can I be well equipped with just wheelies -- serious answers only

[kmrcstintn]

I'm caught in a bit of a pickle...I am a wheelie fan & own several (see list below) and I am really trying to see the other side of life (aka: semiautomaticville); I keep hearing from friend and stranger alike that to be 'balanced' I need to have a wheelie and a semiauto to 'cover my bases'

wheelie list:

Ruger GP100; stainless; 6" barrel; .357 magnum; woods, hunting, range, occasional home defense

Ruger SP101; stainless; 3" barrel; .357 magnum; woods, car defense, home defense, range

Smith & Wesson 642; stainless; 1 7/8" barrel; .38 spl +p; ccw, secondary home defense

***magnums get loaded with decent .38 spl +p hollowpoints for home defense

semiauto list:

Beretta 92D Centurion; 4.3" barrel; 9mm parabellum; range, occasional home defense, occasional car defense

what I seek:

Ruger Redhawk; stainless; 4" barrel; .44 magnum; woods, home defense, range

***Redhawk would get loaded with decent .44 spl hollowpoints for home defense

I like the Beretta, but I sell/trade the semiatuos more often than the wheelies; the Beretta would be traded on the Redhawk due to limited funding...

can I buck advice and be 'balanced' with just wheelies in the handgun portion of the collection?!?

 

[RevolvingCylinder]

can I buck advice and be 'balanced' with just wheelies in the handgun portion of the collection?!?

Certainly. You don't need an automatic. The DA revolver works as well as it ever has. Go with what you like. Don't be afraid to be an individual.

 

[velojym]

Someone who can shoot well with a revolver is much better equipped than a guy who merely 'owns' a high-zoot semiauto.
I'd not feel undergunned if I were out in the world carrying my wife's GP100, though I am quite fond of my XD45.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I see no reason for you to feel poorly equipped when carrying your S&W M642 loaded with Speer Gold Dot 135 gr Short Barrel ammo.

My carry gun is a S&W M638. Sometimes I carry a Kel-Tec P-32 (in 7.65mm Browning)

 

[AStone]

Wheels

Can I buck advice and be 'balanced' with just wheelies in the handgun portion of the collection?!?

IMO, unequivocally yes.

The key, IMO, is to get to know those wheels better than the back of your hand.
(I mean, really, how many here know the back of your hand?)

I sold my only semi-auto recently -
a very sweet Kahr k-9 -
so that I could buy more wheels.

My next wheel? Undecided,
but most like either
a SW 60 3" or 683 2.5".

Levers, pumps & wheels.

And don't forget the 'hawks.

Nem

 

[G95]

i see no real advantage to an auto-pistol over a revolver for a private citizen, even an autos extra capacity is in my opinion a double edged sword, we are all preparing for what we envision as the most likely self defense scenario and what i fear the most is an encounter that happens so close and so fast that i wont be able to draw, aim, and get off all five rounds i have in a snub-nose revolver, let alone a 16+ round auto-pistol which in the second weapon would just leave the possibility of losing control of 10+ rounds

basically if i cant stop the threat with five i would rather my weapon be empty

which is why i usually carry 1 or 2 442's, with my hands in my pockets so if need be i dont even have to draw, i feel very well equipped

 

[tbtrout]

If you are competant with what you have, then you are more well balanced then a lot of folks already. If you want a semi than buy one, there is nothing wrong with expanding your horizons.

 

[hagar]

Wheelgun in the car, and an AR15 in the trunk, and you will do fine!

 

[Trebor]

Own what you like. Don't worry about what other's think. If you like revolvers, shoot revolvers.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

What you're missing is a good .22 revolver. I'm a Colt man, and if you shop Gunsamerica.com and other sites you can often find a Colt Officers Model Target (which is what I have) or comparabe revolver at a good price.

I understand there is a company called "Smith and Something-or-other" than makes revolvers, too.

 

[ACP230]

Revolvers are good to have around.
I have both round and square guns but most often depend on a couple of J-frame Bodyguards for personal protection.

After spraining my left wrist recently in the middle of the auto stage of a PPC type match I found revolvers much easier to manage.
The injury lasted about two weeks and working auto pistol slides was difficult and painful the whole time.

 

[Zundfolge]

IIRC Col Cooper said; "Beware the man with only one gun for he will know how to use it!" (or something like that).


I prefer autos for carry because of thinness and capacity, but I would feel "more armed" with a .357mag, .45colt, .44spl or .44mag than I do with my Kahr MK9.

Wheelgun in the car, and an AR15 in the trunk, and you will do fine!

Good point, handguns are just handguns. You ever find you need your CCW piece and you're going to wish it was a 12ga no mattter what caliber it is.





Seriously though, one of the most important aspects of self defense shooting is that you have confidence in your abilities and equipment. If you're not comfortable with an auto than you're not likely to perform as well with it. If you're confident in your ability to use the wheelgun, don't let someone talk you out of it.

The only time your revolver becomes a major liability is if you're engaging multiple targets, but honestly even if you had a Glock 20 loaded 15+1 with real hot 10mm, you're still at a major disadvantage engaging multiple targets.

 

[AStone]

You ever find you need your CCW piece and
you're going to wish it was a 12ga no matter what caliber it is.

Amen.

 

[mavracer]

yes

you can do just about anything you would want to do with a handgun with a 4" 357 revolver. your collection is fine. adding a redhawk 44 would round off the big end, if you added a 617 22lr you would have all bases covered.

 

[AStone]

Not to hijack the thread but I'm wondering ...

if you added a 617 22lr you would have all bases covered.

What do you think about the 317?

I definitely want a .22 LR revolver (though it won't be soon unfortunately),
and the 617 is on my consideration list. But it seems so heavy for a .22.

The 317 is an airweight. Yes, 3" instead of 4", but still ...

 

[mavracer]

317

do they make a 317 with 4" and no hivis sights. wife has 60 with hivis they're great for social work but not for precision. which IMO is what a 22 is for.

 

[crebralfix]

The problem with revolvers is capacity, reload speed, and the difficulty in mastering gun manipulation skills. Manipulation skills include reloading, clearing jams, one handed reloads, and so forth. You must be able to perform these actions while moving quickly. Jerry Miculek can shoot and reload fast...but can he do it on the run under incoming fire? Can you? If you decide to go with a revolver, practice ALL your reloads while moving (start slow and work up to full speed). It's very difficult and I can barely do it *reliably* at walking speed.

In terms of fighting, the lack of external safety is an advantage in a close range fight (three yards or less). You will need to move with alacrity in order to dodge your enemy's aim ("get off the X"). However, five, six, seven, or eight shots go VERY quickly. In these close range situations, you will have little time to aim and you may find yourself in contact with your enemy. Misses or peripheral hits will happen. You will probably shoot 'til "the click" and you'd better be able reload while running, getting punched or kicked, and so forth.

One way to practice is to work with a partner. Manipulate your gun...dry fire, reload, etc while moving and while your practice partner does things to you...like shake you, grab your arm, strike at your face, etc. Believe me, life is 100% more difficult under these circumstances.

I also recommend that you try force on force scenarios using Airsoft. I believe revolvers are available.

 

[skeeter1]

It depends

I am a wheelie fan & own several (see list below) and I am really trying to see the other side of life (aka: semiautomaticville)

I'm a wheelgunner for the most part myself. I have one semi-auto which is great fun at the farm or the range, but when things get serious, I'd rather have one of the revolvers.

 

[Feanaro]

A revolver won't take you as far as an auto-chucker in IPSC or the like. Otherwise, you can cover all the bases with revolvers. Though I don't know why you'd want to deprive yourself in such a manner.

 

[tinygnat219]

There's nothing wrong with pullin' a wheelie! Great reliable guns. Notice that the J-Frame is a favorite among Concealed Carry purchases?

 

[glockman19]

good list, I'd add:

Revolver:
686+ I like the trigger more than the Rugers you list but like them both. I would only get Ruger or S&W revolvers.

Semi-Auto:

1911's Kimber all the way. You can't go wrong. Want to pay more get a Ed Browh or Les Baer. Want a little less expensive go Colt or Springfield

otherwise ANY glock. They're completeley reilable and can be abused and still shoot straight. Any caliber is great. IMO The best Glocks are the 9mm 26, 19, 17. But I'd get any of them as a matter of fact I have. and will get more in each caliber & size.

Don't forget to round out your collection with good HD shotgun I like Remington 870's many here do also.

Rifles:

A-Bolt, Remington in 7mm mag, 30-06 or .308.

Semi-Auto, AK if you can, If not M1A Springfield or Fulton. If you have to get an AR get a Rock River or armilite, maybe a bushmaster.

 

[DrLaw]

If you can hit with it, then you are probably well off.

If you can't, then you need to practice.

If you can hit with a semi-auto, then you are probably well off.

If you can't, then you need to practice.

Otherwise, if a bullet comes out the dangerous end when you shoot it, you are going to be well off no matter what the gun, and there is no real reason whatsoever to feel that you have to have a 'balanced' collection.

Bottom line. You use what you are comfortable and good at using and don't listen to anybody that tells you what you need.

The Doc is out now.

(PS. And very comfortable with his revolvers that he learned how to draw fast and shoot faster, and not shoot when he did not have to, and which stopped a shotgun-wielding man who saw the revolver pointed at his belly, no shooting needed. )

 

[Dienekes]

I like them. I sort of reversed the process somewhat when I carried a .45 auto plainclothes back in the late 70s. An aspiring management weenie took it to legal and "the powers" decided that it was a bad idea (from their perspective). So I went to a 4" DA .357 for the rest of my career, with the notion that if that was my duty piece I was going to get good with it. As an instructor I had both the opportunity and the obligation to do so.

Fifteen years later when Glocks and SIGs were authorized I had no real desire or need to switch and stayed with what I knew and liked. Owned and used both but never found them to suit me as well. And in spite of all the claims, never found either as stone reliable either. Both went down the road.

Cut my teeth on the 1911 and still like them better than any other semiautos out there--but it's not an issue. I suppose if I were doing high speed, low drag stuff I would opt for a good 1911, but it would be secondary to a proper long gun anyway.

So don't feel like you have to own a bunch of those, too. There really is such a thing as "too many guns" if you want to get really good.

 

[GunNut]

Either or both are great.

Most of us have a good selection of both wheel guns and semi-auto handguns.

Steve

 

[ezypikns]

Sound Advice.

Own what you like. Don't worry about what other's think. If you like revolvers, shoot revolvers.

I love and trust my revolvers. But everyone should own and shoot just one good 1911.