Pistol or Revolver

F

flcjinflorida

New member
I currently have a Glock 22. I was thinking about getting a second gun, but I don't know if I should buy a Pistol or Revolver. I want some advice on what others think. It would be very appreciated.
 
Revolvers are really cool also especially for home fedense because there have no safies and they are a point and pull handguns. Revolvers are less likely to have a feeding problem and if you pull and it's doesn't go bang you just pull again and the next round will go off. The revolver also doesn't throw brass all over the place when firing at the range which is a plus if you reload.
 
Revolver Pluses:
  • Generally simpler to operate; if gun fails to fire, pull trigger again. No worrying about clearance drills, decocking, safeties, etc.
  • Self-contained nature; no mags to lose or damage
  • Easier to verify from a distance that it's unloaded*
  • Gun does not depend on ammunition power to cycle the action; for instance, a Magnum revolver will cycle anything from "mouse phart" target wadcutters to full-power Magnum loads equally well. Shooters of high-powered semi-autos generally cannot use low-powered "target" loads for practice, arguably the main reason why high-powered revolvers are far more popular than their semi-auto ilk
  • Not sensitive to bullet shape
  • Friendlier to handloaders because it doesn't fling brass everywhere
  • Faster to reload from a box of loose cartridges as opposed to ammo preloaded in magazines*; most shooters don't have the luxury of owning 8-12 mags for their semi-auto, so a typical 100- to 200-round range trip actually goes by faster using a revolver
  • Generally more accurate at equal price point due to barrel being rigidly fixed to frame
  • Shooter determines whether trigger pull is double-action or single-action (assuming of course that revolver is not DAO or SAO)
  • Will not fail to cycle if fired with frame resting against an obstacle
*Assuming it's the swing-out cylinder or top-break variety, not the SAA-style loading-gate variety.

Semi-Auto Pluses:
  • Generally shorter, lighter trigger pull typically makes it easier to achieve a high degree of accuracy without manually cocking the hammer for every shot
  • Generally higher capacity
  • Faster to reload if you have additional preloaded magazines handy
  • Will still fire if BG grabs gun; may not cycle properly, but will not lock up like an uncocked revolver with the cylinder being held
  • Most common malfunctions can be rapidly fixed by clearing pistol; relatively few semi-auto malfs will totally lock up the gun
  • Dirt and mud less likely to lock up gun and/or adversely affect trigger pull
  • Easier to clean because there is only one chamber, not 5-10, and the barrel can usually be removed easily
  • Generally fewer moving parts (contrary to popular myth), and parts are more likely to be interchangeable from gun to gun without laborious hand-fitting*
  • Less muzzle flash due to lack of barrel/cylinder gap
  • Generally less felt recoil because a portion of recoil impulse is absorbed to cycle the action
  • Generally lower bore axis = less muzzle flip during rapid fire
*This is generally more true of striker-fired and SAO pistols; some DA/SA pistols and their DAO derivatives rival a DA revolver in mechanical complexity.

I prefer revolvers, but it's quite a complex issue. IMHO you should get a revolver so you will have one of each. ;)
 
Do you like revolvers? Some care for only auto's and others only a revolver. I've got both. My small revolver is HD. Even the wife can grab it, point it and pull the trigger. No thinking involved. Don't forget about ammo costs, because 38 ammo cost more than 9mm in my area.
 
You have a semi , get a wheel gun - try a SmithWesson K frame model 15 or 10 fun to shoot on the mark and cheap to shoot
 
Complex question. I like a revolver for ccw because of it's simplicity. For me in high stress situation I might get real stupid real fast.
I shoot revolvers better as well, so that may have something to do with it.
Also, if you are thinking of reloading, I can load 100 rounds of .38spl for about $10.
I keep an auto handy in the house for it's high capacity. If someone is brazen enough to come into my house when I'm home, odds are they won't be alone. It happened to my co-worker once and it wasn't pretty. :(
 
The older I get the more I find myself drifting towards trying to accumulate as many of the old classic Smith revolver models as I can.

Love those revolving pistols!
 
"Everyone should own at least one of each... that way they could form their own opinions of likes/dislikes."

I have to agree with this comment! For many reasons other than the obvious. Also they all serve many different perposes. I like to have one of most guns(for fun and to find a preferance!)
 
Revolver or Semi-auto?

You didn't really say "how much you like or dis-like" your G22, so I think that is the first "dead reckoning" you should come up with.

What are you thinking you'll be doing with the 2nd gun?
Might I suggest a revolver in .500 S&W, if you want "thrill seeker"? LoL

Maybe a .22LR semi-auto pistol is best, as you want to spend more time on the range working on trigger control at an economical price?

If you've never shot a revolver, go to a range, rent a gun, and see if you like it. Remember that many 5, 6 or 7-round revolvers are available in a many different calibers, and each likely has a purpose that suits your own.

Have fun shooting!
 
To get a better handle on the question, for what purpose did you want the second gun? I could write a dissertation on what to use for a BUG.

Assuming (ouch, really dislike using that word) you are looking at it from a purely sport aspect, if you already own a semi-auto, you should probably consider a revolver. Now you have two guns and can decide which is more fun to shoot for what you plan on doing.

Once to have obtained a revolver, the next gun to consider is a 1911. You and well on your way to having a "collection." No collection is complete without a 1911, a polymer semi, and a revolver.
 
flcjinflorida: The question is what is it going to be used for? By the way you were correct semi auto's are pistols. Pistols operate better when they are larger. Smaller auto's tend to be less reliable with some exceptions of course. Take for instance the 1911 they work best with five inch barrels. Bring that down to 3 inches and they start to get finicky. If you want smaller then buy a revolver they work very well in the smaller configurations. I prefer small snubs in revolvers and larger guns in auto pistol. Both are considered Handguns.
 
Do you concealed carry the Glock 22? Do you tramp around in the woods in a situation where a revolver would be a good thing to have on your hip?

I personally would get another semi auto... for me one isn't enough. Not trying to be harsh, the question is asked without any other data making it impossible to answer.

The only revolvers I have are 44 magnums (both Rugers), for me their only purpose is a woods gun. Some people like to carry smaller frame revolvers and there's nothing wrong with that, I just prefer a semi auto.
 
As others have already stated, it depends on what you want this for?

For self defense, either will work well PROVIDED you train with it (of course there's the age-old argument of capacity/firepower but to me it's not the most important variable for civilians).

For target practice, I personally prefer a large capacity semi-auto as I don't have to reload as often.

I carry a semi but I know the weapon inside-out and I am extremely comfortable with it.

That being said, nothing beats the simplicity/reliability of a revolver.

-Happy Holidays
 
I'd better start by saying I'm heavily prejudiced. I LOVE revolvers, particularly double action revolvers. I only own one semiauto, a 1911, and I got that because I got tired of people telling me I needed to own one (actually, I like it a lot, just not as much as I like my revolvers).

I don't think that there is any shooting experience more pleasurable than becoming adept at controlling a double action trigger on a good revolver. It's a skill that takes a bit of work, but once you get the hang of it, there's nothing else like it. I shoot my revolvers, firing strictly da, more accurately than I do my 1911. I love them also because of the wide range of calibers and ammo types that they have been designed to shoot and because of their simplicity of operation, if not construction.

So, my advice to you is to at least try out a few revolvers. Go to a range with a rental board and experiment with some of theirs. It may be a revelation to you!
 
I vote revolver here.

It's good to have different choices. You cannot be a gun
connoisseur without having several options..well thats what
I say when I want to buy a new one :D
 
get a DA revolver(live on both sides of the fence). u have a fine pistol( i carry my glock 33, 5 out of 7 days a week),not much to look at though.
i sugest a 357, any 357(it is like having 2 guns 38 or 357), it will shoot anything from full mag loads to light cowboy loads, it is reasonably cheep to reload, and new ammo is not too bad either.:
ps-stainless is almost maintance free...(stainless rev, fancy frips, nice to look at, and feels good to...
for around 400.00, u can have a used s-w, or a new taurus...
my second most carried gun(at home and on the farm), s-w model 66-1, stainless, stag grips.
 
The Glock is what I carry on duty and I bought one for carry while off duty. I was thinking about a revolver but have never shot one, and so I don't know if I should get one or not.

I was thinking about using the next gun as a BUG, and I want to make sure the next gun I buy will be something that I will enjoy carrying.
 
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