I think the greatest part of looking at, handling, shooting and generally liking revolvers is the fact that they weren’t designed by some arrogant, soulless coder team sitting at remote keyboards; spending half their day posting selfie’s on social media, checking fantasy football scores ten times a day, pining about a pumpkin spice soy latte’ and eating take out because they never learned how to cook for themselves.
These pieces of machinery were hand made by thinkers and craftsmen; created strictly through trial and error, designs so effective and advanced that even to this day we are still employing them (in many cases) 130+ years after they were patented. Hell, even the “modern” AR “platform” has roughly 60 years behind it since Eugene Stoner started putting alloys and plastic together... using slide rules and brainpower instead of bits and bytes; Microsoft and Google.
Just look at the interaction between all the parts as they cycle and imagine what it took to forge, machine and piece them together so they work properly time and time and time again in 1933, the year my oldest functioning revolver (A Colt Officers Model Heavy Barrel) was made. I think they succeeded, as it still works pretty well (this target is 30 rounds, shot last Friday):
It’s only in the last part of the 20th century that casting, CNC and MIM have made revolvers easier to produce and less labor intensive (and costly) to boot. But the basic designs still live on. And on and on.
Has anyone ever felt that a Glock has soul? Has anyone ever looked at a Springfield Xd and imagined the hand fitting that went into it? I haven’t heard anyone ever say those things in the 44 years that I’ve been shooting.... and I carry a Glock 34 on duty every day.
This is just a few of the reasons I like revolvers... and why I’ll have them in my quiver until the day I’m put in a box and they’re gifted to my kids.
Stay safe.