Pistols vs revolvers?

I have found that few people will spend the time to be totally comfortable with the gun they carry.
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Scary thing, aint it? Very true though.


I shoot both revolvers and autos on pretty much a weekly basis. For the most part, both are about equal as far as accuracy and reliability go.

While fairly rare with either, over the years, when I have had problems, Ive had more issues with revolvers locking up and being put out of action due to a malfunction, than I have had the same issues with autos.

When the revolvers stop, they are usually done right there, and youre not usually getting them back in action without some quiet time and/or help.

Any stoppages with the autos are usually remedied with a TRB, and youre quickly back in action.

For some reason, from a pure target shooting "group" perspective, I shoot the revolvers more accurately than I do the autos. Switch that up to "realistic" type shooting, and things tend to reverse.

While I like both, I normally carry high cap autos. While reloading either is a matter of practice and familiarity, not having to reload after 6, or 12, goes a long way to push the revolvers to the side, or at least, to the back up category, and even then, thats usually third line.
 
AK103K,

I agree.

I've had a 586 lock up. Good thing it was during training because it was out of commission for a long time. I had to return it to S&W to repair a factory defect.

Semiautos are simplistic compared to double-action revolvers. In the very rare case where a semiauto malfunctions, 99% of the time it's easy to fix within seconds. When a revolver malfunctions, 99% of the time it's complicated & takes a long time to return to battery.
 
The older I get, the more I like revolvers. I can just empty the cylinder right on the bench rather than chasing by brass all over the range.:p
 
Quote:
With a bad round in a revolver you just move on to the next round
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No, the gun has to go to the gunsmith to be fixed. (broken or worn firing pin, excessive space on indexing, lose or worn cylinder or bullet creep and cylinder gets locked up and gun does not function) They are not as reliable as you may think and they do wear out faster.
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What you said had absolutely nothing to do with a bad round.

Anything mechanical will wear if used......even a Sig.
 
reticle,

You remind me of me!:)

I just bought a GP 100 fr target shooting. I do enjoy shooting semiautos, but I'm tired of chasing brass all over a range.

I'm going to handload some wadcutters & see how accurate that gun is...or how accurate I am.

I'd rather target shoot than play golf.
 
What's up with the politically correct nomenclature? I own GUNS. I do not own platforms.
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:rolleyes:
Yeah... OK...

Call them what you like.

Besides, you may want to take that up with the countless other members who use the same word.

I use it on TFL because I learnt it from TFL.
 
What you said had absolutely nothing to do with a bad round.
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Maybe in that case.

The "bad round" issues Ive had with revolvers were bullets jumping a crimp and tying up the cylinder, and on one occasion, temporarily, the gun.

Squibs seating a bullet in the forcing cone, again, tying up the cylinder and gun.

Squibs clearing the cone, but stuck in the barrel, which to me, is usually a scarier thing with the revolvers, as that easy next pull or two of the trigger, are going to make things a lot worse.

At least with the autos, the slide usually wont cycle on the squib, and you have a heads up.

With any of them, you need to be paying attention while shooting them, especially during practice. In real life, its just one of those things, all you can do is deal with it and hope that fancy ammo youre using works as its supposed to.

During practice, autos at least allow you to clear the malfunction and then "stop".

Revolvers usually just arent as simple to deal with when there is a malfunction. They usually take more time to evaluate the problem, and if the round happens to appear to be a "dud", or that assumption is made, its just too easy to just stroke the trigger again.

Normally with either, during practice, if I feel something wasnt right when the trigger was pulled, I stop and check the barrel. With the autos, I will go ahead and do the clearance drill, and then stop. If the revolver sounds or feels off, I dont stroke the trigger again.
 
I've had a 586 lock up. Good thing it was during training because it was out of commission for a long time. I had to return it to S&W to repair a factory defect.
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Broken part, or factory defect? I have tens of thousands of rounds through 2 686's an NO problems whatsoever. Machines do break.

BTW, I have never, ever had a Sig malfunction nor have I ever heard of a Sig malfunctioning.
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Shoot enough and you will.
 
Combine them. Those .38 wadcutters seat nicely in a squarely hit golf ball, and act like a tail as they go downrange.
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My dad and I did that when I was growing up, shoot till ya miss, taking turns with 22's.:)
 
Thanks for all the responses guys. Just looking around for a gun that's fun to shoot and has a defense capability. I just like the style of single action revolvers.
 
I like SA's too, and have a couple, but they would be my last choice for something for protection.

A good DA revolver would be a better choice, and one you learned to shoot DAO.
 
but from what I've read revolvers are more reliable due to fewer moving parts and less dependence on tight tolerances.
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This is backwards. Semi's generally have fewer parts. Revolvers have many more small parts with tighter tolerences. Kept clean and well maintained Revolvers are dead nuts reliable for the 6 in the cylinder. After that a semi is far more reliable. Revolvers are far more fragile and susceptible to dirt and abuse compared to semi's which have most of the moving parts enclosed away from dirt and abuse. The looser tolerences and the ability to fieldstrip and clean in the field without tools help too. Once a revolver goes down, it cannot be used again until a gunsmith gets it. Even if Semi's malfunction they can usually be back in action within seconds This is a big reason why semi's have ruled in the military for over 100 years.

I've had a 586 lock up. Good thing it was during training because it was out of commission for a long time. I had to return it to S&W to repair a factory defect.

Broken part, or factory defect? I have tens of thousands of rounds through 2 686's an NO problems whatsoever. Machines do break.
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Revolvers have many moving parts outside the gun which are more easily broken or gummed up with dirt etc. Having the cylinder back out on the ejector rod is a VERY common problem on S&W revolvers. When this happens the cylinder will not open or move without some help and the gun is useless until fixed. It is not a hard problem to fix, and preventative measures can stop it from happening.

Both have their strong points. Both are generally equally reliable, but have very different problems when they do malfunction.

Revolvers biggest asset is the ability to shoot more powerful rounds suited for hunting or long range target shooting. Long barreled revolvers are not technically more accurate, but sure are easier to shoot more accurately. The added length helps with magnum rounds getting more speed. Most 4" or shorter magnum revolvers struggle to shoot any faster than comparable sized semi's in 9mm, 40, or 10mm however.
 
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