Advantages of revolvers over semi autos

P

Photon Guy

New member
From my observations more and more people are switching from revolvers over to semi autos and people who are first starting out with handguns are often starting out with semi autos, skipping revolvers altogether. For one thing you often get a much greater round count with semi autos and reloading is faster but aside from that from what I see, many people consider the revolver to be old school and they prefer the more modern semi auto over the old fashioned revolver. So any reason why somebody would choose a revolver over a semi auto?
 
The revolver has several advantages actually. Probably the most controversial is reliability. A good revolver has historically been the standard by which semi-autos are judged when it comes to reliability. While semi-autos have gotten more reliable over the years, a revolver still has some distinct advantages in this area. A revolver is much more tolerant of different types of ammunition and will fire the most powerful magnums and pee-dunklers that barely make it out of the barrel with equal ease as opposed to semi-automatics which require a minimum pressure and recoil to function properly. A revolver also offers a much simpler means of dealing with a misfire: simply pull the trigger again. There is some debate with a semi-auto about whether a "second strike" capability is useful in case of a dud round or whether a TRB drill to eject it and chamber a fresh one is preferable, but a revolver has no such debate as another pull of the trigger rotates a fresh round into battery.

A revolver can also be fired repeatedly at contact distance, something which would induced malfunction in most locked-breech semi-autos. A revolver is also much more tolerant of a weak or improper grip in that so long as you have enough strength to pull the trigger the gun can be made to fire. A semi-auto, on the other hand, requires it's frame to be held at least somewhat steadily in order to cycle properly (though some guns are more tolerant of grip than others).

A revolver also has no magazines to get lost or damaged (a bad magazine is one of the most common causes of malfunction in a semi-auto). Also, a revolver can be left fully loaded without fully compressing any of its springs (some say that magazine springs don't wear out from compression, but it seems to depend on the quality of the spring and a revolver takes this completely out of the equation).

A revolver also offers non-reliability-related advantages. For a given size and weight of gun, a revolver can usually be had in a more powerful cartridge. A revolver has a very simple manual of arms which can be quickly figured out by even very inexperienced users. A revolver also offers more rounded contour which many find to be easier to conceal than the more blocky appearance of most semi-autos. A revolver's grip usually needs to contain nothing more than a spring or two thus allowing it to be contoured into a wider array of sizes and shapes which can more easily fit people with very large or very small hands. Revolvers also don't automatically eject their empty cases which is advantageous for someone who may have to shoot in confined spaces or a handloader who dislikes having to chase his brass.

Finally, revolvers are sometimes available in places that semi-autos are not. For example, California's micro-stamping law exempts revolvers because they don't eject their cases and thus the police are unlikely to recover the "micro-stamped" brass. Revolvers are also usually exempt from laws governing a gun's capacity because they usually fall under the arbitrary limit and/or they are exempt from the arbitrary limit because they don't have detatcheable magazines.
 
One obvious reason would be Arthritis. If you can't rack then a Semi is useless.

Second, which is not as true as it used to be, are Revolvers are not as likely to jam as a Semi will. However, my Rossi did jam due to a piece of something that got stuck in the works. Scared the begeebees out of me.

Third is advertising and availability. If you've gone to your local GS, then you'd probably find that anywhere from 80 to 90% of their inventories are Semis. and in most TV and Movies etc. everyone has a Semi. Only movies that I've seen that don't use Semis are Cowboy pics like in the Old West. Imagine John Wayne with a Semi?

Doc
"Shoot well and be accurate"
 
A revolver is NOT messy like a bottom feeder.. lt doesn't throw hot brass all over others at the range. Where it can burn or fall on the floor for someone to trip on.. Revolvers are clean and neat. Autos are just plain sloppy. You don't have to sweep up after a revolver like an auto
 
Webley covered it pretty well. One area that a revolver excels at is teaching good trigger control skills. Nothing is better for getting rid of a flinch than a lot of steady DA shooting with a revolver. And nothing will help teach you how to keep your sights aligned through your trigger pull like a revolver. IMHO shooting a revolver DA frequently will sharpen your skills and make you a better shooter. Also revolvers are better for dry fire practice.
 
I find them more fun and satisfying to shoot for one. I'd argue they're a superior backup handgun and well suited for sport shooting where power and long range shots are important. They're also administratively easier to use...loading, unloading, etc.

Just like in exercise, challenging yourself is a good thing. To shoot powerful rounds slowly and accurately makes you a better shot. Double action pulls teach trigger discipline, learn to shoot a magnum handgun accurately and you'll cure a flinch along the way. Master an 8 - 10 lbs trigger and you can shoot almost anything.

I'm a reloader, so I already shoot more than my friends. My shooting sessions generally last longer with my revolvers, too. I more focused when I practice and less distracted by the desire to dump a 15 round mag.

Pocket revolvers compare most favorable to pocket/backup autos...

- Allows for contact shots without jamming.

- Can be gripped and fired from inside a jacket pocket without jamming.

- Striker fired pistols with no safety are best carried in a hard holster, that's difficult for a pocket gun.

- Frame and grips are slimmer on a pocket revolver than an auto. Bulge from cylinder is less bulky than the slide and grip of most pocket autos.

- There is very little capacity advantage offered by a single stacked auto. Five rounds from a revolver vs. 6+1 rounds from a pistol that is almost certain to fail at contact distances.

- More powerful than a .380, but can had in the same weight class.

Duty Sized Revolvers

You've read most of the typical answers, I'll give a few more.

- Generally more accurate at long range, at least for me. Fixed barrel, usually excellent sights and ability to cock the hammer for accurate shots. If handgun shots generally exceed 20 yards and a rifle is too big to carry, then a revolver makes sense for me.

- Easy to mount a handgun scope or red dot for hunting or long range shooting, most are drilled and tapped from the factory.

- Here's one I found out more recently. With greater case capacity there is plenty of powder to work a comp or ports. My quad ported N-frame experiences almost no muzzle rise when firing full power .357.

- Probably still the best protection in the woods. If an animal is on top of you, then you may need to make a contact shot that could jam an auto. You will never out run even a black bear and you certainly won't have time to fire 15 rounds and reload.

- In a magazine restricted state, an 8 shot .357 magnum isn't far behind an auto in capacity and can be loaded with moonclips very quickly.

- The 10mm is a good cartridge and is probably up there with the .357. That said, the most powerful revolvers, .44 mag and greater, are much more easily carried and better sized than say a Desert Eagle.

- Multi caliber conversions are done easily, just send the cylinder for reaming. Have a .357 mag converted to 9x23 and you can shoot .38 super, 9x19, 9x21, 9x23 from the same handgun. Even a pocket .357 mag can be easily reamed for .38 super or 9x19.
 
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There are only really two advantages of revolvers or semi autos. First is that the revolver is less fussy about the ammo you put in it. Rarely do you have a problem with any ammo that's within spec. Second is power...you don't find your most powerful rounds in semi autos. Even the much touted 10mm is a pretty tame round compared to the bigger rounds offered in revolvers. All the rest of the "advantages" are more minor or exaggerated due to fan boy following. I shoot semi for competition and revolver for hunting. That's pretty much the sum of it.
 
NoSecondBest,

Permit me to rephrase part of your answer:

"I shoot semi for play and revolver for real life." :D;):)
 
not sure if one is better than the other but each have a purpose. I am a revolver guy all the way but I can appreciate a good running auto. as a reloader I like the fact that I am not chasing brass with a wheel gun. and I agree that new shooters should master a DOA revolver before going to a auto..
 
I have both, carry the Semi, keep a revolver as one of the HDs and as a car gun. Wife can pick up the revolver and just pull the trigger, no worries about miss fire. if needed in the car, no brass flying in the enclosed space. For me, each has a defined logistical application.
 
In my case, I have only one hand. So I either grab the slide with my lips or tongue to work it. Revolver for me.
 
I think the biggest advantage I enjoy with my revolvers is that they save me a lot of ammo. I can shoot 4 magazines of ammo from my semi-automatic faster than I can reload my 6 shot revolver once.
 
My wife's bed side gun is a Taurus M327 revolver.

When I try to get her into a semi auto she just grabs it and looks at it.
" What am I suppose to do again?"
arrrrggggg ok one more time...

The revolver she has no trouble grasping. Its loaded. Just point and shoot.

I occasionally carry this gun in a IWB holster. Of all the guns I have carried.
A J frame type revolver is by far the most comfortable.

Now as far as just shooting. I have 5 other revolvers. Any of them will out shoot a semi any day of the week. Not volume, But they will cut out the bulls eye easy enough.
If you have never shot a Smith and Wesson model 14. You have been missing out on some thing special. When you pull the hammer back and it goes click... Oh Yea baby!!! Perfection in a machine.

But I never play the instead of game. If I like it I buy it.
He who dies with the most guns is ether a hoarder or a collector.
Not sure were I fall yet. I haven't found many I don't want.

My Son hitting the target with a S&W model 10

100_9854_zpssuhu88iv.jpg
 
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I hate to bring this up in the revolver forum, but when bought new, revolvers tend to be more expensive than semis of similar quality, too.

The reliability of semis from the major manufacturers is awfully good these days. To me, the main advantages of revolvers are the bigger cartridges and the ability to fire from concealment without jamming. The capacity issue led me to change from revolver to semi for EDC several years back, though, and I own more semis than revolvers now, but there is still something special about the look and feel of a revolver.
 
Revolver VS Auto

Plus -Revolvers have fixed barrels and sights. Negivitive -Revolvers have 6 (more or less) different chambers with timing issues. Bullets have to jump the gap between cylinder/barrel. Forcing cone need cut correctly. A target grade auto is hard to beat, but most autos are not as accurate as a good revolver. IMO.
 
So any reason why somebody would choose a revolver over a semi auto?
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Personal preference is probably the main reason, followed by physical ability.

Most of the major points have already been mentioned, but I will elaborate on some of them.

- Can be gripped and fired from inside a jacket pocket without jamming.
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PROBABLY.

Not a guaranteed thing. Much less likely than an auto, but even the shrouded/concealed hammer revolvers CAN be jammed by crap in a pocket.

- Frame and grips are slimmer on a pocket revolver than an auto. Bulge from cylinder is less bulky than the slide and grip of most pocket autos.
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Again, this is not a universal truth, it depends entirely on which guns you are comparing.

- Multi caliber conversions are done easily, just send the cylinder for reaming. Have a .357 mag converted to 9x23 and you can shoot .38 super, 9x19, 9x21, 9x23 from the same handgun. Even a pocket .357 mag can be easily reamed for .38 super or 9x19.
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OK, this one kind of boggles my mind. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I have to wonder, WHY??? #1, why bother converting your .357 to fire LESS powerful round? #2, converting a .357 to fire 9mm rounds means (at the least) a very sloppy chamber for the .357. Note that Ruger, who make a convertible .357 / 9mm Luger (9x19) revolver uses a SEPARATE cylinder for the 9mm.

9mm Luger specs .391" at the case head, the .357 Magnum is .379". Personally, I don't want a .357 with an extra .012" of "slop" built into the chamber (at the case head) just so I can get 9mm rounds to fire. And then there is the whole 9mm bullet in .357 barrel thing.

Now as far as just shooting. I have 5 other revolvers. Any of them will out shoot a semi any day of the week.
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I have no doubt that they will outshoot SOME semis. Others might give you a run for your money.

It's a rare day when an average revolver will outshoot an average .22 "sport pistol", let alone the target grade ones. Remember not all semis are the Browning tilt barrel duty style guns. And there is more in the world of handgunning than just duty class and defensive guns. They may not be your priority, but they do exist, and they often shoot holes in blanket statements about "semis" all being this, or that.

I have semis that shoot as accurately as I do, and some that are even better. I have revolvers that do the same.

I think the main reason for someone choosing a revolver over a semi auto is the calibers revolvers come in. There are still people who don't feel the need for the greatest ammo capacity possible, and choose a lesser amount of (often) more powerful round instead.

Size, & weight of the gun overall, and grip style size & shape are other factors, and each persons situation and preference come into play.

No body makes a .45 Colt semi auto, that I know of. Nor many of the other cartridges common to revolvers. You can get semis in .357Mag & .44 Mag, I have some. I do like the way they shoot. They are big and heavy, but they are more pleasant to shoot than most revolvers in the same calibers.

If you want to closely compare the +/- of revolver vs semi as defensive sidearms or duty class carry guns, fine. Just say so. If you just say "revolver vs. semi" remember that includes ALL revolvers and semis.
 
REVOLVERS/SIXGUNS/SIXSHOOTERS etc have a real heart, a soul that reaches out and grabs you with accuracy, GOOD triggers, and the touch of past history.
ALL shellshuckin' sumbisciuts are fugly machines to make noise and dump perfectly fine brass all over the ground, in all the rattlesnake holes, and to points unknown. They are a plot by the ammunition companies to make sure all the whippersnappers can rip off magazine's full as fast as possible all the while shooting groups that are only exceeded by open choke buckshot patterns.
And so it goes...
 
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