Are revolvers ideal or out-dated for personal defense? Not many gun enthusiasts debate this, they rather speak of comparison between 9mm vs .45 but its still worth a discussion. Posted on 07/16/2020 7:32:42 AM PDT by w1n1
Are revolvers ideal or out-dated for personal defense? Not many gun enthusiasts debate this, they rather speak of comparison between 9mm vs .45 but its still worth a discussion.
Chris Baker from Lucky Gunner asked that question a while back and came up with some really good points about revolvers while attending a defensive revolver training class.
The class was conducted by Darryl Bolke and Wayne Dobbs of Hardwired Tactical. Other instructors to help lighten the teaching load were Chuck Haggard and Claude Werner. Each instructors taught different topics related to the defensive use of revolvers.
Some of the sentiments were:
“…the guys at the revolver roundup came across as being a lot more pro-revolver.
The prevailing sentiment…was that the revolver are kind of like the every man gun.
It should be the go-to firearm for the average civilian who wants something for personal protection and semi-autos are probably best reserved for more dedicated shooters.
People who say revolvers never malfunction never shoot their revolvers.
These perspectives might seem pretty incompatible on the surface, but I think there's a lot of merit to both of them.
-this paradox of how revolvers can be seriously flawed but also maybe the ideal self-defense tool for most people.
-He is quick to point out, however, that the revolver is not without its flaws.
-It never ceases to amaze me just how many people are under the impression that revolvers are incapable of malfunctioning.
The fact of the matter is that even though revolvers can be very reliable, they’re also prone to some pretty serious issues that don’t affect semi-autos. Just in the past year, had I’ve had plenty of revolvers malfunction on me and I’ve also seen people on the range have problems, too.
Problems like…
A frozen cylinder from debris under the extractor star or from out of spec primers.
An extractor rod backing itself out preventing the cylinder from opening.
Multiple light primer strikes...Read the rest of revolvers perfect or outdated.
Give this a little thought. If you need over 6 rounds, you either aren’t aiming at all, or you are under serious a serious siege.
These days a serious siege isn’t out of the question, but 99% of home invasions are drug dealers robbing drug dealers so I couldn’t care less about them.
Me? I have a few stashes around the house to let me get to the good stuff in a zone that can be defended.
For the women the revolver just makes more sense. It eliminates the “did I pull back the thingy? question”, plus the bad habit of having the thumb too high behind the slide to keep from ripping it off.
And one more thing, those folks in St. Louis were stupid, showing their hand.
They should have staked out the entryways and if those folks opened the doors, give’m all you got.
“Today when most police are carrying 15+ rounds in a Glock...”
Here is a video of a highly trained SWAT team:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIUnEWYdPnI
They put bullets in 5 houses. 71 rounds fired in 7 seconds, and 22 of them hit - from about 15 feet, in a hallway. Not that they were aiming...
.
I agree with you in a meet on the street situation, but I dont think being cornered while someone is breaking in your door means you have to shoot DA or you are now considered the aggressor. And of course you dont say anything except “I was in fear of my life” and “I want my attorney before I say anything else”
What? are you sexist? LOL. Really, its not just women that your statement applies to.
The measure was one shot stops.
Nice..and 100% true!!!
I have a Taurus version of that one. Nice little gun.
Just sharing the counsel of local deputy who speaks at the end of my CCW classes. His advice. Cocking the hammer shows premeditated shooting with intent.
Provided as cautionary information. Use it or discard it as you wish.
Interesting note. I recall reading once the .357 was desired by the CHP as it was thought easily capable of cracking most engine blocks. That might have been a big selling point (design feature).
Absolutely nothing wrong with a wheel gun. I carry one quite often. Actually most of the time, here on the ranch, accurate, reliable with a variety of loads, including shot loads, I don’t even have a problem carrying a single action revolver,the first round out of a single action can be quite fast and accurate, and the remaining 5 can be accurate and fast, too. reload is slow, but you ought to have business done by then, or you have made some poor choices leading up to that event..I wouldn’t choose a revolver for an extended brawl with a bunch of gangbangers, however, and a high capacity auto would certainly be better in that situation, albeit not as good as not getting in that situation...
I still question the statistics and method. If I had fired two shots in a double tap or fast controlled pair, how do I know the first shot would have been enough? Its silly to create absolutes when there are so many ways to define ‘best’, ‘most efficient’, ‘most effective’, etc. And whats the best gun to have in a gun fight? A) The one you are carrying. The one you left home is no good.
Well my wife anyway. She has trouble racking the slide all the way at times and can never remember if there's one in the pipe. Plus with all the internal hammer models there's always the question if there's one in the pipe or not, along with (me at least) having had a dropped weapon fire in the past, the reluctance to keep one chambered. Even keep an empty under the hammer in the revolver.
I dont know CHP history, but if your comment was dated from the early 20th century, that may have been true. I dont think even a .357 would do much to a modern engine block, but I have never tried....hmmmm, any one got a car they want to volunteer?
If a round fails to fire in a revolver the “immediate action drill” is to just pull the trigger again.
Revolvers don’t leave spent brass everywhere.
BTW I carried a Glock 17 for ten years as a leo.
FWIW, I teach this (cocked revolver sitting around the house) as a dangerous and unsafe condition. Much like carrying a SA revolver fully loaded, hammer forward with a live round in front of the hammer, especially on older SA revolvers, which, upon bumping, knocking, or dropping can land upon a soft primer, resulting in a negligent discharge. Later model revolvers prevent such a strike, but many older SA revolvers do not.
Matter of safety
Three types of discharges...
Intentional...everyone understands this one
Mechanical...unintended mechanical firearm failure
Negligent
There are no accidental discharges
Keeping a SA cocked and laying around is a PERFECT setup for a negligent discharge, as is an older SA with a forward hammer in front of a live cartridge.
I’m only speaking from the safety perspective here.
In a revolver, particularly single actions, an empty chamber under the hammer is how its been done since the cowboy days, though most revolvers today have a transfer bar safety that should prevent AD from a decocked hammer.
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