Revolver Reliability

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writwing

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I usually carry a revolver because of its simplicity and reliability. Lately I have need thinking of getting a semi-auto due to ease of carry and higher capacity (7 vs 5). Every time I read reviews of a semi there are always the reports of failures.

So who has a NIB revolver fail on them? Who has a well maintained wheelie fail on them? Do you trust a semi for self defense carry?
 
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writwing said:
I usually carry a revolver because of its simplicity and reliability. Lately I have need thinking of getting a semi-auto due to ease of carry and higher capacity (7 vs 5). Every time I read reviews of a semi there are always the reports of failures.

So who has a NIB revolver fail on them? Who has a well maintained wheelie fail on them? Do you trust a semi for self defense carry?

This is a good question, and I suspect you'll receive lots of replies, and maybe some arguments.

The odds of a revolver failing, either new, or after it's been used a while is somewhat less than with a semi auto, as there are more factors involved that could cause a semi to fail.

But simply, yes, I've had brand new revolvers fail. The most recent is my Wiley Clapp SP101. It had barrel/cylinder gap issues that would bind the gun up tight after just a few shots. The cause was a less than square cylinder face that caused the gap to be zero on one of the chambers. A little emery cloth fixed it, but while it was bound up, the gun was absolutely not usable if you happened to be firing the affected chamber.

And yep too, well maintained/used revolvers have failed me. I know it can happen to many different makes of revolvers, but I have had multiple times where my Security Sixes were rendered inoperable just because a little bitty kernel of powder found its way under the extractor star, again eliminating a barrel/cylinder gap and binding rotation of the cylinder. Nearly the same failure can be created by the extractor plunger loosening itself from the extractor star, effectively forcing the extractor into the recoil plate and causing the cylinder to bear closer to the barrel.

Just like with a semi auto, a feller has to train to become familiar enough to overcome these stoppages.

And your final question...Although I prefer a revolver, yes, I can trust a semi auto for defensive carry. In a big part because just like with a revolver, I have enough experience to make them work again if I have a stoppage. Seldom will I go to a range where I don't witness or experience a stoppage of a semi auto. Nearly always ammo related. A guy's gotta know how to clear the jam without thinking about it. Same with a revolver. If ya know the mechanics involved, a shooter will likely know immediately what has caused the stoppage and can deal with it automatically.

WAYNO.
 

woodsy

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Never had a revolver, of any make, fail NIB, or even after a few rounds. Never had a semi fail, NIB. BUT, you are asking about a carry weapon, when the first few rounds are the most important, right? Reloading should not be an issue, because if one needs to do that, the initial threat is gone, or one is being attacked by a gang of bad guys, and it won't much matter what one is carrying. Revolvers are by design less-complicated, and thus more reliable, for at least a few dozen rounds. Semi-'s are more complicated and thus less reliable ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL. If I had to, I would carry a semi, though I prefer a revolver. But I would make really sure that my semi was reliable for at least the first magazine, by testing it.
Of course, this assumes that the person being threatened (the carrying person) knows better than to simply "spray and pray". My experiences at the range (when observing other shooters) make me nervous for most shooters.
 

Chuck 100 yd

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Any mechanical device can fail and will chose to do so at the most inopportune time. Whatever you chose, shoot it enough to get confident it will not let you down or just take a squad of officers with you when you go out.
 
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NH: LIVE FREE OR DIE
I have had NIB revolvers not work out of the box and NIB Semi's too. I would (and will never) trust my life to a NIB firearm for exactly the reason of your post...you need to have complete trust/faith in your carry gun, you are putting your life and possibly, your loved one's lives on the line.

I strongly recommend that you shoot whatever firearm you decide to carry to know it is 100% reliable when you need it to be, find the right ammo, etc and you will be better and more confident in it and for it...

YMMV...I trust my life to numerous firearms but they have all earned my trust over time....

Remember, the worst sound in nature is hearing a click when you expect to hear a boom!
 

Bullzaye

Bearcat
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In point of fact, revolvers are, by design...MORE complicated, at least in the mechanical sense. All one needs to do is look at the inner workings of a revolver versus a semi-auto to realize the truth of this. Even without doing that, just thinking about what functions the revolver must perform, mechanically, with every trigger pull will tell you which is more complicated. With the semi-auto, upon pulling the trigger the hammer (striker) is drawn fully back (in a DA pistol), the sear is tripped, and the hammer propelled forward to strike the firing pin. In a revolver all of the above must occur, plus the additional complexity of unlocking & rotating the cylinder, stopping and locking it in the proper position, and ideally this will occur before the hammer has fallen.

However, this doesn't necessarily change the dynamic of the discussion. Because of the myriad other factors which can cause a semi-auto to have an issue (something impeding the movement of the slide, limp-wristing, weak ammo, HP or other unusual shape which may fail to feed) the revolver will, generally speaking, see more rounds between mean failures. BUT...this in-and-of-itself does not tell the whole story. Most malfunctions that are experienced by semi-autos can be corrected in as little as 1 or 2 seconds, while a revolver malfunction, rare though it may be, will quite often take literal minutes and sometimes the application of a great deal of brute force to correct.

I have experienced, and witnessed, several malfunctions with new and used (but well-maintained and completely serviceable) revolvers. In every case, said revolver was out of action for several minutes, at a minimum. I have also experienced, and witnessed, many more malfunctions with semi-autos, all of which were capable of being corrected within mere seconds.

Overall, I believe the difference in reliability between the two platforms balances out. The revolver will see less malfunctions overall per "X" number of rounds...while the semi-autos greater number of malfunctions will also be much more quickly corrected. My thinking is, with decent training, I know I can quickly resolve most semi-auto malfunctions that come my way...if I'm unlucky enough to experience a malfunction with a revolver, it's unlikely that any amount of training will enable me to "quickly" resolve that issue. Once, during a match, my semi-auto (which was my carry gun) decided to develop extractor issues. During one particular course of fire I experienced some 8 failures to extract while firing approx. 30 rounds. Because of malfunction clearance drills, I was able to respond almost automatically, and complete the course with a less-than-horrific score...not the worst that day, not actually TOO terrible, all things considered.

Having said all that...I currently carry a semi-auto as my main carry gun (Glock 32) and a revolver in my pocket as a BUG (S&W 642).

Tim
 

Jim Puke

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The best any of them can possibly be is...100% the LAST time you shot them...who knows about the next time. :mrgreen:
 

cadillo

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East Alabama
I have carried both as a duty weapon. In my experience a revolver, especially a double action is far more likely to fail than a quality semi-auto loaded with good ammo, especially when working in dusty or worse yet, sandy conditions. There are just a lot more moving parts that have to work in near perfect harmony.

When I went to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, GA in 1987, my class was issued new in box Ruger Stainless Security Sixes. Coming from a background that included some competitive action handgun shooting, I was amazed at how many times the firing line went down due to problems with the Rugers. As soon as the regulations allowed, I requested and received authorization to carry my personally owned Smith Model 66, a much more precise and reliable weapon until Murphy struck.

One night in a tussle with a dope smuggler the 66 fell into the sand, fortunately he was not armed and all ended well, because that revolver was out of the game until it was completely stripped, cleaned and lubed. Later after we were allowed to carry Glocks, my Model 17 managed to take a couple of sand baths. A fresh mag and a few racks of the slide is all it took to get in back into good working order until I could do a detail strip and clean.

I shoot my handguns a lot, and am often at the bench working to remove end shake, correcting rotational lockup to correct spitting or shaving issues. If fed good ammo, my semi's just work with no such issues.

Having said all that, most of my handguns are revolvers. I prefer Smith DA's and Ruger Single Actions to all others. I like the double strike capability of the DA revolver, but the DA semi has that going for it as well. I know that many will argue against it, but in general, I find my revolvers to be more accurate than most sem-iautos I have shot, but my SS Sig P220 is a jewel in that regard.

I prefer revolvers, but they are indeed more fragile and prone to breakage in my experience. But, Oh how I love them!
 

Boge

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On the Border
cadillo said:
...my class was issued new in box Ruger Stainless Security Sixes...I was amazed at how many times the firing line went down due to problems with the Rugers...

Many times FNG's will "vapor lock" a revolver when firing DA only mode as they don't let the trigger all the way out to reset whereas an OEM Ruger would lock up tighter than a nun's knickers.
 

muzzleloader

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Mar 25, 2011
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I think the revolver may be slightly more reliable IF both are fed high quality ammo. The stops you experience with the autoloader you can typically get back up and running quickly without tools. Those with a revolver, not so much. I have had a well maintained model 13 tie itself up under some extensive dry fire practice when the ejector rod backed out. If your extractor star over-rides a case head, that'll slow you down some too. I guess I own about 50/50 pistols to revolvers but the snubbies are for backup, the 1911 for serious social uses.
 

Rainy Day Shooter

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Apr 23, 2014
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I have had both malfunction for different reasons, but whichever platform you choose, just be sure to practice... A bunch!
 

Bob R

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SC Missouri
I was a Reserve Deputy for 15 years, a Police Chief for 2 years, and I have shot in handgun matchs off and on for 40 years.

Patrolman/Police Chief 1974-1975: First duty handgun Browning HP. It would not feed anything that did not look like ball ammo, and shot minute of paint bucket at 15-20 yards. I traded it off at the first gun show for a new S&W 28. Drove tacks, and never failed to fire, ever.

Deputy Sheriff 1993-2008: S&W 4046 to get through the academy, then went to carrying my S&W 610 with Corbon Full House 10mm ammo. Never a malfunction shooting factory ammo from either that I recall. The 10mm did much better on deer hit by vehicles.

Police Chief 2009 - 2011: I carryed the 610 when in uniform. When in 511 pants with a dress shirt my Colt 1911. The last few months of Uniform carry I went to an XDm 40 Full size with TFO sights. No malfunctions with factory ammo.

Defensive Pistol / Reactive Steel Challenge / ICORE Matchs: With reloaded ammunition the percentage of malfunctions soars with the semi auto's. Bullet Profiles, Bulged Cases, Over All Length, semi autos are picky what they feed. I also see malfunctions with revolvers, but normally after firing the first 6. Bulged Cases, High Primers, etc.

My 2 Cents: If clean and well maintained a quality revolver (S&W or Ruger) is very reliable with factory ammunition. This would be all revolvers compact thru full size. If clean well maintained, and fed factory ammunition it likes a Full Size Quality Service Semi Automatic is also very reliable.
The compact semi automatice can be a little less reliable. I would probably run a little more ammunition through a compact before being comfortable counting on it. AND try all clips to make sure they all are reliable.

Bob R
 

DGW1949

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Texas
I've had two NIB revolvers that wouldn't work right from the get-go.
One was a .38 Colt Police Positive that would not fire a full cylinder of factory ammo in DA mode, but worked fine if the hammer was thumb-cocked for each shot. After arguing with Colt on the phone for half an hour, the dealer that I bought it from ordered a new hammer spring and fixed it for me himself.
The other was an early version of the "3rd Generation" Colt SAA. The problem it had was that If I pressed the trigger gradualy enough, when the hammer fell, it would get caught on it's half cock notch.

Just goes to show that stuff can happen with any gun....just sayin'.

DGW
 

cadillo

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East Alabama
Boge said:
cadillo said:
...my class was issued new in box Ruger Stainless Security Sixes...I was amazed at how many times the firing line went down due to problems with the Rugers...

Many times FNG's will "vapor lock" a revolver when firing DA only mode as they don't let the trigger all the way out to reset whereas an OEM Ruger would lock up tighter than a nun's knickers.

Yep! That's what we used to refer to as "double clutching." You can even do it to a 1911 if you aren't careful when shooting really fast. If you don't let the trigger all the way out, that sear doesn't reset, and you have to back off the trigger again to get it going again.

That wasn't the only issue with the Security Sixes though. A number of them were pulled off the line and replaced while they went to see the on base smiths. They were usually back the next range day.
 

medicdave

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Feb 19, 2009
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Maine
I love how the revolvers get bashed and the next sentence is how someone has a j frame in their pocket to back up a 1911. I know I'm opening a can of worms and carry is a very personal thing, but if you carry a revolver to backup an auto because it's reliable, why not just carry a revolver in the first place? Not to many of us are the high speed low drag guys getting in massive firefights. I believe Massad told the story of being questioned on only carrying a revolver. When asked why he carried a revolver he answered he only needed 5 or 6 shots. When asked what if he needed more he stated he should have had a faster car to get away. I love all the toys but I've transitioned to just revolvers for social purposes. These two suit me fine. If they can't bring me home I put myself somewhere I don't belong.

Tweaked 325pd



Tweaked 396ng

 

DLHamblin

Bearcat
Joined
Jun 20, 2014
Messages
5
My first and only revolver failure was my Taurus 44 mag Tracker. At about 300 rounds the cylinder would not lock up.

I sent back to Taurus on a Monday and had back next Monday. They did a number of things but result was after about 2,200 rounds its run perfect.

Honestly I have had good results with both revolvers and semi-autos. With the semi, make sure you get to know the gun well, and figure out what ammo it does (and more importantly) what it does not like.
 

charlesappel

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 19, 2009
Messages
199
Location
Marietta, Georgia
In forty-five years of shooting, I have yet to see a good quality center fire revolver (that has been tested and cleaned) fail while firing the first cylinder full of ammunition.

I have seen many good quality center fire autos (that have been tested and cleaned) fail to get through the first magazine without a jam. This has been most frequent with small autos, but it also happens with the full sized pistols.

If I wanted to fire five hundred or more rounds through a handgun without cleaning it, I would choose an auto.
When I want to be certain of the first five, six or seven shots, I choose a revolver.
 

Varminterror

Blackhawk
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
513
Within the last 4yrs I have had 3 NIB revolvers that had fatal flaws and 2 pistols, straight from factory (I'll throw in a couple rifles, admittedly the Remington was about 6yrs ago):

NIB Smith & Wesson Model 60 Ladysmith: Timed late, wouldn't lock up before the DA trigger broke over, didn't lock up before the SA sear locked up. S&W fixed it.

NIB Ruger SP101: One chamber was timed to early, such that the pawl would put too much pressure on the cylinder latch and she'd lock up tighter than a drum. Ruger would have fixed it, but I took a small file and cleaned up the extractor ratchet, done.

NIB Ruger Alaskan: When firing SA, the hammer dog would catch on top of the trigger and convert back to DA mode, could NOT be fired SA unless you jerked the trigger. Ruger offered to fix it, all it needed was a little modification to the hammer dog and it was good as new.

Pistols:

NIB Ruger 22/45LITE: Had a small piece of zip tie in the action such that it would bind the hammer at random. Tore it down, removed it, came back around.

NIB Kimber Ultra Carry II: Poorly fit grip safety, would occasionally NOT disengage so the gun would not fire. Replaced with aftermarket grip safety, functioned fine.

Rifles:

NIB Savage 11XP Trophy Hunter: Mag box lips weren't fit properly, would not feed from magazine. New mag.

Remington 700VSFII: Trigger was TERRIBLY heavy. Lightening the trigger, according to instructions, caused insufficient sear pressure, bump fired with safety on. Replaced with Jewel trigger, fixed.

Nobody is immune to QC issues, and no weapon design is immune to malfunction. A shooter needs to PRACTICE WITH, service, and maintain their weapons if reliability issues would mean the difference between life and death (Ok, so the savage feeding issue wasn't life and death...).

I'll also point out that I don't think it's remotely relevant to point out that NIB Autos often need a couple hundred rounds to break in the springs. I don't take my truck motors to redline before they're broken in either, some mechanisms simply need time to break in. That shouldn't be discounted as a malfunction.
 

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