Revolvers do jam, but....
you are correct Vern (Humphrey), and like anything man-made, revolvers ... all guns... will jam sometime in their lifetime. IMO, he probability of stoppage is lower for wheelguns than it is for automatics. This is because of the inherent mechanical and functional complexity of all autos.
Any firearm malfunction no matter how quick, simple or easy it is to clear, if it occurs at the most inopportune moment, can be disastrous.
In my humble experience, target range/competition only, i can recall many 1911 stoppages (11 different 1911s at some point...all gone) and not a single revolver jam (S&W M-14, M-28, Colt Python, always had/have two S&W 686s at any one time).
The 686s had primer-caused misfires initially, when stock hammer and trigger return springs were replaced, that were remedied by using Federal and Winchester primers exclusively.
Primer misfires also happened in 1911s when hammer springs were modifed/replaced with weaker ones. or hammers replaced with lightweight titanium models in the pursuit of quicker lock times and light trigger pulls.
The 1911 functions beautifully when all the parts function perfectly, IMHO the ultimate play/defensive automatic.
In fairness to J.M. Browning and his 1911 auto, I would say that in trained hands, a properly tuned, quality manufactured (i.e. Springfield Armory, Colt, Remington) 1911 auto fed with ammo it likes, will be as reliable as any tuned, decent quality revolver, with good ammo of course.
Alas, the main reason I prefer wheelguns today, is the fact that passage of time has decreased my willingness to bend over to pick up brass
And my brand-new baby, a Ruger GP100, is exhibiting timing problems and the cylinder has jammed (refused to rotate) twice already. I think it is a warranty issue at this point and am hoping it will be resolved easily. I sold my Colt Gold Cup Series 80 to buy this GP100
Jet
