Revolver vs. Semi Auto in Longevity... Who wins?

Hard to say for sure.
Jury's still out.

There are still a lot of working revolvers around that were made in the 1800's, before auto pistols had been invented yet.

You take good care of either one and it will last longer then you will.

rc

It's really hard to compare since there are so many variables. For example are you comparing a high pressure caliber like a 44 Mag to a low pressure caliber like a 45 ACP. There are certainly a lot more moving parts in a semi-auto. I think if each is well cared for they will last many decades for the average shooter.

My guess, with all being equal, the revolver will out last the semi.

Semi-auto.
Easier to repair and maintain granted you know what you are doing.
Revolvers are easier to make parts for though.

That's me though..

Didn't we just have one of these thread's 2 weeks ago?

RC is right. Proper care and maintenance, along with a quality piece, and either should last a lifetime or more. If it doesn't, buy another. No biggie. Most stuff doesn't last a lifetime, particular stuff with moving parts.

Guns with long life, no problem. Shooters who can throw over 100,000 rounds? Rare.

Good luck wearing out a Glock 17 or Ruger GP100. I won't wait for the results.

Didn't we just have one of these thread's 2 weeks ago?

Click to expand...

Yes we did.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=638716

Nomad said:

It's really hard to compare since there are so many variables. For example are you comparing a high pressure caliber like a 44 Mag to a low pressure caliber like a 45 ACP. There are certainly a lot more moving parts in a semi-auto. I think if each is well cared for they will last many decades for the average shooter.

My guess, with all being equal, the revolver will out last the semi.

Click to expand...

Totally wrong. A revolver has more moving parts.

Not all revolvers have more moving parts than a semi-auto, think SAA types.

As it were I think that the revolver sees less stress applied to its moving parts compared to a semi-auto. When the round goes off the semi-auto's moving parts have the force off the recoil acting on them while the revolver's moving parts only move when the shooter applies force.

A whole lot is going to depend upon the design, as well as the cartridge itself.

For example, the old Colt double action revolvers would go out of time before the S&W revolvers would. For longevity, I would choose S&W over Colt. I would prefer Ruger over either, however. The Security-Six I bought 35 years ago is still going strong, for example.

If longevity is the goal, I would rather have a semi-automatic, though. Especially if I can keep just a few parts.

The auto is easier to work on, though the recoil spring does need changing occasionallly, and magazines don't last forever.

I would say that the general answer has already been discovered by most military and law enforcement. The semi-automatic pistol is much easier to keep in service long term.

Revolvers can still outlast a lot of the people that shoot them, however.

Revolvers handle neglect better, automatics handle abuse better. Its pretty easy to damage a double action revolver using it military hard. I've heard accounts of SA revolvers from the 1800s with some piece of scrap metal in them that some one filed into a replacement part. We don't do that anymore, we just order a part. Doesn't mean we can't though. From what I've heard they do do that in places like Afghanistan with automatic and semiautomatic guns.

It depends more on the specific gun than that the type. Parts wear in both, and lower quality metals wear faster.

Also, what kind of durability are you talking about? Do you mean without repairs whatsoever, or do you mean actually wearing out the main components like frame and slide/cylinder to the point where the gun is a paper weight? Because short of a catastrophic failure, most guns remain serviceable a lot longer than we do. Recoil springs, sears, ratchet hands-these parts do wear out.

I have a couple revolvers that were made during the War of Northern Aggression (1860s) and they still work fine.
The oldest auto loader I have was made in 1899 (broomhandle) and it has already had a few parts replaced to keep it working.

I think revolvers last longer with no maintenance, in other words without changing any springs or in the case of semi-autos, magazines. I think the sort of maintenance that a semi requires is easier to perform than the sort of maintenance a revolver will eventually require, however.

I dont think the question is practicaly relevant in light of todays ammo prices. Even if a design where to wear out at 50,000 rounds (unlikely for a quality piece) thats still 10,000-30,000$ of ammo. If you have to buy a second 500$ revolver or pistol to shoot the next 25,000$ of ammo i doubt it would matter

From a mechanic curosity standpoint it is interesting though.

I'm on a JURY lunch break, that my friend RC Model spoke of~~!!!

Moot Question

I'm pretty sure laser-rays will be commonplace by the time I wear out my pistol

I think it all depends upon the original quality of the gun. A high quality revolver will outlast a cheap autoloader and a high quality autoloader will outlast a cheap revolver. One thing I've learned in forty years of collecting, shooting, and buying and selling guns is, possibly more than with any other product, you get what you pay for.

If you don't shoot them much any of them will last hundreds of years. If you're talking high round counts and abuse through guns of equal quality the semi-autos have been out performing revolvers for quite some time now.

All of the above -- well-made guns will last. But which will jam more during that lifetime? For a Cal Ripken-style "never-miss-a-day/never-misfire" gun, I would take the revolver. So shoot what you like.

i have a 2nd gen G17 thats seen 10s and 10s of thousands of rounds and still running strong, and i imagine my SBHawk is just as durable, but of course it hasnt had near as much shooting.

imo it all comes down to what you buy. durable guns are just that...durable

I was just out this weekend shooting a 1915 model 38 S&W I inherited from my ole man when he passed...Its still tight and shoots great and the accuracy was very good. Somebody mentioned the great revolvers from the 1800's...I know there are some great semi auto's like the great 1911... but a good revolver will wear out 3 or 4 bodies...the longevity easily goes to the revolvers IMO it aint even close...I aint got nothing against Glocks I own a couple myself but I don't they will shoot a hundred years from now...or at least we will have to wait and see anyway.

I say it all the time, but it's the truth.

I'd like to have the time and the money, to try to shoot either one of them, enough to wear either one of them out.