9mm revolvers

george29 said:

First thought, why?
Second, I also once thought it might be a good idea and bought a Taurus 905. It was supposed to back up my G17. I wrong on both accounts.
Third, Taurus supposedly makes the 692 which is a multiple caliber revolver.
Fourth, don't take the advice of someone that just bought a way-too-expensive Bond Derringer (me).
I too suffer from arthritis but I see no advantage in a 9mm revolver when 38's are in abundance. Also, the little wafer thin star shaped moon clips bend out of shape easily rendering it useless. It's the Achilles heel of this revolver.
I give semi auto rounds in a revolver a big thumbs down. Just because it was done during the Philippines insurrection doesn't mean it's a good idea under normal circumstances.

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I'm with you. Why? Other than cheap ammo and a perceived faster reload I don't understand wanting to shoot a 9mm in a gun designed for a rimmed cartridge. And if 38s recoil too much then try 38s loaded with 110gr bullets. It does make a difference. I reload for everything I shoot so ammo cost is the same across the board for me. I hope someone can give a good argument for shooting a 9mm in a revolver. I will gladly listen to your reasons why its a good idea.

""Just because it was done during the Philippines insurrection doesn't mean it's a good idea under normal circumstances."

Actually I think it was more WW1 than the Philippine war due to a shortage of the new 1911 auto and the Army wanting to use the 45acp round.

I also agree with why? Buy a .38 special. 9mm belongs in a auto.

Armored farmer said:

I think Taurus still makes a 9mm snub model 905.
I dont know anything, not have ever even heard anything... about them.They look like Taurus model 85 in .38spl.

You might find a 9mm sp 101 ruger , but they're scarce.

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On the right track there. I have been accused of being a Taurus Fanboy, but I'm going a different way today.

I have the Taurus 692, 905, and SP101 9mm revolvers. I sold the LCR because it was too snappy. Might as well shoot .357 from a metal gun.

The 905 is built on the 605 body, and it had to go back to the mothership for cylinder alignment and fired brass sticking issues. After it came back, brass still sticks, but the rest is fine.
The 692 is only available with a ported barrel, which is unnecessary on a 9mm, it just reduces velocity. Reduce the barrel length by 1" or so to get the actual usable barrel length.

But there is a fatal flaw with all of the Taurus 9mm revolvers. The cheap "stellar" clips. They are cheap, thin, bend easily, and are expensive. Hard to get anywhere but Taurus.

The Ruger clips are thick, strong, do not bend easily, and available from other vendors. The empties fall free easily - the machining is much better. It is a heavier gun, and it soaks up the recoil nicely. Near-357 velocities (50-100fps with the loads I tried) at significantly less recoil.

The good news, they are making them again, and they are freely available.
https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/44975/ruger+sp101+standard+single/double+action+9mm+225

And get the Pachmeyer grips. Trust me on this.

Ratshooter said:

I hope someone can give a good argument for shooting a 9mm in a revolver. I will gladly listen to your reasons why its a good idea.

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In a snubnose, yes. A 9mm is much closer to .357 speeds than .38. 9mm is at home with high pressures and short barrel, .38spl isn't. At 5" .357 gets it's legs starts widening the gap.

As far as why? If you buy ammo, 9mm is half the price, and performs better. If you reload, the impact is less, but 9mm is easier and safer to load in my book (easier to see the charges in a 9mm case.) Besides, I load a ton of 9mm anyway.

maxxhavoc said:

there is a fatal flaw with all of the Taurus 9mm revolvers. The cheap "stellar" clips. They are cheap, thin, bend easily, and are expensive. Hard to get anywhere but Taurus.

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You can use the RIMZ polymer moon clips designated for the S&W 986, with the Taurus 692: https://www.ezmoonclip.com/Rimz 986.htm

I just ordered a pack of em, will chime in after trying them out and loading/unloading them several times.

Ratshooter said:

I'm with you. Why? Other than cheap ammo and a perceived faster reload I don't understand wanting to shoot a 9mm in a gun designed for a rimmed cartridge. And if 38s recoil too much then try 38s loaded with 110gr bullets. It does make a difference. I reload for everything I shoot so ammo cost is the same across the board for me. I hope someone can give a good argument for shooting a 9mm in a revolver. I will gladly listen to your reasons why its a good idea.

""Just because it was done during the Philippines insurrection doesn't mean it's a good idea under normal circumstances."

Actually I think it was more WW1 than the Philippine war due to a shortage of the new 1911 auto and the Army wanting to use the 45acp round.

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Sounds like the same words when the LCR9mm came out by the Nay Sayers back when the first one came out in 2014 A whole lot of great reviews since 2014. I remember well the review by
Massad Ayoob. "At the range, we tried hot load versus hot load (Federal +P+ 9BPLE for the 9mm and Remington 158-grain, lead, semi-wadcutter, hollow-point, +P “FBI Loads” in the .38 Special) and standard-pressure versus standard-pressure (Winchester 147-grain subsonic FMJs in the 9mm and Winchester 158-grain, round-nose, lead rounds in the .38). My five-foot-tall girlfriend, who owns a Ruger SP101 9mm that she doesn’t like because she thinks it kicks too much, shot the two LCRs side by side with each set of comparison loads and exclaimed, “Am I going nuts or does the 9mm kick less than the .38? You try it.”

https://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2014/12/massad-ayoob-looks-ruger-lcr-9mm/


I find it odd that some cannot seen the benefits of the 9mm. I suspect it is more of a jealousy factor when the 9mm LCR came out. And for good reasons.( and that said, I like the 38. and you will not find me bashing them. In fact I carry one many times)

One thing that mustt be noted, Ruger LCR and the 9mm is one of the success stories of Ruger. The gun is not only still in production, but more have come out. And I would take a wager it is going to be around for a very long time.You do not have to go far to see many positive reviews.
And ballistics?



http://mousegunaddict.blogspot.com/search?q=lcr+9mm

maxxhavoc said:

As far as why? If you buy ammo, 9mm is half the price, and performs better. If you reload, the impact is less, but 9mm is easier and safer to load in my book (easier to see the charges in a 9mm case.) Besides, I load a ton of 9mm anyway.

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Well I mentioned the ammo cost as a reason to shoot 9mm in a revolver. I also said I reload and I have so much supplies and have had it so long I really don't remember what it cost. So to me all shooting is like shooting for free. But if you are buying ammo then cost is a definite factor. As far as safer thats going some. I look in every case I charge with a flashlight and after 40+ years of reloading I have never had a double charge or missed charging a case.

Ernie if you are comparing the recoil of a 115gr bullet to a 158gr bullet thats not really a fair comparison. Thats why I mentioned 110gr bullets in a 38 if the 158gr bullets were too much especially in a lightweight snub revolver. That very last rounds I reloaded a couple of weeks ago were 110gr Winchester hollow points for use in my 442 snubby.

Ernie Bass said:

I find it odd that some cannot seen the benefits of the 9mm. I suspect it is more of a jealousy factor when the 9mm LCR came out. And for good reasons.

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I see all kinds of benefits to the 9mm in an auto. But none in a revolver. The jealousy argument makes no sense. Whats to be jealous about?

Ratshooter said:

Well I mentioned the ammo cost as a reason to shoot 9mm in a revolver. I also said I reload and I have so much supplies and have had it so long I really don't remember what it cost. So to me all shooting is like shooting for free. But if you are buying ammo then cost is a definite factor. As far as safer thats going some. I look in every case I charge with a flashlight and after 40+ years of reloading I have never had a double charge or missed charging a case.

Ernie if you are comparing the recoil of a 115gr bullet to a 158gr bullet thats not really a fair comparison. Thats why I mentioned 110gr bullets in a 38 if the 158gr bullets were too much especially in a lightweight snub revolver. That very last rounds I reloaded a couple of weeks ago were 110gr Winchester hollow points for use in my 442 snubby.



I see all kinds of benefits to the 9mm in an auto. But none in a revolver. The jealousy argument makes no sense. Whats to be jealous about?

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I do not want to turn this into a heated debate, not worth it. I would say if you prefer te 38 then by all means go for it. If you cannot see the benifits of a 9mm over a 38 in a revolver, then OK, no problem. I see many, but I spend my money with what I choose and you spend yours, your way. I have a 642 I enjoy very much. And I have many pistols in 9mm. 5 Micro 9mm's alone. I do not think I actually can tell you why I like shooting them. As Hickcock45 said "There is just something about them."
I am moving on, but feel free to continue. Thanks for the post.

Ernie Bass said:

I do not want to turn this into a heated debate, not worth it. I would say if you prefer te 38 then by all means go for it. If you cannot see the benifits of a 9mm over a 38 in a revolver, then OK, no problem. I see many, but I spend my money with what I choose and you spend yours, your way. I have a 642 I enjoy very much. And I have many pistols in 9mm. 5 Micro 9mm's alone. I do not think I actually can tell you why I like shooting them. As Hickcock45 said "There is just something about them."
I am moving on, but feel free to continue. Thanks for the post.

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I never went looking for a debate. Just someone to give me some selling points on using a 9mm round in a revolver. So far the only viable selling point has been because it shoots cheaper ammo. Why don't you try telling me why YOU and not some gunwriter likes the 9mm in a revolver. I will gladly listen to your thoughts. You say you see many, tell what they are. I'm listening.

When I look at a 9mm in a revolver I see a gun that is best used with moon clips. And I don't like moon clips. Its a round that needs no bullet crimp since bullet jump isn't an issue in an auto. But it is in a revolver and I have read several post with people asking how to stop this from happening. Also since the 9mm is so short it has a very long bullet jump to the rifling in the barrel which can lead to velocity and accuracy loss. So please tell me what the selling points are to you. I will listen and maybe you can tell me something I hadn't thought of.

Ratshooter said:

So please tell me what the selling points are to you. I will listen and maybe you can tell me something I hadn't thought of.

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9mm is cheap, widely available in bulk quantity, and a 9mm revolver is the gateway drug to wheelguns for gun enthusiasts who have only owned autos thus far and don't want to increase their caliber footprint.

Oh, and moon clips are faster than speed loaders for competition.

I own three revolvers: one in .22lr, one in 10mm auto, and one with both a 9mm cylinder and a .357 mag cylinder. I specifically have these three because they can share ammo with my other (autoloading) guns.

General Geoff said:

9mm is cheap, widely available in bulk quantity, and a 9mm revolver is the gateway drug to wheelguns for gun enthusiasts who have only owned autos thus far and don't want to increase their caliber footprint.

Oh, and moon clips are faster than speed loaders for competition.

I own three revolvers: one in .22lr, one in 10mm auto, and one with both a 9mm cylinder and a .357 mag cylinder. I specifically have these three because they can share ammo with my other guns.

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OK thanks. Those are good points. We have already established the cheaper ammo and sharing ammo is a good point. But I doubt anyone buying a Taurus or Ruger snubby in 9mm is shooting them in competition. But the point about a shooter getting his first wheel gun makes sense.And I am a true blue wheel gun man and if someone could convince me a 9mm revolver would be the next big thing for me I would get one.

I am sold on the 9mm round and have been since the early 1980s when I first started really getting in to guns and buying my own guns. I thought the 9mm made all kinds of sense for a SD round. I own 3 9mm handguns. My newest just bought a week ago. That doesn't count the other 10-12 I have owned in the past.

Eh... I can't and won't attempt to sell you a 9x19mm revolver. Your having issues w/ arthritis, you don't want the fumbling and bumbling about with moon clips. I'd personally recommend a classic .38 Spl. I don't trust Charter Arm's Pitbull 9mm to recommend it. Don't know how the design would hold up over time. I'm gonna rock the boat and advise a S&W 442 or 640 Pro, or a Ruger LCR.

Dr. A said:

I have 3 9mm revolvers. The dual cylinder Ruger Blackhawk is very pleasant to shoot. The Charter does kick, but with the 6 inch barrel, it is very accurate and easy to stay on target with. My LCR does have a blast, but in my hands does not have much kick. I vote charter!
View attachment 911892

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That's a gun that's been on my want list for a while:
Along with these 2
This RIA, 3" barrel, full shroud, 6 shot
https://armscor.com/firearms/ria-imports/revolver-series/al9.0-revolver/

This CA, 6 shot, 4.2 full shroud barrel, adj site, sadly out of production, my fave:
https://gun.deals/search/apachesolr_search/678958799422


I have both a S&W 625 45acp revolver and Blackhawk with a 9mm cylinder which I have shot thousands of rounds thru, both factory and reloaded ammo.
I have yet to experience any bullet jump in either gun.
Verified by loading 6, shooting 5, and checking the remaining 6th.
I have experienced bullet set-back in auto's in these same calibers though ... but I still own and continue to shoot them.
just sayin'

I have heard about bullet set back but never experienced it myself. And the guns you mentioned are heavy enough that bullet jump shouldn’t be a problem. That happens more in a very lightweight gun. But even then it seems to be only with certain brands of ammo.

So if you like a 9mm revolver go for it. But so far I haven’t read anything that would make me want to get one for myself.

I want to clarify that I'm not against 9mm LCR's or 9mm revolvers. I don't think a 9mm LCR is appropriate for someone complaining of pain in their hands, that's all. It's true it's not as much recoil as a 357 LCR or the 340PD I have, but I have witnessed a man in his 60's in multi-day classes have to give up shooting their 9mm LCR because it was too painful. A GP100 or an L frame shooting 38 or 9mm is about as comfortable as shooting a centerfire handgun is practically going to get and they are easy to manipulate in all their functions.

FWIW, the 38 LCR could, depending on ammo, have more felt recoil than a 9mm version because it's aluminum frame is only 13.5 oz versus 17.2 oz. for the 9mm. Both, in my opinion, are too lightweight for the recoil impulse of their respective cartridges and the result is unpleasant recoil velocity levels. Increasing the mass of the gun is the solution and it comes in the form of larger, steel-framed revolvers.

Personally, I think full moon-clips are awesome and if I had arthritis or limited dexterity for any reason, I would be sure to use moon clips versus loose cartridges. Moon clips make everything about shooting a revolver so much better. Now loading and unloading the cartridges into and out of the clips can be a pain without the right tool. So get the right tool, which in my opinion is BMT. It's the uplula for revolvers.

I don't own any 9mm pistol or revolver, but I see no problem with it in a revolver. I've already mentioned how great I think moonclips are, and 9mm is very inexpensive. The loaded ammo is the cheapest of any centerfire, and the components for reloading are also as cheap as anything. It's also, with well-chosen bullets, arguably as effective as any handgun at the most common handgun tasks with some credit given to it for "shootability" even if terminal ballistics are on the low-end of acceptable. Whatever a person's convictions are about 9mm ballistics, it would be hard to argue that 38 is somehow meaningfully superior. I prefer my 38/357's but I can't think of a reason they're meaningfully superior other than "tradition" and they're more "American." Well, the 357 can be loaded pretty hot, but that doesn't seem to be a relevant point in this discussion.

Ed4032 said:

S&W 547. Best 9mm revolver ever.

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Well the 547 is one of the few 9mm wheelgun models that don't require you to go "mooning".

He said he wanted a 9mm revolver, he never said a small 9mm revolver.

I own and reload for 9mm's and .38's, and I own six .38 Special revolvers and three 9mm autos. For the life of me I cannot see any use in a 9mm revolver except that someone wants a revolver and cheap plentiful ammunition. To each his own I suppose...

35W

35 Whelen said:

For the life of me I cannot see any use in a 9mm revolver except that someone wants a revolver and cheap plentiful ammunition. ./

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ln revolver competition (ICORE & USPSA) is where 9mm revolvers are an advantage. The short, tapered case makes for quick, easy and reliable ejection. Over the years competitors have gone from full .38spl cases to .38Short Colt cases and a few have used .38Super. All now seem to be migrating towards 9mm. First with the S&W 929 and now with the Ruger GP100. Will be interesting to see the stats when we finally hold the USPSA Revolver Nationals this fall.

Ratshooter said:

I have heard about bullet set back but never experienced it myself. And the guns you mentioned are heavy enough that bullet jump shouldn’t be a problem. That happens more in a very lightweight gun. But even then it seems to be only with certain brands of ammo.

So if you like a 9mm revolver go for it. But so far I haven’t read anything that would make me want to get one for myself.

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"Having heard" is a worse source than quoting an article because no source is linked to, "having heard" with the "lightweight gun" added is just more hearsay.
Experience is what it is, and no internet babble repeated over and over until it begins to sound silly can change that.
You are not gonna read anything to make you want to buy a 9mm revolver here, ever, because your mind is already made up.
You need to stop trolling this thread and move on.

Tilos said:

"Having heard" is a worse source than quoting an article because no source is linked to, "having heard" with the "lightweight gun" added is just more hearsay.
Experience is what it is, and no internet babble repeated over and over until it begins to sound silly can change that.
You are not gonna read anything to make you want to buy a 9mm revolver here, ever, because your mind is already made up.
You need to stop trolling this thread and move on.

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Ah no. You are incorrect. My mind is open to a 9mm revolver and I did have a BH convertable with 9mm cylinder and liked it except I thought it was too much gun for the rounds it fired. Thats why I asked for a good reason to own a 9mm revolver. So far its so you can shoot cheaper ammo and the full moon clips make for a faster reload.

And the bullet set back I have read about came from posters here who have posted it. So I trust it was not Heresay.

And I have been here way too long with too many post to be considered a troll. I asked looking for answers. That doesn't make someone a troll.

Ratshooter,

When I purchased my last LCR...I gave hard thought about getting it in 9MM. It gave more velocity and consequently more expansion when shooting defensive rounds. The moon clips were a smaller package than speed loaders. I could shoot and practice a lot more while maintaining the same ammo cost. The reasons that stopped me from going the 9MM route was the bullet jump articles that I was reading and the fact that I had decided to jump into reloading as I had 1500 or so .38 Spcl cases laying around. So my discretionary money went towards equipping myself with reloading equipment. So far no regrets.

That all being said, and always being a dyed in the wool revolver man, this is something that I thought I'd never hear myself say, I have decided that I'm going to join the auto loader ranks in 9MM.

wheelgunman I think you will like the 9mm. I reload for it and have around 1,500 rounds on hand and enough components to load another 4,000 or so right now. That was why I was hoping someone could sell me on a 9mm revolver since I have so much ammo. Years ago there was one of the S&W 9mm revolvers in a local pawn shop. The one that had the fingers that spread out and caught the case rims to eject so no moon clips were needed. I have many times regretted not buying that gun.

I started reading gun magazines way back in the early 1980s when the 9mm handguns were getting all the press. Especially the Hi-Cap guns that were coming out every week it seemed. And then the Glock and all the press surrounding it hit the streets.

I think your decision to start reloading was a wise one. I always beat the drum for people to reload. I have been reloading for around 40 years now and I never experience the ammo shortages that others go through. Plus its just fun to do. I would rather reload than sit on my rear in front of a TV any day.

Thousands of rounds, and 6 years later, do not even think about crimp jump in my LCR9m.Can not even remember having one since I first bought one and tried out a few Cheapo ammo and bulk Reloads.
This thread has made me yearn to get out and shoot the lovely LCR9mm. Hopefully my club does open in May like scheduled.

I know the feeling. I was able to get out yesterday. It was great except for having to wear a facemask the whole time. That wouldn't have been so bad, but those elastic bands that go behind the ear really start to hurt after an hour.

TexasPatriot.308 said:

Hey guys, don't get on here much anymore. Question...Im 66, hands starting to have arthritis problems, got couple 1911s, autos etc but sometimes the slide gets me. I realize Im old now. Anyways looking towards a good 9mm revolver, pretty sure it would come in double action. Any input?

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I've read a few articles on that subject just merely a few days ago...