Revolver Vs. Semiauto
- Thread starter stonewall50
- Start date
"If you obviously missed the first 3 or 4, then you'd probably miss the last two as well. The hypo was for a "break for cover" partial reload simulated in a firefight situation."
So if someone has missed the first three or four and can't be counted on to make a hit with the other 1,2, or 3 rounds, why should s/he be trusted to be able to reload in a tough situation and then be able to make shot connect? I think this is a pretty weak argument against a revolver. How many times shoudl we rehash the number of shots that are typically fired in a SD situation? I agree with your statement that you should practice reloads in less-than-desireable circumstances, but I think the probability of an auto jamming is higher than that of the situation you describe occurring.
"you shouldn't be outgunned by the BG"
I would concentrate more on my abilities and not worry as much about those of my attacker. I doubt there are too many crooks with a high level of firearms training.
So if someone has missed the first three or four and can't be counted on to make a hit with the other 1,2, or 3 rounds, why should s/he be trusted to be able to reload in a tough situation and then be able to make shot connect? I think this is a pretty weak argument against a revolver. How many times shoudl we rehash the number of shots that are typically fired in a SD situation? I agree with your statement that you should practice reloads in less-than-desireable circumstances, but I think the probability of an auto jamming is higher than that of the situation you describe occurring.
"you shouldn't be outgunned by the BG"
I would concentrate more on my abilities and not worry as much about those of my attacker. I doubt there are too many crooks with a high level of firearms training.
dabigguns357
New member
i'll vote revolver,I have 2 686's and rossi .357 snubbie that i would bet my life or my wife on.They bang X 6 every time.
I prefer a revolver, specifically a S&W K or N-Frame in a caliber ending with the word "Magnum." I like S&W revolvers because they fit my hand well, offer an excellent power-to-size ratio, conceal well in my preferred method of carry (4 o'clock OWB), and are not subject to feeding and extraction issues, weak or damaged magazines, being forced out of battery, or limp wristing.
I'd simply eject the live rounds along with the spent ones and then reload using my speedloader or speedstrip. Honestly this isn't something that worries me all that much as half the time I don't even feel the need to carry a reload. Of course, If I were really worried about it, I'd stick my Colt Cobra in my pocket so that I could do a "New York Reload".
I'd simply eject the live rounds along with the spent ones and then reload using my speedloader or speedstrip. Honestly this isn't something that worries me all that much as half the time I don't even feel the need to carry a reload. Of course, If I were really worried about it, I'd stick my Colt Cobra in my pocket so that I could do a "New York Reload".
Doodlebugger45
New member
I prefer a revolver.
I doubt I will ever be in a prolonged firefight so I don't worry about reloading issues. I figure I might need 3 shots at the most, so the extra 3 or 7 or however many rounds might be in an auto don't really enter into my thinking. But I definitely want the first 2 or 3 to be guaranteed and a revolver is obviously more reliable for those first few shots.
I don't have any interest in concealed carry either, so that is a different issue. The autos are definitely slimmer. I have some very large frame revolvers that work well but sometimes they are so heavy and bulky I don't want to be bothered by them regardless of their firepower. For those occasions I have a S & W model 60 with a 3" bbl that will shoot 5 rounds of full power 357 with surprising accuracy. I figure that should do me just fine in real life.
I had a Colt Combat Commander in 45 ACP for awhile. It was a cool little gun, but I just never could get a great feel for it. Maybe I just didn't spend enough time shooting it. But the "feel" of an auto trigger is different than a revolver, so you should shoot both types and see which feels better to you.
I doubt I will ever be in a prolonged firefight so I don't worry about reloading issues. I figure I might need 3 shots at the most, so the extra 3 or 7 or however many rounds might be in an auto don't really enter into my thinking. But I definitely want the first 2 or 3 to be guaranteed and a revolver is obviously more reliable for those first few shots.
I don't have any interest in concealed carry either, so that is a different issue. The autos are definitely slimmer. I have some very large frame revolvers that work well but sometimes they are so heavy and bulky I don't want to be bothered by them regardless of their firepower. For those occasions I have a S & W model 60 with a 3" bbl that will shoot 5 rounds of full power 357 with surprising accuracy. I figure that should do me just fine in real life.
I had a Colt Combat Commander in 45 ACP for awhile. It was a cool little gun, but I just never could get a great feel for it. Maybe I just didn't spend enough time shooting it. But the "feel" of an auto trigger is different than a revolver, so you should shoot both types and see which feels better to you.
Today,a revovler has the advantage that it is actually viewed by the police as a truly civilian defensive or backup only handgun.
It's slowness to reload and least likelyhood to be used in a mass shooting situation earns it this 'honor'.
Example-you are checked out legally carrying a Smith 642 revolver and a speedloader.
The policemen says-"Nice gun,I have one one my ankle right now."
Same guy checks you out carrying a Springfield 9mm carrying 20 rounds in the gun and an extra mag of 19 rounds all +p hollowpoints-40 rounds total-an outstanding firepower advantage for any threat you might ever face on the street or in your home.
"We starting a war today?" says the officer checking you out.
"No,actually it might take several rounds to stop a bad guy and I might be facing three bad guys-not by my choice-but by their choice.-I just want to NOT be reloading,at exactly the worst time in my life and be ready to reload as fast as possible if I have to-to save my own life."
It's slowness to reload and least likelyhood to be used in a mass shooting situation earns it this 'honor'.
Example-you are checked out legally carrying a Smith 642 revolver and a speedloader.
The policemen says-"Nice gun,I have one one my ankle right now."
Same guy checks you out carrying a Springfield 9mm carrying 20 rounds in the gun and an extra mag of 19 rounds all +p hollowpoints-40 rounds total-an outstanding firepower advantage for any threat you might ever face on the street or in your home.
"We starting a war today?" says the officer checking you out.
"No,actually it might take several rounds to stop a bad guy and I might be facing three bad guys-not by my choice-but by their choice.-I just want to NOT be reloading,at exactly the worst time in my life and be ready to reload as fast as possible if I have to-to save my own life."
Mike Irwin
Staff
I carry both, but have always considered revolvers to be my primary carry guns, chief among them my S&W 042 .38 snub.
Mark Milton
Moderator
>>>
Auto. Easier to reload if you have to and you shouldn't be outgunned by the BG.>>>
Meanwhile back in the real world, most gunfights take place at ten feet or less in the dark and are over after three rounds are fired. Thats three rounds from all parties involved, by the way.
So with a five shot snubby you can get into two gunfights a week before you absolutely HAVE to reload.
Magazine capacity won't make up for shoddy marksmanship. As Bruce Nelson used to say, you can't miss fast enough in a gunfight....
Now you see why those who have been in them tend to think in terms of "Stopping power" instead of "magazine capacity.'
Spray and pray won't save the day.
Look at all these law enforcemnt Glock shootings where 41 rounds get fired and the perp gets hit one or two times.
Revolvers are more reliable.
Honestly, how many of you guys toting a bottom feeder take it apart and clean it and oil it once a month whether it has been fired or not?
Class? Class? Buehler? Anyone?
A revolver rotetes, locks up and fires. Repeat.
An autoloader fires, unlocks extracts, ejects reloads and locks up. Notice how many more functions? Thats how many more things which can go wrong.
Under real world conditions (guns carried in the pocket filling up with lint) revolvers will be more reliable as self defense guns.
Magazine capacity is not as important as stopping power. The only common autoloader round that has a decent rep for that is the .45 ACP. The .40 is no more effective in actual shootings than the old .38 round. There have been multiple stopping power failures in my town with it. The 9mm isn't much better, albeit it is easy to hit with under stress.
On the other hand, revolvers, even pocket revolvers are chambered in some very effective calibers.
You can find five shot snubbies in .44 special and .357 magnum. Look around and you can still find the Taurus snubbies in .45 colt, .41 and .44 magnum.
Auto. Easier to reload if you have to and you shouldn't be outgunned by the BG.>>>
Meanwhile back in the real world, most gunfights take place at ten feet or less in the dark and are over after three rounds are fired. Thats three rounds from all parties involved, by the way.
So with a five shot snubby you can get into two gunfights a week before you absolutely HAVE to reload.
Magazine capacity won't make up for shoddy marksmanship. As Bruce Nelson used to say, you can't miss fast enough in a gunfight....
Now you see why those who have been in them tend to think in terms of "Stopping power" instead of "magazine capacity.'
Spray and pray won't save the day.
Look at all these law enforcemnt Glock shootings where 41 rounds get fired and the perp gets hit one or two times.
Revolvers are more reliable.
Honestly, how many of you guys toting a bottom feeder take it apart and clean it and oil it once a month whether it has been fired or not?
Class? Class? Buehler? Anyone?
A revolver rotetes, locks up and fires. Repeat.
An autoloader fires, unlocks extracts, ejects reloads and locks up. Notice how many more functions? Thats how many more things which can go wrong.
Under real world conditions (guns carried in the pocket filling up with lint) revolvers will be more reliable as self defense guns.
Magazine capacity is not as important as stopping power. The only common autoloader round that has a decent rep for that is the .45 ACP. The .40 is no more effective in actual shootings than the old .38 round. There have been multiple stopping power failures in my town with it. The 9mm isn't much better, albeit it is easy to hit with under stress.
On the other hand, revolvers, even pocket revolvers are chambered in some very effective calibers.
You can find five shot snubbies in .44 special and .357 magnum. Look around and you can still find the Taurus snubbies in .45 colt, .41 and .44 magnum.
I sometimes carry a 45acp semi-auto in the winter but 90% of the time its either a 642/442 with Crimson Trace grips carried in a pocket holster. I also practice shooting from the side simulating as if gun was still holstered in jacket pocket. May not have time to draw on first shot. Your chances of a FT cycle with a holstered semi is a given. Not so with a revolver.
stonewall50
New member
My problem with a large bore snubby would be the recoil yea, but also the blinding flash that the gun would put out. Thats all fine and dandy for hunting, but I want to still be able to see my target after the 1st shot and not get blinded by flash 
. My whole philosphy is accuracy in a hurry. They are making a lot of hot loads for 9mm from what I have heard, maybe not as hot as a .45 ACP, but if you plug a guy in the chest you will probably kill him. I have always loved he .45 ACP and I would use that as a home defense, but concealed carry, I am looking for something to get me out of the hole and get out alive. Of course that does mean that if I draw I intend to shoot to kill (thats something the cops will tell you). But anyway, if I can get a lower recoil .45 ACP that is easy to keep shooting I would look into it as a CCW.
. My whole philosphy is accuracy in a hurry. They are making a lot of hot loads for 9mm from what I have heard, maybe not as hot as a .45 ACP, but if you plug a guy in the chest you will probably kill him. I have always loved he .45 ACP and I would use that as a home defense, but concealed carry, I am looking for something to get me out of the hole and get out alive. Of course that does mean that if I draw I intend to shoot to kill (thats something the cops will tell you). But anyway, if I can get a lower recoil .45 ACP that is easy to keep shooting I would look into it as a CCW.IMHO it is a balance and depends on the experience of the shooter. A quality 'compact' semi-auto or 'snub-nose' revolver would each have advantages and disadvantages. For most relatively inexperienced people I typically recommend a revolver w/ mild .38spl loads for a good all-around handgun - but a full-size or compact 9mm would be okay for someone willing to practice a little.
Revolvers are simple to operate (pull trigger 'BANG', if no bang, pull trigger again) and allow multiple types of ammo to be loaded in a cylinder (shotshell, various power cartridges). However, they are typically more sensitive to damage which may lock up the cylinder.
Semi-autos with quality ammo typically hold up better to abuse, but require more training (i.e. safeties to operate, limp-wristing malfunctions, clearing malfuctions more difficult under stress, grip more critical, etc.) and limited range of cartridge power to operate reliably.
I'm not sure which would be more tolerant of dirt, neglect, or improper maintenance - I can see situations that would cause malfunctions in both revolvers or semi-autos.
Pocket semi-autos are more compact than snub-nose revolvers but are typically less reliable for most people due to limp-wristing and weak cartridges. I would NEVER recommend ANY pocket semi-auto to someone who is not experienced with handguns and not willing to practice regularly.
Powerful handguns (.40, .45, magnums, etc.) whether semi-auto or revolver are not good choices for relatively inexperienced shooters and cause bad habits that make accurate shooting difficult. IMHO, the best cartridge for almost any beginner is .22lr.
Revolvers are simple to operate (pull trigger 'BANG', if no bang, pull trigger again) and allow multiple types of ammo to be loaded in a cylinder (shotshell, various power cartridges). However, they are typically more sensitive to damage which may lock up the cylinder.
Semi-autos with quality ammo typically hold up better to abuse, but require more training (i.e. safeties to operate, limp-wristing malfunctions, clearing malfuctions more difficult under stress, grip more critical, etc.) and limited range of cartridge power to operate reliably.
I'm not sure which would be more tolerant of dirt, neglect, or improper maintenance - I can see situations that would cause malfunctions in both revolvers or semi-autos.
Pocket semi-autos are more compact than snub-nose revolvers but are typically less reliable for most people due to limp-wristing and weak cartridges. I would NEVER recommend ANY pocket semi-auto to someone who is not experienced with handguns and not willing to practice regularly.
Powerful handguns (.40, .45, magnums, etc.) whether semi-auto or revolver are not good choices for relatively inexperienced shooters and cause bad habits that make accurate shooting difficult. IMHO, the best cartridge for almost any beginner is .22lr.
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stonewall50
New member
I dont know about that last section martin. I started on a .357 mag Security Six and have shot it since i was 10 or 12. Me and my family like to do the flinch test, since that is a thing that really hurts begginers. There are 2 variations. 1 is to simply load up the revolver with 2 or 3 bullets and rotate the chamber so you dont know if it is loaded or not. Aim and pull the trigger. The other is to load up the .38s and .357s together and see if they flinch on the .38s. I recomend these to the novice shooters to break the habbit. It worked well for me on long guns too. Anyway, id say learning on those big calibers gets someone used to them. But I guess im not thinking about 1st time shooters either. I mean I have shot my whole life so its different for me.
The Great Mahoo
New member
I carry either.
My primary daily carry gun is an auto, but I also have a revolver which gets carried instead fairly often. I swap them every few months, it seems.
I plan on adding a new revolver in the near future to be my everyday carry.
So, I guess I prefer revolvers.
My primary daily carry gun is an auto, but I also have a revolver which gets carried instead fairly often. I swap them every few months, it seems.
I plan on adding a new revolver in the near future to be my everyday carry.
So, I guess I prefer revolvers.
carguychris
New member
Regardless of the argument, this statement had me laughing.
+1. I'm comfortable with a 5-shot snubby or a single-stack semi-auto, but usually carry the snubby because I prefer pocket carry. I harbor no fantasies about extended shootouts with multiple opponents using cover; I carry a reload as Plan "B", if I find myself in such a situation, Plan "A" is "Run".
They all have thier place, and alot depends on what YOU plan to do with it. For pure personal defense, its pretty hard to beat a good revolver. Weak hand, grappling around on the ground, trying to keep a broken beer bottle off of your neck, that revovler is likely going to go bang 5 or six times. Two adversaries? Odds still pretty good. Thats up to three tries per bad guy.
Now, if there is an active shooter in a mall, do you plan on going after him and stopping him? If so, perhaps you would be better served by a good auto and a couple extra magazines.
Honestly, no matter how many rounds you have at your disposal, if you are involved in a firefight with 3 or more armed gunmen, the chances of you stopping all three before one of them gets a lucky shot in on you are pretty remote. I think alot of internet fantasy starts to play into some peoples weapons choices. And, I am not immune to that either. If I am just hanging around in my fairly rural part of Texas, I feel pretty confident with a 6 shot revovler and a spare speedloader. If I am wandering into Dallas on a friday or saturday night, bigger gun and more capacity are important to me. But, realistically, I've never needed the gun I had with me off duty...
Now, if there is an active shooter in a mall, do you plan on going after him and stopping him? If so, perhaps you would be better served by a good auto and a couple extra magazines.
Honestly, no matter how many rounds you have at your disposal, if you are involved in a firefight with 3 or more armed gunmen, the chances of you stopping all three before one of them gets a lucky shot in on you are pretty remote. I think alot of internet fantasy starts to play into some peoples weapons choices. And, I am not immune to that either. If I am just hanging around in my fairly rural part of Texas, I feel pretty confident with a 6 shot revovler and a spare speedloader. If I am wandering into Dallas on a friday or saturday night, bigger gun and more capacity are important to me. But, realistically, I've never needed the gun I had with me off duty...