Question for Die-Hard Revolver Fans

View attachment 1118564 View attachment 1118565 View attachment 1118564 View attachment 1118565 I don't know if I'd say I'm a "Wheelgun Guy", but as a Handgun Hunter, I definitely love me my single actions, and my Encore. That being said, for Carry, I love my Glock, and if I'm nailing it down to what Semi-Auto I really "Appreciate", there's several. Of course, the Glock, but also my Seecamp for Summertime Simplicity, but also my "Miami Vice" pistol... a S&W 645. Love the simplicity and ease of use on that. I don't like carrying "Cocked and Locked", and (dare I say this out loud?) I'm not a fan of 1911's. I own several, including multiple Kimbers. I just don't care for them. I love the option of just pulling that S&W or Glock, and letting it rip.

The only semi-auto pistol I like is my Mark IV
I handload and I hate chasing brass - especially in the woods.
I used to be a die hard single action revolver guy but since getting a GP100, I am gaining a fondness for a double action revolver.

bannockburn said:

When it comes to shooting the Astra 400 or 600, you and I definitely have a polar opposite meaning of the words "fun" and "snappy recoil"! More like taking a hammer and pounding your shooting hand with it! A box of 50 rounds and I was done shooting for the day!

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I shoot these pistolas quite a bit, and my answer involves handloading with 5 grains of Unique -- not as spicy as Spanish surplus ammo or CCI Blazer. Straight blowback autos are surprisingly tolerant about reliably cycling lighter loadings.

My idea of a painful range session is 10 rounds of run-of-the-mill factory .44 Special ammo through a Charter Bulldog! It took me five tries to come up with a .44 handload for mine that didn't threaten arthritis.

I personally prefer revolvers for a variety of reasons but the biggest reason that seems to differ from others is that I really don't like the feeling of a slide moving back and forth over my hand. Firing a semi auto feels like I am using an ax or hammer with a wobbly head.

All that said the most interesting semi auto to me has been the Phoenix Arms HP22a for two very simple reasons. First it goes bang and cycles perfectly everything I pull the trigger (which is outstanding for a .22lr semi-auto). Second I can never ever feel the slide move. It is such a smooth action that when I pull the trigger, it shoots and it doesn't feel like a revolver or a semi-auto to me. It just feels like it's own unique little category of ultra comfortable to fire pistol.

My semi-auto is a Springfield full size XDM in 9mm.
My fun guns are all S&W, 10-5 4 inch; 14-4 8 3/8" and 6" 586, .357 mag. Now I can put 10 shots under a quarter with the XDM at 10 yards, but haven't been able to do quite that with the other three. It may take me the rest of my life to figure out why, but I keep trying.

BillTell said:

I don't like carrying "Cocked and Locked", and (dare I say this out loud?) I'm not a fan of 1911's.

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Someone get a rope....

DR505 said:

Someone get a rope....

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I sort of got to agree with @BillTell. Not a big 1911 fan. I have two, one is a safe queen (my one and only) and the other in a competition double stack 40S&W. I would never carry a 1911 or any handgun with a manual safety. If it makes you guys feel any better the S&W model 27 & 28 are some of the silliest revolves going almost as bad as Pythons.

DR505 said:

Someone get a rope....

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I know where there's a fine tree, too.

Mac

aaaaa said:

SA and DA). But I am curious what semi-auto pistol is there, if any, that you find as fascinating as a revolver. .

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For me it would be the Broomhandle Mauser C96. A friend's father had one as a WWII bring back and my friend and I were fortunate to shoot it a few times.

One of the first successful semi-autos, very mechanical looking and acting, all machined parts, and 9mm no less.

Now I might call the design steampunked, but that term hadn't been invented when we were shooting it, but it had it in spades. Some versions were even full auto.

I can’t think of an auto that is nearly as desirable to me as a revolver. Same could be said for long guns, there isn’t an auto that puts a smile on my face like a lever action.

aaaaa said:

But I am curious what semi-auto pistol is there, if any, that you find as fascinating as a revolver. I am curious to hear what semi-autos you die-hard revolver fans really appreciate.

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I commented earlier that I like 1911's a lot, but I'd like to extend that comment to say I like anything JMB had a hand in designing.

mcb said:

If it makes you guys feel any better the S&W model 27 & 28 are some of the silliest revolves going almost as bad as Pythons.

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If not on this forum but certainly on others,
I've stated that the Models 27/28 are guns
for Bozos. And I so stated years and years
ago. So does that mean you agree
with me?

However, your comment on the Python
methinks is tied to only one thing, the
cylinder release. That's. pure doodle
mush on your part. In time you will
learn better. Or not.

the Garand rotating bolt, and anything direct blowback in .32 ACP

UncleEd said:

If not on this forum but certainly on others,
I've stated that the Models 27/28 are guns
for Bozos. And I so stated years and years
ago. So does that mean you agree
with me?

However, your comment on the Python
methinks is tied to only one thing, the
cylinder release. That's. pure doodle
mush on your part. In time you will
learn better. Or not.

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My objections are:

The 27/28 should be an 8-shooter, six shots of 357 mag on an N-frame is silly (setting historic significance aside). And they are over priced.

Pythons are savagely overpriced for what they are... And the cylinder release goes the wrong way.

Dave DeLaurant said:

I like both revolvers and autos, but I almost always prefer to carry a wheelgun. I shattered my left forearm in 2015 and lacked the grip strength in my left hand to rack my Glock 19 slide for about six months after. I've practiced one-handed drills for autopistol operation, reloading and clearing malfs, but during that time I found that, for me at least, a revolver can be much more easily operated one-handed with either of my hands.

Back to the question: I tend to like service-type pistols. I have a SIG P47/210, Colt 1903, Husqvarna 1907, Manhurin/Walther PP (in .32), MAC 1935S, Star Modelo Super, 2 Astra M400s and 2 1911A1s. The SIG is the most accurate and expensive of the lot, but I probably enjoy shooting the blowback Astras and Husqvarna the most -- the snappy recoil of their heavy slides is different and fun.

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Also a fan of the Astra "Pipewrench"

Fun shooters, IMO, and great build quality, though they arent mechanically very interesting, being simple blowbacks.

While its true if limited to just a couple handguns, they would be revolvers, but I am generally pretty much 50/50 equal opportunity on the bulk of my sidearms. The primary exclusion is is the typical modern striker platform- an absolute NOGO in my book.

aaaaa said:

Would that include the Beretta Tomcat?

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those are nice

UncleEd said:

A side oddity, John Browning I
believe came up with a concept
to automate the Winchester 73.

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Not quite.

In the fall of 1889 John Browning was enjoying a rifle match near his home in Ogden Utah with his brothers and some friends. John was watching one of his friends shoot when he noticed something interesting. His friend was relatively short, and when he shot his muzzle was not very high above some nearby weeds. John noticed that a clump of sweet clover, about 10 feet ahead of the muzzle shook from the muzzle blast every time his friend fired. This was not unusual, but Browning suddenly realized that some of the energy that pushed a bullet down the bore of a firearm was being wasted. He grabbed his brothers and they hurriedly returned to their shop. By the next morning Browning had fashioned a crude experimental firearm to test his theory. He used an old Winchester Model 1873 that had been lying around the shop, The only reason he chose the Winchester was because it was old, not very valuable, and it was handy. He fashioned what he called a 'flapper' that was hinged near the muzzle. The flapper had a hole in it to allow a 44-40 bullet to pass through, but the escaping gasses would cause the flapper to move forward. Most of the lever of the Winchester had been cut off, and the trigger extended. The flapper was connected to the lever with a length of wire. Sure enough, when fired, the gasses escaping from the muzzle moved the flapper forward and worked the action of the rifle. There was of course no interrupter, so the rifle continued to fire until all the ammunition in the magazine was expended. This was not an attempt to make a machine gun out of a lever action rifle, the Winchester had simply been handy to prove the concept. The Winchester was not saved, it was just a concept model, and it was not satisfactory as a prototype anyway. The Winchester was soon discarded, it was not saved, and Browning rigged up several more test beds before filing a patent for the gas operated principle on January 6, 1890. This work eventually led to Browning's filing two patents on August 3, 1891 for two gas operated machine guns. On July 11, 1892 Browning filed a patent for a firearm with a hole drilled in the barrel to tap the high pressure gasses directly behind a bullet, and before the bullet had left the barrel. This idea was of course pivotal to the development of later semi-automatic and fully automatic rifles.

Below is a sketch of Browning's experimental Winchester Model 1873 with the flapper at the muzzle. This is from the book written by Browning's son, also named John Browning. The book is titled John M. Browning American Gunmaker by John Browning and Curt Gentry




P.S. I am a revolver guy, but I own some semi-autos too. I'm not going to post any pictures, doing so would crash the internet.

I too love revolvers. But one auto that I really think was a mild evolution is the SACM 1935A. Locked breech, no barrel bushing, and a unique hammer block safety. They were an inherently strong action and quite accurate. And it gave birth to another outstanding auto.

Jeff olson said:

I too love revolvers. But one auto that I really think was a mild evolution is the SACM 1935A. Locked breech, no barrel bushing, and a unique hammer block safety. They were an inherently strong action and quite accurate. And it gave birth to another outstanding auto.View attachment 1118647 View attachment 1118648

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Wow, you scored one of the new P210s! I had to skip some lunches to fund my P49.

Have you found a reliable load for 7.65x20 Longue? I have one box of Quality Cartridge brass so far, but I've yet to come up with a recipe that reliably cycles in my 1935S.

NIGHTLORD40K said:

Also a fan of the Astra "Pipewrench"
View attachment 1118636
Fun shooters, IMO, and great build quality, though they arent mechanically very interesting, being simple blowbacks.

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I call my M400s waterpistolas.

Dave DeLaurant said:

Wow, you scored one of the new P210s! I had to skip some lunches to fund my P49.

Have you found a reliable load for 7.65x20 Longue? I have one box of Quality Cartridge brass so far, but I've yet to come up with a recipe that reliably cycles in my 1935S.

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I bought 200 rds when Buffalo arms had it in stock about 2 years ago. Seems to work fine in one of my As, but not the S.

mcb said:

The 27/28 should be an 8-shooter, six shots of 357 mag on an N-frame is silly (setting historic significance aside). And they are over priced.

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I'm curious. Please explain.

Back in my reloading days I found it easier to retrieve my brass with revolvers. Shooting 22, that's not a concern.