Why my "Nightstand Gun" is a revolver...
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frankiestoys
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My HD gun is a Windicator 4'' 357 loaded with gold dots its sometimes switched out for my P95, but my wife only likes revolvers so in the event she needed to get to it first the revolver works for us.
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Not that it's my only ready-option for HD, but a S&W 5904 17+1 9mm loaded with low-flash 124gr Golden Saber BJHP is my first-choice if I hear a bump-in-the-night that makes me wonder if a BG may already be in the house. That said, it's a 100% reliable example of a 5904... I won't keep an auto that's not or can't be repaired to be so.
Les
Les
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Need to change guns
I could not see using a single action revolver when there is a proven, reliable semi-auto available.
I might buy the reliable, simple to operate idea with a double action revolver, but I would never bet on a confrontation to be a 1 shot afair. I think you are taking a real risk.
What do you do if there are two intruders? Three intruders?
Also, have you tried to cut a corner with a 7.5 inch barreled revolver?
The night the silly cat woke me trying to get into the house, my nightstand gun was a S&W model 25 with a 6.5 inch barrel.
Never again.
I want a short pistol (8 inches or less) that I can tuck up against my chest when going through a door way or around a corner without having someone grab the barrel.
I would actually take a S&W model 10 with a 4 inch heavy barrel and +P .38 special loads before a 7.5 inch revolver.
I also want as many rounds in the magazine as possible and a light attached to the gun. BERETTA 96D Vertec with 15 round magazines for me.
I hope your theory is not put to the test.
Jim
I could not see using a single action revolver when there is a proven, reliable semi-auto available.
I might buy the reliable, simple to operate idea with a double action revolver, but I would never bet on a confrontation to be a 1 shot afair. I think you are taking a real risk.
What do you do if there are two intruders? Three intruders?
Also, have you tried to cut a corner with a 7.5 inch barreled revolver?
The night the silly cat woke me trying to get into the house, my nightstand gun was a S&W model 25 with a 6.5 inch barrel.
Never again.
I want a short pistol (8 inches or less) that I can tuck up against my chest when going through a door way or around a corner without having someone grab the barrel.
I would actually take a S&W model 10 with a 4 inch heavy barrel and +P .38 special loads before a 7.5 inch revolver.
I also want as many rounds in the magazine as possible and a light attached to the gun. BERETTA 96D Vertec with 15 round magazines for me.
I hope your theory is not put to the test.
Jim
easyg
Member
This statement actually makes a very good argument in FAVOR of an autoloader.
Exactly.
With a revolver, as reliable as they are, there is still the chance that the cylinder is going to lock-up for some reason.
And if the cylinder does not turn, the hammer will not cock, and the gun will not go bang.
But with an autoloader, with a round in the chamber, you can almost 100% be assured of at least one shot.
It might fail to feed, or stovepipe, but you'll still get that first shot off.
The simple fact is that both autoloaders and revolvers can and do fail.
They both can suffer light strikes, they both can have springs that can break, the semi can have feeding problems, the revolver can have cylinder lock-up, etc....
Sometimes it just comes down to fate.
I trust both with my life.
My everyday carry piece is a snub-nose revolver.
My nightstand piece is a Glock.
If it were a simple fact, then it would be likely that I would have experienced a revolver failure at some point. I've certainly had automatics jam on me. Took my father to the range because he wanted to go shooting and he wanted to try a Glock. I rented a 19 and told him that "this is possibly the most reliable automatic made." After shooting about 3 clips he had a jam and I showed him how to clear it.
No big deal. Not the end of the world. But I've never experienced so much as a misfire with a revolver. Because of the jams I've had with various autos, I know that they are not as reliable as revolvers, all things being equal. If someone wants to tell me that they have never once had a misfeed with their 1911 in 20 years and across 20,000 rounds I'll believe them. But autos have failed on me and that's all I need to know about them. For HD, I want as much reliability as possible. Lower capacity is the trade-off.
It's a personal decision - there's no "right" answer to this. An S&W Sigma with 16 rounds is starting to look like my next purchase for a CCW gun because the tradeoff works for me in that direction.
Jonah71
Member
I now keep an 8 shot .22 mag 2" rev just to my right. And the Mossberg 12 ga loaded with 7 00 "managed recoil rems" against the wall on the left. I'm not all that concerned with home invasion anyway. Lot's of nosy neighbors and barking dogs. Not to mention the locked gate and 2 locked doors.
easyg
Member
So are you saying that you don't believe that revolvers can fail simply because it has not happened to you personally???
Guy de Loimbard
Member
My nightstand gun is currently a Security Six .357, because I much prefer that caliber over 9x18 or .38 Super. (my only autopistol calibers at the moment) I just got in some 147gr. XTP's for the .38; if I can find some small pistol primers my choice of nightstand gun may change, depending on how the accuracy and recoil with the XTP's are.
Someone here earlier linked to a youtube clip of an S&W revolver failing in ISDP or similar. It was a gradual failure, but eventually the gun could not be reloaded. It is not possible to say that I "believe" anything - the visual proof is there. Yet, it is the first time I've ever seen this happen, or even heard of it happening. Not common.
gwnorth
Member
Anything mechanical and made by humans can fail. That said, and as someone else said, all other things being equal (i.e. guns in equally good state of repair and cleanliness and so forth), I too feel that a revolver is inherently less likely to experience a failure then an auto loader (if for no other reason then the vagaries of magazine feed issues). Is that difference enough to really worry about or anything, or is it even more then a trivial statistical blip? Quite likely not, but people should still go with whatever they feel most comfortable with and have the most confidence in.
Low Budget Shooter
Member
Dear Friends,
FWIW, I have settled in over the years as a revolver guy, for a variety of reasons. But I must say that having seen both revolvers and semis jam, it seems that a revolver jam is VERY BAD whereas a semi jam is just KINDA BAD.
I had a Taurus 85 jam years ago during a range session. I couldn't clear it myself. I didn't know anything about revolvers back then, and just handed it over to the gunsmith, who had to work on it for several minutes to get it working again. During the early days of my illustrious reloading career, I had a squib (in a Model 14), which lodged half in the forcing cone and half in the charging hole, as someone mentioned above. That required going for a cleaning rod, etc.
In the few semi-auto jams I've had, a quick clearing drill got me back in business in just a few seconds, with no tools.
So, I'm not saying, I'm just saying . . .
LBS
FWIW, I have settled in over the years as a revolver guy, for a variety of reasons. But I must say that having seen both revolvers and semis jam, it seems that a revolver jam is VERY BAD whereas a semi jam is just KINDA BAD.
I had a Taurus 85 jam years ago during a range session. I couldn't clear it myself. I didn't know anything about revolvers back then, and just handed it over to the gunsmith, who had to work on it for several minutes to get it working again. During the early days of my illustrious reloading career, I had a squib (in a Model 14), which lodged half in the forcing cone and half in the charging hole, as someone mentioned above. That required going for a cleaning rod, etc.
In the few semi-auto jams I've had, a quick clearing drill got me back in business in just a few seconds, with no tools.
So, I'm not saying, I'm just saying . . .
LBS
mcdonl
Member
I think both pistols and revolvers are fine HD guns. But... if for some reason I am incapacitated, or otherwise "busy" my whole family is comfortable with the safe loading, un-loading, shooting and handling of my revolvers.
So, for MY nightstand, it is a revolver. But that is just the right answer for me...
Many semi-auto's have slight differences but pretty much a DA revolver is a DA revolver... at least for the first 5 or 6 shots.
So, for MY nightstand, it is a revolver. But that is just the right answer for me...
Many semi-auto's have slight differences but pretty much a DA revolver is a DA revolver... at least for the first 5 or 6 shots.
ljnowell
Member
I can, its accurate and powerful and holds six rounds. Thats enough.
Why DA and not SA? They hold the same rounds and I doubt you will be carrying a speedloader in your underwear, or be able to use it in a two on one fight in a living room.
I find it comical that 3.5" of the barrel is a deal breaker. Many people, if not the majority, use a shotgun for home defense. I hope they all have 4" barrels.
I hope that yours isnt also, because that light attached to your pistol sure will make a dandy target when you turn it on. See, I dont like the way you would do it, and you dont like the way I may do it ( or someone else) but there is no need to be that way about it. To be honest, yes, I have done some work clearing corners and whatnot with a SA revolver with a 7.5" barrel. It wasnt any different at all then using a gun with a 3.5" shorter barrel, can you believe that?
I have had revolvers fail to fire when I wanted them to fire, and the same is true of my autoloaders. Except for a broken mainspring, however, all the revolver issues have been solvable within seconds. Most of the auto issues have been fixable right quickly, too. But, I tend to carry, or have handy, multiple weapons, ever since the broken spring. One time, during a training class run on the "hot range" concept, I reflexively drew an SP101 snubby to finish a course of fire when my Glock choked. No evaluation, just immediate action.
I think one thing that makes revolvers SEEM more reliable to some folks is that their mechanism is largely exposed to view; it is reassuring to see the cylinder turning and hammer coming back. Now that I use SIG P229s for duty and most concealed carry, I think one reason I favor the SIGs is the hammer; its arc of travel is reassuring. (I also favor the hammer because I can put my thumb on it while holstering the weapon, a reassurance in the event that something has found its way into a trigger guard, such as a thumb break strap.)
Edited to add: The majority of my carry weapons have never malfed/broken, even during "break-in."
I think one thing that makes revolvers SEEM more reliable to some folks is that their mechanism is largely exposed to view; it is reassuring to see the cylinder turning and hammer coming back. Now that I use SIG P229s for duty and most concealed carry, I think one reason I favor the SIGs is the hammer; its arc of travel is reassuring. (I also favor the hammer because I can put my thumb on it while holstering the weapon, a reassurance in the event that something has found its way into a trigger guard, such as a thumb break strap.)
Edited to add: The majority of my carry weapons have never malfed/broken, even during "break-in."
amd6547
Member
I would not rely upon a SA revolver unless that was all I had. DA is far superior for SD. No, I don't carry a speedloader in my undies, as you so farcically put it...But, I do have a couple speed strips handy in my house fleece.
Go ahead and be the Musashi of handgun SD, your wooden sword a SA revolver. If your satisfied with SA, go for it.
Go ahead and be the Musashi of handgun SD, your wooden sword a SA revolver. If your satisfied with SA, go for it.
It's a bit more basic than that, speaking for myself only: A revolver is a simpler mechanism. Your finger pulls the trigger, and that cycles the action. These are precision tools, but they are simple. The cylinder rotates, putting a cartridge behind the barrel. The hammer pulls back, and falls. There are some different kinds of firing pins, but the hammer causes the pin to hit the primer and bang. In single action, the hammer is cocked and need only be triggered to fall and fire the bullet.
The automatic comes in several flavors with different mechanisms, but the general idea is:
A magazine is inserted into the pistol until the magazine release button's stop is engaged.
The slide is then pulled back, which cocks the hammer and is then released, and is pushed forward by the recoil spring. A round of ammunition is stripped from the magazine by the breech block and is fed into the barrel's chamber. The next round in the magazine is forced up by the magazine spring.
The trigger is pulled, drawing forward the trigger bar which pivots the safety lever forward which raises the firing pin safety block allowing the firing pin to move. At the same time, the trigger bar pulls forward the sear from the notch on the hammer, releasing the hammer which is pushed forward by the main spring and hammer strut, so that it strikes the rear of the firing pin which hits the primer.
Then, after the round is fired, the force of combustion drives the bullet out of the barrel and forces the empty cartridge case backward, which thrusts the slide to the rear. The safety lever and firing pin safety block are separated activating the firing pin safety block. A protrusion on the top of the trigger bar is forced downward as the slide moves rearward, forcing the trigger bar downward and disengaging it from the safety lever. As the slide travels rearward, it takes the barrel with it, until the barrel is stopped by the locking insert, tilting it down and away from the slide.
And that's shortening the explanation from the linked page. It's very complex, with lots of moving parts and the ejection of the spent cartridge can sometimes fail to escape the port and get caught and the magazine might misfeed and so forth.
As any auto owner can testify, the above process can occur thousands of times without fail, but revolvers are much more simple in design and fail less often because there's simply less to go wrong. I'm a long-time gun owner and shooter, from my youth, and I've never yet had a revolver fail in any way.
Still, for CCW, the .357s are bulky to carry around and the increased firepower an automatic offers combined with a low profile makes something like the S&W Sigma 9mm looking very attractive to me in terms of price and performance and I'm shopping for one now. I'm not bad-mouthing autos. I like them and will soon be laying out cash for one. My nightstand gun is a revolver because the odds of failure are so close to zero.
ljnowell
Member
Whatever. So a 300 grain bullet moving at 1100fps is the equivelant of a wooden sword? Not all of us feel the need to keep a 15 round capacity handgun with mounted light and whatnot like you. We are all old and archaic I guess.
amd6547
Member
I also do not always feel the need to keep my Beretta 92FS with it's 18rd mag...But, I do like a 5 or 6 shot 357 mag with double action. The ability to just point and squeeze the trigger multiple times and reload quickly, the ready capability of a DA revolver carried safely yet ready to fire with a simple pull with no need to cock the hammer.
I have owned and appreciated a Ruger blackhawk 45 Colt, but it did not impress me whatsoever as a SD weapon. If you're happy, great.
The legend of Musashi and his wooden sword is worth googling. You wouldn't have wanted to meet him at close range, perhaps even with your SA revolver.
I have owned and appreciated a Ruger blackhawk 45 Colt, but it did not impress me whatsoever as a SD weapon. If you're happy, great.
The legend of Musashi and his wooden sword is worth googling. You wouldn't have wanted to meet him at close range, perhaps even with your SA revolver.
ljnowell
Member
I think that is the important part, right? Whatever helps you sleep at night? I feel more than adequately armed with my SA on the nightstand, when its there. I also keep a G21 on the nightstand sometimes, like I put in my first post on this subject, whatever catches me. I will look that up, and read on it, because I like to the chance to learn something. I would recommend to you that you read some of Skeeter Skeltons works on the SA sixgun, it may surprise you that you learn something too.
6 rounds only enough if it ends confrontation
ljnowell,
If you fail to see the problem with a long barreled revolver in going around a corner or through a doorway, then try doing it! I find it difficult to understand you did not see difference.
I have carried a gun for almost 20 years and one of things that will shake you up the most is a gun grab. So far, all of mine have been during training. Try keeping that long barreled gun out of the other guy's hands, it is not easy.
As far as single action versus double action, next time at the range, shoot at three different targets with one hand and time it. That will tell you the difference.
As for a shotgun, I think you are kidding. If that were true, shotguns would be the number one items at gunshows. Not handguns and AR"s.
Indoors, the noise and recoil of a shotgun can be disorienting. It is also much easier to disarm someone with a weapon sticking out 3 feet from their body.
I have a riot gun, set up just like my ageny's, but with a legal length barrel. I don't use it for home defense. I use a BERETTA 96D Vertec with a light and extended magazine.
How do you I.D. your target if the lights are off. That is why I have the light. I tried shooting with a flashlight and it really messes up my grouping.
Jim
ljnowell,
If you fail to see the problem with a long barreled revolver in going around a corner or through a doorway, then try doing it! I find it difficult to understand you did not see difference.
I have carried a gun for almost 20 years and one of things that will shake you up the most is a gun grab. So far, all of mine have been during training. Try keeping that long barreled gun out of the other guy's hands, it is not easy.
As far as single action versus double action, next time at the range, shoot at three different targets with one hand and time it. That will tell you the difference.
As for a shotgun, I think you are kidding. If that were true, shotguns would be the number one items at gunshows. Not handguns and AR"s.
Indoors, the noise and recoil of a shotgun can be disorienting. It is also much easier to disarm someone with a weapon sticking out 3 feet from their body.
I have a riot gun, set up just like my ageny's, but with a legal length barrel. I don't use it for home defense. I use a BERETTA 96D Vertec with a light and extended magazine.
How do you I.D. your target if the lights are off. That is why I have the light. I tried shooting with a flashlight and it really messes up my grouping.
Jim
amd6547
Member
I read Skeeter all his life and miss his writing very much. I would not want to respond to the sound of someone breaking in to my house with a SA revolver.
In fact, if the only two handguns I owned were my 45 colt Blackhawk and my S&W Model 15 38spl, I would choose the Model 15...There is a reason that revolver was called "The Combat Masterpiece".
In fact, if the only two handguns I owned were my 45 colt Blackhawk and my S&W Model 15 38spl, I would choose the Model 15...There is a reason that revolver was called "The Combat Masterpiece".
Cocked & Locked
Member
Good Point!
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