For those who carry a revolver ???

I like them. I am in a low threat area. A 5 shot 38 Special J frame is adequate. Its easy to carry, so I always carry it, even in the house. It is reliable, accurate and I shoot it well. When dog walking at night in the country I carry a 3 inch, 357 magnum J frame with night sight. I have carried a Shield and an SR9c. If I lived some places I would probably carry the SR9c all the time. My nightstand gun is an SD9VE

My first LE gun was a 4” S&W Model 27-3 .357 magnum. I learned how to shoot this well, how to reload quickly, and I like it. Very dependable

One of my favorites is a 3” Model 657 in .41 magnum that had an action job performed by S&W. It shoots well and is in a caliber I like.

A snub nose is easy to pocket carry even in shorts. Lightweight. No worries of auto failures. Nothing is 100% reliable but I feel well armed with a revolver. Definitely more fun to shoot!

It fits.

Seriously, nothing fits my hand as well as a GP100. When holding the grip, in its natural way, in my hand, the just-right part of my index finger naturally touches the correct part of the trigger, for an unconscious-but-ideal trigger stroke. I don’t need to consciously think about anything. This is with the original-pattern factory grip, from the mid-Eighties. (The Hogue rubbery grip, which became standard for a while, is an abomination, for my hands.)

The SP101 fits me well, too, though is not quite the natural pointer, so I do need to think about what I am doing. My trigger finger naturally falls upon the trigger in a different way, but it still works.

I like S&W K- and L-Frames, and the Ruger Speed Six, too.

Long-stroke double-action is something that works well, for me, both righty and lefty. It may not have been easy to learn, but it was (and, still is) simple, in principle, and I retain it well, over time. The Glock trigger is lighter, but is so complex, that it is better-handled with my more-skilled left hand. I need to train more often, with a Glock, with live fire, to maintain skill. Due to COVIDity, my live-fire training has been almost non-existent.

I love the 1911 pistol system. My first handgun was a 1911, in late 1982 or early 1983. I own several nice 1911 pistols. I never, however, found an ambidextrous safety system that I really like, so, for serious purposes, the 1911 is a right-handed weapon. My 1911 skill retention is better than my Glock skill retention, but, live fire remains important. So, COVIDity has eroded my 1911 skill.

So, my world is a revolver world, for the several above-listed reasons, and a few more, that I may add, later.

Im taking this to breakfast tomorrow. Reason enough!!

My favorite carry gun was and is my S&W 442. I trust it. I am good with it. It’s light and easy to carry and conceal. I have carried other guns in semiauto and revolvers, but my 442 is my favorite.

When I lived in Oregon and in North Carolina I carried all the time. Here in California I do not. Mostly because of the hassle and the waiting list is so long now for CCW that by the time I got my permit I would be leaving the state anyway. Once I do leave I will go back to carrying my 442 and a couple of speedloaders, as always.

Here were my everyday carry guns in Oregon.

Because when the cops finally show up, I don't want to have to explain 1) where I was standing for each shell case laying around, 2) what I was thinking for each shell case laying around, 3) where the bad guy was for each shell case laying around, 4) what the bad guy was doing for each sell case laying around, 5) which was may 1st shot based on the shell cases laying around, 6) which was my second shot based on the shell cases laying around, 7) etc, etc, etc. Been there, done that, not fun.

Reliability, preference, training, flexibility -ability to Taylor loads to tasks, even in the same cylinder, horse power. Also, class, taste, and refinement.

Yeah, I know revolvers can "jam"...in the way primers can back out, something can break, debris around the star.. But generally speaking you will get your 5/6/7/8 shots, and again, generally speaking, that is likely enough to handle most civilian self defense encounters.

Read a story not long ago about a 3 man home invasion in Florida (I think) home owner defended himself with a glock 19 that jammed after 1 round. He was unable to get it running in time and had to go to another weapon. Not long ago I posted a video on the self limited concealed carry thread. It was body can footage from an officer shooting a knife wielding attacker several times before he stopped. Glock jammed multiple times and she was quick with tap-rack bang but..

No sure things in this world. Good sturdy well practiced wheelgun gets pretty close.

Vast majority get warm fuzzies from capacity these days. To each their own. After 15 years and thousands of rounds across platforms I'm a lot more certain about my revolvers ability across scenarios to deliver their payload then I am of any semi auto.

Self defense is likely to be fast, brutal, maybe even contact distance. A revolver doesn't much can about how you're holding it if the cylinder can spin and you can pull that trigger.

Semi autos, especially the light weight polymer ilk need a good grip to provide resistance. The technical term is "limp wristing". And even if you wake yourself up every day tossing a medicine ball and ripping off 100 push ups it can happen to even get pros under stress. Even in simple time trials or simulated force on force.

Just some thoughts.

Triggernosis said:

For those of you who choose to carry a revolver instead of a semi-auto on a regular basis, what are your reasons for doing so?

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I anticipate self-defending in a scenario where I am rolling around on the ground with a dude on top of me, or something similarly chaotic. Given such conditions, a revolver feels more trusty. I have yet to have a revolver malfunction, but I have had countless auto jams.

Also, a pair of snubs on appendix OWBs is just ridiculously fast to draw. I feel like I'd be the first guy to get a shot off, and that shot would be 44 special.

Biggest downside is I'm only good out to ten yards or so; more than that and I'd have to just cut and run.

drk1 said:

Because when the cops finally show up, I don't want to have to explain 1) where I was standing for each shell case laying around, 2) what I was thinking for each shell case laying around, 3) where the bad guy was for each shell case laying around, 4) what the bad guy was doing for each sell case laying around, 5) which was may 1st shot based on the shell cases laying around, 6) which was my second shot based on the shell cases laying around, 7) etc, etc, etc. Been there, done that, not fun.

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Dang. Never thought about that. And I do this stuff for a living!

My first handgun was a High Standard Double Nine, a double action .22 LR that I learned on. My second was the S&W Model 10 I was issued when I joined the PD. Semiautomatics were not allowed and only revolvers in .38 Special; no .357s for fear of over penetration in an urban setting. I carried the Model 10 on duty and a Model 36 for plain clothes and off duty carry.

15 years later about 1980, my department decided to allow semiautomatics but required a full day of training and qualification. So I decided to try one and bought a S&W Model 59. After a full day of fumbling with the safety, racking slides etc....time to qualify…50 rounds or so modified PPC. I had been shooting the regular PPC for 15 years and always qualified as expert.

When I shot the 59 for qualification I barely qualified with a 70 and had two stovepipes to clear along the way. I noticed some of the other new semi auto owners had malfunctions too. I found the weight distribution totally different from a revolver and I felt like, with all the weight in the grip, the muzzle was too light and hard to control. I sold the 59 about a week later. Too much fuss with slide racking, safety flicking and clearing jams was more than I wanted to deal with. Revolver = KISS.

Motorcycle crash after retirement rendered my left hand useless so I’m glad I had my revolver background because now that’s all I can safely use.


"Because when the cops finally show up, I don't want to have to explain 1) where I was standing for each shell case laying around,..."

At one time I investigated officer involved shootings and on one occassion I asked the officer where he was standing when he fired his weapon. He pointed to a big "X" he had made on the pavement with a lead bullet...thoughtful.

Another paraphrase from Old Fuff.

Because when things get to bad breath distance, I can jam a snobby directly into the attacker and not worry about a malfunction because of it.

Yielding a revolver scares the bejusus out of other people. They are used to seeing people and cops with auto loaders. The two scariest weapons to most people

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A few months ago, I was shooting my tried and true Walther P99AS At the local range. I’ve put hundreds, likely 1000s of rounds through it with never a single failure. My typical end of session routine is to drop mags rack slide and dry fire down range to make sure all guns are safe. Don’t know why or how, but I got sidetracked and racked with a full mag in and squeezed the trigger pointed down range....everything was safe, but not having a proper purchase on the gun, it hung up with the spent case.....limp-wrist-induced.

Fast-forward a few months and I watch in horror the Kyle Rittenhouse incident. He’s literally on his back firing in self-defense (one could argue the merits of how/why he got there).

It really got me thinking....in a true surprise fight for my life, will an auto-loader work every time? On my back...in my car...in a choke hold... Obviously, if I’m going into battle or defending my home, there are many better options in my safe or at the ready. But for me, nothing seems better than either my 642 with +P or my 640 with some snub-specific Buffalo Bore .357. The 640 is an all-steel snub-nose .357. It carries very well and is incredibly accurate. I also know that no matter how I have to pull that trigger, another round is ready to go.

Limp-wrist malfunctions do happen, when shooting autoloaders, and it is not, necessarily, just a strength issue, or how “tough” one is. My aging, gimpy right hand and arm do not always do what my brain tells them to do. While transitioning to lefty primary carry may seem to be an obvious cure, especially as I am a natural left-hander*, anyway, well, that then means my right hand will be the one most likely to be running the slide, and, running the slide is one of the things that my right fingers and thumb sometimes have trouble “understanding” how to do, no matter how well my brain understands what to do, or how many pounds of grip strength can right hand can generate, to squeeze something simple, like a ball, or a hand-grip exercise gadget.

I just awakened, at 5:00 a.m., and I can tell that my right shoulder, arm, and hand are having a bad morning, even though I was sleeping on my left side. I am, probably, a prime candidate for limp-wrist malfunctions, at this moment in time.

A revolver is not the only handgun that still works for me. A full-sized 1911 is quite resistant to limp-wrist malfunctions, its relatively narrow frame is easier to grip firmly, for shooting, and its relatively narrow slide is simpler and easier for my hand to manipulate. The sharp checkering and serrations facilitate gripping. As I mentioned in my earlier post, however, when something inhibits training, such as COVID, the revolver maintains an edge, as my long-stroke DA trigger skill is less-perishable. At in-home distance, I will not worry about missing with a 1911, but outdoors, where longer-range accuracy might be a factor, I will, at present, have more confidence in my revolver skill.

*I write lefty, and throw right-handed. Left-handed, but right-armed. Drawing an L-Frame, from the then-mandated low-slung duty rig seemed natural, in 1983, during the police academy, seemed natural enough, and, freshly learning long-stroke DA seemed About equal, for each hand, and, I knew I would normally be patrolling alone, with my right hip more accessible while driving, so, I established my right hip for “primary” carry.

I like to practice often. I shoot often. I like to reload. I catch my empties in my hand and dump them in my trapshooting empty hull bag on my belt.
I like to share ammo with my carbine.

I choose revolvers most of the time......however, not all the time.

I like options.

Weight & Pocket carry, 10 oz S&W 337PD 38 special. Carry 24/7.

Armored farmer said:

I like to practice often. I shoot often. I like to reload. I catch my empties in my hand and dump them in my trapshooting empty hull bag on my belt.
I like to share ammo with my carbine.
View attachment 949624 View attachment 949625
I choose revolvers most of the time......however, not all the time.
View attachment 949627
I like options.

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I do keep a Glock nearby (in my vehicle, mostly) and I can foresee me having my PC Carbine in the car with the Glock.
But for on my person carry, it will be my 442 if I am concealing it.




I did forget to mention above that if I can open carry legally and without being in heavy public areas, of threat threat is 2 legged I carry my 8-shot S&W 327 Night Guard .357 Magnum. If the threat is possibly 4 legged and very large, like these creatures called “bears” that everyone seems to fret about, I carry my original model Ruger Vaquero in .45 Colt regardless of whether or not I have a long gun.
PS: I do not like open carrying at stores and such where there are a lot of people.

My 327 with my favorite Glock.


My Vaquero with it’s little brother. Both .45 Colt.

Pat Riot said:

I do keep a Glock nearby (in my vehicle, mostly) and I can foresee me having my PC Carbine in the car with the Glock.
But for on my person carry, it will be my 442 if I am concealing it.




I did forget to mention above that if I can open carry legally and without being in heavy public areas, of threat threat is 2 legged I carry my 8-shot S&W 327 Night Guard .357 Magnum. If the threat is possibly 4 legged and very large, like these creatures called “bears” that everyone seems to fret about, I carry my original model Ruger Vaquero in .45 Colt regardless of whether or not I have a long gun.
PS: I do not like open carrying at stores and such where there are a lot of people.

My 327 with my favorite Glock.
View attachment 949652

My Vaquero with it’s little brother. Both .45 Colt.
View attachment 949653

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I missed the Night Guard boat, but I do like the 8-rounders...

Ru4real said:

Yielding a revolver scares the bejusus out of other people. They are used to seeing people and cops with auto loaders. The two scariest weapons to most people

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I had not heard that revolvers are more fearsome to people in general. Not disputing it but it makes sense though.
I would think that people might think that if someone produces a revolver that they mean business and they have confidence in what they are doing...or, they are nuts and should not be toyed with.

I do know, from personal experience as I work in some really not so good neighborhoods in Los Angeles, that anyone wielding a “Magnum” is considered a special kind of “bad@$$” and not to be trifled with.

Mas Ayoob wrote that revolvers have a
greater potential to strike fear in a baddie
who is looking at it than an auto.

Reason is staring at the business end of
a revolver allows you to see what might
be coming at you.

I have been carrying the below revolver (with some Buffalo Bore hardcast 180 grain -- I know it'll penetrate the skull of an angry pit bull such as the one that attacked one of my dogs a while back) when walking the dogs in my woods. Not so much worried about two-legged critters, but we have some nuisance bear in the neighborhood (actually, a few years back, a bicyclist was seriously mauled, almost killed in the woods by my house when his two dogs -- not leashed -- roused an angry bear) and within the past few weeks, a woman down the road from us lost a goat to a cougar in her back yard. Leather courtesy of GB Holster Co.

Because rotary guns do not rely on a magazine to work, ejection is never a problem and they offer a MUCH GREATER choice of cartridges that are MUCH more powerful than what the majority of bottom feeders offer. Clint Smith says his greatest fear is having to go up against some guy who has a S&W Model 57 (.41 Mag.) and who knows how to run it. I agree with him because I have carried one for years.

Started out carrying a Charter Arms Undercover and gradually moved on to S&W J frame snubbies, like the Model 36 and Model 38. With a Tyler T-Grip adapter or a boot type rubber grip they're a good fit for my smaller size hand. Never had a problem with any of them though reloads can be a bit on the slow side compared to a mag swap with a semi-auto. Always liked the ready to go DA trigger and the fact that with some of the shrouded hammer guns, like my Model 649 and Model 638, they were very easy to carry concealed in an IWB holster as well as in a coat or pants pocket. Also with the lighter weight versions they're extremely comfortable to carry for long periods of time.