I've been contemplating this for awhile now. In terms of "tactical" self-defense, I'm not big on revolvers. But, for other purposes, I think they're just fine.
What I like:
1)
Appearance. I think they look good. I prefer a dark blued finish over stainless, but even stainless guns look good.
2)
Cylinder fed. The cylinder is much easier on ammunition. No bullet set back issues, minimal ammunition rotation. Just open the cylinder and drop them in. This is a great feature if you have only a few expensive self-defense rounds.
3)
No magazines to lose or break. No maintenance, no breaking them down after a class and picking out the pebbles.
4)
Trigger. I actually like the double action trigger. A well done double action revolver trigger is very, very nice and easy to use.
5)
Accuracy.
6)
Power. Revolvers are MADE for reloaders. Just look at what THE LOAD can do. (THE LOAD is a really, really hot loading of 38 Special fired from 357 Magnum guns and is known to cause "instant liability-itis", flaming, and consternation on gun forums).
7)
SHTF utility. A revolver would be of great benefit in a long term disaster situation because of the lack of magazines. All one needs is a pocket to hold spare ammunition. A revolver in 38 Special with 50 rounds of good ammunition and a holster may be very, very valuable.
8)
Concealability. Those who think an N-Frame isn't concealable aren't doing it right. I find that my S&W M27 Registered Magnum (square butt) is VERY concealable. The grips go UP, not OUT. A holster with proper forward cant means the bottom of the grip does not print at all. The cylinder's width is not a problem either.
What I don't like:
1)
Reload times. They're just danged difficult to reload quickly, under pressure and on the move. Moonclips come close to being useful. Most revolvers are not cut for moonclips, though. I can reload my semi-autos in one or two steps, but need at least three to five for a revolver (depending on the ammo carrier).
2)
Low capacity. My main problem is that the speed at which I shoot means I run out of ammunition very quickly. I have this problem with seven or eight round capacity semi-autos such as the SIG P220, but the reload is very quick.
3)
Carrying spare ammunition is difficult and quantities are lower. You've seen the stuff I've built...and I'm still figuring it out. I ran though a bunch of rounds on the range (with a J-Frame and Ruger SP101) trying to figure this out. So far, all I know is I need to experiment more.
4)
Grips. Revolver grips can be difficult to fit correctly, though I've gotten around that with Mr. Dremel.