why do i like revolvers more than autos? why do you?

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jason41987

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i have an attraction towards revolvers and honestly, i cant understand why... so in an attempt id like to know why you prefer them over autos?

ive been thinking and yeah, they are reliable, but so is a good modern semi automatic... they hold less, weigh more, but yet, i still like them for some reason... any ideas?
 
They have a sense of the traditional about them that appeals to old fashioned shooters.

Aesthetically, they are round and flowing rather than square and blocky as are many autos.

They can shoot any bullet shape or type out of the box.

Simple and elegant.

I love my self-loading pistols but I have more revolvers. The autos are more practical in many cases, but the wheelguns have more panache.


Practical:

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Panache:

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Practical:

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Panache

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OK, sometimes practical meets panache in the hallway:

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Style points. The new autos all look similar and usually have a lot of bells & whistles I don't need like de-cockers. No worries about failures to feed or extract, or magazines to bang up or lose. I'm just a traditionalist and like 6 or more beans in a wheel.
 
Honestly, I have no idea why I prefer revolvers over semi-autos. No matter how much more "practical" my 9mm Glocks may be (more rounds, lighter weight, blah blah blah) I'm just drawn to a hefty steel-framed 6-shooter. And I shoot a DA wheelgun better too, even with the extra blast and flash of a Magnum round.

My current favorites:

19RightSide.jpg

18Cocobolo.jpg

586Maple.jpg

I'm debating adding a little 5-shot .38 to the group for a CCW and hiking gun. (With a backpack hip belt I can't conveniently carry one of the others on my belt. My Baby Glock currently gets woods duty as it just barely fits in a front pants pocket.)
 
Based on a recent range experience between my LC9 and LCR, I can get off 5 quick, accurate shots with the LCR. I can get off 8 shots with the LC9, but they're all over the place.
 
They just feel right to me plus I like the way they function...and shoot. Also no magazines to fiddle with and no empty brass to chase.

Plus my age probably has something to do with it. :scrutiny:

1917 S&W US Property .45 acp
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1917 Colt US Property .45 acp
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I like them big
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and I like them small
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Everyone likes something different. Why do I like revolvers? I like their looks, I like the way they function, I like their role in history, I like the ease of keeping my brass.

Why do I like semi-autos? I like the way they look, I like the way they function, I like their place in history...although I don't like the way they fling brass everywhere.
 
I like both and rotate between them each time I go to the range. As a reloader, the revolver is a plus by not having to chase down my brass and a revolver will shoot any style bullet (accuracy not considered).
 
practical reasons include but are not limited to

ease of brass recovery
no spreading brass around that can confuse investigators if it is needed
barrel is attached to the sights
a dud is handled with the pull of a trigger
no active safeties
the push one button renders the weapon safe
dutch load capability

emotional reasons

tradition
(in the case of older revolvers) amazing craftsmanship
beauty
elegance
 
see.. the few automatics i actually like are the simpler ones... the 1911, ruger MKII, the makarov... but i guess all revolvers, even the newest ones still offer that same level of simplicity...

also, i have to agree on the decockers on automatics... shooting revolvers i have a lot more trust in pulling a trigger and easing a hammer down than i do in trusting a mechanical, and therefor breakable/failable device to do it for me

and it is pretty nice to not have to chase brass you intend to reload, and have more options in bullets, like soft lead

i guess another reason would be is i like the simplicity of rimmed cartridges and theres really no reliable way to load a rimmed cartridge into a boxed magazine, tube mags and cylinders work the best

but.. i would say the old fashioned aspect has a lot to do with it... even the double action revolver concept is over 150 years old and in many cases the revolver still works better, and i always love it when "outdated" technology tops "progress"
 
For me it is the rich history that spans many decades and the fact that they are simple , reliable, powerful and beautiful. It is hunting season now where I live in the deep south, and it is a joy to take game with them as well.
 
Reliability, power, no hot brass landing on my skin... You can get a revolver in .44 mag and use 300 grain XTPs. Pistols don't do that and cannot equal it. Stepping down you can get a revolver that does everything else, too. If you're an outdoorsman and want to stick with one type of handgun, revolvers are the only way to go.
 
To me there is a certain calmness to the Zen of a revolver.

A revolver is a sleeping dragon, waiting for you to awaken it. It responses at first with a stretch, and then, flame.
A Semi-auto is a cobra. Coiled and ready to strike. It responds by striking, and then, preparing itself to strike again.

A revolver sits in remembrance of the last time you fired it.
A Semi-auto sits in anticipation of the next time.

(A couple of my favorites; At least one goes to the range every time I do.
1954 38/44 Outdoorsman & 1954 .38 Masterpiece)
shooters.jpg
 
There's something about the aesthetics of a revolver that draws me to 'em. (Though I also have love for 1911s.)

I've handled Glocks, XDs, etc. before, and they're fine for what they are. They do, though, make me feel like I need to check my Nintendo to make sure I grabbed the right firearm from the house. :D
 
While my Colt 1911 collection may be considered extensive to most, none carry on my hip or pocket like a S&W J frame. If I have to regularly check and verify that I am carrying, then I'm carrying the right gun; can't do that with a 1911 no matter how small.
 
Growing up in the 50's I had revolvers and 1911's. The Army gave me a 1911, the cops gave me a revolver, then transitioned to auto's
Today, at 64 I have more revolvers than autos. None of my auto's are plastic.
Young guys say but you only have 5 or 6
rounds. I say I only need one.
Ya I like revolvers.
 
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Because there is a joy found in experiencing a well crafted piece of machinery that was made with quality and durability. It's the difference between a hand crafted wood and brass mantle clock and a Sony clock-radio. The old classic revolvers were made by craftsmen who put their skill into making a finished product. It's readily apparant to someone who has ever picked up a hardware-store wrench and then picked up a premium tool-truck wrench. There's just something about how they feel, how they make using them easier, how they bring you a feeling of connection to your tool and hand and the job you are doing. They become an extension of yourself.

Even modern revolvers lack this quality, and most modern 'combat' pistols are little more than toasters that shoot- Mass produced, soulless, bullet-flinging appliances with all the character of a Honda Accord.

Granted- it's nice to know that when it's 30 degrees or 100 degrees outside you can jump into your Honda Accord and it will fire right up and get you to work every day on time. Or that you can take a Keltec 9mm pistol and shove it into your glove compartment and know that it's probably going to do just fine whenever you need it.
 
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