..here is my opinion...the Colt Gov't 45 is my favorite automatic..PERIOD!...I am looking into getting a second Gov't 45 and a 38 Super...BUT, the gun I chose for carrying (when I am inclined to do so)..is a Colt Detective Special 38...unless I am headed for a fight, I don't want to lug a 2 1/2 lb gun around with me consistantly....and another revolver I LOVE to shoot is a 4" bbl Colt Official Police...also 38 special...I will never agree with anyone who argues that the 38 is not worth consideration for defense...it is user-friendly to the shooter yet unfriendly to those who are shot....easily my favorite center-fire pistol cartridge to shoot...
i got a 1911 want to shift to 38 revolver...can u consider this as downgrade?
- Thread starter shotokan99
- Start date
My feelings exactly on all three of those guns aspen1964. I have a 1911 A1 SA. Fine gun. 1911 my fav auto as far as they go. But I am more of a revolver man. Prefer the Colt OP and for backup and sometimes convenience I carry the Colt DS.
Revolvers are simple. Less likely to jam. ready to go. misfires aren't a problem, just pull the trigger and go to the next chamber. .38 special is a fine round. Doesn't have a hard recoil like a .45 but generally has enough stopping power to get the job done....especially if you have the right kind of bullet.
Revolvers are simple. Less likely to jam. ready to go. misfires aren't a problem, just pull the trigger and go to the next chamber. .38 special is a fine round. Doesn't have a hard recoil like a .45 but generally has enough stopping power to get the job done....especially if you have the right kind of bullet.
agree'd...revolvers are generally more beautiful in design...more interesting and intricate in their operation...the Colt SAA is among the highest end of this scale...but I have a dislike for blocky-looking six-guns(i.e vented barrels)..ick!!..there are several models of revolvers I wish to buy..but the only center-fire auto I like is the 1911..so I prefer revolvers myself I guess...and although the 357 IS an impressive round...I ENJOY shooting the 38 hundreds at a time...
shotokan99
New member
as far i know colt 45 govt model was develop during the conflict in philippines. GIs before were issued w/ 38 revo. but their problem is, if they are attack by the natives armed w/ bolo their 38 cant stop the attacker right away.
due to this, the army developed 45. why is it most folks in the gun store recommend semi-autos compared to revo?
due to this, the army developed 45. why is it most folks in the gun store recommend semi-autos compared to revo?
true..except the 38 you are referring to was not the 38 Special but I believe the 38 Colt which was a indeed a weak, rather ineffective cartridge for combat...and remember that military(war) situations are not the same as the civillian who may encounter a criminal attack...if I was headed for a battle then I would want my 45..but for the chance encounter with a lone assailant...then something effective yet not cumbersome is more desired...
tanksoldier
New member
<<tanksoldier..1911 is outstanding gun in terms of what? is it ur way of saying that 1911 is above the rest?>>
So, are you looking for an argument, or what? I think you have 1911 envy.
The 1911 design is one of the classic handgun designs of all time. That is an undeniable fact, regardless of whether you happen to like them yourself or not. It's effectiveness has been proven on battlefields, in LE service and in the hands of private citizens for nearly a century.
Whether any particular person NEEDS a 1911, whether that is the best gun for them or something else would serve better, is a decision best left to that person. I carry a Ruger Speed Six in .357, as I mention above.
So, are you looking for an argument, or what? I think you have 1911 envy.
The 1911 design is one of the classic handgun designs of all time. That is an undeniable fact, regardless of whether you happen to like them yourself or not. It's effectiveness has been proven on battlefields, in LE service and in the hands of private citizens for nearly a century.
Whether any particular person NEEDS a 1911, whether that is the best gun for them or something else would serve better, is a decision best left to that person. I carry a Ruger Speed Six in .357, as I mention above.
shotokan99
New member
so it still goes back to 1911..
what are the weaknesses of revo?
what are the weaknesses of revo?
In addition to that, not only was it a .38 Colt, it was also a .38 Colt Lead Round Nose. There are plenty of .38 Special (more power) and .38+P rounds (even more powerful) to choose from that cause more damage today than back during the Phillippine Insurrection. Hollowpoints and Hydrashoks mushroom and tear into flesh making a bigger hole. Glasers and Magtech release fragments into the body after penetration to ensure stopping power.
Shoto, I would say one reason gun stores (not all of them) might suggest semi autos over revolvers is because....semi autos cost more and will make them more money if they can push it on you...like a car dealer
. But seriously, I've met gun dealers, smiths and policemen who are of the opinion that the revolver is the ideal defense weapon for the reasons already stated. I think we are in a faddish age where the semi auto looks cool and this notion that people "feel" undergunned with a revolver comes from movies and tv that have Mel and Keanu spraying and praying all over the place. Personally, like aspen, I think the revolver looks cool in its own way. Has more history behind it and has more of a story to tell. Then so do some of the autos (like the 1911 which is probably why I like it so much)If possible keep em both! I like my series 70, but there's times my S&W 38 snubby is the ticket. I've found that ever you get it's always a trade off anyway. The 45 acp has more stopping power but is heavy. The snubs lack the velocity but are easy to carry. Then again my kid has a glock that I can see the sights on and the 40 S&W is a decent cartidge, also not hard to conceal. Hell now you have me thinking I need something new! Anyone know how long the spouses stay in Xmas mode? Sure hate to see eveything go at a garage sale after my untimely demise.
revolver a down grade from a 1911
I think the 1911 it is a fine gun for the range or home defense, but, even though it is safe for concealed carry cocked and locked, I always feel a little nervous carrying one concealed. I like J frame Smith & Wessons (642 or 442) because they are safe and dependable. So are you down-grading....who cares? What you carry should fit your needs. I want to carry the safest, most dependable, most concealable gun I can, so I carry a 442 and/or a HK P7M8. These guns fit my needs.
On a closing note, .357 J frames are brutal to shoot! I don't see the value of paying $300 more for a gun 5 ounces lighter either. Load it up with .357 and the weight difference shrinks compared to a 442 with .38+p's. Also, putting .38's in a .357 just seens foolish to me. Why not buy a .38+p in the first place? If you want to spend the extra money, get some crimson trace laser grips on a 642 or 442. People will notice.
I think the 1911 it is a fine gun for the range or home defense, but, even though it is safe for concealed carry cocked and locked, I always feel a little nervous carrying one concealed. I like J frame Smith & Wessons (642 or 442) because they are safe and dependable. So are you down-grading....who cares? What you carry should fit your needs. I want to carry the safest, most dependable, most concealable gun I can, so I carry a 442 and/or a HK P7M8. These guns fit my needs.
On a closing note, .357 J frames are brutal to shoot! I don't see the value of paying $300 more for a gun 5 ounces lighter either. Load it up with .357 and the weight difference shrinks compared to a 442 with .38+p's. Also, putting .38's in a .357 just seens foolish to me. Why not buy a .38+p in the first place? If you want to spend the extra money, get some crimson trace laser grips on a 642 or 442. People will notice.
shooter429
Moderator
are simpler and generally more reliable than autos. Dont get me wrong, I sorta like em all, but the wheelgun has some great plusses.
First, lets talk gun safety. To load the wheel gun, you open cylinder, insert rounds, close cylinder. Gun is loaded and ready to fire.
1911 goes Feed rounds into clip. Retract slide and lock it open. Insert loaded clip into gun. Release slide. Set safety or try to decock the thing with your thumb. LOL Be veerryRevolvers careful.
Check loaded condition of revolver-look at cylinder.
Check loaded status of 1911 retract slide slightly or look for the teeny weenie loaded chamber indicator on some models.
Since we all know how the drills go, I wont bore you. The revolver is easier for beginners. The revolver is safer for beginners. The revolver is much easier to keep running regardless of brand/type of ammo used or how lightly you oiled the thing.
If the revolver were a computer, It would be one of those all in one, easy, fun I Macs
.45s take lots of work, money and practice.
Get an American-made mid-frame .357 Magnum and you won't look
back
First, lets talk gun safety. To load the wheel gun, you open cylinder, insert rounds, close cylinder. Gun is loaded and ready to fire.
1911 goes Feed rounds into clip. Retract slide and lock it open. Insert loaded clip into gun. Release slide. Set safety or try to decock the thing with your thumb. LOL Be veerryRevolvers careful.
Check loaded condition of revolver-look at cylinder.
Check loaded status of 1911 retract slide slightly or look for the teeny weenie loaded chamber indicator on some models.
Since we all know how the drills go, I wont bore you. The revolver is easier for beginners. The revolver is safer for beginners. The revolver is much easier to keep running regardless of brand/type of ammo used or how lightly you oiled the thing.
If the revolver were a computer, It would be one of those all in one, easy, fun I Macs
.45s take lots of work, money and practice.
Get an American-made mid-frame .357 Magnum and you won't look
back
.38 spl is a great gun
I have a new baby in the house... a S&W M37 .38 special, and it shoots VERY well. It has the hammer, so I can shoot it SA or DA, and I put about 175 rounds through it today without a hitch. LOVE IT.
I also love hubster's new baby...new 1911 A-1 SA. I bought it for him not because he thinks he's hot stuff and better than everybody or whatever, but because it is exactly like his dad carried in WW II. He enjoys shooting it, it reminds him (both of us) of his late dad, and it'll knock back hogs if we're out hunting or fishing and find ourselves looking at a set of ugly tusks. :barf:
And I love my XD-40. Nice, rarely chokes on even WWB (but does occasionally...)
My feeling was that one semi- with a nice big magazine full of nasty big bullets and a revolver as a BUG and as a primary carry during the warm months (most of the year here in Texas) is a good combination.
I wouldn't get rid of the 1911; I'd just add a .38 snubbie to the mix!
Springmom
I have a new baby in the house... a S&W M37 .38 special, and it shoots VERY well. It has the hammer, so I can shoot it SA or DA, and I put about 175 rounds through it today without a hitch. LOVE IT.
I also love hubster's new baby...new 1911 A-1 SA. I bought it for him not because he thinks he's hot stuff and better than everybody or whatever, but because it is exactly like his dad carried in WW II. He enjoys shooting it, it reminds him (both of us) of his late dad, and it'll knock back hogs if we're out hunting or fishing and find ourselves looking at a set of ugly tusks. :barf:
And I love my XD-40. Nice, rarely chokes on even WWB (but does occasionally...)
My feeling was that one semi- with a nice big magazine full of nasty big bullets
and a revolver as a BUG and as a primary carry during the warm months (most of the year here in Texas) is a good combination.I wouldn't get rid of the 1911; I'd just add a .38 snubbie to the mix!
Springmom
I love revolvers. But I sounds like someone needs to defend the good old 1911, so I'll do it (easy on the flames, folks )
We'll start with the round. The .45 ACP is a great round. The 230 grain .45 ACP hits hard and penetrates very well. Yeah, I know, the 158 grain .357 Mag is awesome, but it will have a lot more noise, flash, and recoil. And shooting a .357 mag out of a snubbie revolver? Ouch. You won't want to practice much, and those rounds are hard on a snubbie revolver. Expansion is less of a worry with the .45. After all, it is a .45, so even if it doesn't expand, you're still starting with a pretty big hole in the first place.
Now we'll go to the trigger. You can ask Springmom about the advantage of a single-action trigger. With the 1911, you get the same light, crisp single-action trigger for every shot. I know that you have this option with a revolver, but in a crisis situation, you may be more likely to shoot the revolver double-action if you've gotta shoot quick. Generally, most shoot more accurately with single-action compared to double-action.
How about capacity and reloading? With the 1911, you have 9 shots instead of only 6. This may be a factor if you are facing multiple threats who are shooting at you. And the 1911 lets you know when it is empty by locking back the slide. Then you simply hit a button, slam in your next mag, and release the slide -- and you're right back in the fight. Compare to the revolver: you realize that your gun is out when it goes "click" (you lost count while you were shooting and being shot at). Then you hit the latch (admittedly not any harder to hit a cylinder release latch than a magazine release), eject the empties, and load six rounds. I hope you have a speed loader, and that you aren't trying to twist when you should push (or the other way around); plus, you have to be more precise to line up those six rounds exactly right w/the holes in the cylinder. Now swing the cylinder back into the gun, and you are finally ready to re-engage. In the (seemingly forever) amount of time it took you to reload that revolver, I've already shot through my second mag of .45s.
Ease to conceal: on good thing about the 1911 -- it is flat without that bulging cylinder.
Reliability? A gun (whether semi or revolver) is either reliable, or it ain't. If I've taken the responsibility to legally carry concealed, I've made sure that whatever type of gun I'm carrying goes bang every time with the kind of ammo that I carry. And don't make the mistake of thinking that a revolver can never fail to shoot. Cylinders can bind. Mainsprings can break. And those pesky internal locks in the snubbies can engage at exactly the worst time.
O.K. I've done the best devil's-advocate job that I can here. Now be nice!
)We'll start with the round. The .45 ACP is a great round. The 230 grain .45 ACP hits hard and penetrates very well. Yeah, I know, the 158 grain .357 Mag is awesome, but it will have a lot more noise, flash, and recoil. And shooting a .357 mag out of a snubbie revolver? Ouch. You won't want to practice much, and those rounds are hard on a snubbie revolver. Expansion is less of a worry with the .45. After all, it is a .45, so even if it doesn't expand, you're still starting with a pretty big hole in the first place.
Now we'll go to the trigger. You can ask Springmom about the advantage of a single-action trigger. With the 1911, you get the same light, crisp single-action trigger for every shot. I know that you have this option with a revolver, but in a crisis situation, you may be more likely to shoot the revolver double-action if you've gotta shoot quick. Generally, most shoot more accurately with single-action compared to double-action.
How about capacity and reloading? With the 1911, you have 9 shots instead of only 6. This may be a factor if you are facing multiple threats who are shooting at you. And the 1911 lets you know when it is empty by locking back the slide. Then you simply hit a button, slam in your next mag, and release the slide -- and you're right back in the fight. Compare to the revolver: you realize that your gun is out when it goes "click" (you lost count while you were shooting and being shot at). Then you hit the latch (admittedly not any harder to hit a cylinder release latch than a magazine release), eject the empties, and load six rounds. I hope you have a speed loader, and that you aren't trying to twist when you should push (or the other way around); plus, you have to be more precise to line up those six rounds exactly right w/the holes in the cylinder. Now swing the cylinder back into the gun, and you are finally ready to re-engage. In the (seemingly forever) amount of time it took you to reload that revolver, I've already shot through my second mag of .45s.
Ease to conceal: on good thing about the 1911 -- it is flat without that bulging cylinder.
Reliability? A gun (whether semi or revolver) is either reliable, or it ain't. If I've taken the responsibility to legally carry concealed, I've made sure that whatever type of gun I'm carrying goes bang every time with the kind of ammo that I carry. And don't make the mistake of thinking that a revolver can never fail to shoot. Cylinders can bind. Mainsprings can break. And those pesky internal locks in the snubbies can engage at exactly the worst time.
O.K. I've done the best devil's-advocate job that I can here. Now be nice!
1911 downgrade
1911's jam. Revolvers don't jam. 1911's have a grip and a thumb safty. With a revolver, you pull the trigger.
There is a video shown sometimes on TV of a jewlery store owner confronting a robber who has a revolver. The store owner has a 1911. In his panic, he forgot to thumb-down the saftey. He was shot a few times for his mistake.
Learn the lesson?
1911's jam. Revolvers don't jam. 1911's have a grip and a thumb safty. With a revolver, you pull the trigger.
There is a video shown sometimes on TV of a jewlery store owner confronting a robber who has a revolver. The store owner has a 1911. In his panic, he forgot to thumb-down the saftey. He was shot a few times for his mistake.
Learn the lesson?
shotokan99
New member
it appears that revo is very very much reliable compared to autos, but why is it semi-autos are very much in demand ..and most folks prefer auto than revo. can you consider them blind follower?
Okay - I'll play
Shotokan-
To attempt to answer this one question: IMHO people prefer autos over revolvers for several reasons.
1) Higher capacity.
2) Can go bang faster and more times (back to no. 1).
3) Are cool (must be, because Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson used them, and even Dirty Harry finally used a .44 automag).
4) Marketing sells. Face it, revolvers are fairly utilitarian. Can change the grips and that's about it. But with an auto, you can change out the grips, the springs, magnaport it, add a light rail, get aftermarket this and aftermarket that, etc. So more advertising $$ get spent on the autos because there are more bells and whistles to be sold, i.e. more profit to be made.
_______________________________
Now then. The question that keeps getting bantered about. Which is better. The one you are comfortable carrying and shooting. For the purpose you are carrying and shooting it.
Personally, I shoot my 4" Model 66 S&W .357 (1985) better than all my other handguns. But it is my only revolver (so far). I have more autos, and half of them are more carriable (is that a word?) than the Smith, so if I carry, it will be one of those. The other half? Too big for me to cc, or are .22 Rugers.
The next one? Hopefully a small, concealable airweight class .38+p. I like the .45 ACP just fine, but I can't carry it concealed. It's simply too big on my frame. The snubby I can (or I think I'll be able to anyway).
If you can, keep the 1911 to play with at the range and get something you are comfortable shooting and can hit your targets with. If not, make the trade. An expensive paperweight in the safe is worthless to you. Take the loss and move on.
Shotokan-
To attempt to answer this one question: IMHO people prefer autos over revolvers for several reasons.
1) Higher capacity.
2) Can go bang faster and more times (back to no. 1).
3) Are cool (must be, because Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson used them, and even Dirty Harry finally used a .44 automag).
4) Marketing sells. Face it, revolvers are fairly utilitarian. Can change the grips and that's about it. But with an auto, you can change out the grips, the springs, magnaport it, add a light rail, get aftermarket this and aftermarket that, etc. So more advertising $$ get spent on the autos because there are more bells and whistles to be sold, i.e. more profit to be made.
_______________________________
Now then. The question that keeps getting bantered about. Which is better. The one you are comfortable carrying and shooting. For the purpose you are carrying and shooting it.
Personally, I shoot my 4" Model 66 S&W .357 (1985) better than all my other handguns. But it is my only revolver (so far). I have more autos, and half of them are more carriable (is that a word?) than the Smith, so if I carry, it will be one of those. The other half? Too big for me to cc, or are .22 Rugers.
The next one? Hopefully a small, concealable airweight class .38+p. I like the .45 ACP just fine, but I can't carry it concealed. It's simply too big on my frame. The snubby I can (or I think I'll be able to anyway).
If you can, keep the 1911 to play with at the range and get something you are comfortable shooting and can hit your targets with. If not, make the trade. An expensive paperweight in the safe is worthless to you. Take the loss and move on.
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