[left hand]

First off, let me say that I have been a lurker for a bit and have appreciated all the insight on various topics that various forum members have offered. Thank you. In this time of political uncertainty, it gives me comfort to know that there are like minded individuals out there. Now, on to the topic of the thread...

Last week i had surgery on my dominant shoulder, leaving my left arm totally useless. It is amazing how helpless one can feel when you lose the use of a limb. I am 5 11, 210, well built, and trained in martial arts. All of this goes out the window when you can't use your good arm.

While I enjoy firearms of all shapes and sizes, I am awfully glad I have my trusty Colt Trooper 357 for home defense. Easy to load and shoot with one hand, and since I knew this surgery was going to happen, I practiced shooting with my weak side regularly. It's amazing how quickly the body can be trained with just a little effort.

I would encourage everyone to add a revolver of some sort to their collection for this reason. So if you don't have one, get one!
LH

[JWarren]

Good insight for those who haven't considered this.

I hope you recover soon!


-- John

[chuwee81]

well then, time to butter up the wife....:P

[catfish101]

Everybody needs a cowboy gun. They are fun to shoot and reloading isn't expensive at all if you cast your own bullets.

[Gamera]

I'm a big fan of wheel guns :)

[azmtnbikerxdm]

I would love a S&W in .357 mag but keep purchasing C&R rifles for some reason. I love my friends and keep saying I will get one.
I hope the healing process goes well and fast. Great advice.

[MudPuppy]

I'm not really a fan of wheel guns, so the title caused an immediate thought of "no thanks", but darned if you don't make a real good point.

I have a BP 44 and a 22 lr/mag comboy single action. I may have to rethink having a 357 available. Hmmm...

[toopercentmlk]

I've been eyeballing various 686 4"ers for the longest time but funds always have limited my collection especially at my age and student status. I can agree with you about how helpless and defenseless a person can feel while disabled, three years ago I broke my clavicle(collar bone) and my entire left side was useless for what seemed like forever. I still had my shooting hand for at home situations but when I was half way healed, just going out with the girlfriend shed light on how much she depended on my ability to fight which was all out the window for now. I think loosing the use of my left arm/shoulder for those months was one of the best things that has happened to me, since then I'm in the best shape and have the best shot I've ever had with my weak side. ;)

[psyopspec]

Welcome to THR! I've only been shooting revolvers for a few months now, and my only regret is that I didn't get into one sooner. I have to ask though, how does one quickly reload a revolver with one hand? ETA: Here's wishing you a speedy and full recovery.

[MarineOne]

I've been on the hunt for an Interarms Virginian Dragoon in .44 Mag, brushed stainless with the 8 3/8 inch barrel for quite some time.

My dad had one in his collection and my mother (aka Mommy Dearest) sold over 20 firearms for less than $1500 bucks in their divorce. It was a nice piece and one I truly enjoyed shooting.




Kris

[Rickstir]

Yes, I had unsuccessful rotar cuff surgery in Jan. Can't use my dominant arm for much at all. My shooting has suffered. I do carry a Taurs .357 snub around the farm and it may make it into my everyday carry arsenal.

[MHBushmaster]

I've got two revolvers, and I want a 3rd one badly...

A Ruger Super Redhawk in .45LC with a spare cylinder for .45acp loaded with half moon clips...handload some stout .45lc for some big bore thunder, shoot .45acp for fun/plinking/ammo compatability with my 1911.

I like the OP's idea for weak hand shooting with an injured strong side arm...no worries about limp wristing the gun/malfunctions with a revolver.

My wife loves her J-frame .38snubbie for CCW. We also have a 6" Security Six .357 mag for a home gun/hunting firearm. I love wheel guns.:evil:

[Aw4g63]

I'm with you. I'm left handed as well, I recently started shooting right handed to try and even out my dominance. Rifle is no problem for me, hand guns are a little harder.

[SaxonPig]

A sure sign of middle age is that you are not surprised to find that the revolver makes a fine defensive sidearm. It seems many young people today have grown up in the age of the self-loader and are genuinely shocked to learn that a revolver will do about 99% of what the average person needs done with a handgun... and a few things it actually does better than the auto pistol.

No doubt the auto, with its faster reloading capabilities, is a better choice for combat. But few of us ever find ourselves in a combat situation. I have relied on a variety of revolvers for personal defense and never felt handicapped in the least with any of them.

I exploited the situation a few years when revolvers were dumped in favor of auto pistols by snapping up many good revolvers offered at dirt cheap prices by owners trading them in for Glocks or whatever. I bagged a Model 13 357 Magnum for $135 (gave it to a friend who ws looking for something to carry while packpacking). Paid the same for a nice pre-model Combat Masterpiece. Grabbed a Colt Official Police for $165 and an early 357 Trooper for $200.

I'm sure all the sellers enjoyed their new auto pistols made of plastic. I prefer real guns.

[ambergerftriley]

im gonna have to agree with Aw4g63. im a lefty pistol shooter and a righty rifle shooter. i should probably try to get my right hand a little better trained. i recently got rid of my s&w 38 snubby, and have regretted it ever since. maybe ill get a .44 mag soon. hey saxonpig: thats some really good deals you picked up BTW.

[Prion]

SaxonPig, no need to bash other peoples choices. They're all real, all good, all fun, and all deadly.

I like everything, from c&r revolvers to high-cap polymers. Different gun, same fun.

OP makes a great point, best not to get stuck on the idea that one type is universally better. One handed reload of my 1911? That wouldn't be nearly as easy as a revolver but now I need to try!

Just tried, easier than I thought but not as easy or quick as a revolver.

[Prophet]

It is simply a matter of getting the cash together for myself. Dad and I are both planning on picking up two decent .38 specials.

[Clarence]

Revolvers are like Lays potato chips -- You can't have just one.

[Dan Crocker]

I'm sure all the sellers enjoyed their new auto pistols made of plastic. I prefer real guns.


Real gun, fake gun. Both will kill you.

[harmon rabb]

Excellent point. You also have inspired me to go work on my off-hand shooting.

I enjoy both of my revolvers, although for different reasons. I enjoy shooting manly feeling .357's out of my GP100, and I use it as my HD weapon. My Nagant is literally a toy to me and makes me laugh every time I shoot it. I still cannot believe anybody ever thought that gun was a good idea to issue to soldiers. It's surprisingly accurate though.

[sm]

left hand,

Welcome to THR!
Thank you for reminding us all again, in the blink of an eye, we could find ourselves physically limited.
Sending best for a speedy recovery.

Re: Reloading.

There are many ways, still one is to to use a Speed Strip, with just 4 rounds.
It does not matter if the revolver, holds five or six rounds, just get the gun loaded, fast, and run the gun.

Four allows one a bit more "ease" or "control" in getting ctgs into charge holes, especially under stress, or physically limited, or both.

Colt revolvers, one pulls back the cylinder latch, in fact one "argument" was a Police Officer, could simple catch the cylinder latch on the sole of his boot ( or anything) and shove the gun forward, therefore pulling back the latch to open cylinder.
This was taught and practiced.

Smith & Wesson's latch, is moved forward, so one has to practice catching that latch on a shoe/boot sole, or other objects.

The gun can be placed under arm, or between knees, allowing one to hit the ejector, thus dumping spent ctgs. Speed Strip with 4, allows getting the gun loaded.

Speed Loaders work, as does having to load single ctgs.

One just needs to become one with whatever make, model of revolver, and spend time practicing how to run the gun, and how to keep it fed.

Dummy ctgs are recommended.

[BlindJustice]

I like keeping in practice with my S&W Revovlers, as well as my 1911 and
the newest handgun experience to me, the DA/SA CZ 75B but getting back to revolvers.

I first started shooting handguns on a regular basis in my early teens with the loan of a Hi Standard Duratmatic .22 LR Semi-Auto. When his oldest son was ready for it I had saved enough for my own first hadgun. I had been
eyeing a P-38 in a sporting goods/pawn shop in a larger town the family would go to for shopping. I dragged my Dad over to the shop on a pre-xmas
shopping trip and showed him the WWII surplus P-38 - I think it was $35. The shop keeper took my Dad aside, and when they came back the shopkeeper brought out an NIB S&W Model 18 K-38 Combat Masterpiece.
My Dad matched my savings ( want to know how many lawns you need to mow in the mid-60s to save $35? Lots ) All these years later I thank
the shopkeeper for steering an inexperienced kid the right way. The Model 18served me very well on the farm my Dad bought about the same year - throughout my teens I carried it on my belt on the farm for cottontails, sankes and the occaisional headshot on a horned toad. My buddies at the time had cheaper top break H&R or import SA .22 LRs that Model 18 with
it's adj. rear sight and polished finish was the class of the field of my group of
shooting buddies back then.

Later, I carried the 1911 in the USN, but just after leaving the USN
in the late '70s I had a Colt COmmander along with a S&W 25-2

These days I have a 627 6" Bbl. 10 shooter that
complements my 625 5" Bbl. .45 ACP. The 625 in .45 ACP and the full moon clips would be easier to handle if I was limited to one arm than something
needing a speedloader. I also shoot the rimmed .45 Auto RIm.

The little Model 60 3" Bbl. .357 Mag is a handy relatively - 24 oz - lighter
option with great balance, I plan on getting a 63 to go with it - in about 8 or so years my grandkids will need something to learn on, and I'll start em out right with a wheel gun.

I think the top next wheel gun I get will be a Ruger Blackhawk convertible in .45 Long Colt / .45 ACP. It'll be a nice handgun to pair up with my Marlin
1894 in .45 Long Colt - Nothing like Late 19th Century Firepower eh?

I agree most of the younger gen. tend toward Semi-Atuos. Nothing wrong with that as they are my first go to, and it's good to have the next gen. in the handgun circle of pistoleros. Sometimes at the range I'll have a large ziploc bag of 12-15 loaded full moon clips, and the other lanes may have a few young guys with semi-atuos but they only have 1 or maybe 2 mags so you hear them pop off a full mag then silence while they refill the mag. Meanwhile I am banging away steady with fair use of the full moon reloading.
I've had a couple of them ask what make speedloader I'm using. I explain it's the same cartridge I fire in the 1911 - I usually carry the 1911 in an
owb but take the revolvers to the range in a case.

one thing about the longer barreled revolvers I have -I am shopping for a
good shoulder rig as both the 625 & 617 are 45 oz empty, and I think the best carry rig would be a vertical shoulder rig.

Enough for now....

Randall

[shooter1]

I shoot both revolvers and auto loaders. I find it much easier and faster to operate and reload the autos than the revolvers using the one hand drill. I think anyone who has had training in this field would agree. All assuming one can shoot support or strong hand only without limp wristing in the first place.
str1

[SaxonPig]

Sorry, have never been able to get into Glocks and other such monstrosities. You can protest til the cows come home about how much you love your plastic fantastic. Glad you're happy with them. I don't like them... never have... never will.

A 2x4 will also kill you. Doesn't make it a good gun.

[Walkalong]

I have one plastic gun, and I like it. That said, all my others are metal, and mostly all steel.

I have had both shoulders operated on. (At separate times). You find ways to do things with one hand/arm.

Auto's and revolvers can be used with practice. :)

[Iggy]

The question was asked "how to load a revolver one handed?"

One method that works is to stick the barrel inside your waist band with the cylinder open and the ejector rod on the outside this will keep the cylinder open while you insert new rounds.

If you are in a situation where you actually have to reload one handed, the thought of where the muzzle is pointing is the least of your worries.

[crebralfix]

Not an issue. You clearly have not had self-defense training. Part of any solid SD training includes one handed manipulation of the weapon. I find a semi-auto easier to reload one handed because the magazine holds the rounds together...no cylinder to fall out of. Of course, if you have no idea how to do it, you can: 1) just use a revolver, 2) google around downrange.tv and other sites for videos on what to do or 3) purchase gun training DVDs from companies like Thunder Ranch and Gunsite.

[largecaliber]

I own revolvers and auto's and like them both equally as well. My dad taught me when I was young to learn to shoot with either hand and you're correct, it doesn't take a whole lot to be successful with both. I wish you a speedy recovery.

[psyopspec]

Not an issue. You clearly have not had self-defense training.

Or perhaps, as stated in my post, I'm new to shooting revolvers. While I'm not an expert of all things firearms, I didn't fall off the beet truck last night, either. Is it somehow beyond the realm of possibility that someone can admit a lack of knowledge in a given area, and demonstrate a bit of intellectual honesty in that lack by asking for the answer? Still, thanks for the try dude.

One method that works is to stick the barrel inside your waist band with the cylinder open and the ejector rod on the outside this will keep the cylinder open while you insert new rounds.

Thanks!

[Dr.Rob]

Revolvers are certainly fun, and can be serious business. Anyone who thinks they are 'outdated' or outclassed hasn't seen someone who can really handle one. I've never owned a S&W but I have a few Colt revolvers and a Ruger. In fact, my first revolver was a WW1 era Colt that still shoots better than I do.

[SaxonPig]

Never owned a S&W revolver?

I... I... don't even know how to respond to that...

[wanderinwalker]

SaxonPig A sure sign of middle age is that you are not surprised to find that the revolver makes a fine defensive sidearm. It seems many young people today have grown up in the age of the self-loader and are genuinely shocked to learn that a revolver will do about 99% of what the average person needs done with a handgun... and a few things it actually does better than the auto pistol.

No doubt the auto, with its faster reloading capabilities, is a better choice for combat. But few of us ever find ourselves in a combat situation. I have relied on a variety of revolvers for personal defense and never felt handicapped in the least with any of them.

I exploited the situation a few years when revolvers were dumped in favor of auto pistols by snapping up many good revolvers offered at dirt cheap prices by owners trading them in for Glocks or whatever. I bagged a Model 13 357 Magnum for $135 (gave it to a friend who ws looking for something to carry while packpacking). Paid the same for a nice pre-model Combat Masterpiece. Grabbed a Colt Official Police for $165 and an early 357 Trooper for $200.

I'm sure all the sellers enjoyed their new auto pistols made of plastic. I prefer real guns.

Hmmm... You must have been getting these deals sometime between when I was on training wheels and then learning to ride a dirt bike. That might tell you about how old I am! ;) And I consider myself a revolver guy at heart, as that is what I learned on.

I have a couple of nice S&W wheelguns and a couple of Glocks. Different tools for different needs/situations, same way one uses a 4-weight fly-rod brook trout fishing and a heavy baitcaster bass fishing. (Obviously, I'm no purist! :eek: )

I like the S&Ws because they are mostly Magnums (one is a .22LR), giving me more power for the size than an autopistol can dream of. I like the Glocks because they give me more rounds and less weight than a revolver engineer ever imagined. Luckily, I am equally competent and comfortable with both, and use either where I feel they are appropriate.

And the revolvers are handy because they work one-handed, two-handed, weak-side, strong-side, me, my girlfriend, .38 pop-gun loads or .44 Magnum HOLY COW! loads. Plus, I find they tend to be a little easier to shoot accurately than my Glocks, even shooting double action, which I have switched to doing almost exclusively of late. But on the flip side, the Glocks excel at putting A LOT of bullets on target FAST.

As to the OP, I wish you a swift and full recovery. I know several people currently recovering from shoulder surgeries.

[Dr.Rob]

Probably won't either unless it's a 1917.

[bstump2]

SaxonPig, I've had far more failures from revolvers that my "plastic" weapons. Ever had an ejector rod bend? Pick up a spare for a replacement then bend the one on your revolver JUST A BIT and fire six rounds, reload and fire six more. It's a real treat. You'll end up with a real gun paperweight.
Yes I still own revolvers, they're just not my favorite.

[skoro]

You make a very valid point.

Revolvers are reliable, simple, and effective. I really like my 1911s, but I keep a revolver loaded for home defense. It's practically fail-safe.

[colorado_handgunner]

After emptying the cylinders, you still have the difficulty of reloading one handed. While I see the point, I personally cant hit the broad side of a barn with a wheel gun. :banghead: For me, the choice for HD would be to leave a few semis locked and loaded until the arm healed. A single mag from a semi I can hit with is better than alot of rounds from a wheel gun into the wall!

[kmrcstintn]

welcome to the lair; hope your recovery from surgery is quick and without complications; +1 on your thinking and application of multiphase training; I try to shoot with my weak hand 25% to 30% of all shots fired when at the range; I even swapped out a few handguns from my current inventory due to difficulty trying to cock, aim, and fire a few single action revolvers with my weak hand; replaced them with a double action revolver and a da/sa 9mm semiautomatic

[left hand]

Thanks for all the kind words folks, the shoulder gets a little stronger everyday! California bow season will be shot, but I should be in full effect by the last week of rifle season (long recovery on these shoulder deals!).
Lots of good and interesting points made on this thread. I'm sure there are folks on this forum that could shoot their pistols one armed, blind folded and handcuffed in a chest on the bottom of a lake. I am not one. I understand that there are techniques that enable one to load a magazine and operate the slide of a pistol with one hand. That's super cool. If you are fluid, have at it. For me, in my suburban one bedroom condo, having six rounds of 357 in arms reach is plenty. It would literally be impossible to have to shoot more than eight yards. There would be no cover or time to reload in a truly extreme situation regardless of weapon choice. I enjoy my pistols, but in this time of physical vulnerability, I appreciate the point/shoot simplicity and reliability of a well maintained revolver.

[Brian Dale]

Good stuff, left hand. Can't go wrong with a Trooper, either. Take good care of that shoulder, and thanks for the reminder about the importance of weak-hand practice.

[easyg]

I shoot both revolvers and auto loaders. I find it much easier and faster to operate and reload the autos than the revolvers using the one hand drill. I think anyone who has had training in this field would agree. All assuming one can shoot support or strong hand only without limp wristing in the first place.
str1
Remember, the autoloader is only faster IF you happen to have another pre-loaded magazine on hand.

See which is faster to reload using the one-hand-drill with just a box of ammo and no pre-loaded extra magazine. ;)

[easyg]

SaxonPig, I've had far more failures from revolvers that my "plastic" weapons. Ever had an ejector rod bend? Pick up a spare for a replacement then bend the one on your revolver JUST A BIT and fire six rounds, reload and fire six more. It's a real treat. You'll end up with a real gun paperweight.
Yes I still own revolvers, they're just not my favorite.
Let's be fair here....
Ejector rods just don't bend of their own accord while shooting.
Clearly, bending an ejector rod is an operator error.
You certainly can't blame the gun.

I say that anyone who has never experienced a failure-to-feed or failure-to-eject stoppage with an autoloader is someone who has not been shooting very much.
But some folks shoot a revolver frequently their whole lives without ever having a single failure.

No matter how you slice it, revolvers are simply more reliable than autoloaders.

[raskolnikov_22]

Everyone should have at least one revolver...from Colt, S&W, Dan Wesson, Ruger, Freedom Arms, and don't forget about the Webleys too, in .22, .38, .357, .44, .45, .475, .500, with a 2" barrel, 4", 5", 6", 8", a Buntline, blue, stainless, nickel, case-hardened, single action, double action, fixed cylinder, swing out cylinder, top break, one of those neato revolver/rifle setups like Lee van Cleef...:)

[shooter1]

Remember, the autoloader is only faster IF you happen to have another pre-loaded magazine on hand.

See which is faster to reload using the one-hand-drill with just a box of ammo and no pre-loaded extra magazine.

WHAT? You mean there's someone somewhere using an auto loader for a defensive weapon with only one loaded magazine!!!!
Surely not!!!!!
Yeah, it's pretty slow loading a magazine with one hand! ;) Of course I wouldn't need another magazine until I'd fired the dozen or so rounds in the first one.
str1

[David E]

I agree that everyone should have at least one revolver. A 4" .357 rating high in the "all around versatility" category for most folks.

That said, I think a revolver is a poor choice for weak-hand only use. It's difficult to shoot well or accurately at speed double action, it kicks significantly and is empty in 5-8 shots. Reloading a revolver one handed isn't what I want to do in the middle of a firefight.

My choice is a hicap 9mm. Kick is minimal while remaining a decent defensive caliber. The revolver would have to be reloaded 3-4 times before the 9mm needs to be reloaded even once. It's faster and easier to reload a 9mm than a revolver, and then you're good for another 3-4 revolver loads before you need to worry about it again. This part is moot, as the situation should be resolved long before then.

Viable choices are the Glock 17/19, the M&P 9mm, or the XD/XD-m.

[David E]

Remember, the autoloader is only faster IF you happen to have another pre-loaded magazine on hand.

If someone doesn't keep a spare magazine loaded and ready to go, then they simply don't understand the semi-auto very well. Or defense, either.

See which is faster to reload using the one-hand-drill with just a box of ammo and no pre-loaded extra magazine.

A more practical drill would be to see who can fire 20 shots on a 7 yd IPSC target FIRST, starting with a loaded gun. (who carries around an empty gun for defense with loose ammo in their pockets?)

You select your revolver of choice, I'll go with my XD-m.....:D

.

[easyg]

Of course I wouldn't need another magazine until I'd fired the dozen or so rounds in the first one.
Not necessarily....

You could have a damaged or defective magazine in your pistol right now.
And then you would only get off the single round in the chamber before it became useless.

[easyg]

That said, I think a revolver is a poor choice for weak-hand only use. It's difficult to shoot well or accurately at speed double action, it kicks significantly and is empty in 5-8 shots. Reloading a revolver one handed isn't what I want to do in the middle of a firefight.
This is also not necessarily true....

With practice revolvers are not hard to shoot double-action at speed.

And only the really light-weight snubs shooting powerful rounds kick hard.

[Hammerhead6814]

A good revolver can be a lot of things. I've never actually seen a revolver fail to fire, cycle, or overheat. Not saying it's impossible I'm just saying it seems rare.

I've also never seen an inaccurate revolver. Mind you I've never seen a .454 Casul or one of those S&W .500's, but anything in .38 or .357 has been accurate enough to put down a Glock snob now and then. Then again .38 is kind of under-powered these days.

[David E]

You could have a damaged or defective magazine in your pistol right now.
And then you would only get off the single round in the chamber before it became useless.

Then you have a high primer that won't allow the cylinder to rotate, or the second round up has a loose crimp and jumps forward out of the chamber, tying up the gun, etc, etc, etc, etc.

Let's stick with the probabilities instead of citing an obscure possibility so you can attempt to make some kind of point.

[David E]

With practice revolvers are not hard to shoot double-action at speed.


Depends on the load, and what we define as "speed," doesn't it.

A full load .357 in a 3" or 4" S&W Model 66 WILL kick enough to matter.

If you can shoot a .357 with full loads just as fast as a 9mm weak handed only with the same accuracy at the same speed, you're shooting too slow.

[David E]

A good revolver can be a lot of things. I've never actually seen a revolver fail to fire, cycle, or overheat. Not saying it's impossible I'm just saying it seems rare.

It is rare, but it does happen. When it does, you're nearly always totally screwed.

It brings up a point, tho.....if you cannot hold the 9mm sufficiently weak hand only and it jams as a result, then a revolver would be the better choice.

[shooter1]

Not necessarily....

You could have a damaged or defective magazine in your pistol right now.
And then you would only get off the single round in the chamber before it became useless.

Or---------you could fire a single round with your revolver, have the primer set back tying up the cylinder, or a bullet jump the crimp with the same effect.
Bet I can clear a feed jam from a bad magazine and reload a lot quicker than you can get the revolver back up.
Truth is, there are lots of things that could happen with any platform. I carried a revolver as a primary for 20+ years. Never felt under gunned. When we changed over to auto loaders, it took me awhile to come around and realize that the auto is a far superior fighting gun than the revolver. And,-----------for a lot of the same reasons the DA revolver is a superior fighting gun than the SA revolver. For civilian concealed carry and home defense, the revolver has served well. I still have a half dozen or so revolvers, I take one out and shoot it now and then. Their carry days are long past for this old trooper.
str1

[10-Ring]

I've experienced the same thing when I injured my dominant elbow & couldn't shoot for almost 3 months -- I eneded up teaching myself to shoot weak side only using my S&W mod 19. Whole heartedly agree, wheelguns rock!

[easyg]

Then you have a high primer that won't allow the cylinder to rotate, or the second round up has a loose crimp and jumps forward out of the chamber, tying up the gun, etc, etc, etc, etc.

Let's stick with the probabilities instead of citing an obscure possibility so you can attempt to make some kind of point.
"Obscure possibility"???

Hardly!

Let's be honest here....
Auto shooters practice stoppage drills for a very good reason: auto stoppages are not so rare or "obscure".

Sure a revolver can jam, but it is rather rare.

High primer failures are almost non-existant if one just inspects the bullets that one is loading in to their revolver.
And bullets jumping crimp are not too common either.
And if you're shooting .38's out of a .357 cylinder then jumping crimp is also practically a non-issue.

[Marlin 45 carbine]

oh yeah need at least 1 if not 2-3 wheelys.
that said I CCW a Makarov for some good reasons. and have it for 'bed post holster gun'.

[76shuvlinoff]

Within reach of my pillow is a 5" 1911 and a .357 Blackhawk, two steps away is a remmy 870 and a .357 lever carbine. All are ready to rock and roll.

ya just gots to have yer options.... ;)

[chris in va]

Revolvers don't impress me. Slow reloads, low capacity, harsh recoil and hard DA pull every shot unless you cock it. Anything with a serious self defense caliber just has too much recoil for my liking.

[David E]

Let's be honest here....


You started this nonsense by asserting that the semi-auto guys "could have a damaged or defective magazine in your pistol right now."

So, according to you, the magazine that has run flawlessly for 1000's of rounds somehow became defective or damaged while it was IN MY GUN..............

What was that part you said about being honest?

[easyg]

Revolvers don't impress me. Slow reloads, low capacity, harsh recoil and hard DA pull every shot unless you cock it. Anything with a serious self defense caliber just has too much recoil for my liking.
Slow reloads: It just depends upon the circumstances....
Take an autoloader with one loaded magazine and a loaded revolver, and a box of 50 rounds for each, and then see which is faster to reload. ;)

Low capacity: This is certainly true when compared to certain autoloaders (like the Glock 17), but it's not so true when compared to the typical 7-shot 1911.
And if you're unfortunate enough to live in a state that mandates 10-round magazines only, the difference is just a few bullets.

Harsh recoil: This greatly depends upon the gun and the ammo selected.
Not all larger caliber revolvers deliver harsh recoil.
And it's very easy to customize the grips of a revolver to reduce the felt or perceived recoil.
And there are plenty of autoloaders with harsh recoil as well....
lightweight guns shooting powerful calibers, revolver or autoloader, are not much fun to shoot.

Hard DA pull: Practice, practice, practice....
If one struggles with the DA trigger of a revolver, then one probably has rather weak hand and finger muscles.

[David E]

Slow reloads: It just depends upon the circumstances....
Take an autoloader with one loaded magazine and a loaded revolver, and a box of 50 rounds for each, and then see which is faster to reload.

This is a total non-sensical, invalid "comparison." The circumstance we're discussing is defensive use with the weak hand only. Suddenly, 5-8 shots may not be enough, whereas 9 or 20 may well make all the difference.

Again, you take the .38/.357/9mm/.38 Super/.41/.44/.45 revolver of choice, I'll take my XD-m and we'll see who can put 20 rds on target first. I'll even let you fire 6 before I fire my first shot.

Low capacity: This is certainly true when compared to certain autoloaders (like the Glock 17), but it's not so true when compared to the typical 7-shot 1911.
And if you're unfortunate enough to live in a state that mandates 10-round magazines only, the difference is just a few bullets.

My 1911's hold 8, 9, 10 and 11 rds, not counting the STI's that hold 21. A "few bullets" may matter greatly, since you're firing weak hand only, the typical accuracy you may have with two hands just isn't going to be there.

Harsh recoil: This greatly depends upon the gun and the ammo selected.
Not all larger caliber revolvers deliver harsh recoil.
And it's very easy to customize the grips of a revolver to reduce the felt or perceived recoil.
And there are plenty of autoloaders with harsh recoil as well....
lightweight guns shooting powerful calibers, revolver or autoloader, are not much fun to shoot.

Revolvers suited for defense will typically kick more than a semi-auto suitable for defense. A 3" S&W Model 66 with 125 grain JHP's will kick more than a similar sized 9mm loaded with 115 JHP Corbons. Of course, if you load the 66 with 148 target wadcutters, that changes, but so does the effect on target.

Hard DA pull: Practice, practice, practice....
If one struggles with the DA trigger of a revolver, then one probably has rather weak hand and finger muscles.

It seems that you keep forgetting that the "circumstance" in this thread is using the weak hand ONLY. What worked two handed or even strong hand only may or may not weak hand only. If you break your dominant arm tonight, tomorrow is a poor time to find out that your weakhand only DA skills are lacking. Under these circumstances, selecting a gun that's easier to shoot reasonably well becomes more important.

It's a good idea to practice weakhand only skills BEFORE we find we need them, regardless of your gun choice.

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