In general, are revolvers more accurate than pistols?
- Thread starter FUD
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well are you talking the accuracy of the gun in a ransom rest or such or the useable accuracy when held in your hands?
What type of pistols is he comparing to what type of revolvers?
Good trigger, good sights, and longer sight radius will all aid in the shootability of a handgun.
IMO a revolver on average will be less accurate mechanically than a pistol because of the complexity of the multiple chambers needing to index the exact same way for the revolver. But revolvers are often more ergonomically accurate because they tend to have a fair to good SA trigger and longer sight radius compared to autos.
While I don't care for Ayoob much anymore he does get to shoot a LOT. Like Clint Smith, Chuck Taylor, and others. I suspect that whatever gun a person likes to shoot will get shot more often, and you would tend to shoot it better because of more time with it.
For myself I know at 50 yards [ie 150 feet] from kneeling I shot the same with my Glock 21 as I did with my Ruger Security Six [in SA mode]. I have a friend who has a loaded Springfield 1911 that he done just a bit of polishing on [he works at a gun shop] and I know if I shot that gun much at all I could shoot it as well at 75 yards as I do the Glock 21 or Ruger Security Six at 50. Just because the trigger is so much better.
YMMV
[This message has been edited by Glamdring (edited September 12, 2000).]
What type of pistols is he comparing to what type of revolvers?
Good trigger, good sights, and longer sight radius will all aid in the shootability of a handgun.
IMO a revolver on average will be less accurate mechanically than a pistol because of the complexity of the multiple chambers needing to index the exact same way for the revolver. But revolvers are often more ergonomically accurate because they tend to have a fair to good SA trigger and longer sight radius compared to autos.
While I don't care for Ayoob much anymore he does get to shoot a LOT. Like Clint Smith, Chuck Taylor, and others. I suspect that whatever gun a person likes to shoot will get shot more often, and you would tend to shoot it better because of more time with it.
For myself I know at 50 yards [ie 150 feet] from kneeling I shot the same with my Glock 21 as I did with my Ruger Security Six [in SA mode]. I have a friend who has a loaded Springfield 1911 that he done just a bit of polishing on [he works at a gun shop] and I know if I shot that gun much at all I could shoot it as well at 75 yards as I do the Glock 21 or Ruger Security Six at 50. Just because the trigger is so much better.
YMMV
[This message has been edited by Glamdring (edited September 12, 2000).]
Quantum Singularity
New member
Yes, CENTERFIRE revolvers are more accurate than CENTERFIRE pistols, but not significantly. IMO, this general rule does not apply to rimfires...
I have had several K series Smiths that were every bit as accurate as any ISU autoloader. The accuracy of the last two vetted by a world class shooter.
Main difference was the wheelguns were over the counter as opposed to special order, and 500 to a thousand bucks more for competitive autoloaders.
Sam....what you mean it's late, its tween knaps.
[This message has been edited by C.R.Sam (edited September 12, 2000).]
Main difference was the wheelguns were over the counter as opposed to special order, and 500 to a thousand bucks more for competitive autoloaders.
Sam....what you mean it's late, its tween knaps.
[This message has been edited by C.R.Sam (edited September 12, 2000).]
Are you guys kidding?
A semi-automatic pistol is inherently more accurate than a revolver. When was the last time you saw a hammerli or walther revolver? The simple fact is that a pistol action pushes a bullet into a single barrel and chamber area. No cylinder/barrel gap and a single chamber, not 6 that can't line up exactly the same for every shot.
The inaccuracy of a pistol comes from the barrel and slide lock up. With a revolver, the sights/scope are mounted directly to a fixed barrel thus maintaining consistent sight to barrel alignment from shot to shot. On most pistols, the sights/scope are mounted to the slide or frame rather than the barrel thus creating the "inaccuracy" most often associated with pistols over revolers. Thats why the most accurate non-single-shot guns like walthers and hammerlis have sights mounted directly to a non moving barrel.
A semi-automatic pistol is inherently more accurate than a revolver. When was the last time you saw a hammerli or walther revolver? The simple fact is that a pistol action pushes a bullet into a single barrel and chamber area. No cylinder/barrel gap and a single chamber, not 6 that can't line up exactly the same for every shot.
The inaccuracy of a pistol comes from the barrel and slide lock up. With a revolver, the sights/scope are mounted directly to a fixed barrel thus maintaining consistent sight to barrel alignment from shot to shot. On most pistols, the sights/scope are mounted to the slide or frame rather than the barrel thus creating the "inaccuracy" most often associated with pistols over revolers. Thats why the most accurate non-single-shot guns like walthers and hammerlis have sights mounted directly to a non moving barrel.
Old question with no clear answer. IMHO, I believe an out of box revolver is more accurate than an out of box pistol. My guess would be the revolver needs tighter tolerances to function, and that leads to better accuracy. Autos need to have some looseness for reliability vs a revolvers need for tightness to be reliable.
One thing I know for certain is that it took me close to 100 times the number of rounds from a pistol to equal what I could do with a revolver.
[This message has been edited by RAE (edited September 12, 2000).]
One thing I know for certain is that it took me close to 100 times the number of rounds from a pistol to equal what I could do with a revolver.
[This message has been edited by RAE (edited September 12, 2000).]
>>No cylinder/barrel gap and a single chamber, not 6 that can't line up exactly the same for every shot.<<
I may be wrong on this, but as long as each chamber in the cylinder isn't too far out of line with barrel, won't the barrel straighten out the trajectory of the bullet? Just a thought!
I may be wrong on this, but as long as each chamber in the cylinder isn't too far out of line with barrel, won't the barrel straighten out the trajectory of the bullet? Just a thought!
I think replies to this thread indicate who around here has apparently never owned a quality revolver. Cheers to whomever mentioned a K-frame X&X revolver! 
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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)"
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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)"
Note that .22lr semi-auto pistols have fixed barrels. These guns are quite accurate. Now look at a large caliber semi-auto. Most of them have a barrel which moves during firing. The accuracy of the large caliber semi-auto thus depends, in large part, upon how accurately and consistently the barrel locks up.
In contrast, revolvers have fixed barrels. Thus your typical large caliber revolver shot from a rest is more accurate than a large caliber pistol shot from a rest. Whether or not you can take advantage of that accuracy shooting offhand is a different matter entirely.
M1911
In contrast, revolvers have fixed barrels. Thus your typical large caliber revolver shot from a rest is more accurate than a large caliber pistol shot from a rest. Whether or not you can take advantage of that accuracy shooting offhand is a different matter entirely.
M1911
The average new S&W, Ruger, or Colt revolver will eat the average new autoloaders breakfast, dinner, and supper, hands down, no contest! One has to spend a bunch of money to bring the auto's accuracy level up to an average sixgun's level.The Freedom Arms revolvers will outshoot any HIGH GRADE target autoloader at any distance; my FA 252 will shoot into 1" at 100yds EASY. Sorry shellshuckers, these are the facts of life. TM
Well... take a look at what the winning Bullseye shooters use, also the type of handguns used by the folks in the Olympics.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a revolver lover, but the fact that world class shooters almost never use anything other than a autoloader tells me something...
Joe
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Go NRA
[This message has been edited by JoeHatley (edited September 12, 2000).]
Don't get me wrong, I'm a revolver lover, but the fact that world class shooters almost never use anything other than a autoloader tells me something...
Joe
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Go NRA
[This message has been edited by JoeHatley (edited September 12, 2000).]
juliet charley
New member
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JoeHatley:
Well... take a look at what the winning Bullseye shooters use, also the type of handguns used by the folks in the Olympics.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a revolver lover, but the fact that world class shooters almost never use anything other than a autoloader tells me something...
Joe
[/quote]
But Joe - you have missed the point entirely.
We are talking about out of the box service handguns--not specialized competition rigs. Day-in, day-out, an out of the box revolver will circles around a pistol particularly at longer ranges which is where this thread started (and I have had some very accurate pistols). For example, just last month, my beat up old N-frame (Model 28) sent my brother (G31) and son-in-law (tricked out Gold Cup) home in tears when we moved to longer ranges.
Well... take a look at what the winning Bullseye shooters use, also the type of handguns used by the folks in the Olympics.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a revolver lover, but the fact that world class shooters almost never use anything other than a autoloader tells me something...
Joe
[/quote]
But Joe - you have missed the point entirely.
We are talking about out of the box service handguns--not specialized competition rigs. Day-in, day-out, an out of the box revolver will circles around a pistol particularly at longer ranges which is where this thread started (and I have had some very accurate pistols). For example, just last month, my beat up old N-frame (Model 28) sent my brother (G31) and son-in-law (tricked out Gold Cup) home in tears when we moved to longer ranges.
Looks like I stirred the pot by comparing Smith K series with ISU pistols. I will get mere specific. These two stock revolvers were compared with and deemed equal to Pardidi, Walther and Hammerli by a shooter with two National Championships and a World Cup bronze. The autoloaders were used in higher level matches because of MONEY. When a manufacturer offers gun, suppport for the gun, thousands to use it and thousands in contingincy money for each match....and their gun is good enough, that is enough incentive to go with that manufacturer.
For target work; equal to, not better than.
Back to the main concept, I hold that the average, quality, stock revolver is generaly more accurate than the average, stock autoloader. Of course when they are close, the quality of the shooter will make the difference in the scores. I will include all calibers in that statement.
Sam...I have been wrong but never humble.
For target work; equal to, not better than.
Back to the main concept, I hold that the average, quality, stock revolver is generaly more accurate than the average, stock autoloader. Of course when they are close, the quality of the shooter will make the difference in the scores. I will include all calibers in that statement.
Sam...I have been wrong but never humble.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>The autoloaders were used in higher level matches because of MONEY. When a manufacturer offers gun, suppport for the gun, thousands to use it and thousands in contingincy money for each match....and their gun is good enough, that is enough incentive to go with that manufacturer.[/quote]
Really? So the autoloader manufacturers are giving thousands of dollars to competitive shooters, but the revolver manufacturers aren't? I didn't realize that Pardini had so much more money to spend than S&W does.
I've competed against and talked with some of the top pistol marksmen in the United States and none of them has ever mentioned getting so much as a dime in sponsorship money from any pistol manufacturer. ISSF and NRA bullseye shooting isn't NASCAR; the companies that make the guns and ammo don't have much money and they don't expect legions of loyal fans to buy whatever the favorite shooters use.
The real reason that revolvers have fallen from favor in Olympic-style shooting is that they're hard to shoot in sustained fire. That's it -- it's not an accuracy issue.
Really? So the autoloader manufacturers are giving thousands of dollars to competitive shooters, but the revolver manufacturers aren't? I didn't realize that Pardini had so much more money to spend than S&W does.
I've competed against and talked with some of the top pistol marksmen in the United States and none of them has ever mentioned getting so much as a dime in sponsorship money from any pistol manufacturer. ISSF and NRA bullseye shooting isn't NASCAR; the companies that make the guns and ammo don't have much money and they don't expect legions of loyal fans to buy whatever the favorite shooters use.
The real reason that revolvers have fallen from favor in Olympic-style shooting is that they're hard to shoot in sustained fire. That's it -- it's not an accuracy issue.
Quantum Singularity
New member
Another thing to think about...
The DA trigger on most revolvers is not that good (with the Smith 686/686 plus being the exception). Even though (I agree centerfire revolvers are inherently more accurate than centerfire s.auto pistols), I still shoot most s.auto pistols better (since most of the shooting is done single action). Ruger in particular has poor double action triggers on the GP100 which throws its great accuracy off...unless of course you pull the hammer back for every shot (which is a pain in the a$$).
The DA trigger on most revolvers is not that good (with the Smith 686/686 plus being the exception). Even though (I agree centerfire revolvers are inherently more accurate than centerfire s.auto pistols), I still shoot most s.auto pistols better (since most of the shooting is done single action). Ruger in particular has poor double action triggers on the GP100 which throws its great accuracy off...unless of course you pull the hammer back for every shot (which is a pain in the a$$).
You are right, not an accuracy issue.
Ruger was adequate for the learning curve but would not give any support whatsoever. Pardidi was used to get furthur up the ladder but very little support. Pardini was good enough for first national gold. Then either Walther or Hammerli kicked in (don't remember which) with 3,000/year, plus gun, plus contingincy money. World cup money good, world cup finals money VERY good. Also Federal kicked in with unlimited supply of ammo of choice. Strange, federal supposedly did not supply ammo for Kim Rhode, smoothbore gold in Olympics. According to her dad they were buying their own ammo.
Years ago I did get shotshells from Federal as contingincy.
Sam
Ruger was adequate for the learning curve but would not give any support whatsoever. Pardidi was used to get furthur up the ladder but very little support. Pardini was good enough for first national gold. Then either Walther or Hammerli kicked in (don't remember which) with 3,000/year, plus gun, plus contingincy money. World cup money good, world cup finals money VERY good. Also Federal kicked in with unlimited supply of ammo of choice. Strange, federal supposedly did not supply ammo for Kim Rhode, smoothbore gold in Olympics. According to her dad they were buying their own ammo.
Years ago I did get shotshells from Federal as contingincy.
Sam