9mm Revolver Popularity?
- Thread starter Jelly
- Start date
I would hypothesize that it's because revolver guys tend to be fairly conservative, and while the 9x19 is very efficient in a short-barrelled revo, it's much more associated with the semiauto pistols.
Besides, except for the tricky 547, they require moon clips, which a lot of folks don't want to hassle with. In addition to its popularity with traditionalist curmudgeons such as myself, the revo is often used by a set of folks who are less adept in the use of firearms: the housewife who wants something to protect herself that's not too big or too tricky to operate, the husband who knows he's not going to maintain the gun past loading it and locking it in a drawer "just in case." These folks probably constitute half of the market for revolvers, and they are not going to want to deal with learning to load and unload moon clips. Not when they can just throw .38s into the cylinder and close it . . .
Besides, except for the tricky 547, they require moon clips, which a lot of folks don't want to hassle with. In addition to its popularity with traditionalist curmudgeons such as myself, the revo is often used by a set of folks who are less adept in the use of firearms: the housewife who wants something to protect herself that's not too big or too tricky to operate, the husband who knows he's not going to maintain the gun past loading it and locking it in a drawer "just in case." These folks probably constitute half of the market for revolvers, and they are not going to want to deal with learning to load and unload moon clips. Not when they can just throw .38s into the cylinder and close it . . .
Moonclips seem like a good idea until it's time to load and unload them. Then they resemble the statement made about semi-autos and how fast they are to reload. That speed is true right up till you have emptied the last magazine. With rimmed cartridges the speed of loading and unloading remains constant.
At one time there was a rimmed 9mm cartridge, but since the revolvers never caught on they were dropped from the market.
At one time there was a rimmed 9mm cartridge, but since the revolvers never caught on they were dropped from the market.
I have a 547. It has a pretty slick little extractor system, but it isn't a very positive one. It also uses what looks like a second firing pin to position the cartridge during firing. It used a frame mounted firing pin at a time when every other centerfire S&W was using a hammer-mounted one. For all the tooling changes and other gymnastics they went through just to make a K-frame shoot a round that is inferior to .357 Magnum in every way but price, it's no wonder that the guns didn't much catch on.
Majic, not to mention the problem that the 9mm Federal would chamber (unsafely!) in .38 S&W revolvers from the turn of the century . . . 
Tamara, "gymnastics" is right. I like the 547s from a "that's neat!" standpoint, but I stick to .357s for pistols of that size. Bigger spread of bullet weights available . . . .
You know, now that I think about it, the increasing prevalence of the availability of .357s in small guns (J-frames, SPs, etc.) might have had something to do with the 9mm never taking off in revos. When the 9mms came out strong in revos (late '80s) on this side of the pond, they were shortly followed by .357s of the same size. Notwithstanding those few off-brand J-frame-sized revos of the 70s, the SP-101 with the light bullet limitation first came available in, what, '89? This was right about the time that S&W and Ruger were marketing the 9mm SPs and 940s pretty heavily. Given the bullet choice range of the .357 together with the no-moonclip-hassle of the rimmed .357 cartridge, the relegation of the 9mm revo to a historical footnote was guaranteed. The increasingly lightweight .357s in Ti or Sc/Al-Ti pretty much put the cherry on the sundae.
Interesting thread topic, Jelly - thanks!
Tamara, "gymnastics" is right. I like the 547s from a "that's neat!" standpoint, but I stick to .357s for pistols of that size. Bigger spread of bullet weights available . . . .You know, now that I think about it, the increasing prevalence of the availability of .357s in small guns (J-frames, SPs, etc.) might have had something to do with the 9mm never taking off in revos. When the 9mms came out strong in revos (late '80s) on this side of the pond, they were shortly followed by .357s of the same size. Notwithstanding those few off-brand J-frame-sized revos of the 70s, the SP-101 with the light bullet limitation first came available in, what, '89? This was right about the time that S&W and Ruger were marketing the 9mm SPs and 940s pretty heavily. Given the bullet choice range of the .357 together with the no-moonclip-hassle of the rimmed .357 cartridge, the relegation of the 9mm revo to a historical footnote was guaranteed. The increasingly lightweight .357s in Ti or Sc/Al-Ti pretty much put the cherry on the sundae.
Interesting thread topic, Jelly - thanks!
Mike Irwin
Staff
"Moonclips seem like a good idea until it's time to load and unload them. Then they resemble the statement made about semi-autos and how fast they are to reload."
That's why I like the RIMZ polymer moon clips. Not sure if they make them in 9mm, but I use them for my Model 1917.
That's why I like the RIMZ polymer moon clips. Not sure if they make them in 9mm, but I use them for my Model 1917.