I originally had the same question as "Research Nerd." At the time I'd never owned a revolver. Then I made the "mistake" of buying a S&W 686SSR. We decided to take it to an indoor range along with a few semi-autos. Despite our bias to the theoretical accuracy of not having cylinder alignment differences with semi-autos, my wife and I proceeded to cut the center out of any target we attempted with that particular revolver. We both shot far better with the 686 than any pistol we tried, including a Ruger Mark II target!!!

The long and short of it is that I've adopted 686SSR as my log-in name and nearly all of my semi-autos have been traded or sold. This included an HK P7, a Sig 228, a 80 Series Colt Gold Cup, and a Kimber CDP II Pro. All were in pristine condition as they were purchased new and meticiously maintained. (The only semi-auto we've kept is a Kahr K9. It's really accurate and has never had a FTF or FTB. A wonderful pistol.)

The improved accuracy of the 686SSR, a 60 Pro and a Colt Diamondback 38 more than compensate for the exchanges. I cannot completely explain the improved results, but I suspect the revolvers' crisper triggers contributed to our greater accuracy with all of them. The 60 Pro has been the greatest surprise. We did not expect a 3-inch J-frame to be particularly accurate. We were wrong. Despite the stiff coil spring, it too is a great shooter.

Research Nerd - good luck with your decision. It's a tough one.