[colt1903]

Review of the S&W model 22 @ www.randysrangereport.blogspot.com.

[colt1903]

In reviewing my blog I realize that one of the photos shows the revolver with loaded chambers pointing at the camera and I should have included a disclaimer.

Certainly pointing a loaded revolver at yourself in order to get a photo of loaded chambers would be dangerous and a violation of even the most basic safety rules.

The revolver was stoked with "photographic reloads" meaning the uncrimped bullets were resting in an unpowdered and unprimed shell. The camera was mounted on tripod with the image feeding into an external monitor and I was standing beside the revolver, not in front of it. I should have explained that in the blog and will go back and make that addition. I will also acknowledge that some may still be uncomfortable with how this photo was obtained and I do not discount their opinion.

[jwxspoon]

Nice blog.

[Hawk]

Nice work.

In addition to liking what was there, I found myself appreciative of what wasn't. It seems every revolver send-up I've seen recently trots out that tired old canard of "being able to be shot from one's pocket" and every time I see that my forehead bleeds. You have my thanks for avoiding the temptation, if there was any.

Bookmarked.

[Vern Humphrey]

However, if the revolver does jam, you merely open the cylinder and remove the offending round. If round does not go off, you merely pull the trigger again and fire the next cartridge. Jams or rounds which fail to fire in a semi-auto, depending on the type of jam, can require a complex and time consuming process to clear the pistol and make it operational again.
In my experience, it's just the other way around. Most automatic "jams" can be cleared by tap-rack-bang, or stripping away a stovepipe jam with the weak hand forefinger.

A revolver with crud under the ejector star, a bent ejector rod, a backed out primer, etc., etc., sometimes defy clearing in the field.

And by and large, revolver parts are weaker than automatic parts -- think of the hand, cylinder stop spring, and so on.

[Nightcrawler]

A revolver with crud under the ejector star, a bent ejector rod, a backed out primer, etc., etc., sometimes defy clearing in the field.


As does an automatic with a broken guide rod* or magazine catch (both of which have happened to me; with the former, we couldn't even pull the slide back; with the latter, the magazine wouldn't stay in the gun). A case head that gets torn off during ejection, leaving the bulk of the case stuck in the chamber, can be a PITA to deal with too.

I personally don't think there's much of a significant reliability difference between a modern autoloader and a modern revolver. Both can be had in all stainless or other corrosion-resistant materials, both can be taken apart without tools (Ruger revolvers specifically), and both can be quite robust. Revolvers are just less ammo sensitive.

I think it'd be interesting to do a round-count competition between, say, a Ruger GP-100, a S&W 686, a Glock, a 1911, and a Sig. See which one is the last one standing. First malfunction of any kind drops the competitor out of the race. Since each specific gun has a bit of variability, you'd probably want two of each kind of gun (or more, but the same number for each type) just to account for the occasional fluke.

Of course, the round count would be so high by the end that the test probably wouldn't prove anything. And it certainly wouldn't resolve any internet or gun store debates. :D

*In my opinion, a full length guide rod in a 1911 type is just more trouble than it's worth.

[Cosmoline]

There are revolvers and there are revolvers. I've had old SAA clones break a mainspring on me, rendering them useless. But I've never had or heard of a Ruger doing likewise--they use coil springs. Indeed on a modern revolver such as an SP101 or Speed Six the parts are as rugged as simple as most semis.

As fewer and fewer shooters have any experience with wheelguns, more and more myths spring up around them. I've even heard it suggested that if you drop a revolver it will go out of time!

[Vern Humphrey]

Read enough posts here and you will see lots of threads on revolvers packing it up.

Consider the cited case of a guide rod breaking -- pretty hard to do with John Browning's original design! Compare that short, stubby rod with a revolver's ejector rod -- and I've had more than one bent ejector rod.

Consider the relative masses of part interactions -- a revolver hand has to move a massive cylinder, and move it pretty volently in double action shooting.

Consider also the main cause of a stoppage in action -- running out of ammo. Even an old M1911 with a modern 8-round magazine plus one up the spout has an advantage there.

[Cosmoline]

The last Browning style pistol I shot blew its bushing out and disassembled in my hands. Never had a wheelgun do anything like that. The worst stopages I've had with revolvers were Tauri binding at the b/c gap.

Never had an ejector rod break or bend, even on "fragile" old Colt DA's. And I'm mean to my iron.