A good reason for revolver

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Indeed, a significant reason that I have largely reverted to revolvers, is because my right thumb, hand, wrist, and shoulder are not what they once were. I no longer fully trust my right hand/arm/shoulder to provide a firm platform for reliable auto-loading function, with some auto-pistols, especially if I were to have to shoot right-hand-only. Although functionally ambidextrous with most handguns, so, shooting lefty* is not a problem, well, my gimpy right hand does not always do what my brain tells it to do, so, that can cause issues running a slide. This does not mean that I have abandoned all auto-loading pistols, but the writing is on the wall, so, I have shifted toward a revolver mindset/lifestyle.

The first handgun I owned was an auto, but the first handguns I could legally carry were DA revolvers. I had to carry only DA revolvers during my first year of sworn service as a police officer. I had thought that revolvers were quaint, and on the way out, but, made it a point to thoroughly train both hands for long-stroke DA trigger pulling. I learned to really like revolving pistols, and soon learned that they were not lesser weapons.

The auto-loaders that I do still use are those that have been reliable, without the need for a firm two-handed hold. My Gen4 Glock G17, a former duty pistol, is particularly reliable, and has enough ammo on board to load on Sunday, and shoot all week, still gets some carry time, especially when going to/through some areas. One of my 1911 pistols, also a former duty pistol, remains a favored home defense weapon.

Importantly, my defensive firearms are kept loaded, which includes the chambers of auto-pistols. My first handgun, at age 21, ‘way back in late 1982 or early 1983, was a 1911. I was comfortable with Condition One, from the beginning.

A reason to favor short-barreled revolvers, is so that an aging shoulder does not have to articulate so much, during the draw. Compact autos are similarly friendly to the gimpy shoulder, but, compact autos that fire serious cartridges, such as the ever-popular “Compact Nines.” are not so friendly to aging hands.

Finally, in the strategy and tactics part of this, I thought that everyone knew about the gas can scam, and/or a gas can being used as a deceptive prop to further a more-serious crime.

*I was born naturally left-handed, but right-armed. I write lefty, and throw right-handed. I could just as easily have chosen to carry on the left side, but drawing the then-mandated L-Frame duty revolver, from the then-mandated low-slung duty rig, back in the day, was not unlike throwing under-handed, and, I knew that I would mostly be patrolling alone. When seated in a patrol car, the right hip was more accessible than the left hip. So, I established 0300 as the primary carry position.
 
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Despite being a lifelong revolver guy, I freely admit that reloading a revolver is a higher-level skill than is reloading an auto - especially so in a gunfight. Moreover, I'd much rather carry a spare magazine than a revolver speedloader - the latter is so bulky I suspect you might just as well carry a second revolver!

A spare revolver? I resemble that remark! ;) My favorite “speed loader” is made my Ruger, is mostly stainless steel, and has “SP101” engraved on it. ;) Another favored “speed loader” is a 2” S&W Model 64. After years of keeping my eyes open for a really well-preserved Model 64 snub-gun, locally, I found two of them, a 64-3 and a 64-4, only a few months apart, in 2019/2020. Life is good.

“Accessibility options” is my main reason for wanting to carry two weapons, but reducing/postponing the need to reload is also applicable. Balancing the load is also better for the old muscles.

Having said the above, an S&W K-Frame, or larger revolver, provides notably more “work space” when the cylinder is swung open, for smoothly and quickly working a speed-loader, than does a J-Snub or SP101.
 
Thank God there weren't accomplices waiting for him to open the door.
Yes that is the current modus operandi here in the Houston area. They will often use a woman or young kid as a decoy to get people to open the door and then 2-5 others will swarm the door.

I just do not open the door, even broad daylight, unless it is a police officer, a known neighbor or if its a package I have to sign for and am expecting. There is both a sheriff substation and a constable station just a mile down the road from me in opposite directions and I've called them more than once to deal with situations or to help people. They are usually pretty quick to respond.
 
Yes that is the current modus operandi here in the Houston area. They will often use a woman or young kid as a decoy to get people to open the door and then 2-5 others will swarm the door.

I just do not open the door, even broad daylight, unless it is a police officer, a known neighbor or if its a package I have to sign for and am expecting. There is both a sheriff substation and a constable station just a mile down the road from me in opposite directions and I've called them more than once to deal with situations or to help people. They are usually pretty quick to respond.

Good advice.
 
Which could easily set your garment on fire due to hot gases from the barrel cylinder gap. Try it with a sheet of cloth.
Seen it happen. Trying it with old clothes or cloth works but will only directly apply if it's the same kind of material as the clothes you'll be shooting through. Some fabrics will smolder, some melt. This can also be a factor for those using semi autos with compensated barrels.
 
Which could easily set your garment on fire due to hot gases from the barrel cylinder gap. Try it with a sheet of cloth.
Personally I don't pocket carry, lady clothes don't have suitable pockets. But at my very first class the instructor demonstrated shooting from inside the type of pocket typically found in a man's outdoor-type jacket. He also demonstrated igniting a piece of paper by holding it next to the barrel cylinder gap and firing the gun. I suppose there is an exact way to position the gun to avoid igniting your garment.

For me personally, the knowledge that the gun will fire with the muzzle in contact with BG's body is much more important. I don't hear well and I can't move fast, so a deadly encounter could easily go up close and personal.
 
In the 1986 Miami Shootout, FBI Ed Mireles shot Platt and Matich with his revolver when wounded in the left arm and couldn't pump his shotgun.

Personally I don't pocket carry, lady clothes don't have suitable pockets.

Reminds of SF character librarian Adele Mundy. Anything she wore from uniform to formal gown had two side pockets, added if necessary. One for her data unit, one for her pistol.
 
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As a revolver fan and hand-loader; I note with mild disappointment that the Autoloader subforum is about 3X as popular as the revolver sub.

I just got the latest issue of Concealed Carry magazine that is included with USCCA membership. (my first issue) The cover story is about a couple who answered the door to a guy who "needed gas." After talking to him through the door, the man said: "Hang on while I get pants on." He also got his CCW, an automatic Taurus of some kind, but didn't rack one into the pipe.

Anyway, as he was walking out to get gas with the guy after getting his wife inside, he asked the guy to back off a bit. (as he suspected something was off) The perp turned as if to comply, but kept turning until he was facing our man again. He had pulled a 22 pistol out of his pocket and shot the guy twice; once in the shoulder and once in the left wrist. Our man fell down in all the excitement and the perp thought he was dead.

He went in the house and started pushing the wife around. Their dog came up and started tearing up his legs; allowing the woman to run into the bedroom. (where she was preparing the pump shotgun for her hubby) Our man got up and knew it was time to shoot that perp. He went to rack the slide to chamber one realized he couldn't, as his other wrist was broken from being shot. The article didn't say how our man got the slide racked.

Putting aside the fact that he should have had a round in the pipe, a revolver is sure a good option when you're a bit weak (limp wrist or elbow) or beat-up.

Full disclosure: although the 6 rounds took down the perp and made him drop his gun, our man wished for more ammo. He took the perp's 22 and shot the perp in the head to make sure he wouldn't be able to come after him and his wife again. That would have gotten him in a world of trouble if he were in a place like Maryland, Illinois or California instead of Florida.

The police thanked him and made him an honorary deputy, as they were sure he saved a bunch of police. The perp seemed to be setting up to make a last stand in our man's driveway, having laid out a bunch of guns on top of the car...

Their dog Ryder got a steak dinner when our man got out of the hospital, and is now a bit more protective of them. :) It's worth noting that if they didn't have a dog, the perp and woman would have still been close enough to the perp that our man wouldn't have been able to take a shot and it might've ended very differently.

What I think of this for now is:
  • I'm going to stick with a revolver for my CCW, as I think the odds of needing more than 5 rounds are less than having to shoot from compromised positions or when crippled.
  • I need to get a dog; one that's a bit defensive. Something like a Doberman or a Pitbull mix, maybe. My wife and daughters will do a lot less good with a gun than a dog would do them when I'm not there.
What are your thoughts? Taking your chances with the auto in exchange for more firepower or revolver for simplicity and not relying on needing two hands or stiff joints to work properly?

This is not a problem where a revolver is the solution. The man made several serious mistakes and was shot as a result.

1) Train and know your weapon
2) Keep the weapon ready, as Colonel Cooper recommended so many years ago.
3) Don't help strangers, unless you must do so. Unfortunately, just enough turn out to be criminals that this is now a required defensive strategy.
4) Don't bother with a such a dog. It's not worth the risk of it attacking you or the family.
5) Switch up to N-Frames or Redhawks and go with eight rounds of 357 Magnum for home defense. More ammo is never wrong. You may need a smaller gun for carry, but you already have that.
 
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Reminds of SF character librarian Adele Mundy. Anything she wore from uniform to formal gown had two side pockets, added if necessary. One for her data unit, one for her pistol.
She's my ideal, although I more closely resemble Terry Pratchett's Librarian of the Unseen University.
Then again, he don't need no freakin' gun... .
 
As a revolver fan and hand-loader; I note with mild disappointment that the Autoloader subforum is about 3X as popular as the revolver sub.

I just got the latest issue of Concealed Carry magazine that is included with USCCA membership. (my first issue) The cover story is about a couple who answered the door to a guy who "needed gas." After talking to him through the door, the man said: "Hang on while I get pants on." He also got his CCW, an automatic Taurus of some kind, but didn't rack one into the pipe.

Anyway, as he was walking out to get gas with the guy after getting his wife inside, he asked the guy to back off a bit. (as he suspected something was off) The perp turned as if to comply, but kept turning until he was facing our man again. He had pulled a 22 pistol out of his pocket and shot the guy twice; once in the shoulder and once in the left wrist. Our man fell down in all the excitement and the perp thought he was dead.

He went in the house and started pushing the wife around. Their dog came up and started tearing up his legs; allowing the woman to run into the bedroom. (where she was preparing the pump shotgun for her hubby) Our man got up and knew it was time to shoot that perp. He went to rack the slide to chamber one realized he couldn't, as his other wrist was broken from being shot. The article didn't say how our man got the slide racked.

Putting aside the fact that he should have had a round in the pipe, a revolver is sure a good option when you're a bit weak (limp wrist or elbow) or beat-up.

Full disclosure: although the 6 rounds took down the perp and made him drop his gun, our man wished for more ammo. He took the perp's 22 and shot the perp in the head to make sure he wouldn't be able to come after him and his wife again. That would have gotten him in a world of trouble if he were in a place like Maryland, Illinois or California instead of Florida.

The police thanked him and made him an honorary deputy, as they were sure he saved a bunch of police. The perp seemed to be setting up to make a last stand in our man's driveway, having laid out a bunch of guns on top of the car...

Their dog Ryder got a steak dinner when our man got out of the hospital, and is now a bit more protective of them. :) It's worth noting that if they didn't have a dog, the perp and woman would have still been close enough to the perp that our man wouldn't have been able to take a shot and it might've ended very differently.

What I think of this for now is:
  • I'm going to stick with a revolver for my CCW, as I think the odds of needing more than 5 rounds are less than having to shoot from compromised positions or when crippled.
  • I need to get a dog; one that's a bit defensive. Something like a Doberman or a Pitbull mix, maybe. My wife and daughters will do a lot less good with a gun than a dog would do them when I'm not there.
What are your thoughts? Taking your chances with the auto in exchange for more firepower or revolver for simplicity and not relying on needing two hands or stiff joints to work properly?

This incident actually seems to contradict your case for revolvers as the guy ran out of ammo and wished he had more. Most common semiautos hold more than six rounds.

Just because you are at contact distance doesn't mean you have to jam the gun into someone so hard it goes out of battery. This is a training issue.

I'll add that when a semiauto goes down one can generally get it back into the fight in a second or two. When a revolver goes down it, it goes down hard. I've had this happen twice. Once was with a single action Ruger where the transfer bar snapped and the other was with a Smith and Wesson 10-5 where the cylinder rod got backed out. Neither was remotely fixable in a fight. I've never had a semiauto have a failure that couldn't be fixed with an immediate action drill.

The man in the story wasn't prepared or properly trained. He got the job done but he made some discoveries that should have been made well before hand. I'm sure he'll never carry with an empty chamber again.

I'm a firm believer in carry whatever you want because it's your money and your life, however, I also firmly believe that revolvers have been surpassed by semiautos as fighting weapons and nostalgia has no place in a fight.
 
This incident actually seems to contradict your case for revolvers as the guy ran out of ammo and wished he had more. Most common semiautos hold more than six rounds.

Just because you are at contact distance doesn't mean you have to jam the gun into someone so hard it goes out of battery. This is a training issue.

I'll add that when a semiauto goes down one can generally get it back into the fight in a second or two. When a revolver goes down it, it goes down hard. I've had this happen twice. Once was with a single action Ruger where the transfer bar snapped and the other was with a Smith and Wesson 10-5 where the cylinder rod got backed out. Neither was remotely fixable in a fight. I've never had a semiauto have a failure that couldn't be fixed with an immediate action drill.

The man in the story wasn't prepared or properly trained. He got the job done but he made some discoveries that should have been made well before hand. I'm sure he'll never carry with an empty chamber again.

I'm a firm believer in carry whatever you want because it's your money and your life, however, I also firmly believe that revolvers have been surpassed by semiautos as fighting weapons and nostalgia has no place in a fight.
You make good points, but with a broken wrist, how would he have done a tap-rack-bang drill?

Also, he did WISH for more rounds, but the guy was down and disarmed already, so it wasn't necessary. (nor was the execution!)

I was teaching my wife to shoot with autos, and she managed to jam reliable guns at least once per mag with her limp wrist and elbow. She never had a problem with a revolver.
 
The type of firearm chosen for HD isn't as important as the homeowner's bad decision making abilities. Some remedies as others have mentioned should include but are not limited to:

1. Have cameras. They are inexpensive and will let you know who you are dealing with. You can't approach my house from any direction day or night without me knowing you are there. Monte, my fox terrier doesn't even have to issue a warning bark (but he will anyway, lots of them).
2. Your doors and windows should be secured in such a way that it will take multiple attempts to gain access.
3. Don't open the door. That's an easy one.
4. Keep your weapon loaded and ready to fight. That should be an easy one but I guess it isn't.
5. Don't bluff. Don't say stupid things like "I have a gun" or rack the action. That's just dumb.
 
You make good points, but with a broken wrist, how would he have done a tap-rack-bang drill?

Also, he did WISH for more rounds, but the guy was down and disarmed already, so it wasn't necessary. (nor was the execution!)

I was teaching my wife to shoot with autos, and she managed to jam reliable guns at least once per mag with her limp wrist and elbow. She never had a problem with a revolver.

I still can't wrap my mind around the 22 headshot unless the the totality of the circumstances included a clear legal justification. I don't have access to the story for more detail. Apart from that and just talking revolver (not vs auto cause I carry both) it is a very good choice when it fits the need, as you made very clear above.
 
I still can't wrap my mind around the 22 headshot unless the the totality of the circumstances included a clear legal justification. I don't have access to the story for more detail. Apart from that and just talking revolver (not vs auto cause I carry both) it is a very good choice when it fits the need, as you made very clear above.
The gist of it was that he shot at the perp 6 times; hit him 5. That brought him down and he dropped his gun, but he was still breathing and our man wanted to go check on his wife without worrying about being shot in the back with a last ditch effort.

That's a little shaky, but we are not running through legal ramifications in our head when we're worried about bleeding out and confirming the wife is OK. With a clear head and no adrenaline, he'd have probably picked up the gun and left the guy there to bleed out. As you suggest though, the law doesn't seem to factor that in too much. They are looking at things only with a clear head and 20/20 hindsight.
 
A little? If he fired after the threat of deadly force was no longer imminent, it is a very serious crime of violence.
I guess it depends on the glasses you view it through.
Viewed through Florida police glasses, this guy had shot one FL cop and was apparently planning to shoot many more. There's suddenly a different standard of treating a perp if he has shot cops. Got to factor in police vengeance. ;)
 
You make good points, but with a broken wrist, how would he have done a tap-rack-bang drill?

Also, he did WISH for more rounds, but the guy was down and disarmed already, so it wasn't necessary. (nor was the execution!)

I was teaching my wife to shoot with autos, and she managed to jam reliable guns at least once per mag with her limp wrist and elbow. She never had a problem with a revolver.

What type of auto is she limp wristing? Usually only the really small ones are capable of being limp wristed.
 
What type of auto is she limp wristing? Usually only the really small ones are capable of being limp wristed.
Most (probably all. Can't say for sure cause I haven't seen all of them used.) autos can be limp wristed. Seen it happen with all the major brands and action types.
 
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