I notice now most of us older guys (50+)

[harmon rabb]

i'm 30 and like both revolvers and autoloaders. that said, i have a .357 on my nightstand and will carry some revolver to be decided whenever the state of florida decides to finally issue me my cwp (i think i applied 3 months ago now)

 

[gmh1013]

I hear in Texas its taking over six months now....My wife went through the CW class in Late March and the told her she would be lucky to have it by Sept
Why cant all state be like Vermont or my home state of AZ and let you open carry.

 

[goodtime]

A revolver is just a nice hunk of steel.

I like revolvers for reasons similar to those of a guy wearing a mechanical watch instead of a quartz watch. The steel mechanisms in automatic (self-winding) watches are not as modern or accurate, but they're a classic design, with inherent style and value. Quartz watches rarely become heirlooms like automatic watches do. It's not simply a question of technology or pure function, but the classic design of revolvers that makes them so desirable. That goes double for single action revolvers, which I especially like. I'm only 40.

 

[loneviking]

PS Anyone know of a good N-frame holster that will fit a walker or a Rascal??

Have you tried Rob Leahy at Simplyrugged.com? All of my wheelguns ride in one of his holsters!

 

[harmon rabb]

goodtime, i don't know that it's so much classic design -- i mean, a 1911 is pretty much a classic design by now -- it's that some revolvers just seem so well built and rugged, they seem like they'll last forever. my gp100 seems so well built that i'd bet on it lasting and functioning well for 100+ years.

 

[BCRider]

posted by crebalfix;
Why do people keep saying they don't have to pick up brass from a revolver? The brass from my revolvers goes all over the place and I end up stepping on it.

I guess many of us shoot at ranges with tables of some sort. If you're out standing in your field (oooo.... a pun! ) then look at one of the trap shooters pouch belts that have the big dump pocket and a smaller pocket for fresh ammo. When you're ready to eject the empties just turn a bit so you maintain muzzle direction control and eject the empties into the dump pouch.

Hello, 55 years old here. But only started shooting other than the occasional time last Fall when I got my PAL and bought my first handgun. So in a way I'm very much a newbie despite my age.

The first month or so it was all about the semis and when I did look at the revolvers I thought they just looked odd. Keep in mind that I'm a member at our one and only rent-a-gun range around here. One day with somewhere around 1000 rounds of 9mm through my semi I wanted to finish up with something a bit different. So I asked for one of the S&W model 19's and a box of .38Spl. Well..... I was about half way through my second cylinder's worth and realized that I was not only shooting tighter groups but that I had a HUGE grin on my mug.

Currently I have more semis than wheels but there's no way I'll every NOT have a wheelgun as long as I'm shooting. In fact if it came down to only two handguns and I had to decide on my Shadow vs my Model 28 I'd be hard pressed to make a decision to the point where my brain would go into meltdown and smoke would shoot out my ears.

 

[msiley]

In general I like heavier handguns. I love my GP100.
(oh and I'm 34) and I just sold my XD40. Too light
and I have had too many failures (probably 1 every 50-100 rounds).
Whereas I have had no failures with the GP100 after about 3000+
rounds now.

Also, I noticed after shooting 200+ magnums and switching to the XD
my hands were shaking a bit and I couldn't shoot the XD worth a darn.
But i still shot the GP100 just fine. My opinion is that in a
stressful situation a heavier handgun will negate some of the
shakiness brought on by stress. (but I have yet to test this for real

 

[gmh1013]

Msiley
That a very good point that a heavy
gun could compensate for a high stress
situation negating some of shaking...
I need to tell this to my wife when I bring home a model S & W 29, Colt Anaconda or Ruger Blackhawk .44 mag
My 9mm and .357 are just to light.
Im sure this would go over as well as when I bought her a 270 deer rifle for Christmas a few years back.

 

[KBintheSLC]

I am not an older guy... early 30's. But I have to say I like them all. I have revolvers and auto's. I generally prefer a revolver for light pocket carry, CC backup, and perhaps for deer hunting since my slow-fire accuracy is better with a revolver.

However, for pistol combat against multiple armed assailants, I'll take my Glock if I have a choice. I can dispatch one or two targets pretty fast with my revolver, but I can't drop 6 falling plates at 25 yards in under 6 seconds with one. For that, I'll take an auto. Also, my fastest reload with a speedloader is still slower than my slowest reload with a magazine.

As for reliability, none of my centerfire pistols have ever failed me... revolver or not. So that part is a non-issue for me.

But like I said, I think they both have their place in my world. A plastic auto is an excellent tool, but a good revolver is a work of art.


...

 

[22lr]

Forgot to mention the trigger pull. No auto can come close to matching the Python, the revolver crowd holds the trophy there.

I think its easier to get a tuned revolver for cheaper than a tuned Auto, my two cents but a nice revolver can be had for $400. That wont buy you anything but a low end 1911. I just got a 64-8 for $350 and its trigger is better than any $350 auto out there, hand down. That is another thing I really like about em.

 

[wanderinwalker]

Well, not all revolver shooters are old and treacherous! I'm 25, so that puts me firmly into youth and enthusiasm territory!

I've been firing many, many more rounds through my revolvers lately. Of course, I have a S&W K-frame .22LR (M-18) which is just the absolute sweetest-best purchase I have made in a while. I also have a 4" Model 19 .357, also a good deal (and a good deal worse looking than the 18, but this one has Millet sights and a trigger job. Oooooohhhh yeah!!!).

But I am also influenced by a lack of bullets to load for my 9mm Glocks (LOL!! Stereotyping! ) and a short supply of small pistol primers (which is being funneled into .38 ammo carefully). Even then, I think I'd still shoot the revolvers more for a while.

 

[kmrcstintn]

4 of my 5 handguns are wheelies (in no particular order):

S&W 642 -- internal hammer lightweight snubby .38 spl +p; Ruger GP100 -- 6" barreled & blued steel revolver .357 mag; S&W 629 PowerPort -- 6.5" barreled, ported, and stainless steel revolver .44 mag; Uberti Cattleman 1873 SAA clone -- 4.75" barreled, blued steel, and brass grip frame revolver .45 Colt...

bottom feeder: Ruger P95 -- 3.9" barreled, polymer framed, stainless steel slide 9mm parabellum

BTW...still on the lower side of 50 and have preferred revolvers since I started shooting in 2001

 

[BigGuy52]

A semi-auto can and usually does jam once in a great while, no matter how clean your guns is. Sure, it takes only seconds to clear a bad round or a feed problem, but if you're relying on the gun to save a life, it could be a problem.

A revolver on the other hand is almost indestructable, it will fire under almost any circumstance.

The only time a revolver didn't fire for me, is when I was outside shooting at targets once in -70* wind chill temperatures. And the gun actually didn't fail, the gun just plain froze up.

Sure revolvers hold less rounds than most autos, but that just means you have to be more accurate.

 

[pmeisel]

Had some fun in a friend's backyard the other night. Weaponry included S&W 19, Python, Anaconda, Beretta .40, as well as an AK and 3 22 rifles, and a blackpowder rifle.

All were fun. Least reliable was my 22 pump, it has a feeding problem. Most fun appeared to be the AK although all the guns got a workout.

Three of the 5 shooters have had significant handgun time. All did better with the revolvers than the Beretta, including the Beretta owner, and my son who recently qualified expert on the service M9.

I am sure mileage varies, but for some people that revolver just shoots better.

It was nice looking at all that hardware lined up on the bench though.

 

[Hawk]

Forgot to mention the trigger pull. No auto can come close to matching the Python, the revolver crowd holds the trophy there.

Not really.

Most revolvers exhibit an excellent single action trigger but if one makes mention of it one will generally get swarmed by folks stating that defensive revolvers must be used double action. Some will advocate the rendering of service revolvers DAO.

So, unless you're involved in bullseye competion, the revolvers trigger, used double action, will suck out loud compared to most any 1911.

Even a revolvers single action trigger holds no advantage over many 1911-ish triggers.

Most importantly, the 1911-ish trigger can be used in serious social situations where the revolver is pretty much stuck with the nastier of its two modes - at least based on what I read of Grant Cunningham and Mas Ayoob.

I have a Python and a Dawson-STI and I can guarantee that the Python suffers in any comparison of triggers.

 

[Hawk]

Sure revolvers hold less rounds than most autos, but that just means you have to be more accurate.

You make that "being more accurate" sound pretty easy.

I wonder how easy it really is.

Does it involve:

A natural tendency on the part of an individual to shoot a revolver better.
Several thousands of rounds of practice.
Coming to terms with a relatively long and heavy double action trigger.
Training classes.
Wishing that low capacity majically substitutes for time, money and effort and simply confers accuracy through low round count.

A combination of the above or something else entirely?

 

[crebralfix]

Hawk,

Let's not get into a revolver versus semi-auto fight. It's been rehashed a gazillion times on the forum. Here's the quick version:


The revolver guys go:

"Bigger bullets! Cool round thing in the center of the gun! Nice finishes! Super tight target accuracy! Uber-reliable in situation X!


Semi-auto guys go:

"More bullets! Closed system avoids gunk! Use 10mm if you want power! 45 ACP rules! Faster reloads!"


Revolver guys then say:

"Spray and pray! Wimpy little 10mm! 45ACP fits in moonclipped guns and we get more reliability!"


Semi-auto guys go:

"Don't drop your gun in the mud! My revolver caused my bullets to jump crimp! Semi-autos just shoot faster!"


Revolver guys say:

"Yeah, but your back is broke cuz you have to pickup brass. My gun design is better!"


Semi-auto guys say:

"No, mine is better! My gun can beat up your gun!"


Revolver guys say:

"But your gun is made of plastic! Ours are made of steel! Neener neener!

....and so on.

 

[Hawk]

I submit that the "round count is inversely proportional to accuracy" fairy tale isn't tied to "revolvers vs. semis": it routinely surfaces in "1911 vs. Glock" threads.

It's hokum regardless of where it occurs.

A request to lose the "less rounds = more accurate" canard, I feel, is reasonable. It has no basis in fact.

In the interest of full disclosure, I enjoy and have been shooting my revolvers more than my semis but getting to the same level of proficiency with the double action trigger isn't trivial. It's fun, so it isn't work but it isn't trivial.

The throw-away implication that high round counts imply "spray and pray" while low round counts imply "steely eyed, square-jawed, cool-headed accuracy under fire" needs desperately to die. It applies in some cases but not in all - or even most.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

Hawk sums it up pretty well. I think the only side observation is that a great number of people, especially police officers, feel more confident (not necessarily "competent") with guns with more rounds (10-18 shot autos). That is the falsehood of the comparison. Practice, proficiency, and confidence based on competence is what one needs way more than round count.

 

[deputy tom]

I'm one of the old guys and we were mandated to carry only revolvers on and off duty. Several individuals disregarded policy and carried 1911's off duty. I still EDC a j-frame revolver but on occaision carry a semi-auto.YMMV.tom.

 

[mesinge2]

I am 25, and have pistols and revolvers, but I mostly carry my Smith and Wesson Model 29 with a 3 inch barrel.

 

[Eightball]

It's pretty simple: 1911s and revolvers both just have a soul to them. First handgun I ever bought was a revolver, and I love it to death.

Semi-autos are practical, but revolvers are just more awesome. Aside from a CBOB 1911, the only other pistols I can think that I want are all revolvers.

And count me in the "young" crowd.

 

[subierex]

I absolutely love S&W revolvers (my first gun), but alas, can no longer afford them. Paid 300 clams for my 586 SW in 1993, same gun today is more than double. Sorry SW, will have to do with plastic fantastic autoloaders.

 

[Kentucky Windage]

This (not TOO much of an older guy...) is pretty democratic about it. I love my wheelguns, but don't even think about trying to take away my Kimber 45 or my H&K P2000. With the latter, by the way, I have deliberate TRIED to make it jam -- and have thus far failed.

 

[UranusDestiny]

I just turned 21, and while I would like an autoloader eventually, revolvers are what excite me the most. My first and so far only pistol is a revolver. Unfortunately, the S&W Model 10 I put money on turned out to be a stolen gun, so I picked up a Ruger SP101 instead.