Is it time to put revolvers in the museum?

Nope. I see no practical use for a semi-auto for what I do :) . In fact I don't see any practical use for Double Action revolvers either ;) . Give me a Single Action any day for hiking, fishing, hunting, varminting, target shooting, and even house Defense. I carry a DA CA Bulldog only because of the nice form factor for CC. The only semi-auto that is remotely interested is the 1911 and only because of its historical aspect. How's that for a response :D . Glad we have 'choices'!!!!! Oh, if I was military or LE ... then I could visualize a need for DA or Semi-auto.... Ready for museum? Don't think so.....
 
I guess what you say is correct. If you have the attention span of a house plant and assume that I can't hit anything with my first six shots like you can't with your automatic.

I can't imagine why this thread was moved instead of locked.
 
MonsterB said:
Can you shoot multiple rounds with your semi in the pocket, like you can with a revolver? Ever limpwristed a semi, or heard of anyone saying they did? Ever get a stovepipe with a revolver? Or a failure for the slide to lock back, or a double feed, weak mag spring, bad follower, or brass in the face with a revolver? There are plenty of reasons and justification for carrying a revolver. Pocket 9's have not replaced the revolver, in many cases they hold the same or similar capacity, are more reliable, and easier and more comfortable to shoot than any 9mm that will actually fit in your pocket. I think revolvers, like 1911's, are'nt going anywhere, and still have a very secure place in the shooting world. The fact that the cops or whoever else carry semi's doesnt necessarily transfer to the ccw population, or the shooting enthusiasts.
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I am a cop. I work a plainclothes assignment and I carry a Glock 23 every single day, on duty or off. I don't carry guns in my pockets, but in the rare occasion I need something significantly smaller than my 23, I default to a small 9mm. I don't limp wrist either. Even my Kel Tec PF-9 is more comfortable to shoot than my J-frame (while also holding three more rounds and reloading a lot faster), and yes it will comfortably fit in a pocket, of I ever needed it to. And if the need to fire from a pocket arises, I'm probably going to be hands on well before then anyway, not worrying about how many rounds I can get off from the pocket.

My very first statement was that FOR MY NEEDS revolvers are obsolete. Your response does nothing to dissuade me of that opinion.
 
I am a cop. I work a plainclothes assignment and I carry a Glock 23 every single day, on duty or off. I don't carry guns in my pockets, but in the rare occasion I need something significantly smaller than my 23, I default to a small 9mm. I don't limp wrist either. Even my Kel Tec PF-9 is more comfortable to shoot than my J-frame (while also holding three more rounds and reloading a lot faster), and yes it will comfortably fit in a pocket, of I ever needed it to. And if the need to fire from a pocket arises, I'm probably going to be hands on well before then anyway, not worrying about how many rounds I can get off from the pocket.

My very first statement was that FOR MY NEEDS revolvers are obsolete. Your response does nothing to dissuade me of that opinion.
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Alrighty, then! I appreciate your expressing your opinion with some good examples of how it was formed. In my post, I was giving some examples of how a revolver can be a benefit in todays world, for someone not necessarily in your shoes. Everyone has different needs, places of living, dangers, etc, so the right gun is going to be different for everyone, in a way. I believe what it comes down to is many times which gun a person is most proficient with, and for some, that may be a revolver. This thread was about whether its time to retire the revolvers, and I absolutely dont think so. A trained person is very capable of defending themselves with a revolver, and with that in mind, they are still a valid choice.
I also carry a Glock23, its my primary carry gun, and my j frame is the bug. When I dont have the g23 with me, the 37 is either in my pocket or on my belt. It allows me to have a gun when having the g23 would be difficult. I think my revolver has an important role and Im glad I have it.
 
I am a cop. I work a plainclothes assignment and I carry a Glock 23 every single day, on duty or off. I don't carry guns in my pockets, but in the rare occasion I need something significantly smaller than my 23, I default to a small 9mm. I don't limp wrist either. Even my Kel Tec PF-9 is more comfortable to shoot than my J-frame (while also holding three more rounds and reloading a lot faster), and yes it will comfortably fit in a pocket, of I ever needed it to. And if the need to fire from a pocket arises, I'm probably going to be hands on well before then anyway, not worrying about how many rounds I can get off from the pocket.

My very first statement was that FOR MY NEEDS revolvers are obsolete. Your response does nothing to dissuade me of that opinion.
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And I agree with you. For your situation I would go the same way. I think the OP just wanted to stir the pot a bit. I should have had better sense to even respond. I don't usually take the bait like I did.
 
jglsprings said:
And I agree with you. For your situation I would go the same way. I think the OP just wanted to stir the pot a bit. I should have had better sense to even respond. I don't usually take the bait like I did.
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I know what you mean... I get that feeling a lot too. And I should also say that I probably didn't read all of the OP or many of the responses. Sometimes I get a little ahead of myself.
 
For personal defense the revolvers offer no advantages.
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jmr40 I can think of one large advantage a revolver has over the auto for personal defense. I even read the same opinion from Massad Ayoob.

If someone is in your face or on top of you and you jam an auto in thier gut you just might push the auto out of battery and it will not fire. On the other hand you can poke someone in the ribs as hard as you want and the revolver will still fire. Ayoob also made the point that if you do fire the auto that there is a chance it will be clogged with blood and meat after the first shot. The revolver should keep right on cycling. To me thats a real advantage.

I shoot lots of 38 in my 357s. When I get home I spray a small amount of WD-40 in each cylinder. I let it sit for a couple of hours of even till the next day. WD-40 is a pentrating oil and will soften the dried carbon so that most times it brushes right out without a lot of work. Works for me anyway.

And to the OP. I operate a non profit museum right here out of my house. If you want to send those outdated revolvers to me on permanent loan I will be glad to take them. You can even send them to me dirty. Cleaning them will be a pleasure. You can visit them any time you are in the area.
 
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In my opinion, quality "pocket nines" have sufficiently negated the J-frame type guns and I think that the plethora of quality service/ duty semi autos did the same for service revolvers a LONG time ago.
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The problem with "pocket nines" is that there is no free lunch and the reduction in size comes at a certain cost. Nearly all the "pocket nines" on the market use a locked-breech design of some sort with the most common being the Browning-type tilting barrel. For a given action type and size of cartridge, there is a certain amount of space necessary for the gun to work. Because of this, the way in which semi-autos in service cartridges like 9mm, .357 Sig, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP are miniaturized is to essentially shorten the barrel/slide assembly and/or the grip.

Shortening those dimensions creates a number of potential reliability problems. A tilting barrel semi-auto keeps its slide closed long enough to allow gas pressure to drop to a safe level through the inertia of the slide, which is directly proportional to its mass, and the tension of the recoil spring. When you reduce the mass, and thus the inertia, of the slide, the weight of the recoil spring becomes much more critical to reliable function and it is more difficult to reach the proper balance that will keep the slide closed long enough without adversely affecting function.

Reducing the length of the grip also increases the chances of malfunction due to limp-wristing. In order for a semi-auto to work properly, the shooter must be able to provide a reasonably steady platform for the frame in order to make it more resistant to movement than the slide/barrel assembly. Shortening the grip makes it more difficult to keep the frame steady in two ways: the reduction in mass reduces the frame's inertia and thus makes it more susceptible to movement under recoil and the reduction in the length of the grip provides the shooter with less surface to hold on to thereby reducing the shooter's ability to prevent movement of the frame.

In contrast, a revolver's operation is dependent solely on the strength of the user to cycle the action. The only possible reduction in reliability due to shortening the barrel and/or grip of a revolver is the possibility of ammunition jumping crimp under recoil due to the increase in recoil that is unavoidable with reduction of weight. However, crimp-jumping is not particularly common and is most often encountered with extremely lightweight revolvers (usually made of exotic metals like scandium or titanium) firing heavy-recoiling ammunition (most often magnums of some sort) with cast or swaged lead bullets. Using a steel-frame revolver, lighter-recoiling ammunition, and/or jacketed bullets is typically sufficient to prevent crimp-jumping.

Now, if your "pocket nine" has been 100% reliable for you and you've tested it sufficiently to trust it under adverse circumstances such as a weak grip due to an injured or weak hand, that's great and I'm glad you've found something that works for you. However, just because a "pocket nine" works for you does not mean that it will work as well for everyone else and a snub revolver is simply more likely to work reliably for a wider variety of people than a subcompact 9mm is.

As for autos taking the place of a full-sized service revolver, again both platforms have distinct advantages and disadvantages. While a semi-auto may be the best weapon for the average cop or soldier who has received, hopefully, reasonably extensive training in the use of his/her weapon, the simplicity and neglect tolerance of a revolver could very well make it a better choice for a private person who's received little, if any, formal training.

Also, a revolver offers the ability to use much more powerful cartridges without the need to carry an overly large, heavy, and bulky gun. About the most powerful cartridge that is commonly available in a "service size" semi-auto is 10mm Auto, and even it suffers from somewhat limited selection and availability of both guns and ammunition. While semi-autos such as the Desert Eagle and Wildey chambered for more powerful cartridges are available, they are much larger and heavier and typically more expensive than a "service sized" revolver or semi-automatic. In contrast, I can carry my 4" S&W 629 with no more difficulty than I can my 1911 or CZ-75.

While the more common "service" semi-auto cartridges may be perfectly adequate for the average police officer, a person who is just as likely to face a four-legged threat as a two legged one or someone, like myself, who is most likely adversary is an extremely large individual may be better served by a more powerful, deeper penetrating cartridge.
 
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out of curiousity, what auto would one carry if say they were fly fishing in brown bear country up in Alaska?
 
Easy 460 Rowland - 44 Mag power in a semi auto... I Like revolvers and have nothing against them... I just prefer semi autos..
 
revolvers aren't going anywhere. period. too many people like them exclusively. for the most part, i've considered myself a semi auto guy. recently i've been getting more and more into revolvers. i just bought a ruger blackhawk in 45 colt. and i love that thing. for big bore and magnum cartridges, revolvers will be sticking around. and on top of all the other benefits others have mentioned for revolvers, when i shoot my revolvers i never have to search around for my brass. now how many of your semi autos have an integrated brass retention system built in?
 
it's interesting that the revolver was a bridge technology between muzzle-loading and metallic cartridges, and it still exists because there are times it is arguably better. I wonder what the next big advancement will be. I haven't heard about caseless in a while. I'd like to see gyrojet come back with modern manufacturing/CAD.
 
Easy 460 Rowland - 44 Mag power in a semi auto... I Like revolvers and have nothing against them... I just prefer semi autos..
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While .460 Rowland can indeed match the ballistics of many .44 Magnum loadings, both guns and ammunition are uncommon and relatively expensive, the conversion requires an extended barrel with a compensator, and the ballistics can only match a low-to-mid-range .44 Magnum. For example, Buffalo Bore's 230gr .460 Rowland loadings runs 1347fps from a Colt Gov't Model with Clark Conversion while their Deer Grenade .44 Magnum loading runs over 100fps faster at 1466fps from a 4" S&W 329PD with an even heavier 240gr bullet.

Bear in mind as well that a 4" .44 Magnum revolver is not particularly rare or expensive, that no modification is necessary to shoot ammo that gives the type of performance we're describing, and that .44 Magnum ammunition is available at nearly any retailer that sells handgun ammo including "big box" stores like Wal-Mart, Cabela's, Gander Mountain, Meyer, and Bass Pro Shop. None of the above can be said for .460 Rowland which is why I qualified my earlier post with "commonly available".
 
Is it time to put revolvers in the museum?
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Nope. Not quite.

Still a viable choice for personal defensive roles, at least for skilled users, I'd think.

Now, as far as finding properly skilled handgunners who can safely, accurately & effectively shoot, load & manipulate revolvers? Well, that's getting harder to do.

As a firearms instructor I've come to miss the days when the revolver was the primary issued weapon for civilian LE.

Learning to properly, accurately and effectively shooter a heavy handgun with the ergonomics of a plow handle, a heavy real double action trigger, old-style sights and only 6 rounds capacity (especially shooting Magnum revolver cartridges) seemed to make for a better foundation skillset for the average handgunner. I've always found it much easier to transition someone from shooting revolvers to shooting pistols, than the other way around ...

I still find the revolver, albeit mostly smaller 5-shot models, to be practical and useful for most of my retirement CCW needs.

Of course, shooting being a perishable skill, I still practice with them and use them for qual courses-of-fire so my skills don't completely rust away, too.

It's sometimes been a bit of surprise to some of the younger cops when I can shoot my little J-frames more accurately than they can shoot their full-size duty pistols, and while they have more rounds available before reloading, I can usually reload my revolver faster than they can reload their magazine-fed pistols. (Of course, the lesson there is practice, practice, practice, even reloading, and even if you're using a higher capacity pistol magazine, right? ;) )
 
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I'm with PawPaw on this: suggesting such a thing is not only heresy, but is downright unamerican. :p

I have a 4inch S&W 686 that I love. It's a great shooting gun. But I rarely
shoot it because of the time it takes to reload and clean it. With my auto loaders I can quickly fire off a mag or two in the same amount of time.
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I have no interest in seeing how quickly I can burn through 25+ rounds of ammo. That is not to say I don't enjoy semi-autos. I can't imagine any circumstance where I would not have both in my collection-even if it was only two handguns.

Think there is no interest in revolvers? 59 posts in a few hours...:D
 
I just bought a new revolver. Could have bought an auto, but can't really come up with one that I really want right not. I'm thinking about selling my motorcycle, and if I do, I'll have money to buy another gun and it most likely will be a revolver too. I don't know what it is, but there's just seomething about them that keeps calling me.
 
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