Any concerns about using a revolver as a nightstand gun? Concerns about blinding yourself? I've often used a 686 with mags or +p .38 as a nightstand gun.

Recently talking with some buddies we were discussing muzzle flash and how magnum revolvers (or revolvers in general) might not be the best.

I don't have night fire experience other than with with military rifles and that wasn't too bad.

Thoughts?

Bro, the best thing is to go out at night and shoot what you intend to use. I understand this may not be as easy for other folks as it is for me. Buffalo Bore loads low flash .38 and .357 ammo and I carry their .38 ammo in my J's but have not shot it at night. Maybe when I close up tonight I will fire a few rounds with the range lights out and see. Good luck.

Muzzle flash is a legitimate concern. Especially from a revolver where you get muzzle flash and cylinder gap flash.

Here is a recent photo I took of night time shooting. On Independence Day, actually.... This was a very low light setting, I used a flashlight to see where I was walking, but could have gotten by without. There was no artificial outside lighting at all.

This was a .357 magnum, 125 gr JSP shot. The still picture was pulled from a video taken from my perspective. The gun is a 681 (4" barrel). The blast was bright enough to temporarily blind me and then leave short term (5-10 seconds) color blotches obstructing my vision. When I fired six shots pretty quickly at a close range target (7 yards), I was off target by nearly a foot low right by the last shot. The first two were within an inch of center, the third about 3 inches from center, then a trail going out to almost a foot off.



You can see you pretty much get three flashes in a row. From one side of the cylinder, the muzzle, and then the other side of the cylinder. All in all, it makes a pretty wide flash.

By the way, 20 gauge pump shotgun using 2 3/4" #3 buck was very mild as far as flash. More of a dull orange. Quite easy to keep on target and beats the revolver hands down as far as muzzle flash blindness. There was virtually none.

Sorry I don't have more pictures or observations. It wasn't really an academic outing...

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- The Federalist #46 -

Great picture, thanks for the input, USAF385!

Since I always shoot with both eyes shut, muzzle flash is not a problem except for the other guy.

Oh, dear, texmex is quickly becoming my hero.....

Does it matter whether it's a revolver or a pistol? Okay, the wheelgun gets cylinder flash, too, but, still, won't a pistol in a serious caliber have significant low light muzzle flash? Or are they different?

It never occurred to me before - it's an interesting problem....I only keep revolvers available for home defense handguns. Long guns are different.

Firing a .357 indoors without hearing protection will cause some serious, permanent hearing damage. It beats getting shot, but you won't be the same afterwards (see the tinnitus thread).
Interesting about the 20 gauge. There are probably low-flash rounds for the 12 gauge somewhere, too.

As a kid we shot rats at the city dump at night with 12ga and the flash wasn't bad at all. Back then, early 60s we didn't have all these fancy rails and gun lights we taped a D cell flash light right to the barrel and adjusted it so the light centered on the pattrern and you could shoot rats up close from the hip. Don

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USN Retired/VN VET
M&P X5

Your handheld light will always be brighter than the handgun muzzle flash assuming it's a good light. As others have mentioned there is a difference between ammo and usually the quality defense loads will have flash suppressant powders. There's only so much you can do for a magnum cartridge though.

We do semi-annual night fire qualifications at our department. I highly recommend folks who carry a firearm at night to do some low light target shooting after dark at least once so they will know what to expect should they have to do it for real.

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- Change it back -

WHUT!!!? Ah cantz hearz ya cents da Navy in '72 VN.

Already got the 10% Rating from the VA for tinnitus. Don't much like the constant ringing but nothing I can do about it now... just going with the flow...

I think you should be cautious about how much of a light you use. 200 lumens is sufficently bright on white walled rooms. 600 lumens is hard on the eyes if it splashes off a close by wall. 1100 lumens makes things 100 yards away blink and turn away. If you get a mega light be sure it is set Low/High so that you don't become a casualty of your own equipment. Muzzle flash is of secondary concern for me as I will have the light to offset it.

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This≠DodgeCity&You≠BillHickok

I have my EDC , mdl19 snub on my night stand every night. No matter what you use the muzzle flash will be there. My guess is you will not notice it if you have to use it.

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WWG1WGA... Gary

I suspect the bad guy is going to be effected by my 357 Mag fireball as I am, maybe more. After all the fireball is reaching out in his direction. Kind of like a flash bang. On target close eyes pull trigger. My house is small there is no way he can be more then 5yds away. As for my hearing I lost most of it in the Navy and won't stop to put the hearing aids in before I shoot. Nothing wakes the girlfriend up she will be wondering why her ears are ringing in the morning. Don

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USN Retired/VN VET
M&P X5

Stand the short barreled, cylinder choked , 12 gauge home defender next to the night stand, if your going to be blinded by the light it might as well be a big light.
Gary

The last revolver night qualfications I did were 25 years ago and I don't remember anything hideous. Just a small orange flash. We used 4" revolvers and Winchester 125 +P JHP and 158 +P LHP ammunition.

That picture doesn't look like any night shooting I have ever participated in, and I've done my share. That thing looks like you're firebombing Dresden. There's a little flash, but not enough to blind you. Like some other posters, the noise is more problematic, but I'll take a little extra tinnitus over being dead.

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Muzzle flash is a legitimate concern but I would also take into account a high caliber revolver round making an entry and exit wound and potential impact of the round into something you don't want hit behind an intruder. .38 would minimize both concerns. For good me defense for an untrained shooter a lot of expects suggest a shotgun due to potential panic and lack of accuracy. The sound of a pump shotgun being cycled will also scare of many intruders with no need to discharge the weapon. You will definitely have collateral damage with a shotgun as well if you do fire indoors.

I personally keep a .40SW for home defense with hollow points to minimize potential exit of the round. I also have a high lumen slide mounted light with a pressure switch activator with a strob function. This eliminates muzzle flash and disorients an intruder. Semi autos have jamming concerns so make sure your gun handles your choose ammo well. I would put at least 200 rounds through the weapon with no FTF or FTE occurrences before I would trust it for home defense. Also make sure you understand all safety features so you don't engage with the weapon in a safe mode.

The most important thing with any home defense weapon is your personal comfort with the weapon system and your ability to operate the weapon effectively with limited situational awareness and high personal stress levels. You must be fully comfortable with the weapon and prepared to use it or you more than likely are just arming an intruder with your weapon.

My last point is also do you have children. Revolvers particularly single action are usually hot as soon as you load the cylinder so they are a lot riskier for a child to get ahold of than non chambered semi auto. All guns should always be properly stored but the revolver is riskier for small children in my opinion since they are RTF if they are loaded.

Hope any of that helps.

The purpose of an home defense weapon is to be able to identify and hit a target under often low light conditions. Obviously, it must be a weapon you are comfortable with and can shoot reliably. However if you can't see the target, you can't positively identify it or aim properly.

Missing is not a desirable option. A .357 magnum will go completely through a frame house, and probably face brick as well.

Flash and noise are overrated. If nothing else, muzzle flash will partially incapacitate your opponent (if the bullet doesn't) and illuminate him for a fraction of a second like a strobe light. Noise may hurt your hearing and definitely make your ears ring for a few minutes, but it's better than the alternatives.

It is possible to install tritium night sights on a revolver, front and back, and I've done that with a 4" 686. The downside is that the front sight is taller and squared off, making it a poor candidate for holstering (it scrapes the leather, obscuring the front sight with shavings in short order).

I would seriously consider installing a laser sight, such as Crimson Trace grips on an HD (or SD) revolver. For a railed pistol, I would go a step further and install a flashlight and laser combo (which unfortunately fits very few holsters). If you like rubber grips (I don't), Crimson Trace grips are made for pistols too.

As a general rule, an AR platform is a lot better for HD use. A good quality AR, properly set up is not cheap; I can afford one, so that's one of my options. There is far less risk of a round exiting the residence in the event of a miss (there's a clue, don't miss); it is far more likely to stop an offender quickly (pistol rounds suck for use on people and are only used because that's what you have), and it is easier to mount the light you need (500 lumen minimum). Testing with good lights has shown that 500 or 1000 lumen lights will not measurably impact your vision and they are a vital tool for the non-discretionary target ID.

Revolver ammo generally has not benefitted from the improvements in service ammo. This is both in terms of bullet performance and lower flash powders. I am not sure, but I suspect that the short barrel gold dot 135 grain .38 +P used by NYPD for its revolver carriers has a lower flash powder and it does have modern bullet technology. I would give that a serious look. If nothing else, a good target wadcutter is always a sound choice, and likely to generate a lower flash. One advantage to a proven .45ACP revolver is that you can use good service ammo from Doc Roberts' list.

It is, at least for me, a lot harder to use a flashlight with a revolver. This is true of even a small size high performance flashlight such as my Surefire P2X (I have several; the one on my AR is a P3X, both the EAG spec from BravoCo). One advantage of many modern autopistol platforms is that they have a rail that allows for using a good mounted light (Surefire X300U w/DG switch being the default), but that will require a lot of initial training to be proficient and safe. I admit that I have not invested in such a light because I am not in a position to train to the level at which I think I should be to do so. If/when that times comes, I suspect I'll find a good class, such as at HITS, and do what it takes.

My constant rant: the firearm is part of the system, but it is the last part. Make your residence less attractive to criminals - tall padlocked fence, flood lights as needed, protective dog (or at least loud), good doors and locks. Not only do you cut your risk a lot because criminals will want to go elsewhere, but it makes a heck of a lot of evidence that your home invader or burglar was an honest to goodness threat because they had to go to a lot of effort to try to enter. Where I live and work, that's not a big deal; in some areas, you might have less sympathetic LE/prosecutors and that could be a big advantage.

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NHI, 10-8.

I couldn't agree more with Doug M. When it comes to a HD weapon always focus on first and foremost on discourage, deter, and prevent before defend.

Some entry team types used to favor Nomex coveralls. The reason, well one of them, was to attempt to minimize potential injuries from muzzle flash/blast. They do tend to make cozy jammies.

Anyway, try a 1911 and some .45 acp loads, flash suppressed or otherwise. They offer a sort of night and day comparison with a .357 magnum

There are lower flash 357's as well. Most 158gr ammunition shoots with less drama. The lightweight stuff tends make fire breathers.

You have a big 357. Pistol ammunition is marginal as is, silly stories aside. Use what's best. Everything is loud indoors.

Unless you wear ear protection, muzzle flash won't be your only problem. The up side? These issues work on Mr. Bad Guy too, not to mention incoming lead poisoning. If it's any consolation, should the worst happen, flash and noise will be the least of your concerns.

Really not much to think about here, though I'm sure you'll get all sorts of tips and detailed opinions.

You're going to get muzzle flash no matter what type of gun you fire inside. One type is no better or worse than another.

Keep in mind, too, the flash is going to disorient the intruder as well.

I'm no expert, but as for the over penetration concerns, a friend of my was dry firing his 44 magnum and had a live round in the cylinder. he put one thru the ceiling and expected to see a hole in the roof. nope. stopped in the attic. my wife accidentally touched off a 38 into the ceiling one day, and it too stopped before penetrating the plywood of the roof.

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

I have spent far to many hours, days, years wearing a Nomex flight suit and would hardly call the material cozy. Don

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USN Retired/VN VET
M&P X5

A .38 seems to be a reasonable choice to me, but then, so does a pistol. I have a .45 ACP with a viridian sight in a versa carrier bed holster for a quick grab in an emergency. Then next to it a Wilson 12 gauge with an integral sure fire light and an add on laserlyte circular laser.

Burglaries seem to often involve just one person. Home invasions around my state seem to involve two or more persons most often.

My windows are high above the ground and my two screened porches have motion detectors that feed into the bedroom. If the sound of the motion detectors which can be heard outside doesn't scare an individual, I doubt racking a 12 gauge would.