What type of gun is better for self defense in a beginner: a revolver or a semi-auto?

[sirrduke2010]

Experience can make one more intense.

Nothing like experience of being in a violent situation to fuel my intenseness or passion about what I think. I might sound over-zealous but from the information I have learned about equipment, knowing how to use it well, being able to use it quickly, being aware how fast a violent situation can take place, and the experience of being there have all affected how I talk about it. Yes a beginner could use an automatic and if everything works perfect it can work for them but there is a lot more to go wrong with a semi auto than a revolver when using it in an emergency situation. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. As Evelyn Beatrice Hall wrote: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Actually I won't defend to the death your right to say it but it sounded fitting in this situation. LOL

 

[wnr700]

For home defense a K frame or L frame revolver make great choices and are great range choices.

If carry is the idea... J frames take almost a religious conversion to master. Accuracy takes alot of rounds. Shooting Airweights are uncomfortable for many. A Model 60, 640, or 649 would be my choice for a dual purpose role.

If you go the revolver route I would buy both a K frame and J frame. A 4 inch K frame for the range. A Jframe for occasional range time and carry.

I wouldn't look much beyond a Glock 26 or Glock 27 in the auto. Great all around Home defense/carry.

Another thing not to overlook is the expense of ammunition and training. I shoot at least a hundred rounds almost every trip with my Model 17. 1000's of rounds on a .22 caliber revolver will do wonders for trigger control and accuarcy.

 

[Mphstiger1981]

I have rephrased the parameters of this question. We are talk a beginner. A person that has never worked with guns or had a gun before. My preference is the revolver because you don't have to worry about jamming as much, a round being in the chamber, and/or the safety being on. It is a point and shoot set setup where the ease of use in an emergency situation will benefit the potential victim.

A lot of good answers have already been offered, but I would begin by asking to know more about the person who is the beginner. Are we talking my 80 year old Mother who has limited upper body strength, or are we talking a healthy 17 year old young man, or about a 36 year old woman in average health and strength? Is the person in good health, or are they in a wheel chair, or have other disability which might impact their ability to use both hands?

For most of the above, a good K frame .38 special would be a fine place to start for a self defense gun. The J Frame is just a little harsh with the recoil, and would not be as much fun to shoot for the beginner. In order for them to become comfortable, it needs to be fun at some level and perceived as easy, i.e. shooting a silhouette at 3 yards.

For the semi auto I'd prefer a Glock 17/19 or M&P in 9mm as there are no manual safeties to complicate things. The semi auto might require more time training off the range without ammunition becoming familiar with the operation of the gun and practicing dry firing and clearing malfunctions using dummy rounds.

Both of these guns will work well if there is sincere interest on the part of the beginner. They have to want to learn to shoot, and once they get a few rounds down range and the shooting bug bites, then they can experiment with other guns and find one that they like.

 

[jtpur]

I have rephrased the parameters of this question. We are talk a beginner. A person that has never worked with guns or had a gun before. My preference is the revolver because you don't have to worry about jamming as much, a round being in the chamber, and/or the safety being on. It is a point and shoot set setup where the ease of use in an emergency situation will benefit the potential victim.

in my humble opinion, beginning shooters or those who do not understand guns well in how to take them apart and clean them and how to clear jams, failures to eject and or feed need to keep it simple and there is not much more simple than pull the trigger and as the cylinder rotates the gun goes bang 99.9% of the time.. Misfires in revolvers (quality ones) are rare and when they do happen it's usually with bad ammo. A 2" .38 is a great defensive gun....as you gain confidence in shooting you can move up to a .357......but a revolver is my number one choice for beginners.....its my number one choice to carry for me and Im not a beginner....I just love revolvers and how they shoot and the simplicity of them.

 

[Moonman]

You can take another variable out of the equation if you load your revolver with ammo from 2 different sources or manufacturers. That would cover for ammo that might have been produced with some bad primers.

 

[Lost Lake]

Think about this for a while.

EVERYBODY is a beginner once. Now we are talking about Army Rangers and Navy Seals who parachute down into enemy territory and fight for their lives. You think they carry a semi-auto because that's what they first trained with in boot camp?
If there was ANY ADVANTAGE to carry a wheel gun, these guys would be carrying one.

The learning curve for a semi-auto is short and easy to master. Four hours ago I handed my ten year old my 9mm and watched him run through three magazines of ammo and he loved it.

 

[oldman45]

Autos have advantages as well.
easy to reload under pressure
greater capacity
easy to overhaul

However if one has to reload under pressure, they are already in a place they do not need to be and doing something they ought not be doing.

You are correct though. Each type gun has it's advantages and disadvantages.

 

[dwever]

A beginner should not be carrying. Period. S/he should be training in order to come to a place of mind-set and proficiency that carrying is prudent for the gun owner, their family, and the public.

If I were buying my adult daughter a defensive weapon, I'd probably get her a Glock Model 19, and spend at least four times that on training. If I were buying my son in the Army a defensive weapon, probably a Glock Model 21 given his existing and extensive training (a Wilson 1911 CQB Elite if money were no object), unless he wanted to take the time to be proficient in Double Action with a revolver, then it'd be a S&W UDR PC 627 (what I carry by the way).

Finally, a beginner generally being an adult must take safe gun storage in to account. How do you absolutely deny access to people/children who should never be around your weapon unsupervised. In my case, I had my master closet door and door frame replaced with steel and solid wood, along with a kick plate and electronic dead bolt lock - that or other solutions such as a high end car safe bolted down in your trunk should be part of your gun budget. Depending on the study you read, weapons purchased for personal defense are around four hundred percent more likely to be used accidentally against another family member (e.g. confusing a family member with an intruder) than to be used in personal defense; and, seven hundred percent more likely to be used in a crime (for various reasons). Anyway, the point is be careful, intentional, and train extensively.

 

[off road]

Some sage advice here: http://www.keepandbeararms.com/Puckett/firstgun.pdf

The snub revolver is the place to begin one's self-defense arsenal! With modern ammunition developments, it isn't the poor choice, that it was back in the day. (When I was a kid, we were counciled to avoid them completely.) Later, if one hopefully chooses to advance to other firearms, the snub revolver becomes the perfect backup gun! If one chooses not to advance any further, then they will still be reasonably well armed.

One note....it would however be a mistake to try to 'learn to shoot' on a snub! I start beginners out on a .22, like the excelent new Ruger SP101. Then, some light loads on something medium frame with a 4" barrel like a GP100 or 686, eventually working up to some hot .357's. From there, we now begin to downsize to the relatively heavy .38/.357 SP101, and on to the Ruger LCR with its excellent recoil absorbing grips, then the steel J-frames and on to the lighter alloy J's. If the student decides the guns are getting to hard to handle as we downsize, they can stop anywhere they like along the progression and settle on a gun they can shoot reasonably well.

Next, we will tackle the autos using a similar progression (Ruger 22/45, Glock 19 then 23, Glock 26 then 27, etc.), if they so choose....

 

[Bicky Robby]

Cetainly an argument can be made either way. However, it is my opinion that a revlover is a simpler method of operation over a semi-auto.

Which is the right choice for for the beginner? Depends on the beginner. If the new shooter is willing to take instruction and work on fundamentals, a semi auto can be a good choice.

 

[Tracer_Bullet]

I have to agree with those who say it depends upon the student. Some people will just do better with one or the other, and some will have physical limitations that prevent them from using one or the other. Example; my wife's friend has tiny hands with short fingers and almost zero finger strength. Not only can she not reach the trigger of a K-frame without holding the gun awkwardly, she doesn't have the finger strength to pull the trigger (or most DA triggers for that matter). She also has great difficulty in racking the slides of many compact autos, even using the proper techniques. She does well with my Browning Hi-Power, can handle an XD9/40, and has recently fallen in love with my 3913 due to the thin grip, but with her poor hand/wrist/arm strength she will start limp-wristing the guns after about 50-75 rounds as she fatigues.
If a revolver is suitable for the student, then by all means use a revolver to instruct them. Shooting DA revolvers improved my ability to shoot semi-autos, and they are great for learning trigger control. But if your student is my wife's friend, the revolver won't work for her.

 

[sirrduke2010]

I had a thought. A J frame is smaller than a K frame and with rounded grips is a lot smaller weapon than the K frame Smith.

One last thought on this yes a semi-auto would be a good self defense gun but I would practice a lot on using it in an emergency situation. Being this is emergency gun watching out for reloads which can gum up your gun and void your manufacturer warranty. I think the practice required to use an auto should be a lot so that a beginners movements with the gun are automatic. I would use factory only loads for self defense as well as cleaning it after every shoot because you can't afford to have the gun jam or malfunction in an emergency. I know I am going to get some flack about this but if this is your emergency gun be very careful about the reloads you use. Personally I wouldn't practice with reloads myself with the emergency gun. Practice turning off the safety and pulling the slide back to get a round in the chamber. I will say the amount of practice required to be able to use a gun in an emergency is more with a semi-auto than a revolver because before you shoot you have to be concerned about a round being in the chamber, the safety being turned off, the ammo you are using, your gun jamming, and the forgetting of one step could cause your gun not to fire in an emergency. When your life is threatened you aren't going to be thinking very straight and it can become difficult to remember things when in the fight or flight response to danger. The other thing assumed by a lot of people is that the attacker is a blithering idiot that knows nothing about guns. Don't assume. Psychopaths are know to be extremely intelligent and often have a very high IQs.

 

[Jeb21]

A recommend a 4" 38 caliber K-frame revolver. It is such a good gun that even more experienced shooters choice this handgun for self defense.

 

[Lost Lake]

Being this is emergency gun watching out for reloads which can gum up your gun and void your manufacturer warranty.

I would use factory only loads for self defense as well as cleaning it after every shoot because you can't afford to have the gun jam or malfunction in an emergency. I know I am going to get some flack about this but if this is your emergency gun be very careful about the reloads you use. Personally I wouldn't practice with reloads myself with the emergency gun.

Let me guess.... You don't reload do you?

I began reloading to improve the reliability of my ammo. I can guarantee every round that comes off my reloading bench is MUCH better than any round you can purchase in a store.

Do you think the factory that pumps out 200,000 rounds a minute is weighing each bullet and culling them into groups depending on the balance of the bullet? Do you think they weigh their powder down to the individual flake? Do you think they set each primer by hand and insure the primer hole is clean and true?

I'll trust the shells I produce long before I'll trust the factory shells.

 

[wnr700]

My very reluctant wife started with a myriad of .22 caliber rentals from the case and from what we currently owned.

She feared my 6inch Model 17 and really wanted to shoot the tiny Beretta 21a.

It didn't take long for her to change her mind after a few hotter .22 cal loads.

Flying (hot) brass can be disconcerting. A stiff trigger from a Jframe Taurus revolver turned her off.

Eventually she found a comfort zone and was plinking away confidently and safely with her favorites. A Ruger Mark II and a Walther P22.

After a few more sessions I pushed her into .38 Special factory loads. Nervous at first, she settled in first with the L frame, then the K frame, then finally to a steel J frame.

Your preconceptions and desires will likely be altered drastically over time. My advice is to spend money renting and shooting as many different calibers as are available. Spend money on good instruction.

You'll figure it out...

 

[scooter123]

I'm with all the others who recomend training first. Newbies who aren't properly trained can develop a lot of bad and unsafe habits and the only way to prevent this is with good sound training.

As for a Home Defense gun, I cannot think of anything better than a 4 inch K frame in 38 spl. As for why, it's a relatively quiet caliber that is easy to master. I also learned that mastering a double action revolver resulted in my becoming a much better shooter with every type of firearm.

 

[sirrduke2010]

I don't reload but if you use good technique to put together reloads don't use inferior parts or powder according to accepted safe specifications than I think that reloads can be good but still the gun manufacturers can void your warranty if they find evidence of using reloads. Here is the problem many companies make cheap inexpensive reloads with inferior components. These reloads have been found to make a semi auto and/or a carbine type of rifle jam. The powder may be inferior and be insufficient in energy to blow the slide back. Some reloaders like to push the envelopes and use powder that is inappropriate to the load making the round too hot or not hot enough. A poor choice in components and powder can result in dirtier rounds which can gum up your gun or make it malfunction. My thoughts if you are a responsible reloader that uses the proper powder and the proper components than your rounds can be just as good as the factory rounds. Cutting corners with improper or cheap components is another element which I have seen in the industry. It depends on the reloader. Buyer cheaper components, cheaper powder, cutting corners, not loading to recommended specs, etc. can all lead to gun problems, malfunctions, misfires, gun explosions, severe injuries and/or death of the shooter. I have seen the results of poor reloads making guns harder to clean, greater residue buildup, damaging cylinders in revolvers because the loads were made to hot, one cylinder I saw had a hole between the chamber and the outside of the cylinder from a round that was too hot, etc. I think reloads can be made well but it depends on the person making them on how ethical and responsible they want to be. Reloading is an area where you've got to be very careful about pushing the envelope and making rounds improperly. The results of making them improperly can be serious for the person that uses that ammunition.

 

[kbm6893]

I don't reload but would like to learn. Howver, even if i did, I would not use reloads for carry ammo. God forbid something goes wrong in a self defense encounter. I'd rather have a big company to lay the blame on then myself. I bought a box of Ultramax reload for my .38, and while it worked, it was the flitiest ammo I have ever fired. Every shot fired would produce a big cloud of stinky, greasy smoke. The revolver was literally covred in greasy black residue. Oncethe box is gone, I'll never buy it again.

 

[Dvan34]

Revolvers are considerably safer than Semi-Automatics. You can readily determine if they are loaded. Also if not a 'hammerless' they are not likely to fire when picked up if your trigger finger does not engage the trigger. If is is lying on the table and the hammer is back ? Definitely unsafe. A semi-auto unless it is a 1911 may or may not be safe. Some semi's have an indicator atop the slide to let you know they are loaded with a round in the chamber. A 1911 is relatively safe if the hammer is not 'cocked'. To handle any semi-auto the safest thing is to remove the magazine and then clear the pistol of a loaded round. Frankly I have tremendous respect to a semi-auto. You have to be very aware and alert when handling them, never careless. Never pull the slide back if you have not removed the magazine. Otherwise you just 'cocked' it and/or racked a round into the chamber if none was there before.This is true with any semi-automatic pistol. You can never be too careful.

 

[walkin' trails]

That's a tough one for me too. I used to say "revolver," but now understand both have their advantages and disadvantages. Today I'd be more inclined to recommend something like an M&P 9 or Glock 19. I guess the question is how serious the new shooter is about actually learning safe and competent gun handling, and how much they're going to train? I'd even go so far as to recommend a .22 revolver or semi auto for a lot of novices.