Are Revolvers Obsolete? – IOTW Report

Are Revolvers Obsolete?

Thursday, 21 April 2016, 18:45 MJA Uncategorized 66

revolver fired

FirearmBlog: Revolvers seem to be either loved or hated. There isn’t much middle ground these days, with most people firmly planting themselves on one side of the fence

revolver video

and smugly looking down on the other camp. In this installment of TFBTV, Alex takes a look at this old question through unbiased eyes.

More here

66 Comments on Are Revolvers Obsolete?

  2. I carry a Glock .40, or a S&W .45 on occasion. My Ruger LCRx goes with me everyday. A gun is like a camera in this respect: the very best one is the one you have with you.

  3. I shoot IDPA with either a semi-auto (STI 1911 9mm) or a revolver (S&W 686 .38 Special) Shooting the revolver for a full season improved my trigger control on the semi-auto.
    For daily carry, it’s a S&W .38 Snubby
    Love ’em both.
    Best thing about a revolver: if it doesn’t fire, just pull the trigger again.

  4. After the crap that was introduced in California this week, these might be the last items remaining…..until they decide to ban ’em as well as everything else that is supposed to be guaranteed by the US Constitution.

    I fucking HATE California.

  5. I have both. My Colt 45 semi’s are both tasked self defense. My S&W 686 357 and my Dan Wesson 6″ 357 are hunting guns.
    For me, I get the most fun out of shooting the wheel guns.

  6. I still carry a .44 magnum or a .357 while I walk around my property. I carried a python for 20 years at work. But now it’s a .45 when I’m out and about. Too many targets too little time.
    I also keep an AR in the trunk. All the time.

  9. Forgot to say for carry it’s a Sig 239, 226 or Glock 19 in the purse holster and Glock 42 in the sticky holster. Never know when you need a back up gun. The obamazombies and allahu fubars have made that necessary.

  10. My dad was an Exhibition shooter back in the 40’s and 50’s. All revolver.
    Everyone thought my dad was the coolest.
    People stopped by to ask him what gun to buy and then they would come back for lessons. We had two outdoor ranges on the property.
    He taught a lot of people how to shoot and could watch someone shoot and tell them where they were screwing up.
    He wanted me to tour with him but I was never good enough.

  11. I own several of both, my favorite carry piece is a full sized stainless steel SW 357, but I like my 45s and my Berretta works well with summer clothes.
    I do weak hand practice with my autos, but jams when using the weak hand in awkward positions raises the risk of a jam. If I have been hit, I don’t want to have to do a single handed clear with my left hand.
    The critters hereabouts scatter when they see a firearm, and it is rare for any to volunteer to see how much time you have spent at the range .

  12. Do you want constantly spend loads of time and money at the range, shooting a handgun?

    If yes, buy an automatic.

    If no, buy a revolver.

    Nearly anyone can just pick up a revolver and be reasonably accurate with it. Autos demand constant use to develop and retain proficiency with them.

  15. My stable has a SIG P320 in .40 S&W, a SIG P239 in .357 Sig and a Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 Special. My revolver is my conceal carry in a 3-Speed holster and is my choice when ushering/security at my church. Our ushers are more of a security watch than seating finders. If I need to use it, it will be in a close-proximity scenario of a short time frame. All other uses will find the Sig brothers on patrol.

  18. In the rare circumstance that there are more than 2 or 3 active armed targets you are either down without cover before taking out half of them or are in a difficult target acquisition scenario. Either way the auto is not an advantage, and may well be a disadvantage due to the tendency to expend ineffective rounds.
    At the end of the day, a firearm that points well and works with your hand is the best one to have.

    1

  21. Loco, have you had a knowledgeable person watch your shooting style and critique it?
    Unless there is an issue with the pistol or ammunition, jams with a Glock 19 usually end up being either grips that allow movement during firing or failure to maintain arm and wrist tension during firing.
    The tension failure often happens when a person tries to compensate for flinching, but it can also stem from relaxation at trigger pull, similar to a failure to follow through when swinging a bat.
    If you are experiencing more than 1 jam per 1000 rounds you should look into it. That is a very reliable machine.

  23. There’s a safety aspect to consider, too. If you dump all the rounds from the cylinder of a revolver, it will not fire. However, ejecting the clip from an automatic does not necessarily make it safe.

    (Yeah, I know – an experienced shooter will laugh at anyone who does not check for a round in the chamber, but they are not always the one unloading the weapon. And even experienced shooters have been known to slip up on rare occasions.)

  24. For the firearm illiterate, an “ineffective expended round” is a shot fired without aiming that misses the target.
    Go to any scene where multiple rounds have been fired and more often than not many, if not most, end up falling into that category.
    The rigors of firing under the stress of a life and death condition are severe. That is why even most rounds fired by police miss.

  25. “For the firearm illiterate, an “ineffective expended round” is a shot fired without aiming that misses the target.”

    Interesting. Why do you do that? I don’t.

  28. Loco, just don’t wear that pink leotard and you’ll be fine.

    Some auto’s have issues cycling if your grip is to loose. You should grip the gun as hard as you can until you start to shake. Pressure belongs on the front and rear of the grip, not the sides. This keeps the muzzle down and get the gun to “Track”.

  30. P.S. Don’t use Break Free. My favorite lube is Wilson Combat’s product. I had a Steel Challenge guy tell me the other day that Wilson’s product was actually synthetic ATF. I haven’t confirmed whether that’s true or not but it looks identical.

    Mr. Mxyzptlk
    What’s your favorite lube?

  33. @Loco, good advice on the grip. ‘Limp wristing’ can cause the gun to jam.
    Another thing that can cause that type of jam is some really, really cheap ammunition.
    Years ago I bought some 9mm practice ammo from some no name company in Florida. Came in a clear container. My Glock 19 is one of the first ever made and never jammed until this worthless ammo. I really miss the inexpensive 9mm and 45cal surplus NATO rounds that were available years ago.
    Any way use a good quality ammo when practicing.

  35. Loco, I had the same problem.
    I had a Cop buddy come with me to the range.
    He was not as kind as JohnS was
    He said: “Quit limp-wristing that weapon, Scumbag”
    It’s a weird arm tension thing.
    What he said next helped the most:
    You must aim, and simultaneously you must imagine that you are pushing the barrel against that bastard’s forehead and you kind of want to leave a mark.”
    Then he took my 1911 and put eight rounds in an eight inch circle at twenty feet.
    Doughnut eating bastard.
    I like them both, and have carried both.
    It changes w/ my moods

  36. Vietvet

    I’ve adopted an “everyone’s a 4 y.o. when it comes to handling my guns” attitude.

    I’ve had an long-time experienced carrier/shooter/hunter check my 10mm’s chamber by pulling the slide back ONCE. Fucker got lucky the lead got caught in a tree. He wasn’t exactly pointing downrange but it was close enough.

    He had never shot a Glock before so he was checking it out when it was his turn at the line and checked to make sure the chamber was empty. Which, of course, loaded a round.

    It was one of those WTF moments you don’t let them live down around the camp fire for a while.

  37. Eugenia
    I haven’t tried that yet. I have a lot of handguns. Most sit it the safe. I carry daily a SIG P226 or a Less Bear Thunder Ranch special. Each gun requires a different lube to get the maximum amount of rounds down range before you start seeing feeding issues. I used to use Slide Glide on my 1911’s and 250 to 300 rounds was about the limit. I switched to the Wilson Combat Lube and I can get to an easy 500 rounds with out an issue.
    Break Free kills the Sig. That stuff is sticky and seems to collect dirt. I switched to the Wilson product on that gun and I just don’t have issues at all. I’m going to try some SLIP 2000 on the 1911 next time out. I believe that’s a similar product to the Snake Oil.

  38. I love my SW Guardian 38 w/laser the first everyday everywhere hand gun I have every owned that I didn’t feel a change on it would make it better. Ultra light and feels nice when firing. I load it with +P all lead wad cutters for defense.

    Cylinder reloading is done with speed strips, two rounds at a time then the fifth. I don’t expect a full out fire fight at every moment in day to day living. I figure if I need more than five well placed shots in 30 seconds I will move, reload then reengage.

    My very favorite side arm to carry into combat is the 1911 45ACP.

    “Well placed rounds solve most problems, the prodigious use of high explosives solves everything”

  41. Bad Brad . . . I use Gun Butter. To prove a point to my squad (I’m an IDPA SO and pretty much have the same guys every month and for some stupid reason they listen to me) I ran a complete season (practice and competition) without cleaning my XD 5″ Tactical 9mm. Just ran a snake through the barrel at the end of each match and before next match dropped a little gun butter in a few select spots. Went a whole year with no cleaning and no jams. Used an ultrasonic cleaner at the beginning of the next season. (boy was that dirty)
    All ammo was handloaded. All 12 magazines were factory Springfield Armory. NO problems.

  42. Slip 2000 is awesome. I also like a thin layer of Mobil 1 synthetic in my piston AR-15 with nickel boron carrier & bolt.

    If I concealed I’d probably go with something that wouldn’t attract lint.

  47. Since this thread is about revolvers, I’m thinking about wearing my daisy dukes this summer with a Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 jammed across my crotch. Think I’d be let into any bathroom?

  48. I lost all my guns in my last move in ’97, but I loved my revolvers! Especially the old ones. My favorite was my St. Etienne 1892 Lebel Revolver. It was a beauty! 8MM double action from 2 centuries ago. Just think what it took to make that kind of equipment in the 19th century! She was in perfect shape and working well….It’s a shame it’s lost forever…..

  49. On a related subject, my wife is a novice (I’m no expert) and want me to take her to Frontsight or similar facility for some good training. What do you guys think or know about them. Any other good recommendations would be great.

  52. joe6pak – I haven’t been impressed with the shooters I’ve seen come out of Frontsight – they pretty much try to sell you timeshare condo. East of the Mississippi, I recommend TDI (Tactical Defense Institute) in Adams County OH. https://tdiohio.com/home_page/
    No frills, stay at local motel – but by god you learn how to shoot.
    3 day handgun course – 1800 rounds minimum.
    They teach the Armed Teacher Training Course in Ohio.

  53. I also hated losing that Iver Johnson breach 12 gauge from the 1800’s…I still had the old paper shells. And losing 1940’s the German 38 special, and the Remington pump action 30-06….at least I didn’t lose my Hy Score .22 single pump pellet rifle! It still shoots great! You can see the pellet careening towards the squirrel!

  54. I recommend waiting for the tax collector to come around for training. Otherwise a good gun club would work, but really you need to run it hot and hard, safely of course. Shoot in the other lane for multiple target practice, your fellow shooter won’t even notice if you miss.

  55. Joe,
    I shoot a lot of force on force training. Reason being is I network with trainers to sell their services and our guns. Usually a combo carbine pistol class. I’ve never attended Front Site but I know a lot of good shooters that have. It’s my impression and I’ve been told this, you hit the ground running at Front Site. You should probably get your wife a little training before you attend from so local trainer. The trick is finding one that knows what he or she is doing. The best by far trainers I’ve seen are the X Special forces guys. They will teach you how to stay alive. Also Thunder Ranch is in Oregon I believe. I’ve heard nothing but great stuff about them. But I highly recommend going thru a couple trainers and picking and choosing what works best for you.

  57. I just read Mr. Mxyzptlk and totally agree with his opinion on Front Site. The people I’ve seen go thru their “Time Share” program time after time are very stiff and static. Meaning they can’t move.

  58. Thanks a lot, I appreciate any and all input. It really goes to show you how people are thinking when someone like my wife is seeing the need to be able to fire a weapon in defense of herself and her family.

  59. Is the revolver obsolete?
    OK. I’ll bite.

    This is one of the eternal questions. Like, which is better- Ford or Chevy? Blonde or brunette?
    Is a Boss 302 obsolete? How about a ’69 Z28?
    Peacemaker? 1911? 1894 Winchester?
    Well of course not, dummy. Each has it’s place.
    .

  60. If you want a pistol handy that can stay loaded for weeks without the magazine spring wearing out and jamming the gun on the first shot, then a revolver may be exactly what you need.

    Say what you will about revolvers, but they are incredibly reliable.

  64. If I had a Walther PPK my wife wouldn’t be able to cycle it … and would probably have to use a revolver – like a Taurus 85 or S&W Mod. 10 … If … If only if …

  66. My son, a semi-auto fan forever, has seen the light, he showed up with a 7 shot S&W .357 in stainless. It’s cut for moon clips, almost as easy to reload as an autoloader. Plus, it’s .357, “It will keel.”- Doug M
    Just goes to show, they eventually realize Dad isn’t so backward after all.

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