Why do So Many People Shun Revolvers?

Did someone say horsepower?

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I have high capacity autoloaders and single stack autoloaders, but nothing hits like a wheelgun. When the bump goes in the night, I reach for my 4" Ruger GP-100 with Meprolight night sights on my way to the shotgun.

The autopistol companies try, witness the .357 SIG, (which is .357 Short & Weak compared to the real deal), but they never will hit like a wheelgun can.
 
Why? Movies. Gun rags. Trends. Capacity. The "cool" factor.

Yep, I used to frown on revolvers. Then I went into a pawn shop with $125 and left with my first S&W M&P. I was hooked. I lot of people say the revolver's days are numbered, that it's outdated and obsolete. They say the same about 1911's. As a matter of fact, they say the same thing about me. People who sneer at revolvers just haven't tried them.
 
SnWnMe,

What I was saying is that any old 9mm you happen to find WILL cycle a good 9mm pistol. While you could certainly create loads that won't, you have a hard time buying some. Factory loads that will work in a .357 can certainly be wider in range, but will be no more digestible than factory 9mm loads. They are both designed to work in the gun chambered for them, and do.

What auto never jams btw? This weekend my friend had to clear his G19 twice in one stage in a local match.
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I have three I've shot extensively with no jams: Sig 210, HK P9S and P7. I won't make claims for all the other autos I haven't had jam, because I didn't shoot them near as much.

At the last match I went to I witnessed TWO newish S&W revolvers have some sort of lockwork issue that made them totally useless. One couldn't even be unloaded (the 640), the other's trigger stopped working (625). The way you guys talk, you'd think the things were infallible; yet here's two incurable problems in one afternoon. At least I can clear a feed jam, if I ever had one.

The attitude that carrying a revolver is proof against mechanical failure just doesn't match up with reality. Just like the idea that auto failures are common in good weapons is equally spurious.
 
The attitude that carrying a revolver is proof against mechanical failure just doesn't match up with reality. Just like the idea that auto failures are common in good weapons is equally spurious.
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As some people have said before....it comes down to what YOU are comfortable carrying. One can justify multitudes of reasons to carry a revolver over a semi as well as a semi over a revolver.

One can only go on personal experience and so far, I have not had any jam in any 5 of my revolvers but I have experienced a few FTFs when breaking in my Kimber Ultra which is my main carry. The Kimber hasn't had a failure since it hit around 400 or so rounds. I also have a Ruger GP100 3" that I use for carry and alternate depending on my mood. It is not as comfortable as the Kimber but with the right holster, I manage. I am confident w/ either. My wife prefers the revolver. I don't try to convince her otherwise.
 
Autos = Capacity, Higher Perceived Rate of Fire

Ignorance I believe is the main reason some people shun revolvers. There is also the cool factor and the if-it's-old-tech-it's-crap factor, but I'd say mostly ignorance. The people I know who shun them, mainly state that autos have higher capacities and can fire faster. But the PRACTICAL firing rate for autos and revolvers is the same. That and DA revolvers can be fired as fast as the trigger is pulled. People who aren't very familiar with guns also believe that a revolver's hammer must be cocked before firing. They just aren't aware of DA revolvers.
Also those same people are unaware of the versatility of revolvers (which is why I like revolvers) and also don't know that autos can't use magnum class ammo (excepting the previously mentioned Desert Eagle).
The revolver, I think, is mostly obsolete as a combat weapon but as a sporting gun, it certainly isn't. I don't think any auto can match a revolver's versatility.

As a side note, if you've read any of my other posts, you'll notice that I don't actually own a handgun or have even fired one, excepting airguns but I have done about 6 months of reading about guns, talking to people about them, and even a lot of time lurking on the TFL forums, and it is from that research that I come to these conclusions. Even before I started researching, I was partial to revolvers, but now I like them even more. I love the versatility factor.
 
Revolvers have been called old, outdated, and antique. They still offer the same qualities today as when they were designed. Some of these qualites will be beaten by the semi-auto and some will put the semi-auto in it's shadows. It is just a matter of preference.
The semi-auto is known for it's fast reloads. That is until you run out of pre-loaded magazines. Then it's reloads slows drastically. The revolver has the same reloading speed no matter how many rounds you fire.
No revolver suffers from limpwristing.
No revolver is dependant on the shape of the bullet nose.

Though some may shun the revolver, it still has qualities no semi-auto has yet to match.
 
What I was saying is that any old 9mm you happen to find WILL cycle a good 9mm pistol. While you could certainly create loads that won't, you have a hard time buying some. Factory loads that will work in a .357 can certainly be wider in range, but will be no more digestible than factory 9mm loads. They are both designed to work in the gun chambered for them, and do.
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Handy I was just commenting on your comment about how reasons 2 and 3 are not convincing.

The original poster cited that wheelguns offer a more diverse selection of loads than an auto. For both bullet weights and styles that is true (you said so yourself
Factory loads that will work in a .357 can certainly be wider in range
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.
You won't see alot of wadcutter autos out there. The ones you can get mostly only run with wadcutters and nothing else.
If we must omit handloads (for the auto's sake) from the argument then that just reinforces the revo's advantage in load selection.

I completely agree with you that neither wheelguns nor autos are immune from malfunctions. In fact wheelgun jams are truly the big cluster%&^#s that they are. Hopefully it never happens to me.

Another thing I like about wheelies is the intimidation factor. When the BG looks at the gaping maw of your N frame, he'll see those shiny Gold Dots looking right back at him.
 
"Another thing I like about wheelies is the intimidation factor. When the BG looks at the gaping maw of your N frame, he'll see those shiny Gold Dots looking right back at him."

This is a great reason to have a round gun. I don't want to shoot, and hopefully the bad guy will see the ammo and think twice. How would he know if your square gun has rounds loaded? :confused:
 
Well ccb, I'm not picking on ya, but that can be argued two ways if you plan to hold an observant gremlin at gunpoint (which I do NOT advocate, but I'll play along). :)

If you happen to be caught by surprise with an unloaded gun, say, a home invasion when you are in the middle of dry fire practice.... With a wheel gun the observant BG will laugh at your unloaded gun that you are trying to intimidate him with. With a slide gun, he will not know your precarious status.

In reality, I think it's a non issue for most folks though, as a situation which merits pulling a gun merits pulling a trigger. The BG will see a gun not bullets whichever you use, and he will not wonder if it's loaded.
 
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Pulling out an unloaded gun......

Pulling an unloaded gun is suicide. Most places (besides in the home), you going to be carrying concealed and if you have to pull your gun, something has gone horribly amiss. Pulling an unloaded gun for "reaction" is suicide, because you took a life saver and turned it into an expensive paperweight. Hoping he will "see" your rounds in a wheelie in this situation is likely to land you in jail, because if you have time to show him your piece and let him think about whats in it, you probably had time and means to escape (which in FL is required except in the home). If I ever pulled my gun, my mindset would be that something is going on that requires me to shoot, not just produce a firearm, so I am going to shoot, unless a miracle happens, and he stops dead in his tracks. If hes in my house, he is just dead as long as I have a clean shot (castle doctrine).
 
All the BG would see is four empty bores in the cylinder, but he wouldnt be able to visually determine the status of atleast two of the cylinders bores, so if he has any sense, he will still refrain from laughing. :)
 
I have a fondness for revolvers.

I remember the S&W model 10 my father had in his nightstand for years, dutifully it stood, ready to be called upon to defend the family at a moments notice. I replaced it for my father some years ago with a new S&W Model 27 Highway Patrolman, which he keeps and carries on occasion.

I like the revolver, to me they have more good qualities than bad and my current handgun stable is man up of mostly revolvers.

My carry gun is either my .38 snubby or when I feel I may need it the 329PD, I know it’s a lot of gun, but it’s lightweight and carries well in a high ride leather belt holster under my jacket.

I would love to have a Beretta 9mm or a fancy Sig but everytime I go into the gunshop those 6 guns keep calling my name.
 
Because they're morons who have likely bought into all the super secret squirrel hyper tactical mumbo jumbo bull flop.

"Two centuries old technology."

Given that the first truly successful semi-auto design came about 50 years after the first truly successful revolver design, there's not a lot of difference there.
 
Because it's like cleaning 7 auto pistol barrels every time you have to scrub them down! :D

I dont care which is better, I love them all the same...

Randy
 
I've got two naive reasons for disliking revolvers... And a valid one.

1 - The first revolver I ever shot, a .22LR must have physically weighed less than its trigger did. (Heavy triggered DA, might I add.)

2 - The only full caliber revolver I ever fired (DA, think it was a .38) had a killer recoil.

Of course, problem one was just the specific gun's traits, and back then I was a recoil wimp...

3 - None of the revolvers felt like they belonged in my hand...

But only one pistol's ever felt that way -- a P226. Soon as I'm old enough to buy one, I will... Unless my state has one of those 'gift to an 18 yr. old' loopholes, in which case I'd be glad to finance my own Christmas/Birthday.
 
Blame it on Glock! In addition to movies, a lot of people take their cues from LEOs. The handguns they see most often are riding on a professional's hip. This is usually a semiauto, more often than not, a Glock.

Blame it on Uncle Sam! Many get their start with handguns in the military where, once again, the semiauto rules.

Blame it on me! I never seriously considered a revo when I started buying handguns. I don't know why I didn't; growing up, my elders even taught me the revo was superior. Despite this, the first handgun I bought was a Kimber.

Fortunately I've seen the error of my ways and have acquired three S&Ws in two months.
 
1 - The first revolver I ever shot, a .22LR must have physically weighed less than its trigger did. (Heavy triggered DA, might I add.)
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Cowled_Wolfe, I am assuming you are refering to the trigger pull being heavier than the weight of the gun? This is common to almost every non-target handgun I have ever handled. Here is a test: Take a firearm, clear the chamber, check to make sure it is unloaded, FOR GOD'S SAKE MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO ROUNDS IN THE FIREARM!! Now prepare to dryfire it. Hold it by JUST the trigger. (I mean let the firearm fall around your trigger finger so you are basically holding it against gravity by the trigger itself.) Did the firing pin fall? On your basic service pistol (and many factory rifles I might add) the firing pin WILL NOT FALL! It is interesting to do this with an older AR-15. Gun weighs about 6 pounds or so and the gun weight is insufficient to trip the sear. Hmmm....

(BTW, I'm not much older than you. Picking up my first handgun next week. It is a .44 Magnum revolver.)
 
revolvers

I have several handguns, revolvers from .22 to .45acp, and selfloaders from .22 to 9mm,
for ccw, a .380 in a fanny pack or ankle holster is very convenient, but if I had to go down an alley off Deepellum after midnight it would be a BIG revolver, no puny selfloaders.
I know, there are selfloaders that exceed the .44 mag. but who wants to try carrying one of them around?
Selfloaders for cc, revolvers when a real threat is in front of you.
Don ;)
 
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