Apples and oranges, again
Look at the history of handgun design (for those who don't know, do some research, it's worth the time).
SA revolvers were developed in an era where concealment was not a large consideration. Hence, they are large, and by the standards of their day, powerful. Starting with cap&ball, and evolving into cartridge firearms without being completely redesigned, they work, and work well.
Autoloaders are of much newer genesis, and have evolved as well, with many designs being tried before generally settling on some variation of the Browning tilt barrel lockup (for service autos).
There is a natural tendancy to equate the designs as they are intended to fulfill similar functions, but is it really fair? Isn't it the proverbial apples and oranges comaprison?
The most common complaints against the SA revolver are "slow to reload", but only because you are comparing them against a more modern design. Comopare them against cap&ball, or single shot muzzle loader (Kentucky pistol) and they are tremendously fast.
Limited firepower? again, compare them against their contemporaries and they come out ahead.
Feel, balance, even recoil are personal considerations, and vary widely from individual to individual. The same for esthetics.
Are single actions still the best choice for serious social situations? NO, but not for the reason most people would expect. The reason they aren't the best choice anymore is that overall we are no longer a nation of shooters. We don't carry and work our guns on a daily basis. Cowboys carried SA guns as part of their working attire. Today only law enforcement carries guns on a daily basis, and many of them seldom actually use their guns. We aren't (generally) raised to them like we used to be. Today, only enthusiasts develope the skills that used to be much more common place.
Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to claimi the SA revolver is superior to more modern designs in our modern world, only that comparisons based on modern scenarios are inherently biased.
That being said, the single action certainly does have a place in today's world. It is the premier outdoorsman's companion piece. Other designs can and do serve well, but the SA revolver still embodies the best combination of all the desirable features for sporting use, even if it no longer does for combat.
And they are so much freakin FUN!!!! When I grab a pistol to shoot for fun (or to just show off) 90% of the time it is my 7.5" Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt.
And on the plus side, the Single Action is a superior tool for teaching beginner shooters. Each round has to be "worked" for, promoting accuracy, and reducing ammo wasting. Semi autos encourage too rapid shooting among beginners. While this is fun, it doesn't teach them much, unless they pay for their own ammo, and if they do what they usually learn is shooting costs too much! SA revolvers make beginners work just enough, but not too much. They learn to appreciate each round, at least if they are taught properly, and once they start making progress, the appreciate the features of DA and semi autos even more.
Simple, rugged, dependable, accurate, reliable, all these things can be said of many designs, but they are said of the single action revolver on a regular basis. After all, any product who's basic concept is pushing 200 years old, and is still in daily use and quite popular must have something going for it.
