mm spree over the past 12 months I am estimating that I am now sitting at about 55% autos, 45% revolvers in the safes.

But I will say that I do get more enjoyment out of a session with my revolvers than with the autos. Maybe it’s a “return to roots” or something like that. :)

Stay safe.
 
My first handgun was a revolver, a Smith and Wesson model 19. A few others followed. Skeeter Skelton and Bill Jordan were my big influence back then, but I wore out a couple of Shooter's Bibles drooling those pictures too. Who needed Playboy when you had a Shooter's Bible?

I've probably owned a hundred revolvers over the years, mostly Smith and Wesson, but a bit of everything. Colt, Ruger, Taurus, Rossi, Dan Wesson, and a few I don't remember at all. They've ranged from 22 to 44. Even a few CO2/BB versions. Not as many semi's but still a pretty good smattering of those...dang...I've owned a lot of guns. I suppose I'm on some government watch list.

I have to remind myself just how much I do like revolvers these days. I'm down to only three now, a couple of Colt Pythons, and a Dan Wesson 15-2, all in 357 of course. I shoot mostly wadcutters.
 
1st handgun I got was a S&W 686 at the age of 21 in 1987. (still have it)
1st handgun I bought my wife (over 33 years ago) was a Charter Arms 38 with pocket hammer. (still have it).
I was first able to conceal carry in 1992.
In the past I owned: Dan Wesson 44 mag, S&W 44 mag, Ruger Redhawk 44 mag, Charter 44 Pug, Ruger Speed Six, S&W 442, 642, 38 Bodyguard, 45 acp revolver...

The sampling of revolvers I owned is relevant to what I'm saying (posting) next:
I do not carry revolvers and think they are capacity deficient*. For self defense against people a Sig 365, Glock whatever (not 380) or 1911 over any revolver.
So, at age 56 I'm like this:
snub.jpg


*Revolvers are comparatively capacity deficient (to a semi) even if zero rounds are fired; statistics, location, nor anticipated threat change that.
 
I can't say I really prefer either revolvers or pistols but still find that when I have to shoot some kind of qualification I choose a genteel weapon rather than some messy bottom feeder. I just order my first IWB holster for an "N" frame. That should be interesting.
 
I like revolvers and will shoot them for fun. Classes and competition convince me that if I can carry on my belt a semi is a better EDC choice. A J frame serves for NPE, dress constraint situations. Haven't found a pocket semi that I like.

I don't feel defenseless if I had to belt carry a revolver but something like a Glock is better. I can drive stick and did for years. Now in my older years, automatic transmission is better on my knees.
 
I started out with revolvers and stuck with them and that is still my preferred type of handgun. My dad purchased a High Standard HDM when I was still in grade school and I had no interest in it at all. After marriage and with two children in school I asked to borrow it to do a little rabbit hunting and found I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it. I finally figuered out it was the grip angle that was my problem and worked on that until I a was fairly good shot and then returned it. Finally with some nudging by my gunshop owning buddy several years later I bought a 1911 and no, he wasn't trying to sell me one. In fact I never bought a 1911 from him. I really enjoy shooting the 1911s except for one thing. Picking up the brass and with each passing year it becomes harder to do but I am a reloader and have to save that brass.
 
Most of my autoloaders are the proverbial "tool" of a gun. I know why I bought them and keep them as they do serve a purpose.

But most of my revolvers are for my enjoyment of shooting, and some of them can be used as a "tool" as necessary. Revolvers simply put a bigger grin on my face when I handle and shoot them compared to autoloaders.

It's been that way for me for a long time and I don't expect it to change.
 
For a service gun, you can’t beat a semi-auto, at least in my opinion. Transitioning from a 5 shot revolver, a S&W 36, to an 11 shot 9mm semi-auto, a Glock 26, was epic.

I bought my first revolver when I got on the job in 1969.

Now long retired after serving 40 years, I prefer the relaxed attitude of a nice K frame revolver.
 
I usually carry autos concealed for self-defense but on occasion I will tote a Colt Cobra (the original) or a Smith Model 12 revolver. My wife keeps a Ruger LCR in her purse and a King Cobra in her nightstand. I cut my teeth shooting Smith & Wesson models 14 (K38) and 1955 Target and a Colt Officers Special back in the early sixties on the Bullseye circuit when revolvers still were the guns to reckon with when precision shooting was the only game in town.
 
>>I cut my teeth shooting Smith & Wesson models 14 (K38)<<

Same here, got my first one back in 1963 followed by a Model 27-2. I've had a skad of revolvers since then but really have no use for them now. In fact, the only one I have is a Ruger LCRX. One would think I'd like them for nostalgia reasons if nothing else, but I now look at revolvers as novelties. (at least to me) I much prefer semi autos at this point in my life. To each his own I guess.
 
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