Revolver's are still a valid SD tool.

[bwframe]

The sad thing is, there are very few “tacticool” revolver classes out there given by qualified instructors BECAUSE, (like a bazillion other things) too many older disciplines are being lost, not the inefficiency of a revolver.

I've been in a pistol class with a gent shooting revolver along with the rest of us shooting pistols.

 

[Bosshoss]

I didn’t take it as picking BUT those problems, regardless of the root of the problem are specific to revolvers. Like a LOT of handgun shooters today, semi-auto and wheelguns, folks just don’t train like they should. There MAY be a few other wheelgun guys that are as diligent as you but the vast majority of them aren’t and that goes across the board.

What I was attempting to address was not the failures of a revolver as being abhorrent to have them as a CCW gun but rather to address the fallacy they don’t fail. Regardless of the reason, ammo, maintenance, full moon clip warpage, it doesn’t matter, they have failures unique to themselves, period.

My teething ring was a S&W M36, when I got old enough to hold it out of the mud, my GySgt dad handed me a S&W M1917 45ACP that he bought from the NRA back in the 50’s. (He gave $50 for it, got a flap holster and a box of ball ammo with it through the mail.)

I was not dissing a revolver at all but to think theyNEVER have an issue that can take them out of the fight is……silly at best, stupid in the middle and down right dangerous at worst.

I never said that revolver never fail but auto's fail also and I stand by the fact that IMO they are more reliable on average than a autoloader.
Autos have the same issues with ammo and maintenance and magazines. Plus you can add in user errors like limp wristing and hitting the mag release accidently, ect.

 

[ECS686]

There's these things called micro compacts now that carry 2-3x more ammo that are the same size as a J frame and thinner. And in a caliber that's more formidable than .38spl. I'm not saying revolvers are obsolete but basically they are. I can still use a reel mower if I want but my zero turn is much more efficient

While everything looks good on paper with 9mm I know of 2 detectives with a former agency that used plain old 38 special snubby with 148 wadcutter put their bad guy in the dirt. (Won’t get into the 4” 38 service shootings)

While yea micro 9’s are all the rage from any of the shootings I investigated from years ago to ones I follow now capacity over 5 hasn’t been an issue in civilian shootings.

 

[ECS686]

Just curious how you would know that the vast majority of those who carry a revolver don't train at all and practice very little? I have been a revolver guy since the mid 70's when I started my law enforcement career and still am to this day....Granted, there for a while I got aboard the micro compact semi auto band wagon but no longer...I own a half dozen or so semi autos, but when it comes down to EDC, practice and range time, my revolvers are the ones that I practice with and the semi autos cry in the safe cause they rarely get to come out and play....Not bragging, but I am proficient with every revolver I own, from the NAA .22 LR to my original duty .357 Python...I take the responsibility of carrying a firearm very seriously as I am sure you do, so I make a point of regularly practicing with what I carry every day and what myself, my family and those around me depend on. I have several friends who carry a revolver as well and most of them practice as much or more than I do regularly....are there revolver folks that don't practice or train with theirs as much as they should? Of course, but if the truth be known, I would wager there are alot of semi auto carriers who don't either...I guess we can just agree to disagree....

I won’t and don’t mean to speak for Cedertop however I would agree with his statement and here is why.

First if it doesn’t apply to anyone personally then don’t take it personal but here’s been my experience.

The majority of folks don’t practice to any level of proficiency period.

I spent several years as an agency line and advanced inss .Agency wise there was a 10% 80% 10% breakdown .top 10% were always trying to improve went to training on own time and dime and usually were your swat type folks. Middle 80% met minimum agency standards (most by under 20 points) often quipped “good enough til next year” while barley passing and many with a reshoot. Hardly means they are proficient.

Bottom 10% is why agencies dumbs qualification down

In my retirement years I have taught private ranges and stood in as an RSO and see all the civilian shooters. It’s almost the same breakdown. There’s a few regulars that always want to improve and take classes

The middle are ok but nothing to write home about. Then the others Oh Lordy!!!

Just did the Range Master Instructor Development Course. It was mentioned in the course as well as Tom Givens i. Several articles there are only 15-20,000 professional firearms students out of how many million gun owners that carry handguns for personal protection.

 

[Skip]

I never said that revolver never fail but auto's fail also and I stand by the fact that IMO they are more reliable on average than a autoloader.
Autos have the same issues with ammo and maintenance and magazines. Plus you can add in user errors like limp wristing and hitting the mag release accidently, ect.

The op made allusions to it, not you persé. And, we do agree, although, according to your previous comments, limp wristing the semi-auto doesn’t qualify as a semi-auto failure but operator error, much like not allowing the trigger out far enough on a revolver to reset the trigger in DA mode.

 

[Max Volume]

Bet this guy could outperform most everybody with his revolver, even with a reload. Yeah, he knows how to use it.

 

[BigMoose]

I hear all you need is a 5 shot snubby

 

[MrGiggles]

I know when push comes to shove, fashion doesn't matter. But revolvers look cool as ****. And I've always subscribed to the idea that if you have something that looks cool, you'll be more likely to practice it. It's why I bought the cheaper mahogany bass over the nicer but more sterile fender/squier. I practice a ton partly because I look at that bass and think "damn, that's cool"

Maybe it's a bad analogy because those basses feel the same to play, but a revolver and a semi-auto feel real different. IDK I'm just rambling and trying to say that the cool factor isn't nothing, and anything that will encourage people to train with their weapon is good.

 

[DadSmith]

Couple three weeks back, I seen an old dude OCing a single action into the bank. Wish I could have got a picture of it.


.

My boy OC his Ruger Vaquero in 45colt. It's his edc.

Eight years in the army I figured he'd want some fantastic plastic, or a Beretta.
He is very good with his Vaquero also.
He used to edc his Springfield 45acp. After he came back after his last deployment he bought that Vaquero and loves it.

 

[MrGiggles]

My boy OC his Ruger Vaquero in 45colt. It's his edc.

Eight years in the army I figured he'd want some fantastic plastic, or a Beretta.
He is very good with his Vaquero also.
He used to edc his Springfield 45acp. After he came back after his last deployment he bought that Vaquero and loves it.

View attachment 268971

DANG that's a good looking gun.

 

[DadSmith]

DANG that's a good looking gun.

I want one also.
Sad part is the lgs had two of these in consecutive serial numbers, and I wanted it but I couldn't get enough together at the time to get it. It would have been sweet to have had both of those in the family.

He's closing in on 2k rounds through his a year ago. For all I know he probably has surpassed that by now.

 

[RCB]

Both are fine of course, but I'm considering adding a revolver to the EDC mix. While it's not hard to clear a malfunction, revolvers do tend to be more "reliable" and don't care about what ammo I run. Plus, I like 357 and there are some new offerings that have made it more attractive than ever in my opinion.

However, the compact nature of a semi auto is hard to beat. I usually carry a 380 because I can change attire with no one noticing me moving my carry from jacket to pocket or vice versa. I would rather have a round with more power, but the discrete nature is hard to beat.

 

[MrGiggles]

I want one also.
Sad part is the lgs had two of these in consecutive serial numbers, and I wanted it but I couldn't get enough together at the time to get it. It would have been sweet to have had both of those in the family.

He's closing in on 2k rounds through his a year ago. For all I know he probably has surpassed that by now.

Dang, that would have been a heck of a family heirloom. Father/son revolver collection with sequential serials? Awesome

 

[Mij]

View attachment 268927

And there he is!!! “Mr. Your gonna die”. Only thing you can do is post is a vid link to support your assessment? Where are your words with real world experience to back up or even support your opinion. Not a vid, your real world experience. Don’t worry, if you say it I’ll believe it. But not just because you watched a u tube or other vid.

” Revolvers are still a valid SD tool” not just my opinion, but apparently others also.

Do you like apples???

 

[bobzilla]

And there he is!!! “Mr. Your gonna die”. Only thing you can do is post is a vid link to support your assessment? Where are your words with real world experience to back up or even support your opinion. Not a vid, your real world experience. Don’t worry, if you say it I’ll believe it. But not just because you watched a u tube or other vid.

” Revolvers are still a valid SD tool” not just my opinion, but apparently others also.

Do you like apples???

Don’t bother. He just pulls the “why you mad bro” card and trolls this topic.

Those commenting about extractor carbon issues, I get running a class shooting 500 rounds that could become an issue because you’re not taking time to clean the weapon and that goes for all pistols. In the real world, 5-6 shot with a single speed loader how much of an issue is that really? I’ve been shooting revolvers since the early 80’s as a kid and adult but when sone shooting a thorough clean and lube is completed. I’ve never had an issue like what had been mentioned.

Closest I could come up with was a $50 SAA .22 where the extrator rod would stick with certain dirty .22 ammo. But at most that just requires a little extra umph on thst first empty. That was never a defensive weapon for many reasons one of which you could miss a barn with the muzzle held against it.

 

[92FSTech]

So much angst in this thread...some folks need to chill a bit, lol.

The OP said that revolvers are still a valid defensive tool. He didn't say everyone should carry one all the time, or even that they're better than semi-autos.

Both platforms can malfunction, and an untrained shooter can miss with either platform. Each platform has its own pros and cons, and decisions need to be made based on the intended use..."the mission drives the gear" so to speak. Would I opt to carry a wheelgun as a duty weapon on patrol over a service-size semi-auto? Heck no! But as a backup gun in a pocket for use in the event of a close-in, entangled contact type scenario it makes a lot of sense.

I like J-Frames. They offer some advantages that I don't get with semi-autos. I carry my 640 Pro as a backup to a semi-auto on a regular basis, its also a comfortable gun to carry in low-threat environment when I don't feel like carrying a bigger gun. It's my daily running companion in a chest rig, and I have a 3" Model 60 that serves as my backpacking trail gun in a similar setup.

I don't like tiny semi-autos. I have big hands and I can't grip them well. I've also seen them malfunction A LOT on the range compared to little revolvers. The J-Frame grip and trigger reach are just the right size for me. I also find that it's easier to establish quickly by feel from a pocket or pouch than most semi-autos. The thin grip makes them very comfortable to carry IWB, and the heavier trigger pull makes me a lot more comfortable carrying them in non-traditional manners than the lighter, short triggers of a striker-fired micro-nine. A hammerless centennial model has no slide to reciprocate or hammer to snag, and can be fired in direct muzzle contact or even from inside a pocket if necessary, and will go bang more than one time. As a trail gun, my 3" .357 gives me more muzzle-energy and heavier bullet options than comparable semi-autos (although I do have a .44 for grizzly country).

Revolvers work for me in these roles. They aren't my solution for everything, though. When I'm at work, on the road, out around town, or in any situation where the potential defensive scenarios dictate, I carry either a full-size or "compact" semi-auto. The capacity and quick reload advantages are undeniable, and while I'm proficient with a revolver, I'm even better with a big semi-auto.

It's all comes down to weighing the potential needs of the environment against the convenience of carrying something smaller. This is obviously going to vary significantly from person to person based on many factors including where they live, what they do, and their level of proficiency with a given platform. At the end of the day everybody has to make their own decision and provided yours is reasonable and appropriate for you, who cares what the internet says?

 

[92FSTech]

I don't point my muzzle up when reloading and use clean powder and have NEVER had this problem.

That was a great post, and this stuck out to me, as I have personally experienced unburnt powder under the extractor in the past (currently working through an 8lb jug of some HP-38 that isn't burning as completely as I'd like). I'd be interested to hear your reloading technique, as I was always taught to point the muzzle up and push (sometimes smack) the extractor rod down to allow gravity to assist in dumping the empties. If there's a better way to do it that mitigates the chance of getting fouling under the extractor star, I'd love to learn it.

 

[Leo]

That was a great post, and this stuck out to me, as I have personally experienced unburnt powder under the extractor in the past (currently working through an 8lb jug of some HP-38 that isn't burning as completely as I'd like). I'd be interested to hear your reloading technique, as I was always taught to point the muzzle up and push (sometimes smack) the extractor rod down to allow gravity to assist in dumping the empties. If there's a better way to do it that mitigates the chance of getting fouling under the extractor star, I'd love to learn it.

Usually, unburnt powder is one of three issues. 1) too light of powder charge weight. sometimes .3 gr more, makes everything fine. Of course stay within the max on the data sheet. 2) too slow of powder for the pressure developed in that round. 3) Way too gentle of a crimp, esp with a light load.

 

[Route 45]

And there he is!!! “Mr. Your gonna die”. Only thing you can do is post is a vid link to support your assessment? Where are your words with real world experience to back up or even support your opinion. Not a vid, your real world experience. Don’t worry, if you say it I’ll believe it. But not just because you watched a u tube or other vid.

” Revolvers are still a valid SD tool” not just my opinion, but apparently others also.

Do you like apples???

Plenty of real world accounts of bad guys soaking up a lot more than 5 or 6 rounds and not being overly impressed with the stopping power of handgun rounds. What is the experience of the people who claim that a revolver "works for me!" Really? A rabbit's foot would have likely worked just as well, because I'm betting that for the vast majority of revolver toters out there, it has never been used for anything other than to maybe scare someone off, which is irrelevant, as any handgun would have worked just as well.

Handguns are not reliable fight stoppers, as evidenced by the video that I posted. Far be it from me to tell you what platform to carry in defense of yourself and your loved ones, but mine are important enough to me that I won't needlessly handicap myself with an inferior platform when it comes to such matters. You are free to make your own risk assessment and determine your own worth.

 

[drillsgt]

Yep lol , don't get me wrong I like some revolvers. Just yesterday at the gun club I seriously considered dropping 1600 on a 3 inch python (new model) , borderline useless gun but cool. The finish and action did not impress me however.

Don't spend 1600 they're ripping you off you can get those in the 1300's now. I like the finish on mine and my action is better than my original. How is a 6-shot .357 magnum borderline useless?