Revolvers chambered for semiautomatic cartridges

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BLACKHAWKNJ

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I posted this on another board, got some interesting responses. With the exception of the ubiquitous 22LR and the S&W M-25 derived from the S&W M1917, none seem to have been commercial successes. They're one of those things, everybody says "Why don't they make..." then they do-and they don't sell. The S&W and Colt M1917s were, like the M1917 Rifle, emergency wartime measures that filled a critical need, in the period leading up to and after the establishment of the State of Israel they experimented with an S&W revolver in 9MM, built I think 150 prototypes, eventually they adopted the Beretta Brigadier.
Often seems to me Jeff Cooper's description of the DA semiautomatic pistol as "an ingenious solution to a non-existent problem "applies. To eliminate the need for half or full moon clips various ingenious extraction system have been developed, I have little experience with them, I have the Colt and the S&W M1917s, the moon clips work fine for me. I have a Ruger 3 screw convertible in .357/9MM, plan on getting a 45ACP for my repro Remington M1875, the ejector rod works nicely for both cartridges.
So it sounds like a fun thing, but as a bicyclist I pointed out to someone who asked why aren't there more adult tricycles/tribikes on the roads, those who have tried them have found they really don't offer anything.
 
Ruger LCR 9mm really seemed to be a winner. So did the Taurus 905. The one I had was almost what I wanted and it was a Taurus 405 and if it had been in 10mm I would have kept it.
 
I have the following S&W revolvers, a Model 25 (45 ACP), a Model 986 (9x19), and a Model 610 (10mm). I also have a Ruger SP101 chambered in 9x19.

Bullet selection of factory ammunition may be the limitation reducing popularity of the guns. While hollow point bullets are available, the auto pistol cartridges may not perform as well from a revolver as revolver specific cartridges.

Also, working with moon clips may be another detriment.

Of course, if one reloads then the cartridges performance can be improved but then they may function in a self loading pistol.

One thing I’ve learned from experimenting with the semi-auto cartridges in a revolver is I like moon clips for reloads. I have a couple J-frame 38 Special revolvers machined for moon clips. It makes for quick reloads.

Bottom line though, I have some flexibility in ammunition I can use.
 
I have an S&W 610 which can shoot either 10mm or .40 S&W. This is the only experience I have with revolvers that shoot semiauto rounds. I used it in USPSA matches for a while mostly with .40 where it worked very well. The moonclips beat the heck out of using speedloaders.
 
Moonclips rule!

JbGwmpYl.jpg
Top: S&W 610 6.5-inch, Bottom: S&W 625 5-inch
I have put a lot of rounds down range in USPSA matches with these two revolvers. Hard to beat a S&W 625 for reload speeds. Nothings more fun than using the noble round gun and beating some of the filthy bottom feeders at the local USPSA or IDPA matches.
 
One of the upsides of the 10mm is 357mag-ish power in a 15 shot pistol.

Putting it in a revolver kinda screws that up
 
BLACKHAWKNJ said:
in the period leading up to and after the establishment of the State of Israel they experimented with an S&W revolver in 9MM, built I think 150 prototypes, eventually they adopted the Beretta Brigadier.
Click to expand...
I think you might be leaving out the S&W 647, which was chambered in 9mm and loaded without the use of half-moon clips or moonclips. The problem with finding one now days is that they are commanding collector prices

With the exception of the ubiquitous 22LR and the S&W M-25 derived from the S&W M1917, none seem to have been commercial successes.
Click to expand...
I don't think I'd refer to the S&W M-929 8-shot 9mm as not being a commercial success. Judging by how hard they are to find locally, I'm pretty sure they sell all they are producing
 
When it comes to working with moon clips, BMT Equipped moon clip mooner/demooner tools are the cats meow. They are a bit pricey for some folks but once you use one, you will never go back to the old, one-at-a-time tools.

I understand that some folks are competing with an S&W 929 (N-frame) with success. The 8 round cylinder and moon clip reloading gives the revolver some advantages.

My S&W Model 986 is a 7 round L-frame revolver with moon clip loading. Yes, you can get a Model 686+ (357 Magnum) 7 shot revolver and have it machined for moon clips. But, it is an extra step required when buying the revolver.

One of these days, I need to chronograph the 986 and see how it compares to 357 Mag/38 Special from the same style gun.

I'm not real excited about my 9x19 SP101. I do not feel it give me any advantages over my moon clip modified 38 Special S&W J-frames.
 
Antihero said:
One of the upsides of the 10mm is 357mag-ish power in a 15 shot pistol.

Putting it in a revolver kinda screws that up
Click to expand...
I don't disagree with that thought and there's a reason why I haven't bought a 10mm revolver, but that being said I am all for a 10mm Magnum, hopefully one with a rim and the cylinder cut for moon clips to also shoot 10mm and .40 S&W.

I've discussed this ad nauseam in another topic, but if you give me a revolver that is a veritable .41 Magnum in terms of power, but that same revolver can also shoot 10mm and .40 S&W, I could not buy it fast enough. A .41 Mag that cannot shoot .40 or 10mm Auto I have no interest in owning.

Bottom line, a 10mm Auto only revolver is a real questionable gun worth paying for, but a 10mm Magnum (preferably with a rim) would not be given it is essentially a .41 Magnum that can also shoot .40S&W/10mm Auto.
 
Well, I don't have any experience with tricycles or trike motorcycles, but a basic concept of balance and stability comes to mind, as well as larger cargo space.

I wouldn't say that revolvers for rimless cartridges offer nothing, they certainly do in that they shoot the most popular handgun calibers out there. For as common as .357 and .38 are it doesn't come close to what 9mm is and I'd argue that .45 ACP is more common than the .38/.357 are. So, when you buy into a 9mm or .45 ACP revolver, you're buying something that shoots a cheap (well, use to be cheap) and available (that too) ammo.

For people who do not reload, that's big.

I do reload, thus I have no interest in such things, at least not strictly 9mm only, .40 only, .45 ACP only revolvers. Give me the option to shoot .32 ACP in a .327, a 9mm in a .357, a .40 S&W in a 10mm Magnum, or .45 ACP in a .45 Colt or Judge/Governor and I'm down.
 
I have a few S&W revolvers that chamber the 45 ACP cartridge. I like them, a lot. One is my EDC.

Two auto cartridges have not been mentioned, nor chambered in revolvers, are the .25 ACP and the .32 Auto. It would be nice if S&W were to reintroduce the Ladysmith revolver but in 25 ACP. An absolutely tiny revolver with a little more punch than a 22.

Not sure what could be done with the 32 Auto that isn’t already met in the revolvers available.

Kevin
 
[QUOTE="BLACKHAWKNJ, post: 11833096,
So it sounds like a fun thing, but as a bicyclist I pointed out to someone who asked why aren't there more adult tricycles/tribikes on the roads, those who have tried them have found they really don't offer anything.[/QUOTE]

I take you’ve never been to Florida!!!;)
 
Taurus currently makes a 5-shot revolver in .380acp. I can’t understand why, when the world is absolutely full of semiautomatic offerings that are the same size or smaller, thinner, higher capacity, and relatively trouble-free.
 
I have two revolvers that shoot 9mm, and three that shoot 45acp. A couple of my 32 revolvers shoot 32acp (not all 32 revolvers do well with it).

They all function just fine and use ammo that's ordinarily inexpensive and easy to find.

What's not to like?

9mm and 45acp revolvers seem to be selling well, so I suspect I'm not the only one who likes them.

Charter Arms Pit Bull 45acp

Charter Arms Pit Bull 45acp


View media item 3635
 
I prefer them in a single action. Where the stubby cartridges load and unload fast and do the same thing with a lot less powder. I may this year have the Old Model .357 Blackhawk built into a 4" .45ACP, as I've threatened to do for years. Until then, I'll play with the Carryhawk convertible.

Carryhawk%2004.jpg
 
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StrawHat said:
Not sure what could be done with the 32 Auto that isn’t already met in the revolvers available.
Click to expand...
Nobody is making a 5 shot .32 revolver the size of the H&R Young America, which is an over 100 year old, all steel design and weighed 7oz empty.

Give me an Aluminum frame and a Titanium cylinder in that same size and it would weigh less than 5oz empty.

As for .25 ACP revolvers, I don't see what they offer over a .22 rimfire. Maybe a better trigger, but it wouldn't be much smaller than the .32 5 shot I'm thinking of because there comes a point where something is so small it is unshootable.
 
I have slowly gravitated away from DA revolvers, for the most part, toward single action Rugers. My favorite handgun is a Ruger Blackhawk .45 convertible with the acp cylinder and 4 5/8 inch barrel.
 
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I have a Single Action and a Double Action. DA is easier to load with moon-clips though. It is unlikely that I will acquire any others though...

A .40 S&W Vaquero converted to 10mm by Alan Harton. Got it NIB in 2000 for $250.00.
49837759161_560aceb919_o.jpg

A 625-6
49837728021_14ab8e4774_o.jpg
 
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