I notice now most of us older guys (50+)

DM~ said:

Over the years, i've owned quite a few semi auto's of all kinds and brands, but today the only semi auto handguns i own are rimfires!

If i can't get it done with one of these's,

View attachment 524699

It's not gettin done!

I've never abandoned my revolvers, i still have the first one i bought in the early 70's!

DM

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Are those 2 S & W Model 29's? A .357? And a Peacemaker?

They are all 44's... 2 S&W M-29's, a Ruger 44 flat top, a S&W M-19 in 44 spl...

DM

DM~ said:

They are all 44's... 2 S&W M-29's, a Ruger 44 flat top, a S&W M-19 in 44 spl...

DM

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Great collection

True Stinger. Like I said though. With a 2 inch barrel I do not know if the 357 is worth it. Whats the $ diff? Also 4 extra oz may make it shoot softer with the 158 loads in 38. I will post a report after shooting the +P rounds.

I'm 42. I own a Glock 34, Glock 19 and a Glock 26 and a Browning Buckmaster. I also own ten revolvers. I'm a big fan of revolvers and as the years have gone by I have become a better handgun shot thanks to revolvers.

Many say that a revolver is a good design for the beginner and the amateur, but it's my opinion that when shooting a revolver (in double-action) if you aren't adhering to the basics it will show up on the target.

Well anyway I carry the G19 (with the Federal +P 124 grain HST load) on duty and I don't feel underarmed. I also don't feel underamed when carrying either my S&W Model 49or Colt Detective Special when off duty.

hapidogbreath said:

True Stinger. Like I said though. With a 2 inch barrel I do not know if the 357 is worth it. Whats the $ diff? Also 4 extra oz may make it shoot softer with the 158 loads in 38. I will post a report after shooting the +P rounds.

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Keep us posted on your report & findings of your LCR .38. The LCR .357 isn't available here yet but when it does arrive I will check it out. The .357 cartridge is alot hotter than the .38+P even if it is out of the same short barrel.

Checkman said:

I'm 42. I own a Glock 34, Glock 19 and a Glock 26 and a Browning Buckmaster. I also own ten revolvers. I'm a big fan of revolvers and as the years have gone by I have become a better handgun shot thanks to revolvers.

Many say that a revolver is a good design for the beginner and the amateur, but it's my opinion that when shooting a revolver (in double-action) if you aren't adhering to the basics it will show up on the target.

Well anyway I carry the G19 (with the Federal +P 124 grain HST load) on duty and I don't feel underarmed. I also don't feel underamed when carrying either my S&W Model 49or Colt Detective Special when off duty.

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Just curious what does HST stand for?

Checkman said:

I'm 42. I own a Glock 34, Glock 19 and a Glock 26 and a Browning Buckmaster. I also own ten revolvers. I'm a big fan of revolvers and as the years have gone by I have become a better handgun shot thanks to revolvers.

Many say that a revolver is a good design for the beginner and the amateur, but it's my opinion that when shooting a revolver (in double-action) if you aren't adhering to the basics it will show up on the target.

Well anyway I carry the G19 (with the Federal +P 124 grain HST load) on duty and I don't feel underarmed. I also don't feel underamed when carrying either my S&W Model 49or Colt Detective Special when off duty.

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The Buckmaster is a fun gun to shoot same goes for the Glocks too.

stinger 327

Just curious what does HST stand for?

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Beats me. Possibly Hydrashock Technology?

Wow 25 pages & counting.
I guess the OP hit a PASSIONATE nerve in wheelies vs semis!

And yes, I'm still firmly in the wheelie category (and amazingly? I'm 50!)

I love my 38 spl model 12, and my 686 375magnun. L

Hondo 60 said:

Wow 25 pages & counting.
I guess the OP hit a PASSIONATE nerve in wheelies vs semis!

And yes, I'm still firmly in the wheelie category (and amazingly? I'm 50!)

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I like em both but if my life depended on it I feel more comfortable with the revolver. The only other one that's a pistol that comes close is the Glock for an automatic.

and in the movies, the semi autos are always shot sideways or even upside down. At least Harry callahan and Roy Rogers took aim. I know, it's Hollywood, but...

warrconn said:

and in the movies, the semi autos are always shot sideways or even upside down. At least Harry callahan and Roy Rogers took aim. I know, it's Hollywood, but...

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Well that's Hollywood for you. Whenever I go to a gun show I see that auto pistols are much more popular and the norm among buyers but again when it comes down to simplicity, ease of operation and going bang the revolver can't be beat. Even if there is a misfire which is so very common in .22 LR (another story) all you do is pull the trigger again to shoot the next bullet in the chamber.
The auto jam will stop everything until you clear it.

First handgun I bought was a wheelie when I was 31 yrs old. Today about half my HGs are revolvers. So I am much older now, way past 50, but I started with wheelguns 19 years before I hit 50.

Appreciation for revolvers have little to do with age, I think. It is mindset.
One shot One Kill, versus Spray and Pray. Although I still don't S&P with my semis.

One thing that changed as I got older was the increase in my desire for simplicity in my firearms. So now all, save for one, of my semi-autos have fixed sights.

If fixed sighted revolvers were available here in Canada, meaning available for most of us Canadians to buy, I'd definitely have more of them than adjustable sighted ones.

[email protected] said:

First handgun I bought was a wheelie when I was 31 yrs old. Today about half my HGs are revolvers. So I am much older now, way past 50, but I started with wheelguns 19 years before I hit 50.

Appreciation for revolvers have little to do with age, I think. It is mindset.
One shot One Kill, versus Spray and Pray. Although I still don't S&P with my semis.

One thing that changed as I got older was the increase in my desire for simplicity in my firearms. So now all, save for one, of my semi-autos have fixed sights.

If fixed sighted revolvers were available here in Canada, meaning available for most of us Canadians to buy, I'd definitely have more of them than adjustable sighted ones.

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Why do you prefer fixed sights over adjustable sights? Less things to fiddle with?

Easyrider, why would fixed sight revolvers not be available in Canada? Or do you mean that everybody wants adjustable sights, so, market forces being what they are, would translate into no demand for fixed sight weapons and thus very few available?

43 yrs old, but my primary is a 642 snubbie.

Cheers!

I told him one good .357 in the right place beats 10 spray and pray 9mm

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And one good 9mm in the right place beats 6 "Spray n' Pray" 357's any day, too. "Spray n' Pray" has more to do with training and the ability to control your panic than the weapon and its just as easy to waste 6 out of a revolver as 10+ out of an auto.

and the Ruger is built to last 100 years...older Colts and Smiths were also.

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So? Most modern, quality autopistols will probably outlive their owner with routine care and maintenance.

And I would take ANY .44 mag Smith/Colt/Ruger to his Glock 9mm or .40 I told him goes back to "Dirty Harry" movies he looked puzzled and he thought I was talking about some gay porn flick.

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Ignoring the mystique of "the most powerful handgun in the world" (which it isn't any more), most people find full-house .44 magnums to be suboptimal for self-defence. The recoil makes fast follow up shots impossible and they are probably more powerful than strictly needed for handgun rounds against human targets. If use downloaded rounds in a .44 mag gun, you might as well just go with a smaller round in a smaller, lighter gun. IMO, If you want to go wheelgun, the .357 is probably a much better choice, with superior properties for self-defence.

BTW, I'm one of those 50+ fellows, and I've got a couple autos in 9mm and .45acp, as well as a couple wheelguns in .357. While the .45 auto would probably be my first choice, I would not feel particularly disadvantaged with any of them in my hand during a SD situation.

mdauben said:

And one good 9mm in the right place beats 6 "Spray n' Pray" 357's any day, too. "Spray n' Pray" has more to do with training and the ability to control your panic than the weapon and its just as easy to waste 6 out of a revolver as 10+ out of an auto.


So? Most modern, quality autopistols will probably outlive their owner with routine care and maintenance.


Ignoring the mystique of "the most powerful handgun in the world" (which it isn't any more), most people find full-house .44 magnums to be suboptimal for self-defence. The recoil makes fast follow up shots impossible and they are probably more powerful than strictly needed for handgun rounds against human targets. If use downloaded rounds in a .44 mag gun, you might as well just go with a smaller round in a smaller, lighter gun. IMO, If you want to go wheelgun, the .357 is probably a much better choice, with superior properties for self-defence.

BTW, I'm one of those 50+ fellows, and I've got a couple autos in 9mm and .45acp, as well as a couple wheelguns in .357. While the .45 auto would probably be my first choice, I would not feel particularly disadvantaged with any of them in my hand during a SD situation.

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Do more people survive hits from a 9mm compared to a .38 special or .357?

Why do you prefer fixed sights over adjustable sights? Less things to fiddle with? Stinger, yes, less things to fiddle with is my first reason. Second, I just prefer the clean lines of a Service Six over a Security Six to give one example.

Most fixed sighted revolvers are calibrated well enough to shoot to
point-of-aim, with a certain load.

Third, there is nothing to break or go out of adjustment on a fixed notch

In bygone days, all my 1911s wore Bomars and they fulfilled a need at the time. These days I find it satisfying to "know" my pistols enough to know how to use their fixed sights.

why would fixed sight revolvers not be available in Canada? Or do you mean that everybody wants adjustable sights, so, market forces being what they are, would translate into no demand for fixed sight weapons and thus very few available?

Esdetsgt, Fixed sight revolvers usually come with 4 inch barrels or shorter, except for the older S&W Military and Police 38s or similar types which had 5 inch barrels and fixed sights. Any revolver with barrel less than 106 mm is prohibited unless you are grandfathered for it. The powers that be, created the "prohibited" class of firearm before I emigrated to Canada hence could not be grandfathered in. I am sure many would love to own fixed sighted revolvers for say IDPA. As the oldtimers sadly die off, holders of prohibited permits will dwindle and eventually disappear.

There is a provision that allows prohibited guns to be inherited by children and grandchildren though (and these children/grandchildren can then hold prohib licenses, and that may extend the life of this category. Still their numbers will slowly dwindle and the liberals will have their victory.

As well, prohibited firearms cannot be imported into Canada. Whatever we had then is all we have now, minus losses by attrition as guns owned by prohib holders without any heirs are destroyed when their owners pass on.

Do more people survive hits from a 9mm compared to a .38 special or .357?

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That's really hard to say, since we can't exactly go out and do controlled scientific testing of handgun rounds against live people. The results also depend a lot of the cartridge (there is a huge difference between the best and worst rounds in each caliber), and the gun (I would guess most people using .357s are using full size guns w/4-inch barrels, while most people using .38s are using small-frame guns w/2-inch barrels).

Some of the one-shot-stop* numbers for the best cartridges in the typical weapons I have seen quoted are:

• .357 mag (full size) = 95%
• 9mmP (full size)= 90%
• 9mmP (compact) = 85%
• .38 spl (compact) = 70%

*Such numbers are often based on anecdotal evidence and are widely contested so take them FWIW.

For those who like the even more "manly" calibers like the .44 mag and 10mm, the same sources list their one-shot-stop numbers as at best equal to the .357 mag, so you would be getting the same performance with an (often) larger (usually) harder to control gun, with (definetly) more expensive ammo.

mdauben said:

That's really hard to say, since we can't exactly go out and do controlled scientific testing of handgun rounds against live people. The results also depend a lot of the cartridge (there is a huge difference between the best and worst rounds in each caliber), and the gun (I would guess most people using .357s are using full size guns w/4-inch barrels, while most people using .38s are using small-frame guns w/2-inch barrels).

Some of the one-shot-stop* numbers for the best cartridges in the typical weapons I have seen quoted are:

• .357 mag (full size) = 95%
• 9mmP (full size)= 90%
• 9mmP (compact) = 85%
• .38 spl (compact) = 70%

*Such numbers are often based on anecdotal evidence and are widely contested so take them FWIW.

For those who like the even more "manly" calibers like the .44 mag and 10mm, the same sources list their one-shot-stop numbers as at best equal to the .357 mag, so you would be getting the same performance with an (often) larger (usually) harder to control gun, with (definetly) more expensive ammo.

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Thanks for the info. Very interesting in that the .38 special is a low rate.

I was twelve in 1980 when my father began my firearms education. He was an Idaho State Trooper so he naturally used his duty revolver as one of the weapons he introduced to me.

It was a S&W Model 65 with a 4" barrel. I fired 38 special full wadcutters. Probably 148 grain.

I also started with my dad's S&W Model 36 which was by my request. I had loved that little revolver since he had gotten it some five years earlier. Guess I watched too many detective movies. I still like that little revolver. So much that I now own my own.

Last of all was his K-22 Target Masterpiece.

When it finally came time for me to own my own handgun it was a Colt Trooper Mk III with a 6" barrel.

Once in a great while I would shoot dad's Colt Commander or his Walther PPK. But 45 acp and .380 was expensive. 38 wadcutter loads were provided by ISP to the troopers for practice. It was plentiful.

Cut my teeth on revolvers. Then as the years went by I became infatuated with semi-autos. Revolvers were clunky and old-fashioned. I wanted Sigs, Beretta, Browning, Glocks and H&K.

I spent many years in the U.S. Army and was totally happy with all the automatics and semi-automatics. Entered into my law enforcement career in 2000 and carried a Sig Sauer P220 (45acp). Didn't miss revolvers. However my Colt Trooper was still in my safe. Hadn't shot it in years, but it was still there.

Fast forward to November 2003. I was at a local gunshow. For some reason that I still don't understand a S&W Model 28 Highway Patrolman w/6" barrel caught my eye. I don't know why. I found myself looking at it and I began to remember those first shooting lessons with dad in the summer of 1980. Suddenly I knew that I had to have it. Didn't even haggle over the price. $350.00 and I walked out with a revolver. After twenty years I had bought a revolver.

I now have ten revolvers. The Sig P220 went for a trade to get one of those revolvers now in my safe and I now carry a Glock 19 as my duty sidearm.

I haven't quit semi-autos. I own five of them (G19,26,34, Colt M1908 Hammerless and a Browning Buckmark) and I like them. Sorry on a previous post I forgot to list the Colt. But revolvers speak to me of a different time and place. Accurate or not there it is. In the practical sense they've helped me become a better shooter. Old fashioned or not I like them. Glad I "re-discovered" them.

20 years old here, I currently own one automatic and two revolvers (one for any serious use).
A cz-82, a Colt Police Positive Special, and an ASM .44 1851 copy. Obviously the 1851 doesn't make it into my carry rotation, but the CZ and the Colt share about equal time in my car or on my hip where legal and appropriate.

I love the colt, but as a combat weapon having twice the ammo capacity for an (arguably) comparable round is nice. The CZ has never had any kind of failure, so as far as my shooting goes, they're equally reliable. But defensive carry and combat carry are two very different realms, and I don't ever feel out-gunned with just the Colt. There's a lot more history to the Colt, too.