Revolvers & Semi's -

[Fat Boy]

I recently read an article comparing revolvers to semi-automatics...interesting thoughts for me; along the lines of a semi-auto that is totally in parts and a revolver totally in parts. Assemble the parts of the semi-auto and you have a functioning gun. Assemble the parts of the revolver, and you need to do a lot of fitting, adjusting, timing, etc to make it function...

The gist of the article seemed to be addressing the old concept that revolvers are simple and semi's are complex.

Further conversation/commentary (maybe in another article) addressed the importance of safety systems on handguns vs. none. The idea was the danger of picking up a revolver, and inadvertently pulling the trigger in the process vs. a semi-auto with safety system that would preclude such an event. This strikes me as interesting in that I have historically thought of the value of having a revolver since it didn't require deactivating safeties, etc. to fire. I have always understood and functioned with the rule of not putting my finger on the trigger until ready to fire- I realize a Glock is similar, in that there are no manual safeties other than the ones "built-in" to the process.

All this comes about in that I am considering a "one-gun fits all" handgun purchase, and trying to find the best gun for the purpose- Historically, I would have almost always gone for the revolver; now I am thinking about a semi....

"Purpose" by the way, would include paper-punching, home and possibly some day CCW defense, and possibly being pressed into service in a TEOTWAWKI scenario for hunting small game...(not likely, I realize)

What do you think?

 

[MrBorland]

revolvers are simple and semi's are complex

Most wheelgunners already know better.

You might still consider a revolver, as revolvers have a lot going for them, but IMO, dead-nuts reliability isn't one of them.

The idea was the danger of picking up a revolver, and inadvertently pulling the trigger in the process

Welllll, technically true, but the DA trigger of modern revolvers is 13 or so pounds. I'd think you'd have to be pretty jacked to "inadvertently" pull the trigger. Besides, what the heck is your finger doing there anyway? The real safety's between your ears.

 

[gwnorth]

A DA revolver is certainly no less safe, in the sense you mentioned, then any decocker only DA/SA autoloader or a Glock.

I for one do consider a quality revolver to be dead-nuts reliable. A poor quality one, just like a poor quality autoloader, is just as questionable. The reality is also that if you disassemble a good quality revolver, and re-assembly it knowledgeably, it is just as likely to remain as reliable as as a disassembled and reassembled autoloader. I have torn down S&W and Ruger revolvers to their base consitituent parts, as well as a couple of 1911's. Upon proper re-assembly, they all worked again just as they had before.

In both cases, the act presumes that all the parts were properly fitted to begin with, and that you know what you are doing and have the appropriate tools (if you FUBAR a part during the tear down, then all bets are off that it will go back together again properly). It sounds rediculous to me that someone thinks you need to retime a revolver just because you take it apart and then put it back together again. Why? Did the cylinder change shape or size in the process?

 

[phred45]

Revolvers are much more versatile when in comes to different ammunition. - shot capsules for snakes and little varmints, light loads for small game, heavy loads for bigger game, target loads, defense loads, multi-cartridge (38 spl/357 mag, etc), double and single trigger pull, and if it doesn't fire - pull the trigger again.

 

[mesinge2]

Revolvers are much more versatile when in comes to different ammunition. - shot capsules for snakes and little varmints, light loads for small game, heavy loads for bigger game, target loads, defense loads, multi-cartridge (38 spl/357 mag, etc), double and single trigger pull, and if it doesn't fire - pull the trigger again.

As well as not being sensitive to ammo type: wadcutter, semi-wadcutter, hollowpoints, etc.

 

[BCRider]

Assemble the parts of the semi-auto and you have a functioning gun. Assemble the parts of the revolver, and you need to do a lot of fitting, adjusting, timing, etc to make it function...

Not really true. For one example 1911's require a fair degree of careful fitting of the barrel lug, disconnector, thumb safety and grip safety to get all the parts working in harmony. I don't know about other guns but I suspect there's some final tuning done in the factories to adjust for the inevitable small tolerance issues as well.

 

[Sam1911]

These articles you've read don't seem to be terribly enlightened. Or enlightening. Unless there was considerably more presented in them than you've recounted, they seem firmly in the "Well DUH" category.

Hmmm... revolvers are made of cast and forged parts machined to tight tolerances and more or less hand-fitted for proper function. Auto pistols are made of cast and forged parts machined to tight tolerances and more or less hand-fitted for proper function. And this lack of substantive difference affects your appreciation of them, or your concerns in using them...how?

A revolver will fire if you pull the trigger. The trigger may be heavy or lighter, but will be a fairly long pull. A Glock, M&P, or xD will fire if you pull the trigger. Trigger may be heavy or lighter, depending, and will be somewhat shorter pull. A SIG, Beretta, older S&W, and a great many other handguns will fire if you pull the trigger and have a heavy, longer pull (in DA mode).

If you want a separate safety, you can step up to a single-action auto like a 1911, Browning High Power, CZ, or other "shootist's" gun, for a light, crisp pull and the attendant extra step of swiping off the safety (which becomes absolute second nature quite quickly).

But to what end? Which one do you favor? Which feels good in you hand? Which allows you to achieve your fastest accurate shots?

What's the best "all-around" handgun? Whichever you LIKE enough to shoot enough to develop proficiency with. All of the quality makes will do their jobs well. And absolutely none of them will be "magic" and give you a tremendous innate advantage in any way. No matter what you pick you'll have to develop your own proficiency, safety habits, and accuracy through sweat and effort.

Platform? REALLY. DOESN'T. MATTER.

 

[1911Tuner]

The idea was the danger of picking up a revolver, and inadvertently pulling the trigger in the process vs. a semi-auto with safety system that would preclude such an event.

Rule 1. All guns are loaded. Always. Even when you've determined that one is not loaded...handle it as if it is. No exeptions.

Rule 2. Don't point the gun at anything that you're not willing to see destroyed. No exceptions.

Rule 3. Don't touch the trigger until you want to fire the gun. If you pull the trigger, you must expect the gun to fire, and you must be prepared to accept the consequences for firing it. If you want to fire the gun, pull the trigger. If you don't...don't. No exceptions.

Rule 4. Be sure of your target and what lies behind or beyond it. Re-read Rule 2.

No loaded gun can ever be completely safe. It's up to you as to how safe or unsafe the gun is. As noted...The real safety is your brain.

 

[EddieNFL]

It's up to you as to how safe or unsafe the gun is. As noted...The real safety is your brain.

Amen, Brother!

Also, there's no such thing as a "dead nuts reliable" anything. Used often enough, anything mechanical will fail.

 

[christcorp]

The article is very misleading. First of all, what does having a semi-auto or a revolver stripped down to all it's parts have to do with which gun is simpler? I don't keep my guns in boxes stripped down to pieces. So fitting, timing, etc... are totally irrelevant.

Safety? Sorry, but you can't "Inadvertently" pull the trigger. I guess that's like "Sort of Being Pregnant". Actually, if you're retarded enough to "accidentally" pull a trigger, a single action semi-auto has a lot less resistance on the trigger than a double action revolver does.

As far as a one gun fits all premise, NO PISTOL can do that. That's because ALL pistols are a compromise for self defense. But if you're looking for the closest thing to having a one gun fits all pistol, it would be the 4" 357 magnum revolver. It's ammo choices allow ammo as weak as a 380 and as tough as a 41 magnum, with everything in between to equal a 38spl, 9mm, 40, and 45acp. Plus, as said, it will never be picky about ammo such as wad cutters, fmj, hp, semi-wad, etc... If it's for that caliber, it WILL shoot it.

And as your 2am night stand gun, when you are half asleep and wake up to an intruder, the double action revolver is definitely the better choice. Less to think about. It's simply point and click. Don't have to worry about ammo feeding, ejecting, safeties, magazines, etc... Now some will try and rationalize that a revolver can misfire. Well, so can a semi-auto. If you keep your guns in good clean shape, it will fire for you when you need it. If you don't, then you deserve whatever happens because of it. But at 2am when I am not the most alert, I'll take the revolver every time. I want to concentrate on the threat, not the gun. And I'll NEVER have a striker fired single action pistol (Like a glock) as my 2am gun. I want 2nd strike capability just in case. I don't want to have to rack the gun to re-cock it. Then again, that's why even in my semi-auto pistols, I always prefer a SA/DA pistol with a decocker like my sig sauer P220, CZ-82, Walther PPK, FEG, etc... I have some striker fire pistols, but they have other defensive uses. They will NEVER be my carry weapon.

 

[Manco]

The article is very misleading. First of all, what does having a semi-auto or a revolver stripped down to all it's parts have to do with which gun is simpler? I don't keep my guns in boxes stripped down to pieces. So fitting, timing, etc... are totally irrelevant.

I guess the theory is that more "fiddly" things can go wrong with a revolver that could potentially render it inoperable until repaired, whereas semiautos are less prone to such failures, and their more frequent jams are usually easy to clear. Whether this is true or not is another matter, but that's the theory.

But at 2am when I am not the most alert, I'll take the revolver every time. I want to concentrate on the threat, not the gun. And I'll NEVER have a striker fired single action pistol (Like a glock) as my 2am gun. I want 2nd strike capability just in case. I don't want to have to rack the gun to re-cock it. Then again, that's why even in my semi-auto pistols, I always prefer a SA/DA pistol with a decocker like my sig sauer P220, CZ-82, Walther PPK, FEG, etc...

You may have to rack the slide to eject duds anyway, though, after wasting some time on additional strikes (obviously not the case with revolvers).