1. Looks matter. I don't care if nobody else sees it, but I have to see it, and I prefer the looks of traditional blued steel and fancy grips over the plastic bricks of most modern semi-automatics.
I like revolvers too. I think 1911's look great (but generally suck), as do SIG P-Series guns. Others are merely average.
2. Simplicity of controls. A Centennial revolver has one primary control, the trigger. Even someone who has never handled a gun before will instantly understand how it works. There are no safeties (does this one go up or down to fire?), slide releases, decockers, loaded chamber indicators, cocked indicators, or other levers sticking out all over the place.
SIGs do this as well as many other pistols. Semi-autos are not complicated and this "pro" is merely a false justification for the platform.
3. It can be easily customized. Turning one screw allows even someone with no gunsmithing ability to change the looks and shape of the gun by adding new grips. The grips can be exchanged for ones that are smaller, larger, rougher, smoother, stickier, more slippery, or just plain prettier.
I don't see this as an advantage over anything since the same can be said for any semi-auto pistol with removable grips.
4. Will fire any ammo. There is no need to find ammo that works well with your particular gun. As long as it fits in the chamber, you can fire pretty much anything from weak target loads to wrist-breaking +p+, and in any bullet profile from pointy to flat.
I've fired ammo from my revolvers and had the bullet jump the crimp. This resulted in the gun locking up. But, the differences in bullet shape, wide variety of width and, most importantly, tolerance for different charge levels is a distinct advantage. Create some super-light loads for new shooters and crank some loads up for BIG BOOM fun on the range.
5. You don't have to carry the weight of superfluous ammunition. Unless you routinely run up against al Qaida or Mexican cartels, you don't need a semi-automatic with 16 rounds at your disposal. 5 or 6 shots will be plenty enough to put adequate distance between you and whatever is chasing you.
Again, another poor argument. As Jim Cirillo put it (paraphrasing): "You will want the biggest gun with the most ammunition in a real fight."
There is no reason not to at least throw a speed strip into a pocket or belt pouch. Belief that six shots is all you will need does not account for the circumstances of YOUR fight. The bad guy(s) get a say in the outcome and it's very possible to miss despite the propaganda that "revolver shooters are more accurate". It's very, very easy to miss with any handgun.
The reality of the situation is that carrying spare ammunition in a comfortable way while concealing effectively is very difficult. Speed loaders are bulky and annoying. Carrying them in the pocket results in bullet nose deformation over time, printing and inconsistent presentation. This slows my reload time down too much. I recently acquired Safariland #371 split holders for my S&W N-Frame. They still print, but not as badly as speed loader holders that are 100% outside the belt. The state of moon clip holders today is pathetic. Concealment is difficult. I end up wrapping them with a loop of kydex to protect the clip and drop them into the pocket. Consistent presentation is still a problem. Speed strips are very slow and require a different attitude. Rather than loading all six shots, load only two to get the gun loaded as quickly as possible. De Bethencourt talks about his in his classes and videos.
6. Live cartridges don't leave the place you put them and hide elsewhere in the gun. It is obvious to the user, even if tired or stressed, whether a revolver is loaded or unloaded. Cartridges stay in the cylinder until you take them out, unlike a semi-automatic, where one must remember to remove the magazine and check the chamber (and in that order).
As if clearing a semi-automatic is difficult. It is not and anyone with some training will be able to do it without thinking. Furthermore, many people have been negligently killed with "unloaded" revolvers. Again, this is a false endorsement for the revolver.
7. No magazine release to accidentally engage. Its just about impossible to accidentally release a cylinder, and would be blindingly obvious to the user if it could happen.
This can happen with a semi-automatic, but it is easy to prevent if the gun fits the hand of the shooter. A well built holster will fully cover the magazine release and never touch the button.
8. Looong, heavy trigger pull prevents accidents. Shooting yourself while reholstering is called "Glock leg" not "revolver leg," and there is a reason for that.
SIG P-Series pistols and many others offer long, heavy trigger pulls. Holstering safely is a skill and attitude, regardless of platform.
and
The revolver does NOT leave any brass behind!
Done properly, a speed reload will spray brass all over the place. You should see my shooting station when I'm through practicing reloads with my revolvers--it's a mess!
It is best to argue for the revolver based upon its actual strengths. In this day and age, given the current technology and development of guns and bullets, the revolver's strengths are:
1) Powerful cartridges...or very weak loads for pleasant target shooting.
2) Wide variety of bullets in lead, jacketed and hybrid styles.
3) Long barrels fixed to the frame with good sights for accurate shooting.
4) Tuned triggers for very nice single action pulls for accurate shots.
5) Custom grips that can be made to exact hand measurements (Herrett's for example).
6) Lots of clickety-clickety noises and a rotating thingie for FUN on the range.
7) Wide variety of sight options, though this applies to semi-autos too.
8) Very long barrel lengths for precision shooting and high performance.
9) Tuned chambers optimized for lead resulting in lower cost to the shooter.
10) Very light to very heavy guns for variance in recoil.
11) Very short barrel lengths on any frame for concealed carry (or any other purpose you can think of). This can cause problems in semi-autos since it messes with timing and ballistic performance.
12) Doesn't throw brass around if you're sport shooting. This results in fewer lost cases and an overall lower cost to shoot. You're going to lose cases if you properly practice speed loading.