Revolvers for Defense. I like em but many dont. Why??

[Coltdriver]

So many guns, so little time

If you have enough of em, you will probably think your way into a revolver sooner or later.

Utterly simple, j frame small and easy to shoot right from the inside of your jacket pocket. No muss, no fuss, just SURPRISE

 

[ACP]

Kentucky Rifle, When I took my NRA basic safety course for my CCW, the instructor wowed everyone by "undressing" after about 30 minutes of talk and revealing something like 11 handguns concealed on his person. He had pistols in belt holsters, tucked waistbands, in back and front pockets, and in ankle holsters.

 

[Kentucky Rifle]

ACP & Mike...

ACP: 11 eh? That's pretty good. If my back wasn't hurting so much today, I'd try to beat that record. (WHY can't the weather stay the same in Kentucky and give my back a little break???)

Mike: It was FOUR pistols. (And a big knife too. )

KR

 

[Tamara]

KentuckyRifle,

Four?!?

You paranoiac!

If you were sane, like me, you'd realize that a Jetfire in your right jacket pocket, a Bodyguard Airweight in your left, and a 296Ti in your, um, my purse was plenty!

 

[Kentucky Rifle]

Tams...the knife...you forgot the knife!

What AM I going to do? Four pistols and a BIGGGG frog sticker. I can't explain it. I'm getting dressed and thinking about going downtown and I figure I need a back up. Then a back up for the back up then, etc, etc...(Plus the knife!)

KR

 

[mrstang01]

Kentucky, you need to work downtown (like I do!). Then you'd be content with a 1911 (or one of my .44 revolvers) and a P32 for backup!

Michael

 

[Sarge111]

Fad, mosyly just fad

Regular folks wanna buy what they see in the movies, on a magazine cover or in a cop's holster. Lottle copshops wanna buy what the big dogs like NYPD & LAPD are using.

What's funny about it all is that if a man knows how to shoot, its still pretty hard to beat a good .357 D/A or 1911. Back when some of started carrying 1911s 20 years ago, everybody had a cow. Now the big dogs like LAPD SWAT are using them, so I 'spose they'll be kosher for Fudville PD before long.

Any of them will do the trick if you take the time to learn that particular gun, stick with it, and then stay cool when the fat's in the fire. The first and second are no big deal, but #3 can be a real challenge.

 

[Shooter Solutions]

I love a good revolver for its simplicity.

Roll over Bill Gates and Macintosh!

The revolver is to shooting what the mouse is to computing!

Very simple to operate!

At any time:

Just point and click!

 

[gumshoe4]

I'm with Mike. We get way too paranoid in our choice and number of firearms and not observant enough of what's going on around us.

I normally carry a 649 5-shot 2" or a 2" SP101. Why? Because I'm not going anywhere, doing anything or creating the necessity to be in an extended firefight. I'm usually with my family and I'm not going to steer them anyplace where something like that is likely to happen. Yes, I know it could happen anytime and anywhere. If it does and I'm with my family, my personal response will be to use the weapons to cover the family's getaway and to follow them likewise. When I'm on my own time, I don't have a radio, a patrol, uniformed backup, a helicopter and spotter and variety of other things. I avoid fights and brouhahas like the plague and don't hang out in biker bars.

Despite all that, sometimes stuff happens and that's why I carry one or the other revolver (and occasionally both). Is it wrong, silly or stupid to carry a 15-shot 9mm pistol for personal defense? No, it'll work fine, but let's not forget that 9/10ths of personal defense is to try not to allow yourself to be snookered into a dangerous position and to be aware of what's going on around you. Let's not be so enamoured of hardware that we misplace the software (common sense).

Bob
TFL# 8032

 

[chaim]

I like both and they both do have advantages over each other.

Why a revolver:
-it is simpler and easier to use: No safety to worry about, only a DA trigger is great when in a defensive situation.
-it is more reliable
-should it fail to fire simply pulling the trigger again is much easier than the ritual you have to go through with an auto
-five or six shots is more than enough in the 99.9% of the shootings you may end up in- FBI still shows the average gun shots fired in defensive situations as being under 3. Even a snub can handle that without a reload
-reloading with speed loaders isn't much slower than reloading an auto

Why an auto:
-it carries more rounds- yes you probably won't need it but it is nice to have.
-some are slimmer and easier to conceal
-it is usually more than reliable enough
-with a SA auto on safe the first trigger pull is easier and faster- with a DAO you don't need a safety and it is just as easy a manual of arms as a revolver

Now many auto advantages are exclusive of each other. A high cap auto is usally pretty big and the grip area is probably wider than the cylinder of a revolver and thus very hard to conceal. A slim easy to conceal auto usually only holds 5, 6 or 7 rounds so has no real advantage in capacity over a revolver. Also, a 5 shot snub has a really slim cylinder if you measure it and if you compare even a 6 shot cylinder to the wide point in an auto (the grip area) instead of to its narrow point (the slide) as is usually done you'll probably see little difference.

I like both but find I use a revolver far more often for home defense. I do ocassionally load up my 1911 or CZ 75 either instead of or in addition to my revolvers. I can see the advantage of a single stack auto for some concealment locations for comfort but on the belt I'd prefer a revolver. I've carried both around the house in holsters and don't have a clear preference for comfort IWB (but see how some could) and see no difference on a belt. For pocket carry I prefer an auto. When MD becomes CCW or I move to a CCW state I see myself switching off but usually using a revolver- not being a cop I find the advantages of the revolver's reliability to outweight the "advantages" of an auto's capacity.

For most of us, as with most other things, it is a matter of preference and is probably more determined by the gun itself than the type (I will probably carry an auto sometimes not because it is an auto but because I really like 1911s and my CZs).

 

[4thHorseman]

IMO one thing a revolver has going for it, when was the last time you heard of a revolver accidently discharging? I never have. Maybe some of you have, but it is as rare as hens teeth. I know all about training and all about the safety of a semi auto, but something that I feel secure in knowing, when I carry I have to pull the trigger to discharge it, it has to be conscience effort and action. I don't really want any flames about the safeties on semi auto, I have plenty of them also, but do not carry them often as I do revolvers. A revolver takes more practice shot accurately. I think a semi auto takes alot of practice with to be able to handle it better. In that I mean, become familiar with it. How to clear, it if neccessary and able to remove safeties if it has them. Like many of you have stated, if you are going to take the offense, use a shot gun. A revolver is a great retreat weapon. If I was in the service or law enforcement, I would choose a semi auto because you have more offensive situations.
One thing about semi autos, they are show much fun to shot!!!
Remember though, this is all subjective.

 

[Boats]

In one segment of society you are almost certain to find autopistols favored to near exclusivity and that is with southpaws. I have nothing against the revolver conceptually, except that a speed reload of a revolver for a lefty is a top strap grabbing affair that resembles wheelgun juggling. Make mine a 1911A1 with an ambi-safety any day of the week. Besides, the SAO trigger of old slabsides is better than any DA pull I have ever encountered, even on my friend's slicked up revos.

Practicing (draw-safety off-double tap-safety on-reholster-repeat) a few thousand times with a 1911 will make the thumb safety an unconcious manipulation that always goes well. It is often said that in stressful situations the training takes over. I have found that to be true, but only when the preparation has actually been done. Why would an autopistol be unamenable to proper training?

No one should have an autopistol if they are unwilling to train with it. Except a left hander, they might always best be advised to at least get a DAO auto because praticing reloading a revolver with the "wrong" hand is more complicated than learning the manual of arms for a bottomfeeder.

 

[cratz2]

I think the biggest advantage to the revolvers, esp of the small pocket-carried variety is that if need be, they can be fired repeatedly from inside the pocket. Not likely with a pistol.

I'd also be willing to bet that a lot of the auto loader preference, esp with those under 40 or so, comes from the extra rounds in the pistol. And I would further hypothesize that most 45 ACP/1911 fans would be more likely to embrace a carry revolver than would the fans on the 18 round polymer 9mm crowd. Some find comfort in having lots of bullets, those that can shoot very well and don't go around picking fights with 10 people at a time find comfort in a few well placed shots.

Just my theory.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"In one segment of society you are almost certain to find autopistols favored to near exclusivity and that is with southpaws."


Speak for yourself, sonny.

This southpaw is a revolver shooter first and foremost.

 

[Boats]

"In one segment of society you are almost certain to find autopistols favored to near exclusivity and that is with southpaws."


Speak for yourself, sonny.

This southpaw is a revolver shooter first and foremost.

Do tell. How is it that you speed reload your revolver? Have you ever competed with them against right-handed revo shooters?

Don't get me wrong, I like revolvers, especially the long range SA ones where reloading is not a big deal, but I would never employ a revo as a primary CCW or home defense weapon because the reloads for a left hander are so slow compared with an auto, and you never know if/when a reload might be called for.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Well, I'm as left handed as they get.

I love revolvers. I only own one, but I love it. Reloads are a snap; you simply transfer the gun to your right hand. A little slower, yes, but it works. It's making due with what you have.

Now, if modern revolver makers would actually TRY to make a modern top-break instead of simply saying it can't be done, maybe then we'd really get somewhere...

(The Russians have now produced a top-break .357.)

 

[TallPine]

IMO one thing a revolver has going for it, when was the last time you heard of a revolver accidently discharging? I never have. Maybe some of you have, but it is as rare as hens teeth.

Oh, yeah - it happens all the time ...

Somebody points a revolver at somebody else, pulls the trigger, and it "accidently goes off."

At least, that's what they say ....

 

[Boats]

Yeah, a modern break-top revolver would be way cool.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Boats,

I transfer the gun from left to right during the reload, or I simply start shooting from the right side and stay there.

I never realized this until a friend of mine pointed it out to me, but during matches I often start shooting with the gun in my left hand, do the required or necessary reload, and finish shooting with the gun in my right hand.

Learn to use both hands. That's why God gave'em to ya.

 

[Nightcrawler]

The Russians did it.

Visit World.Guns.Ru.

 

[Marko Kloos]

Funny...I'm right-handed, but I transfer the gun over to my left hand for reloading.

I unlatch the cylinder with my right thumb and transfer the revolver to my left as it opens. The fingers of the left hand grab through the frame window and hold the cylinder. The left hand tilts the gun muzzle-up, the right hand smacks the ejector rod. Reloads are done with the right hand, due to the fact that I have much more dexterity with my right hand, and therefore less likely to fumble the reload.

I know the right-hand method where you pivot the gun muzzle-up and hit the ejector rod with the thumb of the right hand, but I can never get my reload times as fast as with the method described above. Guess I need to work on becoming ambidextrous.

 

[fallingblock]

Me too, Mike....

When I was shooting service, I would start with the 625 in the left hand, fire the six, transfer to right, ejecting the empties on the way, and pop the moon clip into the cylinder with the left; finishing the string with the right hand

I believe I could reload that 625 as fast as I could have a 1911

 

[Adventurer_96]

I forgot to mention, one TFL poster said in a similar post over there that what impressed him with a revolver is that one can shoot six rounds without leaving shell casings behind as forensic evidence.

 

[Blackhawk]

I like revolvers, but I prefer autoloaders for defense CCWs. They're flatter....

 

[Gary A]

Geez, Adventurer, that may be true but the implication is not very attractive. It seems to assume shooting and fleeing the scene which doesn't seem to indicate a "righteous" shoot. I know such things happen but fleeing a shooting scene doesn't strike me as a virtue. It is said we are responsible for what happens to every bullet we fire downrange. Running away, hoping to not be found out, sounds like an abdication of that responsibility. At that point there are two criminals involved. The one who was shot and the one who fled. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to sound high and mighty. I can't promise, were I in such a situation, that I would not panic and run, although I would hope not, but it would not change the fact that I would have to run and "hide" the fact for a very, very long time and would have crossed a line that put me on the other side. Sorry, that's not a goal of mine and I don't want to have to live with such secrets.