I am a revolver guy. Of my many revolvers, most are "range toys". Three of them are for self defense.
When I sleep I have a 4" medium framed 357 near me.
When I CC I prefer my "snub" 44. It has a barrel about 2" long (might be 2.5").
If I am not wearing a coat I carry a snub 38 with a 2" barrel.
They are all more than accurate enough for self defense. I am not a good enough shot to shoot the snubs well at 25 yards, but the 4" is no problem. With any of them hitting a paper plate at seven yards is easy.
The 44 feels good to me. The bullets seem huge compared to 38's. My understanding is that the 32 magnums, 38 specials, 357's, 44's, and 45's (or 9mm) are all effective for SD - with the right ammunition. I like the 44's, but that is just personal preference.
I have revolvers from S&W, Ruger, Taurus, Rossi, Charter Arms, H&R, and various lesser-known makers. I don't care who made them. I just want them to function properly. If they function perfectly for hundreds of rounds, I start to trust them. After several years of that, I am confident that they will go bang every time. That's what matters to me, not who made it or how much it cost.
I have a bunch of semi-automatics. They are all reliable, or I wouldn't keep them. But they can be limp wristed or pushed out of battery. If they malfunctioned in an emergency, it would be MY fault, not the gun's fault. Since I occasionally make a semi-automatic malfunction, and have yet to make a revolver do so, I prefer revolvers for SD. That is just my personal preference. There is nothing wrong with semi-autos. I am an older guy who grew up with revolvers, so it's not surprising that I prefer them.
When I sleep I have a 4" medium framed 357 near me.
When I CC I prefer my "snub" 44. It has a barrel about 2" long (might be 2.5").
If I am not wearing a coat I carry a snub 38 with a 2" barrel.
They are all more than accurate enough for self defense. I am not a good enough shot to shoot the snubs well at 25 yards, but the 4" is no problem. With any of them hitting a paper plate at seven yards is easy.
The 44 feels good to me. The bullets seem huge compared to 38's. My understanding is that the 32 magnums, 38 specials, 357's, 44's, and 45's (or 9mm) are all effective for SD - with the right ammunition. I like the 44's, but that is just personal preference.
I have revolvers from S&W, Ruger, Taurus, Rossi, Charter Arms, H&R, and various lesser-known makers. I don't care who made them. I just want them to function properly. If they function perfectly for hundreds of rounds, I start to trust them. After several years of that, I am confident that they will go bang every time. That's what matters to me, not who made it or how much it cost.
I have a bunch of semi-automatics. They are all reliable, or I wouldn't keep them. But they can be limp wristed or pushed out of battery. If they malfunctioned in an emergency, it would be MY fault, not the gun's fault. Since I occasionally make a semi-automatic malfunction, and have yet to make a revolver do so, I prefer revolvers for SD. That is just my personal preference. There is nothing wrong with semi-autos. I am an older guy who grew up with revolvers, so it's not surprising that I prefer them.
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