Revolver carry ... I'm in the minority

However, given equal cartridge count, a flat-sided semi-auto is generally easier to conceal than a revolver, with its cylinder bulge.
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I would have to disagree a little with this statement. My 7 shot .357 snub conceals very easy. And most ( from what I have seen ) CC semi's hold from 6-13 rounds.
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I've got a little stainless charter as well. I still carry it occasionally. It's is the easiest gun I have to just grab on the way out the door. It's also my motorcycle carry gun. Just stick it in a pocket.
However it isn't my only carry gun. My current favorite is my DW CCO. Thin, light and I can shoot it better than my snubbie. I also have a XD40SC which is ok, it takes me much more effort to shoot it well.

It just depends on my needs/wants at any given time what I will carry at that moment.
 
I personally carry a 1911, but I think anyone who carries a wheel gun is probably a lot more practical, less ego driven, and dare i say, maybe even a tad smarter than me.:D

My father carries a .357 SP101.... Smart man.
 
J frame in my pocket every day .Id like to carry something bigger but cant conceal anything bigger at work. I feel just as safe with a revolver as I do with anything else.
 
when shows such as Cops, World's Dumbest Criminals, or even the TV news have security camera videos of convenience store shootouts, hotel lobby shootouts, parking lot shootouts; or dash camera videos of police shootouts at traffic stops; it is very, very rare to see somebody calmly fire one or two rounds, then stop and evaluate.

What one usually sees is a lot of shots fired, very rapidly, while both shooters maneuver (unless one is still strapped into a vehicle).

Personally, I know that:

1) I have been trained to shoot until the threat ceases;
and
2) I can shoot any given one of my carry guns very fast.

Also, it seems that in many an after-action report, people routinely think they fired fewer rounds than they actually did. (IE, under stress, people shoot more rounds than they might consciously intend or count.)

Now, combine that with the average police hit ratio in shootouts being somewhere in the 20-30% range, which is better than the bad guys' hit ratio but which shows that trained shooters miss under stress, and you might have a wee problem with 5 rounds and a slow reload.
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There are a couple of factors which aren't taken into account here. First, most semi-auto is simply much easier to shoot quickly than a revolver is if accuracy is not taken into account. I personally find it fairly easy to get "carried away" with my semi-autos (all of which are either SA or DA/SA) than with my revolvers due to the shorter, lighter trigger. I do, however, find that in order to maintain the same level of accuracy that I normally have with a revolver, I must consciously force myself to slow down with a semi-auto in order to reacquire my sight picture to the point that I'm no faster than I am with a revolver.

Also, with the exception of a very few specific anatomical structures, very few areas of the human body can be struck by a bullet and yield instantaneous incapacitation. When this phenomenon is combined with the short, light trigger of many semi-autos, I can see how it would be fairly easy to fire several more shots before one realizes that the threat has already been neutralized. While I don't have the exact numbers or source handy, it seems to me that the average number of rounds fired by cops in actual shootings jumped dramatically after semi-autos became the dominant police handguns.

Also, comparing the hit percentages of cops to that of private individuals is somewhat misleading. While it is true that the average cop is more likely to have received more extensive training that the average non-cop, averages mean little to a single individual. Bear in mind that initial training is only one part of the equation as continuing practice is also required to maintain proficiency. Mandatory range time and qualifications standards vary greatly from one department to the next and the cops that only take their gun out of its holster once or twice per year are factoring into that 20-30% figure. I feel reasonably comfortable in saying that a firearms enthusiast (which most of us posting here are) with some basic training that goes to the range once or twice a month is probably better prepared for a gunfight than a cop who has been trained but only visits the range once or twice a year regardless of the type of handguns being used. Like most other skills, training is great but if you don't use it you'll likely lose it.
 
I normally carry one of several revolvers I own. I also carry my Custom 1911 Colt now and again. I am an old guy, and I just plain like revolvers. I carried a 610 S&W 10mm for most of the 15 years I was a Deputy Sheriff. As Police Chief I finally gave in and started carrying an XDm. Not because I thought I was better armed with it. The Qualification Courses have been changed around for the benefit of Hi Capacity guns. It is very hard to make the Time when you have to do a reload that is not figured into the course of fire. I personally think the LE Qualification Courses would be better off geared around an old 6 shot revolver course. That gives the Hi Cap guys more practice on reloads. A good thing.

Some mention was made of the lack of large bore carry guns.
Look at some S&W Night Guard Choices:
310 Night Guard: This is a 6 shot Airweight N Frame with 2-1/2" barrel, an XS 24/7 Tritium Front Sight, and a Cylinder & Slide Extremeduty rear sight. Shoots 10mm as well as 40 S&W. Uses Moon clips for fast reloads.
325 Night Guard: Same as above in 45acp
327 Night Guard: Same as above in a 38/357 Magnum 8 shot.
329 Night Guard: Same as above in 44 Special/44 Magnum 6 shot.
386 Night Guard: Airweight L Frame 7 shot 357 Magnum, Equipped as above.
396 Night Guard: Airweight L Frame 5 shot 44 Special, Equipped as above.
315 Night Guard: Airweight K Frame 6 Shot 38 +P, Equipped as above.

Not all are currently in production, but they can be located.

I belt carry in a Lobo Pancake most of the time. I find that I can carry a revolver with up to a 3" barrel at 4 O'Clock and still access my Billfold without a problem.
At this moment in Time my 2 Primary Town Concealed Carry handguns would be my 310 Night Guard and my LCR 357. Both are equipped with an XS 24/7 Tritium Front Night Sight. Both are Light, Concealable, Shootable, and fire rounds with enough sudds to get the job done.

I consider Concealed Carry to be an ongoing Project/Hobby of mine. As Concealed Carry equipment is a Project of mine, I also carry lots of other revolvers from my LCR 22 to my 3" 625, with some 4" guns thrown in just to get the bugs out of carrying them.

Shooting Skills:
I shoot a Pistol Match every month with my revolvers, and I have for years. I was also a Law Enforcement Officer for 17 years. Most Law Enforcement Officers are not great handgun shoters in 2012. In my estmation way less than 5% are Gun Guys. The rest shoot because it's part of the job. With a 20 to 30 percent hit average, that is not great shooting. Talk with any Trainer worth his salt, and he will tell you to hit the range a minimum of once a month, and preferably every week for some Quality Trigger Time. Shoot off the ground, seated, off barracades, etc. Get a few friends together and set up a course of fire for training.

Before long you will find that a revolver will get the job done just fine.

Bob
 
You may be in the minority, but it's a nice minority to be in. We have a secret handshake, and sometimes there's cake in the break room.

The one platform I shoot better than any other is the S&W K-Frame. As such, that's usually what I carry, in one barrel length or another. Is it a bit bulgier? Yes, but I manage it.
 
On the rare occassion I get to OC, I proudly wear my Model 10. And I'm on the hunt for a good Chief's Special to agument my Glock as an EDC piece.
 
You may be in the minority, but it's a nice minority to be in. We have a secret handshake, and sometimes there's cake in the break room.
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Oh sure leave me in the dark. No one has shown me the handshake or the break room . And by golly where is my freaking CAKE?!? And I want ice cream with that.
 
viper225, I fired around 1000 rounds last week. On average, I hit the range 2-3 times a week, during the six months of the year I am home. I started basic competitions a couple years back, and have shot in 2 GSSF and 3 IDPA events so far. We just moved, but I plan to join the local IDPA club and do a match with them before I head back overseas.

In military pistol quals, and in recurrent pistol quals as a contractor, I have shot perfect scores for the last several years.

You may practice more than I do, and you may shoot better than I do. Me, I think planning for more than a 50% hit rate if somebody were shooting back would be optimistic.

50% out of a 5 shot vs 2 BGs = not great....
 
Three factors influence my 1911 all steel carry: individual round capability, capacity, and reload speed/availablity.

I start out with 9 rounds, . . . my 2nd & 3rd mags have 8 each, . . . for up to 25 rounds in case trouble happens.

I have close buds who carry 5 shot revolvers, . . . none of us have been in civilian fire fights, . . . hope it stays that way, . . . but if the stuff hits the fan, . . . I want more than 10 shots, . . . quick reloads, . . . and a proven "man stopper", . . . all of which my carry provides.

Your mileage and choice may vary, . . . that's why we don't all drive Jeeps.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
I carry a PPS9 most often, but I also carry an LCR at times. I dont trust one over the other, the situation dictates which one I carry.

My main choice point for revolver is it can be successfully operated from a coat pocket...not so much with an auto.
 
this thread took off quite well..good input.

ive got lots of other pistols but the charter 2000 is always the easiest to shove down my pants..
5 shots is not many fer sure but i only hope i never need the first one..let alone 10-15 rds..

im gonna look into finding an airwieght in 357. that i wll move up to..

i absolutety must have hammerlsss also..that hammer diggin my side belly is a killer...

kingabby thats my setup pretty much also. cept a diff style clip that goes under the belt on my ross holster.

gary
 
I carry a revolver most of the time. Other times I carry an auto.
I don't carry speedoaders, extra magazines, a backup gun or
hand grenades. I think this 6 shot Detective Special is all I need:

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