Gun Fighting Revolver

Same thing I always carry. My 442 loaded with either 110gr HP ammo or some of my 148gr WC loads loaded above target load pressure. Or maybe the 431PD I have in 32 magnum. If those work for every day use why not for this fantasy?

Valid point TrackSkippy- I carry Speedloaders…. For my 7 shot 686+

I Was pondering the thought of a additional cylinder with clips.
The 610-2 I have uses clips, Metal- Never had issues carrying them….Yet.

I’ll redact my statement- Stick with speed loaders.

Reliability #1

Appreciate the information

Vonderek said:

View attachment 1030260 3" Model 13. Good enough for the FBI "back in the day."

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Very Nice!

Steel, long barrel, 5 or 6", higher capacity cylinder, 7 or 8, moon-clips, red-dot sight, factory weight springs loaded with mid-range 357 or similar. The cartridge just needs to drive about 16" into calibrated gel and expand and otherwise produce no more recoil than necessary. It could be 9mm, hot .38's, mid 357's. I'd be comfortable with .40's, 10mm, 41's, 44's, or 45's around 1100 fps but they add recoil and lower the practical capacity. So long as I didn't have to shoot factory magnums, I'd be ok with that.

There are a lot of different ways a fight can go and some guns might be better if you're shooting one-handed, wrestling on the ground, or some other particular scenario, but there is a trade-off. I choose the revolver best suited for fighting regardless of the "what ifs." What ifs are possibilities but not certain. Is a snubby better in a brawl? Maybe, but unless I can know it will be a brawl, I don't want to give up barrel length. Is a big two-handed grip harder to shoot if you only have one hand? Yep, but I'd rather have the better two-hand grip than compromise that for a what-if. Same thing with the red dot sight. It could be blocked by mud or snow or blood or the battery die or the window breaks... I'd rather have the advantage it gives me and deal with the what-if only when it happens instead of crippling myself all the time.

Most people will compromise from a fighting gun because the fight itself is a what-if (notwithstanding the proposition of the thread). They usually go smaller and lighter weight, neither of which add anything to the fight and both of which can compromise fighting ability (or maybe not).

Is this a one-time thing with no restrictions? Or is it a "this is all you can carry" (as opposed to what you normally carry) sort of thing, and you have to choose as you would your daily carry?

Realistic carry gear and guns are a bit different than range stuff.

My tuned and Mag-na-ported 4" model 29-2, with its 7½ pound DA trigger pull. Speer's 200 gr Gold Dots @ 1150 fps.

Styx said:

what one revolver would you want to carry?

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I don't know, but seeing as how you specified "carry," which doesn't necessarily mean "concealed," I figure my 4" Model 69 Smith loaded with fairly hot 44 Special loads would be formidable in a gun fight. On the other hand, so would my old 4" Taurus "Tracker" loaded with hot 41 Special loads.
I guess my even older 4" Ruger Security Six loaded with good, hot 125gr HP 357 Mag loads with be just as formidable, and as good a "stopper" as either of the other two revolvers. But I'd like to have some hearing left if I survived the gunfight.

What I'd LIKE to have... is something all done up by a real good revolver gunsmith, with night sights, magnaported, smoother-lighter trigger pull...

What I have is a 3" S&W 686-6, 100% factory stock. Then again, 7 rounds of .357 magnum, and a couple of speed loaders should more than easily handle a bad guy or two,


providing I do my part.

I'll play...

Is this a only one answer thread? If I need a bit more concealment, and easier to carry when i drive. I’ll take my 3” S&W 13 compared to my 686+.
Just depends on what I’m carrying of the two. They both get belt time often.

S&W Mod 28-2 4”. Powerful, controllable, accurate.

First choice would be one of my Smith & Wesson Brazilian Contract 1917s with a couple spare moon clips in a Bianchi holster.

Second choice but just barely would be my Smith & Wesson Model 19 in a Don Hume Jordan holster with a couple spare speed loaders.

I would pick a revolver that I am very comfortable handling,
Carrying and shoot accurately. One that is an extension of
My hand, arm and mind.
In my case - this is an M10.

I’d carry my Model 10. I’m comfortable with it and know where it hits, and .38spl is unlikely to blow my eardrums out as another caliber might. I’m reasonably comfortable about my ability to achieve aimed, relatively rapid, and accurate follow-up shots with this gun, even in a crisis.

They are Exceptional

I’d want far more than a .38 Spl if I *knew* I was going to a fight... the Mdl 10 and it’s derivatives worked well for decades when the worst threat a cop faced was the local town drunk and occasional rowdy non-local. It and it’s Colt equivalent were carried because they struck an excellent balance between size, power, recoil, weight, and handling ability. Most cops didn’t *expect* a fight back then, they worked with what they had. The majority who knew they would be fighting went with most anything else. Don’t misunderstand me- the .38 Spl is an absolutely effective cartridge, and in good hands capable of astonishing things; but it wouldn’t be my first choice for a dedicated fighting revolver.

When I read the first post I thought of this:

an M32A1, but yours would work in a pinch.

Biblethumpncop said:

I'll play...
View attachment 1030274

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Even though if i knew the future,
and could not avoid the deadly confrontation,
and were not allowed to have a long
gun even though deliberately choosing
a handgun for a gunfight is a silly notion,
I'd have a 357 magnum and several
speed loaders if restricted to a revolver

Realistically...there really isn't a better option.






627 Pro. (Ahrends grip, HiViz sight)
125grn Barnes XPB
Loaded with VV N110, 1400fps
Controllable and devastating

Sure there is…. One without a Lock
Nice choice tho

Biblethumpncop said:

I'll play...
View attachment 1030274

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Well, it is technically a revolver...of sorts.

Mr. Mosin said:

I’d want far more than a .38 Spl if I *knew* I was going to a fight... the Mdl 10 and it’s derivatives worked well for decades when the worst threat a cop faced was the local town drunk and occasional rowdy non-local. It and it’s Colt equivalent were carried because they struck an excellent balance between size, power, recoil, weight, and handling ability. Most cops didn’t *expect* a fight back then, they worked with what they had. The majority who knew they would be fighting went with most anything else. Don’t misunderstand me- the .38 Spl is an absolutely effective cartridge, and in good hands capable of astonishing things; but it wouldn’t be my first choice for a dedicated fighting revolver.

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Sorry my friend you know not of what you speak! Look up Jim Cirillo NYPD Stake Out Squad. Biggest problem with revolvers in those days was not the platform but the ammo. You got it backwards. Fast forward to the 158 SWC HP +P and the game changed. From personal experience I can attest to its effectiveness. Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s Crack Era America very few cops went to work NOT expecting to have to use deadly force. They were armed with the Model 10 or it’s derivatives as you say. The only time that I am aware of where a LE Officer lost a fight due to carrying a model 10 was early 80’s wearing dump pouches. Speed loaders as simple as they are we’re a game changer as was more effective bullet designs.

wcwhitey said:

Sorry my friend you know not of what you speak! Look up Jim Cirillo NYPD Stake Out Squad. Biggest problem with revolvers in those days was not the platform but the ammo. You got it backwards. Fast forward to the 158 SWC HP +P and the game changed. From personal experience I can attest to its effectiveness. Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s Crack Era America very few cops went to work NOT expecting to have to use deadly force. They were armed with the Model 10 or it’s derivatives as you say. The only time that I am aware of where a LE Officer lost a fight due to carrying a model 10 was early 80’s wearing dump pouches. Speed loaders as simple as they are we’re a game changer as was more effective bullet designs.

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Recall that I said “Most”, not “all”.

If I knew I was gonna be in a gunfight, and I had to use a revolver... Guess I'm with @357 Terms on this one. But I'd go with some good 158-grain JHPs, though.


(My second choice would be a tuned 19-3)

Mr. Mosin said:

Recall that I said “Most”, not “all”.

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That’s fine, however if you live in Mayberry then the gun doesn’t matter if you work in a state of ease. We are talking about fighting guns, not people! Training, situational awareness and mindset are the biggest factors. If you are half asleep and a poor tactician then the sidearm won’t change anything. Get yourself that Model 10 and enjoy it.