Do revolvers suck?

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  • BehindBlueI's

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    So as not to derail a different thread (further) I figured I'd just start a new one and lay out my reasoning a bit on why the answer is "no". As many of you know, I investigate people shot/stabbed/robbed blah blah blah and have for years real world experience impressive resume blah blah blah. So, here's my take away.

    If revolvers suck, there should be a statistical difference in who won and lost a gun fight based on who had a revolver and who did not. I have seen no such statistic in my cases. People armed with revolvers tend to prevail as often as their counterparts armed with semi-autos. Why?

    Well, because capacity is seldom a deciding factor. I've said it time and time again, but one side runs out of time before either side runs out of ammo in the vast majority of cases. One side or the other is injured and flees, is scared and flees, or is incapacitated and...well, just sort of lays there usually. Even in cases where more than 5-6 shots were fired, it rarely changes the outcome. They are shooting at someone who is fleeing (and often didn't START shooting until the person was fleeing). They are shooting and missing. They are shooting at someone who's already incapacitated and their brain hasn't caught up to the fact the other guy is down and out of the fight just yet.

    Next up, is when did a revolver fail and a pistol would have prevailed or vice versa. I can tell you that the shooter's worst enemy is the thumb safety. I have had way more people fail to disengage the thumb safety and get victimized while pulling a dead trigger than have ever died with an empty gun of any kind. Those people would have done better with a revolver. I can think of one incident where the first shot hit the floor plate of the guy's magazine, dumping his cartridges. A revolver would have still been functional, but I think he would have still lost because he got stitched up too fast to react even if he'd had an uzi in his hand.

    On the flip side is the myth the revolver is more reliable. Folks, these days if your semi-auto won't run 500-1k rounds with zero maintenance and feed any HP bullet out there then you bought a crap gun. Revolvers can and do fail, but are simpler to maintain. A (no thumb safety) pistol is just as likely to go bang, though.

    So, in most real world applications I don't see a significant difference between a revolver and a pistol. Is it the best? Probably not, but few people really carry the "best" as opposed to "the best compromise". Based on what I've seen my recommendations for Mr/Mrs Generic Gun Toter would be:

    1) No thumb safety pistol
    2) Revolver
    3) 1911 style thumb safety equipped pistol
    4) Any other thumb safety equipped pistol

    And learn to employ it quickly and with the element of surprise...which is significantly more important than weapon selection (as long as you can make it go bang every time...which all to often doesn't happen with a safety equipped gun under stress).
     

    Hopper

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    Excellent write-up and thoughts, BBI.

    It was a bit over a year ago that I got into revolvers, and bought my first one, after swearing I'd never be interested in having anything to do with wheel guns. My younger brother let me shoot his S&W 66-5 (pre-lock), and after a cylinder or two, it was over. What sealed the deal is that within half an hour of unboxing my first revolver, I was hitting a small steel plate at 60+ yards in double action. The accuracy of a good wheel gun is amazing!

    I carry a J-frame with 38+P in the summer, often with a speed loader in my spare pocket. I've enjoyed carrying it so much, it may end up being my EDC year 'round. I also have a couple of the NM 66 Combat Magnums that Smith re-introduced last year. With an easy $20 Wilson Combat spring swap, the triggers easily outclass my DW VBob. I mention this because I remember going through some of the same mental exercises... reliability, capacity, accuracy, ease/difficulty of maintenance, etc.

    All this to say that after being a die-hard semi-auto guy out of the gate, I could very easily go strictly to wheel guns, and be perfectly happy with that choice. If you're a shooting enthusiast with doubts about revolvers, you do owe it to yourself to give one a try.
     

    T.Lex

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    Mar 30, 2011
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    I was a semi-auto elitist until I shot my g-father's .30 carbine Ruger Blackhawk. That's just a fun gun to shoot. Then, the .38 didn't seem so bad. It even felt ergonomic. Natural. I've even carried it a few times.

    Revolvers don't suck, but they are different. Like any tool, they have a place in the toolbox. You just have to know how to use it.
     

    SSGSAD

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    14   0   0
    Dec 22, 2009
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    So as not to derail a different thread (further) I figured I'd just start a new one and lay out my reasoning a bit on why the answer is "no". As many of you know, I investigate people shot/stabbed/robbed blah blah blah and have for years real world experience impressive resume blah blah blah. So, here's my take away.

    If revolvers suck, there should be a statistical difference in who won and lost a gun fight based on who had a revolver and who did not. I have seen no such statistic in my cases. People armed with revolvers tend to prevail as often as their counterparts armed with semi-autos. Why?

    Well, because capacity is seldom a deciding factor. I've said it time and time again, but one side runs out of time before either side runs out of ammo in the vast majority of cases. One side or the other is injured and flees, is scared and flees, or is incapacitated and...well, just sort of lays there usually. Even in cases where more than 5-6 shots were fired, it rarely changes the outcome. They are shooting at someone who is fleeing (and often didn't START shooting until the person was fleeing). They are shooting and missing. They are shooting at someone who's already incapacitated and their brain hasn't caught up to the fact the other guy is down and out of the fight just yet.

    Next up, is when did a revolver fail and a pistol would have prevailed or vice versa. I can tell you that the shooter's worst enemy is the thumb safety. I have had way more people fail to disengage the thumb safety and get victimized while pulling a dead trigger than have ever died with an empty gun of any kind. Those people would have done better with a revolver. I can think of one incident where the first shot hit the floor plate of the guy's magazine, dumping his cartridges. A revolver would have still been functional, but I think he would have still lost because he got stitched up too fast to react even if he'd had an uzi in his hand.

    On the flip side is the myth the revolver is more reliable. Folks, these days if your semi-auto won't run 500-1k rounds with zero maintenance and feed any HP bullet out there then you bought a crap gun. Revolvers can and do fail, but are simpler to maintain. A (no thumb safety) pistol is just as likely to go bang, though.

    So, in most real world applications I don't see a significant difference between a revolver and a pistol. Is it the best? Probably not, but few people really carry the "best" as opposed to "the best compromise". Based on what I've seen my recommendations for Mr/Mrs Generic Gun Toter would be:

    1) No thumb safety pistol
    2) Revolver
    3) 1911 style thumb safety equipped pistol
    4) Any other thumb safety equipped pistol

    And learn to employ it quickly and with the element of surprise...which is significantly more important than weapon selection (as long as you can make it go bang every time...which all to often doesn't happen with a safety equipped gun under stress).

    GREAT write up, and I agree.....
     

    Snapdragon

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    Nov 5, 2013
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    Revolvers were my first, oh, 7-8 guns. When I walked into the LGS to buy my first gun, I was told that revolvers were the best guns for women because they are idiotproof. (Yes, he really said that.) In retrospect, I get exactly what he meant, even though he could have found a nicer way to say it.

    Revolvers are easier and less intimidating to learn for new shooters (although not by much... operating a semi-auto is not rocket science). You load up and go bang. No mags to worry about, no buttons to push other than the trigger, no stiff slides to operate, no pesky brass flying around.

    I did get a semi-auto for home defense (in addition to my 12-ga), and I may get more, but I still prefer a wheelgun for EDC.
     

    jgreiner

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    Its all about personal preference and practice. You need to be proficient with whatever you carry, AND, be comfortable doing so. Some are completely comfortable carrying a semi auto with no thumb safety. I am not. I love shooting them, but for carry, I either choose a revolver (my S&W Model 66 and my NAA 22 WMR), or my 1911, which I do carry cocked and locked. Those are my choices. I am proficient with two of those weapons, I need to get to the range with my NAA 22 Mag and practice.

    I do by FAR prefer the trigger on a 1911 or a Revolver in Single action. I am not wild about the striker fire triggers, and I have shot a bunch. Just not a feel I care a lot for. With that said, if I ever run across a nice S&W M&P 9c with a thumb safety, for a decent price, I would be very tempted to pick one up. Being a south paw, that gun is great for lefties. So are revolvers.
     

    jgreiner

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    Revolvers were my first, oh, 7-8 guns. When I walked into the LGS to buy my first gun, I was told that revolvers were the best guns for women because they are idiotproof. (Yes, he really said that.) In retrospect, I get exactly what he meant, even though he could have found a nicer way to say it.

    Revolvers are easier and less intimidating to learn for new shooters (although not by much... operating a semi-auto is not rocket science). You load up and go bang. No mags to worry about, no buttons to push other than the trigger, no stiff slides to operate, no pesky brass flying around.

    I did get a semi-auto for home defense (in addition to my 12-ga), and I may get more, but I still prefer a wheelgun for EDC.

    I love my SW Model 66 for open carrying when I ride my motorcycle (custom wood grips and all). There is just something about bikes and revolvers. :D
     

    Snapdragon

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    There is just something about bikes and revolvers. :D

    My bike

    S16_26W_Hollywood_PNK.1440166057.jpg


    My revolver

    60p2s_zpsg1l007qf.jpg


    Different strokes. :D
     
    Last edited:

    GodFearinGunTotin

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    Mar 22, 2011
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    Mitchell
    So as not to derail a different thread (further) I figured I'd just start a new one and lay out my reasoning a bit on why the answer is "no". As many of you know, I investigate people shot/stabbed/robbed blah blah blah and have for years real world experience impressive resume blah blah blah. So, here's my take away.

    If revolvers suck, there should be a statistical difference in who won and lost a gun fight based on who had a revolver and who did not. I have seen no such statistic in my cases. People armed with revolvers tend to prevail as often as their counterparts armed with semi-autos. Why?

    Well, because capacity is seldom a deciding factor. I've said it time and time again, but one side runs out of time before either side runs out of ammo in the vast majority of cases. One side or the other is injured and flees, is scared and flees, or is incapacitated and...well, just sort of lays there usually. Even in cases where more than 5-6 shots were fired, it rarely changes the outcome. They are shooting at someone who is fleeing (and often didn't START shooting until the person was fleeing). They are shooting and missing. They are shooting at someone who's already incapacitated and their brain hasn't caught up to the fact the other guy is down and out of the fight just yet.

    Next up, is when did a revolver fail and a pistol would have prevailed or vice versa. I can tell you that the shooter's worst enemy is the thumb safety. I have had way more people fail to disengage the thumb safety and get victimized while pulling a dead trigger than have ever died with an empty gun of any kind. Those people would have done better with a revolver. I can think of one incident where the first shot hit the floor plate of the guy's magazine, dumping his cartridges. A revolver would have still been functional, but I think he would have still lost because he got stitched up too fast to react even if he'd had an uzi in his hand.

    On the flip side is the myth the revolver is more reliable. Folks, these days if your semi-auto won't run 500-1k rounds with zero maintenance and feed any HP bullet out there then you bought a crap gun. Revolvers can and do fail, but are simpler to maintain. A (no thumb safety) pistol is just as likely to go bang, though.

    So, in most real world applications I don't see a significant difference between a revolver and a pistol. Is it the best? Probably not, but few people really carry the "best" as opposed to "the best compromise". Based on what I've seen my recommendations for Mr/Mrs Generic Gun Toter would be:

    1) No thumb safety pistol
    2) Revolver
    3) 1911 style thumb safety equipped pistol
    4) Any other thumb safety equipped pistol

    And learn to employ it quickly and with the element of surprise...which is significantly more important than weapon selection (as long as you can make it go bang every time...which all to often doesn't happen with a safety equipped gun under stress).

    Nice.

    A thought though. How many of the incidents that you're basing this on are those that involve "non-gun" people? How many of them are folks that got any gun they could to ply their trade and never practice with it to become proficient? I'm thinking in your trade, that should be a large percentage.

    To SnapDragon's point above, I tend to agree with the thought revolvers are more intuitive -- just point and click. (Which is probably why that canard is out there about them being perfect for women). It seems to me, the lack of practice and proficiency in a given gun type would be a significant factor in what you are seeing.
     

    GNRPowdeR

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    From the "other" thread...
    The use of a revolver as an EDC primary firearm should be discouraged *(unless they plan on carrying a few revolvers every day), but especially for a new shooter*.

    Their best use is either a BUG or a last resort "deep cover" firearm. If you can't carry a dependable semi-auto, but you can a revolver, then it's better than nothing. Just know that you will probably be limited to the rounds in the revolver, because a timely reloading (among other things) is not likely.

    All Tom does is point out how revolvers are not the be all end all in reliability that most people think they are. There are plenty of things that can and do go wrong with them. Unfortunately many of these problems can lock the gun up. I have seen this first hand in a high (relatively speaking) round count snubby class. Couple that with the limited capacity and slow reloading time and there are better choices out there in this day and age. Not saying you are going to get killed in da streetz if you carry a revolver, just that you should be aware of the drawbacks. Most people aren't.
     

    Leadeye

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    Good post. Revolvers are the best guns for reloaders, one of my favorite aspects is not having to chase brass, and you have a much larger working window with respect to ammo.
     

    jgreiner

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    Nice.

    A thought though. How many of the incidents that you're basing this on are those that involve "non-gun" people? How many of them are folks that got any gun they could to ply their trade and never practice with it to become proficient? I'm thinking in your trade, that should be a large percentage.

    To SnapDragon's point above, I tend to agree with the thought revolvers are more intuitive -- just point and click. (Which is probably why that canard is out there about them being perfect for women). It seems to me, the lack of practice and proficiency in a given gun type would be a significant factor in what you are seeing.

    Revolvers are simple. That is part of their elegance. And probably why they have been popular for so long.
     

    wesnellans

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    ... and you have a much larger working window with respect to ammo.

    An oft-overlooked point, I feel. A revolver doesn't care one whit about what power factor load you've put in it, nor if you're not giving it a stable platform to operate from. My wife carries a 640-3 J-frame 357 mag loaded up with 38's. We'll eventually try 357 loads (light ones, I'm sure), but I don't have to worry about whether the ammo she's running will cycle an action, or if she'll limp-wrist it. I even take the kids out and let them shoot it with 38 wadcutters. Most autos will choke big time on light loads - a wheel gun doesn't care a bit.
     
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