Top Three Reasons Not To Carry A Revolver...
- Thread starter Bear Paw Jack
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contender
Ruger Guru
I teach a lot of new shooters how to use a handgun. Mostly women,, most older,, and most will not spend much time in practicing, or learning how to truly use a gun a lot.
I teach the K.I.S.S. method.
Keep It Simple Stupid
A lot of thought should go into what a person carries as a SD handgun.
Young or old person? (Hand strength.)
Can you operate it with only one hand??? Especially if it jams.
Can you, under stress,, remember all the items it needs to function? (Slide racking, magazine release, safety button(s) AND do it all with your off (weak) hand only?
Will the gun function if you have it in your pocket, purse, fanny pack AFTER the first shot?
These are but a few things we discuss with these older ladies. After HONEST evaluation,, most of them will choose a revolver. The KISS method of shooting.
I teach the K.I.S.S. method.
Keep It Simple Stupid
A lot of thought should go into what a person carries as a SD handgun.
Young or old person? (Hand strength.)
Can you operate it with only one hand??? Especially if it jams.
Can you, under stress,, remember all the items it needs to function? (Slide racking, magazine release, safety button(s) AND do it all with your off (weak) hand only?
Will the gun function if you have it in your pocket, purse, fanny pack AFTER the first shot?
These are but a few things we discuss with these older ladies. After HONEST evaluation,, most of them will choose a revolver. The KISS method of shooting.
This is the exact same things that came to my mind from my years of training, and advice of all the instructors I know, the revolver is probably the best option for reliable in any situation for most novice shooters. In fact I have been told by instructors for year's, the revolver in most instances is a better choice for the novice shooter over a semiautomatic, for many of the reasons contender listed. Point, pull trigger, and save your life.
I was taught a long time ago, in most self defense situations if you ain't taken out the threat by the 3rd or 4th shot,,, your probably the one that got taken out,, far to much is toted on shot capacity for true self defense. Most with this mindset misinterpret self defense for battle field situations.
Maybe the NRA, CCW, and self defense instructors are all misleading us???
I was taught a long time ago, in most self defense situations if you ain't taken out the threat by the 3rd or 4th shot,,, your probably the one that got taken out,, far to much is toted on shot capacity for true self defense. Most with this mindset misinterpret self defense for battle field situations.
Maybe the NRA, CCW, and self defense instructors are all misleading us???
Been using and carrying revolvers for years. Fact remains it is preference and what
ever you use be good at it. ps
ever you use be good at it. ps
mk70ss
Bearcat
Carry guns should be two things in this 21 year LEO's opinion. A gun you carry ALL the time. A gun you can accurately make hits with under pressure.
SAJohn
Hunter
In more than 50 years of shooting I have never (other than in .22 caliber) had a revolver fail to fire. The Colt 1911 is the only bottom feeder I have owned which comes close to this reliability.
In the rare situation where high accuracy is required, an average revolver fired in single action will beat most semi-automatics. The only, under a half inch five shots at 25 yards, hand gun I have ever tested is an old model Ruger .357 Blackhawk.
The only handgun I ever had discharge because of a bump was a semi-auto. The only handgun I ever had which fired more than one round with a single trigger pull was a semi-automatic.
In the rare situation where high accuracy is required, an average revolver fired in single action will beat most semi-automatics. The only, under a half inch five shots at 25 yards, hand gun I have ever tested is an old model Ruger .357 Blackhawk.
The only handgun I ever had discharge because of a bump was a semi-auto. The only handgun I ever had which fired more than one round with a single trigger pull was a semi-automatic.
Obviously the OP has never seen Contender or Wyandot Jim shoot revolvers! :shock: 
gramps
gramps
5Wire
Single-Sixer
Most Defensive Gun Use does not involve firing the gun.
http://www.gunsandcrime.org/dgufreq.html
http://www.gunsandcrime.org/dgufreq.html
doublebarrel
Single-Sixer
What a lot of people forget is if things get up close a revolver will fire when pressed against an an attacker. Press most pistols against an attacker and it will push the slide back and out of battery.
SweetWilliam
Buckeye
I like my S&W 442 in its Galco Hornet holster.
But in the summer it's hard to beat a Ruger LCP Custom in a leather wallet holster
But in the summer it's hard to beat a Ruger LCP Custom in a leather wallet holster
Prescut said:
You don't know me, or anything about me.
5Wire
Single-Sixer
Thread title: Top Three Reasons Not To Carry A Revolver.... tells me something. Where would you suggest it reside?Prescut said:
Highhawk1948
Single-Sixer
Gosh, I can't think of any.
"None of my revolvers have ever failed to fire when called upon, All of my autos have failed to fire at some point."
Actually I have seen two wheel guns fail to fire; one was a DA Ruger with a cylinder release problem, and the other a NM Blackhawk with a broken transfer bar. So "never say never". But that was it for years of running qualifications and CASES and CASES of ammo expended. (The first gun was an agency gun and the second mine.) Otherwise, nothing. I was very big on loc-titing the ejector rods and cleaning debris out from under the ejector star.
In the late 80s and early 90s the semi autos were coming on strong; mostly Glocks and SIGs in my (instructor's) world. Some of my officers were real pistoleros. I too had the option of going for the semi autos, but I chose to stay with my well worn Security Six and 125 gr. .357s. And yes, I got my first 1911 at age 18, and shot a fair amount of IPSC.
EVERY semi auto I have ever owned, and most of the ones I have seen, have choked at one time or another. Including with factory ammo. And in a fair percentage of those cases the exact cause was impossible to identify. I hate that...
If I knew I was going into harm's way, and that shots would be fired by the end of the day, I would pull out an AR, and break out a Security Six. At that point I would KNOW that I had done everything humanly possible in an unpredictable world to have weapons that would WORK. Good enough.
As to semi autos that I still mostly trust, I prefer the Browning High Power, a Glock 17/19, and a favorite 1911. And the old "one is none, two are one" is a good policy. I plumb hate surprises.
Actually I have seen two wheel guns fail to fire; one was a DA Ruger with a cylinder release problem, and the other a NM Blackhawk with a broken transfer bar. So "never say never". But that was it for years of running qualifications and CASES and CASES of ammo expended. (The first gun was an agency gun and the second mine.) Otherwise, nothing. I was very big on loc-titing the ejector rods and cleaning debris out from under the ejector star.
In the late 80s and early 90s the semi autos were coming on strong; mostly Glocks and SIGs in my (instructor's) world. Some of my officers were real pistoleros. I too had the option of going for the semi autos, but I chose to stay with my well worn Security Six and 125 gr. .357s. And yes, I got my first 1911 at age 18, and shot a fair amount of IPSC.
EVERY semi auto I have ever owned, and most of the ones I have seen, have choked at one time or another. Including with factory ammo. And in a fair percentage of those cases the exact cause was impossible to identify. I hate that...
If I knew I was going into harm's way, and that shots would be fired by the end of the day, I would pull out an AR, and break out a Security Six. At that point I would KNOW that I had done everything humanly possible in an unpredictable world to have weapons that would WORK. Good enough.
As to semi autos that I still mostly trust, I prefer the Browning High Power, a Glock 17/19, and a favorite 1911. And the old "one is none, two are one" is a good policy. I plumb hate surprises.
Lately my most carried guns are the Charter Arms .44 Bull Dog and Glock 23.
Trips thru the woods might find the Alaskan with hot .45 Colt on my side. Just depends what I feel like carrying.
However I do get the carry guns out and do close in target practice.
Trips thru the woods might find the Alaskan with hot .45 Colt on my side. Just depends what I feel like carrying.
However I do get the carry guns out and do close in target practice.
BPGuy
Single-Sixer
Dienekes said:
I've seen plenty of problems with revolvers. My own Redhawk is a perfect example; trigger failed to return forward, action locked entirely (this was in dry fire, before I put a single round thru it), light primer strikes. It went back to Ruger twice and they finally replaced it. I once saw a S&W 686 fired for 6 rounds, then when the cylinder was opened to reload, it fell off the gun and to the ground. The screw that holds the crane in place was missing. I saw another that fell of the crane the other way - the "nub" on the frame that's supposed to hold it on had worn to the point it didn't do it's job. Numerous broken sights (mostly rear, but one front sight on a Security Six), and so on.
Meanwhile, I've got an H&K P2000 that I've had for several years and never had a hiccup with it. I have also seen plenty of problems with autos, though.
I would say - know your gun, make sure it's reliable. If it's not, either make it reliable or get another gun to carry. Either revolvers or autos can run butter-smooth or totally crap the bed.
pisgah
Buckeye
Well, this can be argued from now 'til Doomsday. Revolvers can fail; semiautos can fail. In fact, any mechanical device can fail.
It all comes down to personal preference, and as someone once said, there's no accounting for tastes. Revolvers served admirably as the predominant self-defense platform of choice for 150 years; maybe semiautos will do so for the next 150. But I am willing to bet that 150 years from now if a guy has a functioning 1911, Glock, S&W five-or-sixgun, or even a Colt SAA, and ammo to feed it, he'll have a good chance to sort things out in his favor.
It all comes down to personal preference, and as someone once said, there's no accounting for tastes. Revolvers served admirably as the predominant self-defense platform of choice for 150 years; maybe semiautos will do so for the next 150. But I am willing to bet that 150 years from now if a guy has a functioning 1911, Glock, S&W five-or-sixgun, or even a Colt SAA, and ammo to feed it, he'll have a good chance to sort things out in his favor.
Conservative
Blackhawk
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2017
- Messages
- 508
Some of us have a vocabulary that includes a wide variety of non-English words.
All borrowed from varied backgrounds.
Me, I like Hebrew/Yidddish words like shibboleth, schlep, schmendrick, schlemiel, schmear, gelt, and the list goes on.
I like touche' and voila' and Adios, Schadenfreude, Szechuan too, none of which are Jewish in background.
Because someone employs words some find dislikable is really foreign to me.
Sayonara! au revoir! arrivederci!!
See what I mean?
If not, I don't know what to tell you.
I love knowing a smattering of non-English words, but then perhaps, I'm influenced by the fact I've traveled (not boasting, just fact) all over the world and have lived in foreign countries.
Knowing a non-English word or phrase or two can help you a lot once you're no longer on U.S. soil.
Yeah, I'm a Conservative in my politics, but that doesn't mean I'm disallowed knowing about and/or speaking a foreign language or word or two.
Suffering Christ, I even know some Mandarin and Czech.
Am I to be pilloried for such knowledge?
All borrowed from varied backgrounds.
Me, I like Hebrew/Yidddish words like shibboleth, schlep, schmendrick, schlemiel, schmear, gelt, and the list goes on.
I like touche' and voila' and Adios, Schadenfreude, Szechuan too, none of which are Jewish in background.
Because someone employs words some find dislikable is really foreign to me.
Sayonara! au revoir! arrivederci!!
See what I mean?
If not, I don't know what to tell you.
I love knowing a smattering of non-English words, but then perhaps, I'm influenced by the fact I've traveled (not boasting, just fact) all over the world and have lived in foreign countries.
Knowing a non-English word or phrase or two can help you a lot once you're no longer on U.S. soil.
Yeah, I'm a Conservative in my politics, but that doesn't mean I'm disallowed knowing about and/or speaking a foreign language or word or two.
Suffering Christ, I even know some Mandarin and Czech.
Am I to be pilloried for such knowledge?
pisgah
Buckeye
Conservative said:
I hear ya, Conservative. Just keep in mind you're preaching to a group that often doesn't know the difference between there and their, your and you're, etc. :wink:
