Autos can be "iffy"
- Thread starter Smaug
- Start date
I own and carry both revolvers and semi auto pistols....I carry a gun for a living, and have since 6/17/1985. Quality examples of either type will serve you well. The biggest part of winning an armed encounter is YOU, not whether you had a S&W 686+ or a Glock 19 (or 5.56mm M249 SAW).
It is you that must maintain competency with what ever you carry, employ tactics that maximize your success (and survival) and make decisions on the fly that keeps you out of prison or the morgue. I (knock on wood) have done that in approx 60 armed encounters so far. Nothing would have had a different outcome had I had a revolver Vs auto.
It is you that must maintain competency with what ever you carry, employ tactics that maximize your success (and survival) and make decisions on the fly that keeps you out of prison or the morgue. I (knock on wood) have done that in approx 60 armed encounters so far. Nothing would have had a different outcome had I had a revolver Vs auto.
glockcompact
New member
I didn't read all the post but I would like to add.
I don't own any "iffy" semi autos. Infact out of all the semi's I've owned in my life I've only had one I would consider "iffy" as you put it. That was an AMT Automag V chambered in .50AE. After it's second trip to the gun smith I sold it. I won't keep any weapon I can't trust 100%. All my weapons are shooters.
I don't own any "iffy" semi autos. Infact out of all the semi's I've owned in my life I've only had one I would consider "iffy" as you put it. That was an AMT Automag V chambered in .50AE. After it's second trip to the gun smith I sold it. I won't keep any weapon I can't trust 100%. All my weapons are shooters.
Yet everyday, people run out of gas.
Everyday, people run off the road.
Everyday, there are people who have problems because there is water in the fuel.
Everyday, people neglect proper maintanance.
Everyday, a vehicle won't run because it has sat to long.
It is funny how all these things that shouldn't happen do.
In a perfect world, nothing would malfunction but this isn't a pefect world. People don't always keep there guns clean. People don't always use ammo the gun likes. People don't always use good technique. People sometimes leave guns sitting loaded for years.
It's been beat to death, every weapon has it's pros and cons. A revolver doesn't have the capacity of an auto. An auto can't be shot while using your elbow as a recoil catch. At what point does either really become an issue of what is better? I'm not married, so I don't really care if my autos are a little tougher on the wrist. At the same time, with my attire, I don't really need a slim semi to conceal without printing.
I own an iffy semi-auto. It's a Cz-61 Skorpian that fires 7.65 and even the good brands have a tendency to jam. I honestly blame the feeding ramp but I'm still looking into it. I also own an iffy revolver, it's my Charter Arms .38 Off-Duty. The trigger likes to not engage in double-action from time to time but is 100% reliable in Single Action. I got it from a cracker-jack box for a shoe-string and two beers.
Your mileage may vary.
- Hiroshi
EDIT TO ADD: SRH78 says the absolute truth.
I own an iffy semi-auto. It's a Cz-61 Skorpian that fires 7.65 and even the good brands have a tendency to jam. I honestly blame the feeding ramp but I'm still looking into it. I also own an iffy revolver, it's my Charter Arms .38 Off-Duty. The trigger likes to not engage in double-action from time to time but is 100% reliable in Single Action. I got it from a cracker-jack box for a shoe-string and two beers.
Your mileage may vary.
- Hiroshi
EDIT TO ADD: SRH78 says the absolute truth.
The bottom line is there are advantages and disadvantages to both depending on the user and the situation. If you could look at every case out there where somebody pulled a trigger with their life on the line, I have no doubt that revolvers fired more often. Sometimes though, the magazine capacity of a semi would be more of an advantage, especially for law enforcement or military who are likely to engage multiple targets. For someone who just buys a gun and sticks it their nighstand, the revolver has definite advantages.
Yes, this has been beat to death for many years. The bottom line is that it is a very personal decision that each person has to make as to which they feel best serves their needs in their situation.
Yes, this has been beat to death for many years. The bottom line is that it is a very personal decision that each person has to make as to which they feel best serves their needs in their situation.
RampantAndroid
New member
Mleake said:
Why does that matter? I suggest that officers these days spray and pray simply because they can. Back when bolt actions and revolvers were service rifles, you had to make every shot count...now, you've got 13 rounds or more...so take slight aim - meaning, don't think...just point and shoot. With a revolver, you've trained with it and know to take careful aim.
Had the office been trained better and carried a revolver, the fatal shots could have been 1, 2 and 3.
I'm sick of seeing in the news where swat teams and officers dump more than 50 rounds into a SINGLE target that is in the open. Yet, if I as a citizen shoot to defend myself and MISS my target I'll be in trouble. If I miss my target and hit someone else, I'll be charged and convited of manslaughter. If a cop shoots someone else...it's the criminal's fault.
- Tom Petty, 1979 (hehe)
Seriously though, Can be iffy? That depends on the gun and sometimes on the shooter. There are some guns that can be iffy if not shot properly (ie the 1911) but there are many autos that are 100% regardless of shooter or ammo (I have 4 myself in 9mm that have never given me any issues). I shoot factory ammo and have loaded light to heavy. Any load that is in the range given on the charts has worked perfectly (I don't go off the charts myself). Personally these days, I feel pretty good with those 15rds stacked in the gun all ready to go. But to each their own right? A good auto with just basic maintenance will prove to be just as reliable as a wheel gun though.
In my 40 years of handgun shooting, particularly in competition when 100 or more rounds would be fired in just a few hours, my 1911 45 ACPs and later my Glocks have proven to be more functionally reliable than my revolvers. That's been my experience, however I don't go around trying to convince revolver shooters their choice of weapon is "iffy". YMMV!
Dave
Dave
notamisfit6
New member
I think a lot of it is that it's quite a bit cheaper to make a bad automatic than it is to make a bad revolver. Taurus is pretty low on the totem pole among revolver makers; they're middle of the pack for autos.
I agree with the basic premise that in general, there are more things that can go wrong with a semi-auto than a revolver.
However, in my shooting career I have had several issues with revolvers:
I've also seen cases due to improper maintenance or cleaning where a revolver failed to work or had a malfunction due to things like a screw backing out during range fire or gunk under the extractor star. One day when I was at the police academy another trainee's revolver actually came apart on the range - I have no idea what the issue was, other than another trainee yelling out to the range officer "his gun fell apart." It was a S&W revolver.
I've also had my share of occasional stovepipes, failures to feed, and failures to fire (bad round or light primer strike) in autos, so none of them are 100%. I've got one auto that will jam once per mag on Sellier and Bellot FMJ ammo, but handles all others flawlessly. I've got two that have never had a problem yet (Gen 4 Glocks) but I had a Gen 1 Glock (back when they first came out and didn't have a Gen number) that would stovepipe every so often.
The only advice I can offer is to shoot ANY gun system ("system" includes the grips, ammo, magazines, speedloaders, holsters) that you plan to carry or rely on for self defense, enough to make sure that the entire combo works well, you know how to use it, and is in good mechanical condition.
My impression is that the typical shooter (not the typical gun-forum member) buys a gun and two boxes of ammo, shoots one box through the gun at a range (maybe during their permit class), loads it up and leaves it in a drawer for the next 20 years. Perhaps the higher percentage of "reliable for the first 5/6/7 rounds" for a revolver makes more sense for that type of shooter.
However, in my shooting career I have had several issues with revolvers:
- Colt Detective Special snubnose I had bought used that apparently had a slightly loose barrel. During firing the barrel would rotate enough that the ejector shroud would catch the ejector rod making it impossible to dump the spent rounds, not to mention the front sight slowly moving to the right with each shot.
- S&W Model 60 (original, not the current ones) that I had taken to a lazy gunsmith for a trigger job - all he did was back off the mainspring a few turns and it wouldn't reliably strike the primer, causing failures to fire. Easily fixed, but still a failure and I'm glad it happened on the range.
- S&W Model 66, when rapid firing and reloading the cylinder would get hot and expand enough to greatly increase the resistance against the trigger just to turn the cylinder. That was also fixed and unlikely to be encountered in a normal shooting situation, but it happened to me on the range.
I've also seen cases due to improper maintenance or cleaning where a revolver failed to work or had a malfunction due to things like a screw backing out during range fire or gunk under the extractor star. One day when I was at the police academy another trainee's revolver actually came apart on the range - I have no idea what the issue was, other than another trainee yelling out to the range officer "his gun fell apart." It was a S&W revolver.
I've also had my share of occasional stovepipes, failures to feed, and failures to fire (bad round or light primer strike) in autos, so none of them are 100%. I've got one auto that will jam once per mag on Sellier and Bellot FMJ ammo, but handles all others flawlessly. I've got two that have never had a problem yet (Gen 4 Glocks) but I had a Gen 1 Glock (back when they first came out and didn't have a Gen number) that would stovepipe every so often.
The only advice I can offer is to shoot ANY gun system ("system" includes the grips, ammo, magazines, speedloaders, holsters) that you plan to carry or rely on for self defense, enough to make sure that the entire combo works well, you know how to use it, and is in good mechanical condition.
My impression is that the typical shooter (not the typical gun-forum member) buys a gun and two boxes of ammo, shoots one box through the gun at a range (maybe during their permit class), loads it up and leaves it in a drawer for the next 20 years. Perhaps the higher percentage of "reliable for the first 5/6/7 rounds" for a revolver makes more sense for that type of shooter.
Earlier I made a point about the military and police being issued semis over revolvers for over 100 years now (revolvers were still issued to some of course and still are likely, but in a secondary role) and maybe I wasn't clear on what this point means. It means that obviously semis have a number of distinct advantages over revolvers, like ammo capacity and fast reloads, etc. and it also means that they are not so far behind revolvers in the reliability department that it makes a big difference. A properly maintained semi can be as reliable as a revolver in life and death situations. That is one of the things that the widespread adoption of semis means. That question has been settled by real life. No need for speculation. Over a century of handgun and long gun development settled the question. If they were a lot less reliable than revolvers the semi would not be as widespread.
Now and again there is a magazine article taking up this debate but that is because the article helps sell magazines and because it can be fun to debate it. But in real life the question has been settled.
But that doesn't tell anyone what they should carry or why. For many jobs a wheelgun may be the better choice. For one thing the revolver can handle more powerful ammo than the pistol. If a person isn't willing or able to keep a semi "properly maintained" than a revolver may be a better way to go. Some just shoot wheelguns better. Preference and what you feel secure with.
The question has also been settled with long guns. The Garand, the SKS, the AR, the AK etc. settled it. But there is still a place for bolt action rifles.
tipoc
Now and again there is a magazine article taking up this debate but that is because the article helps sell magazines and because it can be fun to debate it. But in real life the question has been settled.
But that doesn't tell anyone what they should carry or why. For many jobs a wheelgun may be the better choice. For one thing the revolver can handle more powerful ammo than the pistol. If a person isn't willing or able to keep a semi "properly maintained" than a revolver may be a better way to go. Some just shoot wheelguns better. Preference and what you feel secure with.
The question has also been settled with long guns. The Garand, the SKS, the AR, the AK etc. settled it. But there is still a place for bolt action rifles.
tipoc
Smaug said:
This has been a far better read that I thought it was going to be.
The revolver VS semi debate can only truly be answered on an individual basis. Smaug mentioned that in a self-defense situation he feels a revolver is a better choice, so for him (personally) the revolver is a better choice. That cannot be debated.
For others like myself…I will take a semi-auto almost any day of the week. That’s because I know the semi is the best option for me (personally.) I properly maintain all of my firearms, I have read every manual I own, range tested them with different types of ammunition, and fired hundreds of rounds (even thousands) through them. I know their capabilities as well as my own…so I am comfortable knowing that I can depend on them.
At the end of the day the revolver and semi-auto are both a compromise to some extent no matter how you look at it. It boils down to what you are most comfortable with in your own skin. Both can fail and both can be extremely reliable but you still have to be able to do your part.
Tactical Jackalope
New member
My Model 19 S&W broke...In the process of getting it fixed. Granted it IS very old. If you all want pics let me know. It's in the safe right now apart. Gunsmith told me which parts to get for it on brownells, he's my buddy..Thankfully, so whenever I can get those parts just swing by and it's done.
On this argument though. I don't have enough experience with revolvers. But, I guess the only down side to semi-autos could be the magazines and FTF's.
I'd still go with the semi-auto though.
On this argument though. I don't have enough experience with revolvers. But, I guess the only down side to semi-autos could be the magazines and FTF's.
I'd still go with the semi-auto though.