Anyone else give up on autoloaders?

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I've given up on revolvers from the standpoint that I cannot shoot them worth a darn.

I have a few "trust my life" autoloaders and I shoot them like nobodys business. A revolver that goes bang every time and I miss the target does me no good.
 
I've never experienced a malfunction with a Sig or Beretta. And I've only had a few malfunctions with Glocks. I feel very safe with a Sig or Beretta. I feel reasonably safe with a Glock.

The king of malfunctions has been the Colt 1911s and S&W double-action autoloaders that I've owned. These pistols seem to fail more than they actually work, which is why I'm not going back to them anytime soon.


OTOH, I've had ZERO malfunctions with revolvers. While some of my revolvers have had severe out-of-box problems, none have actually failed me in the field.

I think semi-autos are more likely to have malfunctions from user error and underloaded ammo (or bullet shape), but are easy to clear.

Revolvers have fewer malfunctions, but the kind they do have are hard to fix in the field.

Personally, I prefer revolvers, but I use and respect both types of handguns.
 
I've actually given up on DA revolvers, too. when I was a young cop I wanted to carry a .45 auto. years later I did then we went to SIGs. I was 'satisfied' until I shot my first CZ75. Numerous 9mm/40/45s and 10mms of most brands have followed.

The DA revolvers have been very few after my bad experience(s) and with
my Fianc'e having some interest in a Snubby. We bought a NIB Sp-101.
She carried it around for a few days, and went back to her Glock 19.

Basically, an unfired Sp-101 38+P with trigger job, tritium sight and Bianchi holster. A dandy setup for the Revolver guy and CCW.


However, my 9mm RAMI is about the same size and holds twice as many PowRballs, than the Ruger does.


For me; Revolvers are simple and durable. Also heavy and slow to reload.
I also shoot autos far better than any revolver.

I'll stick with my .45 Colt old model Vaquero for my revolver needs:)

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Having a variety of semi-autos go through my hands, including ones Bob79 listed, I can say that I have never had a problem with a centerfire semi-auto.
Rather than having a total of 4000 rounds through them as a group, some have had that many through them individually.
There was only one semi-auto I had a problem with - the .22LR Buckmark. I gather when there is a deep indentation on the rim of a round and it doesn't go off, it is a primer problem. Those worked when I re-chambered though.
 
Here is my complete list of malfunctions with centerfire autopistols I have owned.

Several failures to chamber with S&B 9mm ammunition in a Ruger KP89DC. The rounds appeared to be oversized (or perhaps the chamber undersized although the gun never malfunctioned with any other ammunition.) and wouldn't fit into the chamber. About one in five rounds from that box of ammuntion wouldn't chamber. No other failures with this gun or the other two KP89DC pistols I have owned. (I no longer own this pistol.)

Two failures to extract using WWB 9mm in a H&K USP. Both failures happened with ammunition from the same box. Both cases were stuck in the chamber but easily extracted when the slide was dropped on the empties in the chamber and pulled back. This happened during a match and another shooter was using the gun. I didn't get to inspect the cases closely to see if they were defective. No other failures of any kind with this gun before or since. (I still own this pistol.)

Before we got married, my wife bought a Mustang +II Colt .380. She reports that she had 5 or less stovepipes with the pistol and feels that the problems may have been due to health issues she was having at the time that resulted in extremely low hand strength. (Still own this pistol.)

Two stovepipes with a Beretta PX4 using Blazer 9mm ammunition. Both failures happened with ammunition from the same box and in the first 30-50 rounds fired with the gun. Both happened with the second to last round out of the magazine. The shooter admitted to having a very loose grip. I took this gun directly from the store to the range without doing any sort maintenance--normally I clean a gun before shooting it. No failures since. I plan to shoot it again this weekend and will report. (Still own this pistol.)

A few malfunctions with an EAA Witness in .45ACP. I don't recall the ammunition--it may have been Fiocchi. The malfunctions began when I went to a heavier recoil spring and stopped when I switched back to factory weight. (Traded this pistol for...)

...a Ruger P97DC came from the factory with a defective part resulting in misfires. After that was fixed, I had some stovepipes. With any sort of a loose grip the gun would stovepipe occasionally and tended to throw empties straight back now and then. With a firm grip it was perfectly reliable and threw the empties to the side. (I no longer own this pistol.)

I currently own 18 semi-autos including the following makes: Ruger, Beretta, Colt, Walther, CZ, Lahti, Glock, H&K, Kel-Tec. I have owned probably another 30 or so semi-autos in my lifetime and these are the only malfunctions I (or anyone shooting my guns) have had using guns I own.

As you can see, of the 18 semi-autos I currently own, only three have ever malfunctioned and the total number of malfunctions between the three pistols is that have had jams is less than 10.

And here's the kicker. All of the jams in guns I still own were with shooters other than me. I don't currently own a centerfire pistol that has malfunctioned while I was shooting it.
 
I gave up on automatics for a while. I had a bad experience wit a springfield 1911. got a Ss&W 620. i like it a lot. but i still wanted an auto so I got a sig 226 40S&W. very reliable and acurate. I like both, but i still prefer the revolver.
 
Nope.

I like my automatics...mostly. Some are better than others, but the only gun that ever broke on me was a revolver. A Charter Arms 38 special. It was fat, heavy, hard to conceal, and beat the crap out of my hand. No thanks. I can put 200-300 rounds through my USP easily...something I'd never do with a wheel gun.
 
I've had good luck with my semi's--ESPECIALLY THE SIGS, Glocks a close second. My P228 is flawless so far, thousands of rounds--reliable as the atomic clock.
Well, I DID have one semi (Colt) that jammed a little too often, it's gone--only gun I ever sold. Sure was a good lookin' piece, but I won't keep a gun that I wouldn't stake my life on in a dicey situation.
Thru all the years I've been shooting, there have been a couple of times revo's have tightened up on me from crud or spit lead. They are by no means immune to "failure", but I never had a revo break.

NS
 
since I shoot glock 9mm, no, I haven't lost faith in autos. I like my 642 and M10, but the 26 is on my hip as opposed to something else.
 
I've only been shooting since the beginning of this year. I bought a revolver (Taurus 605) and a autoloader (Taurus PT24/7 in 9mm) at the same time. Three weeks out of four, I get to the range, where I shoot 30-50 rounds through the revolver, and 120-150 rounds through the autoloader. Except for two FTF's out of the first 30 rounds in the autoloader, I've not had a single misfeed in what is now probably approaching 1500 rounds.

The revolver is my carry weapon, simply because it carries and conceals better, and I'm comfortable with it. But I have no complaints about the reliability of the autoloader ("knock on wood").
 
Nope - I gave up on wheelguns. Don't like the long DAO triggers or manual cocking each time. Don't like the ergonomics of hanging off the back of the gun. Don't like the sextupled cleaning time. Like the looks. Like the idea, just don't do well enough with them (and DO do well enough with semi's) to be tempted again. All subjective of course, but valid for me of course.

And of my list below the only guns that have ever malfunctioned in any way are the Dan Wesson which needed a couple trips to get extraction issues fixed and is now 100%, and one FTF in a speed-fire drill on the SW which was doubtless my fault. EB, RIA (hardball only though) both Glocks and the Kahr have been 100%. For Glocks especially I think most people will agree that's the norm not the exception. Probably for the Ed Brown too.
 
Giving up on autoloaders

I own autoloaders in all the common calibers. With the exception of one of my .45s I've had pretty good luck with the pistols. The .45 with the problems is the one that cost the most. I had to shim the magazines to keep them from falling out while shooting. I had to grind the indent in the slide stop deeper to stop it from engaging at the wrong times. Failures to feed are few and far between but they do occur. Here's the best one. It actually stovepiped a live round, bullet end up! How is this even possible? The stovepipe happened six rounds into a 12 round mag. Have any of you readers ever experienced this? I will not disclose the manufacturer of this pistol but will say that it is not American made.
 
This one functions with hard ball and the soft ball load I used today. Most other things hang up but that's ok with me. I'm not a gifted autopistol shot but this is what happened today- luck involved:
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I have had really good luck with my autos. I used to reload all the time till I sold all of my reloading equipment. Even when I was reloading I had really good luck with them. The only exception was a .45 that I made. I built it on a Norinco (when they were still available) That had some feeding issues until I throated the chamber.
 
Easy solution!!

I've fired or owned: Beretta 92F, Cougar, Tomcat: H&K USP: Sig P220: Kahr PM9: Seecamp: Kel-Tec P-3AT, P-32.
Click to expand...

Bob97-

Easy solution--SEND THESE 'problem pistols' TO ME! I'd be happy to take that bothersome USP or Sig P220 off your hands. :D Or even your unreliable KelTecs. Heck, I'd take any of them. Since they're just paperweights in your collection, you wouldn't mind, would ya? ;) :D

Perhaps you should get yourself a CZ 75. :)
 
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nope

I only owned one autoloader that was junk, a real Colt 1911 (not A1, don't know how old it was but probably older than me) that would only feed ball ammo. Sold it, 20 years ago.

since then. I've owned quite a few semi-autos. The only problems have been:
--a P7 that didn't like reloads but would function fine with any factory ammo.
--a Para C6 (3" barrel) that needed a trip back to TN (if I'd known how to tune an extractor, could have saved myself about $50)
--A Charles Daly 1911 (3 1/2" barrel) that taught me how to tune extractors, no big deal

and a whole bunch of others (including at least two more 3 or 3 1/2" 1911s and a Kahr PM9) that work flawlessly. If I sell it, it's probably because I want something else...not because it doesn't work.

BTW, since I bought the Kahr, my revolvers sit in the safe.

"Anyone else given up on revolvers?"

Not exactly, but I shoot my Kahr with 6+1 of 127 gr 9mm+p+ Ranger SXT better than my five-rounds of 357 in my 340PD. Follow-up shots are quicker and better, reload is a bunch quicker...and my Kahr has no Integral Lock to fail and lock-up the action :)
 
All my current semi-auto's have been perfectly reliable. So, nope... I haven't given up on autoloaders yet. And I never will.

I've given up on wheel guns though, mainly cuz I can't shoot them for beans. :D
 
Nope.

Have both. Shoot both. Enjoy shooting both. Have single action and double action in both.

It depends on what I feel like shooting. One day my wonderful S&W 625 and the next day my equally excellent S&W 945. Another day my lovely Colt Python or one of my trusty Gold Cups.

I still have a Colt Gov. I bought new in 1974, carried for years, and have put about 21 thousand rounds through. I have had target pistols and revolvers that I have put many thousands of rounds through. With enough rounds I have never had a gun that is 100% but mine generally go bang 99.9+% of the time.

More recently I carried a Defender-90. I replaced that with a S&W 1911Sc (Commander size). When I get more rounds through my Colt Commander XSE LW I will probably carry it.

I am sorry to hear about your luck. Have you looked up to be sure there isn't a little black cloud over your head?
 
It's either you are you've just had a string of bad luck. I've yet to own a semi that wasn't reliable. I'll never give up on semis. Some revolvers are cool to look at, but I just don't care to shoot them nor like their low capacity.
 
Sounds like you need to....

work on your wrist strength. Sounds like you are "limp wristing" your shots. I have shot most of the guns you list with ZERO malfunctions.........chris3
 
I think I have figured out why its seems Autos jam more frequently than revolvers. This has been rather a revelation for me. We'll see if other agree. I have been shooting for well over 20 years now. Both autos and revolvers and its eems to me that revolvers are more reliable than auto's.

The odds are that if you pick up a revolver, load it and pull the trigger six times, it will go bang six times. All well and good. Think back on how many times you have been loading a revolver and a case didn't look quite right. Bulged a little, primer was in crooked, whatever. You didn't load that round.
On the last round of a string of fire, you noticed that the trigger was getting a little heavy. Stopped what you were doing, scrubbed the face of the cylinder and went about shooting. Trigger pull got heavy, cleaned out under the extractor star. A round of .357 wouldn't chamber, you scrubbed out the ring of crud from the 300 .38's you had just fired and, you're back in business.
In other words, you were one or two rounds away from a "jam" but, you corrected it and kept shooting.

On an auto, every time there is a prioblem, its right in the middle of a string of fire. It stands out in your mind. You remember going Bang..Bang...Bang..Jam. And THEN you dealt with the problem, but, all you remember is that the gun jammed while you were shooting it. That slightly oversized round went into the magazine without a problem, but wouldn't chamber when you were shooting and you had a stoppage. With the revolver, you loaded that round by hand, felt that it wouldn't seat and discarded it. The revolver, loaded with six perfect rounds, went bang six times. The auto, jammed in the middle of a string.

So, I think perhaps more often, we remember the auto jams because the gun quit working while we were actually shooting it as opposed to the revolver that we corrected the jam just before it actually occured, but, it too would have jammed had we not fixed the problem when we did.

Does that make any sense? I think a quality gun, with proper maintanance and good ammo is about as reliable as anything manufactured by man..
 
I think sgt127 has a good point.

I have a Glock23 and I had a G22. My father has a G22 and has a G17. My best friend has a G22 and a G27. his friend has a G27. another friend has a G17. Thats eight pistols by different owners and a couple....the G27s...are very small pistols. Total ammo consumed.........:confused: I dont know.........at least 30,000 rounds. Malfunctions...........0! By the way, we're Glock fans.:D

I did have a Springfield 1911 jam on me once. A friend of mine put a .40 through it and the case split and had to be pulled out with a Gerber tool. The round hit the target 25 yards away too.
 
Out of all my firearms, the only one that has never faild me for any reason, EVER is my CZ.

Thats right my: HK USP Compact,Colt 1911,Springfield Armory XD40 Sub-C, Beretta, Hi-Point(lol) Have all faild, more than once. Sure it could have been a limp wrist shot.... still all have had some kind of malfunction.

However my CZ 75 Compact, has never had a single problem, EVER.
 
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