for beginning training-revolver or self-loader?

A

Apple a Day

New member
I am borrowing from FUD and some other folks and their questions about revolver versus self-loader accuracy. I have also seen several posts about how (not a flame, just reporting data) LEO accuracy went into the weeds after a switch from 6-shot to 15-round handguns, Turnstiles to Tupperware.
My question is 2-part.
1) does a revolver tend to psychologicaly force the shooter to take more care and shoot more accurately because each shot must count?
2) would YOU recommend a beginner use a revolver or self-laoder for that reason or any other?

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Those who use arms well cultivate the Way and keep the rules.Thus they can govern in such a way as to prevail over the corrupt- Sun Tzu, The Art of War
 
1. No, every shot should always count.
2. Yes, revolvers are the only good start for true newbies...

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God, Guns and Guts made this country a great country!

oberkommando sez:
"We lost the first and third and now they are after the Second!(no pun intended)"
 
Hmmm,

Starting them out with a 7 shot pistol would seem to negate the "every shot must count" vs "I have a bullet hose" BS.

I've found that it's easiest to train someone on a firearm that they like. They have more pride in ownership and are more likely to sit at home and dry fire, or practice sight alignments with it as well.

Revolver or pistol, doesn't matter, both are easy to learn, given decent instruction and no barriers such as "I wish I had bought xxx, like I really wanted, instead of..."

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Make mine lean, mean, and 9x19!
 
When I taught my son to shoot I told him he would get one round at a time so he could learn proper loading and clearing procedures.

IMHO, revolvers are simpler for the newbie to get started, but I'd let them try both.
 
I started out with pistols and it was nearly a decade and a half before I bought and fired my first revolver. Is it harder for a newbie to first learn with a pistol? I don't think so. Should they first start out with a revolver? Yeah. I personally think that pistols are very attractive and people will be naturally drawn to them. Revolvers seem to have less of an appeal to them. As a result, it took a really long side before I was drawn to the other side and when I finally was, I realized that there's a whole other world out here that I've been missing all of these years. A well-rounded person should be exposed to both.
 
This hammerheaded ol coot is going to go contrary to most of my own posts re revolver vs autoloader. Yes, I do prefer revolver for many things but not for initial training of a new shooter.

Gun safety, range manners, grip, sight picture and trigger control are at the top of the list when workin with a newby. Sumpin like a Ruger MK2 is a good starter. They learn safe loading, handling etc. They don't have to cock it to get single action trigger pull and the recoil is negligable.

Workin on the basics with large target up close till the shots start getting consistant, then move the target out a bit and keep doin the same. Keep it fun. Different shooters will progress at diffferent rates.

Not long ago had a very young lady go from the Ruger and wallpaper to small targets with .357 and .45ACP in less than three hours. She went through bout three hundred rounds of assorted intensity and the grin was getting wider by the second. Enjoyment level and attention span were unusual with this one. A monster was created. She had never shot any firearm before. In that short time period she became fairly proficient with MK2, three smith frame sizes and Sig P220.

Wish they were all that easy.

Sam....little ol man with .357 concealed, and other things.
 
I think the best way to approach this question would be maybe to rent both types of guns and shoot them. See which feels better in your hand. See which gun points more naturally. See how you feel about the controls on the Auto. I.E. Safeties and see which one you feel better with. I think that with a revolver there is less to have to remember as far as controls are concerned. But I think that a lot has to do with how you perceive which gun feels better to you. I started out with revolvers and carried them for many years before I took a fancy to auto's. Maybe work with a revolver until you get the hang and have the general idea of what shooting is all about and then maybe try an auto. This way you'll have something to compare with. The right gun is the one you can shoot the best and feel good about. And yes you do tend to be more accurate with a revolver in my opinion because you know that ya don't have that many rounds to work with so you try to do as much as you can with what you have. Course now that's just the way I see it. I'm sure you'll get other opinions too.Kinda sort thru it and then take what you think is worthwhile and try it. Ask the range master or your gun instructor. They are knowlegeable and will try to steer you right. This is just my .02 on the subject. Good luck.

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***Torpedo***
It's a good life if you can survive it!
 
Thanks, folks.
It is too late for me- I have been shooting long enough to develop bad habits. I know a couple of folks who are interested in learning, though, (and not from me) so I am looking for opinions.
I owned a pistol long before I bought a revolver. The easiest, most comfortable handgun I ever shot was a .357 magnum King Cobra owned by a friend. Since I bought a .22 revolver and have been practicing with it I think my skills have improved a good bit. Hmmmmmmm.
David and C.R.Sam you both have really good points about the ease of handling a self-loader. I happened to be casting a coveting eye at a particular MkII with a bull barrel already :)
I will make all of these points should the opportunity present itself. Thanks. Any more input appreciated.

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Those who use arms well cultivate the Way and keep the rules.Thus they can govern in such a way as to prevail over the corrupt- Sun Tzu, The Art of War
 
Beemerb and I took the lady mentioned above to her first shootin. Actually it was Bob's idea, and we both worked with her. We cheated and didn't have to rent anything. We just had our normal stuff plus his Ruger. Think we had two lengths of J frames, two lengths of K frames, one L frame snubby, the Ruger and a Sig. Plus magazines, speed strips, speed loaders and buckets of ammo. We do tend to rattle when we walk and it ain't brains.

Sam..everything has to be somewhere, just not where I'm lookin.
 
Revolver--by which I mean a K frame DA .38/.357 (I use a Security Six, actually). Ideally, match it up with an identical M18 S&W. The manual of arms is obviously easier, simpler, and safer for new shooters. My preferred approach is to teach using these techniques in this order, emphasis, DA, .22 cal: dry fire; load 1 rd., stress basics and strive for perfect hammer falls; same, but 'skip load' with 3 rds in cyl. When this is going very well, repeat all over in centerfire with light loads; and so on. This makes for a very safe, disciplined shooter who is able to monitor their own performance. After all these years I still do most of my practice 'skip loading' because it makes me concentrate and keeps me honest. I started out years and years ago with 1911s--but shooting revolvers made me buckle down and do it right. Finished out my LEO career with a 4" .357 and would feel very comfortable with it all over again. I am not oblivious to the advantages of the semiauto but would only issue them to the 'best of the best' and make them earn the privelege.

Of course, none of this will win popularity contests or sell gun magazines these days.

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I started with automatics, but I noticed that I was better with a revolver back in my newbie days. I believe that the felt recoil is harder in an auto due to the slide coming back. Stovepiping an auto a few times can force someone to have a firm grip though. :)
 
I've been shooting for only 18 months. I purchased six semi-autos prior to purchasing a revolver. I must say that I don't feel somehow out of sorts because I approached handguns in this fashion. Starting my girlfriend on a semi-auto was a big mistake. She was faced with a lack of muscle when it came time to rack the slide, load the magazine, or clean the gun. A revolver is much easier for her to handle. I find the revolver a real challenge. It is more accurate, by far, than any of my other handguns, with the possible exception of my P7M8. The double action is also a real bear to handle. I'm really bad on follow-up shots. So, I would say that it is easier to be proficient with a P7. I'm enjoying practicing with the revolver and trying to master the trigger. I also like the fact that it doesn't spit brass.
 
Whichever is most fun?

If someone finds a gun fun to use, then they'll stick with it long enough to become accurate. I personally found autoloaders more fun than revolvers. Your mileage may vary.

I'm pretty much of a newbie (I have been shooting every other week for about nine months). I really like shooting a SIG P239 in .357 SIG that I rent at the range. I am getting more and more accurate, and I like the "boom."

Munir

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ahlan wa sahlan
PCV Yemen 1984-86
 
1. i don't think it does that to me but it may to some. if people use "spray and pray" then they will of course have a low hit percentage but if they use every round efficiently then i don't think it makes a difference. besides some pistols only hold as much as revolvers.

2. i would recommend a revolver just because they are simpler to learn with since they have less levers to worry about and no safeties to worry about messing with. besides that it doesn't matter.

i have never personally liked revolvers. i have a couple that are fun to shoot at the range but i don't use them for self defense and don't trust myself to use them for self defense either. i trained on pistols. i now am most proficient with a glock over any other gun. on glocks i practice proper trigger reset which means i only let the trigger go forward enough till it resets (only about 1/8") and then i pull the trigger again. this is the correct and best way to fire a glock but if i was firing a DA revolver quickly i worry that i would cause it to malfunction. i worry that i would not let the trigger go forward enough to reset so i use my glocks for defense. i guess i just grew up in the self loading generation; my father likes revolvers a lot but i've never been that interested in them for one reason or another. and to make sure everyone understands what i'm saying i am not insulting revolvers i'm just saying i prefer pistols.

[This message has been edited by Russell92 (edited September 15, 2000).]
 
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