I'm old (70) and I'm not ashamed to carry an auto, when I think that it is appropriate. Of course, I back it up with a revolver.

I think that the reliability gap between revolvers and autos has narrowed a bit, which would probably increase the carry of autos slightly, and there are probably more new autos than new revolvers, which influences folks young enough to be wowed by the gun rags.

I feel that the biggest difference between round guns and slab-side guns is still the complexity and relative safety of handling, especially loading and unloading. Some folks have to carry a gun for a while before they realize that it can sometimes be a close call whether animals outside the family are more of a danger than the guy who thinks he's protecting himself by handling a gun every day. Depending on your handling routine, the safety differences between revolver and auto may be enormous. Some people don't realize this until their later years.

I expect to see revolvers in old people's hands for quite some time yet.