I've bought 3 S&Ws in the last 6 weeks and both new and use ones seem a little scarce. Are there others like me who are buying revolvers again?

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S&W M60-15 Pro 3", M69 2.7"

It sure seems that way.

I never stopped. Older models don't last long on the market.

I think in my area of Florida they have become more popular. When I found a local little hole in the wall type gun store, he had a whole slew of smith and wesson revolvers all marked under $600. I gradually bought 4 of them and that was last year. Now they hardly ever have any. When they do I buy them and the last 2 he had put in the case only the day before. Owner said there is a few other guys just like me that stop by regular just looking for older Smith and Wesson revolvers. I just had to buy the 4 inch Dan Wesson 44 mag last week and it too only been out for 2 days. Maybe it's just me but seems like others are catching on about finely made revolvers being a better gun.

Granted my LGS owner prices his used guns a bit below market value, but most used revolvers, especially snubbies or .22s, only last a day or two before they are bought.

I never stopped, like BIGGGBBruce, but I could let them lay and go back and get them at my leisure.

Not anymore, the few I snoozed on receintly were gone when I went back for them.

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SWCA #2817

I don't think revolver ever did really go by the wayside. Just all the hoopla was about the semi autos. The only guns I really check out in pawn shops or LGS is basically used revolvers. Sometimes you find a good deal. I passed on a few I should have grabbed but oh well.

The J frames were the last stronghold of revolvers doing something best, and the Glock single stacks such as the model 43 are more capable. The revolver side of this web site will increasingly be the domain of collectors.

Once I had eleven revolvers, this year I sold down to a PC 627 and M&P R8. My 627 2.65” barrel and 586L-Comp were outstanding carries, but now with the MRBF rates of some service pistols exceeding 12,000-35,000, there is just no argument left for revolvers for defensive carry. Qualifying with my 586 L-Comp at my former agency took seven reloads, the same 50 round course of fire with a Glock 17 took two reloads.

I love revolvers, but in the same way I love a 1969 Mustang. A classic point in history, really fun to drive, but an anachronism that technology has long left behind.

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I'm new to revolvers, but I have been browsing a bunch of shops lately and talking to a bunch of the old smiths and pawn brokers. The ones around here say that 5 or 6 years ago, older pre-lock smiths were flowing out of the display cases, but now they are few and far between.

I also bought three S&W revolvers in the last 4 weeks. Must be a trend.

I am glad you gave up your 586 L-Comp as it has fit nicely in my DC routine. Had to put an uglier pair of grips on it for better shootability.
For law enforcement, I can understand. However, for me as a private citizen concealed carrying, this 7 shot .357 and my S&W 1911SC .45 are my prefered. Loud, big holes in the target or high energy.

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If revolvers were dying out, Kimber wouldn't have bothered with the K6, I think. Or Colt with their new .38 snubnose.

That's what I've been thinking. The "polymer wonders" have stagnated...nothing radically new has come out...still mostly the same Glocks and Glockoid copies. I also think a lot of people who watch shows like "The Walking Dead" have had their interest in revolvers stimulated when one of the main characters gun of choice is a Colt Python. Granted, that's an idiotic reason for getting into the revolver "hobby" BUT if it's a lasting fixation, then it's a good thing.

I have both and carry a plastic fantastic because in Florida sweat makes even stainless steel turn brown.

If you have a plastic wonder, you only need one or two. Maybe one to carry and one for the car. With vintage Smith revolvers, you can never have too many. That's why they fly out of the gun stores. . .virtually unlimited demand. Who wouldn't drop three bills on a gun like this one.

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Dr. B

dwever,

So what if it took seven reloads to two for the revolver vs. the
Glock?

Realistically, is your agency training for actual 50 round gunfights?

As has been stated, for police work or military the auto does make sense but for everyday Joe in self defense on the street or
in the home, the revolver will do just fine. And yes, maybe one
reload might be necessary if the time actually existed.

By the way, did you shoot well with the wheel gun? At least as
well as those with the Glocks?

Yes,definitely. I got bitten by the revolver bug back during The Great Assault Weapon Panic of '08-'09. And, ever since I've been convinced that as bans loom, they will herd the market into different areas, like revolvers,shotguns,lever guns, and even stuff like SKS's (with their fixed 10-rd mags).
We haven't yet seen much of that, but the revolver market seems firmer than most, as they don't seem as affected by the deflation and flooded market that semi-autos clearly are.

I've owned Only revolvers since the 70's. My daily carry is a 640-3. Stopping power and No chance of jamming like autos do.

I bought two new J frames in the past year.

Two of the bigger LGSs that I frequent have raised their prices on their used revolvers. The new ones and and single actions the prices are steady, but the "older style" S&Ws and Colts the prices are-a-rising.

One I saw Friday is a .22 Diamondback and is asking if I remember right $1500. I only saw it in the cabinet did not handled it, Course Diamondbacks and the Python go to their own drummer!

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

I’ve noticed quite a few locally (that I’ve bought) selling old SW looking to trade for a Glock or get money for a Glock. But the good revolvers don’t last long. Don’t know if they’re becoming more popular or just more people buying guns in a better economy

I would say the people that buy Diamondbacks and Pythons go to their own drum, not the guns. Buyers set the asking prices.

Anyway, $1500 doesn't sound that bad actually. When I was looking for a 22 revolver about 2-3yrs ago the DB was my first choice, but the cheapest examples I could find were $1500 and they were such poor condition I didn't understand why anyone would pay that.

I opted for a 17-4 and haven't really regretted it at all. Fraction of the price, and just as accurate.

I think the average gun owner is still interested in the normal modern stuff. I think the run on revolvers is mainly due to a much smaller niche community just basically hoarding them because they aren't made anymore. In the distant future, I fully suspect things to change, as this smaller niche section exits the market. Just one man's theory.

Perhaps as the "plastic fantastic" folks age a bit they are discovering finely made revolvers are worth a look.

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Stay safe people!

Don't think they were ever unpopular. It's just more folks gaining the wisdom of the ages !��

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LEX ET ORDO

I've bought probably 30 S&W's in my life; only sold one. Still kicking myself over selling that one.

I think a lot of folks are tired of the latest plastic, whizbang, ugly duckling pistols on the market place now days. With revolvers you pull the trigger and it goes "bang".

If S&W would only get rid of that damned lock....

For the past 7-8 years, the only thing I look for in any LGS, are older, used, quality revolvers.
I have managed to buy a bunch of them. Seem to always get a great price too. Call me lucky

Me too. The only other guns I look for are 1911s.

Stop buying revolvers !

They are old and antiquated. They don't hold the basic number of bullets. They don't hold up to rust. You look like a hick shooting them. They are only for old farts. You lose all your velocity with that barrel/cylinder gap.

The grips are all wrong.

Where the hell is the safety?


Prescut
I will gladly assist anyone in their disposal efforts

Just my opinion, based on what I've seen...

Overall, no, I don't believe revolvers are becoming more popular. I do think their popularity has been increasing in certain niche markets, such as the non-LE concealed carry market or those into "retro" models (Kimber is an example of the former, Colt is an example of the latter). I don't have an interest in big-boom, magnum and mega-magnum guns, so there may be some increased popularity in those markets; I can't say with any certainty. But in the larger, overall market, semi-autos still dominate.

FYI, a similar thread was active not too long ago. I'll say basically the same thing here that I said in that thread: Asking about the popularity of revolvers, in a forum dedicated to revolvers, is likely going to result in responses biased in favor of the revolver.

I don't think they are more popular with the younger generation. OTH us old timers have always liked them, and trusted them. A lot of us have found the semi auto grass was not any greener.

I like my 547, fast presentation, superb balance and great natural pointability. Only six shots, but no brass to police-up.



The Black Pearl custom carry .45, 8 onboard with 8 more after magazine change. Big Dot combat sights, what's not to like?



About the same weight and dimensions, auto is slimmer but revolver is no problem AISW. I'd feel well armed with either, but better with both.

digiroc

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Shoot Well My Friends

More capable in what context?

An enclosed hammer snub revolver can be fired from inside a pocket, a purse, if entangled in clothing, if grabbed during a disarm attempt and retain it's functionality. It has no slide that could be forced out of battery from intentional or unintentional muzzle contact or have it's rearward movement inadvertently obstructed, so it's definitely not more capable in defense scenarios occuring in combatives range.

A lot of elderly people and woman lack the hand strength to effectively operate the slide on a small auto. That lack of physical strength also makes it more likely that they will induce a malfunction if shooting one handed or from awkward, unstable positions which are common occurrences in actual self-defense encounters, so it's definately not more capable in their hands.

User induced stoppages due to limp-wristing or by otherwise having a less than ideal grip on the weapon are a real(but often overlooked or dismissed) concern with autoloaders in defense scenarios since you won't always be able to fire using two hands from a static, stable stance. This applies to pretty much everyone, not just the elderly, woman or the untrained because how many people including those considered gun enthusiasts have actually engaged in reality-based training.

The revolver is capable of functioning with a much broader variety of ammunition. Offers a much simpler user interface and greater overall practical reliability.

The small single stack autos do not really offer what I consider a substantial increase in capacity over a snub. At least not enough to give up the advantages a snub offers. I think quicker reloads are largely irrelevant in the context of civilian self-defense since I can't find any evidence that it occurs with any kind of regularity, so the outcome of the encounter will most likely be settled with what's in the gun and every statistic that I can find on the subject says likely distances will be contact out to a few yards maximum and that 5 rounds will be adequate in all but the rarest of circumstances.

I believe I have seen sales numbers indicating that many more people are indeed choosing small autos over small revolvers by a large margin, even first time gun buyers. Since semi-auto's are the most prevalent handgun amongst military, police and gun gamers and most defensive shooters instructors have a background in one of those three, they are often biased in recommending the auto. My elderly mother went to an NRA certified instructor to get her permit who recommended she buy a Glock 26 for carry in her purse despite not being able to rack the slide, after having experienced several malfunctions with it during the class and it being prohibitively on the heavy side when fully loaded for all day carry. Plus she struggled to mentally recall the sequence of steps of it's operation when I asked her about it shortly after the class. Luckily my mom didn't blindly take his advice and instead chose a S&W 442.

If the weren’t popular, I guess I was in the wrong crowd. I love shooting revolvers. There’s more accuracy. There’s a lot more power to shoot from one in a pistol. I just shot my Ruger Alaskan 454 yesterday. Tried it against my Texas Star which did hit with some authority.


The Stable


The Snubbies


The 454 Casull


The 44 Magnum


The 460


500 S&W


Instagram: MuzzleblastMD

No, revolvers aren't becoming more popular with me. Even though I have bought three in the last year, I only did it so when I die my family will have to figure out what to do with them. ;-)

My latest three revolver purchases:

- Model 19-3 "Combat Magnum"
- Model 15-4 "Combat Masterpiece"
- Model 36 "Chief's Special"








Thanks for looking at my last three revolver purchases...
Just to make my family wonder what to do with them...

God bless,
Birdgun

I agree. I shoot any of my revolvers better than a semi auto. I bought one of those single stack 9’s, the Springfield one. Like enough. Still have it. Works well. Just not for me. To get an advantage on round count, the grip ends up longer than the gun! Not ideal for concealment in that set up. So you’re still relying on the ability to reload, no matter how quickly you say it can be done. Still diverts your attention from the threat

My wife loves a revolver because it’s easy to load, unload, and easy to tell if it’s loaded just by looking at it. Some semis are like that too. Revolvers are easier to maintain and clean, and not the worry of bullet set back if you’re loading and unloading carry ammo often to shoot range ammo or clean.

The range I shoot at is a fairly busy outdoor range. Recently I've been noticing as I walk down the line about half the shooters have at least one revolver with them. They might have some autos too but at least 1 revolver. That's an increase over a couple years ago when I might be the only guy shooting a revolver. Auto guys often comment to me that they want to get a revolver. I also let auto guys have a chance to shoot my revolvers if they seem interested. Share your sport. So from my experience I would say yes revolvers are becoming more popular.

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Accuracy supercedes Speed

Folks who are experienced enough (old enough?) and smart enough (old enough?) to prefer revolvers are often at an age where the house is paid off and the kids are through college. In general, I'm told, old folks sometimes have more disposable income. To my mind, that pretty much explains where most of the revolvers have gone.

I have quite a few revolvers. Maybe I should stop paying the mortgage since that must mean it’s paid off! : )

I've bought two this summer. I'm more satisfied with my shooting experience now than ever before.

Maybe I'm just getting older?

I've always got a revolver on my "want/wish" list. Just heard Ruger is bringing back the 9mm SP101. There goes my Christmas money.

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Ephesians 6 (Armor of God)

You might have just caused my divorce.

They are better looking and more fun.

Why Revolvers ? BECAUSE THEY CAN BAN MAGAZINES

Eh. They could ban handguns too.

I shoot regularly at two different ranges. The range with a majority of older, retired shooters has a lot of revolvers on the firing line - most everyone has both revolvers & semis. The other range has a younger crowd, and well, I'm pretty much the only revolver shooter there.

Personally, I don't think a lady can have too many Smiths!

And a Big Thank You to Smith & Wesson - this summer, they brought a number of new revolvers to the California market - new to us, not the rest of the country. (Our roster of 'safe handguns' greatly limits the new handguns that can be legally purchased here.) Thanks to S&W, four new friends will be following me home.

Just picked up a Colt Cobra (2017). I love me some J-Frames (442 and 640) and my 629, but I gotta say that Colt has mucho potential.

I believe another reason revolvers are remaining popular is because of their simple manual-of-arms which appeals to a lot of new shooters that are being brought into shooting due to expanding CC laws across the nation. More women than ever, some who lack the strength or training to rack the slide on many semi-autos, are now purchasing their first CC firearm and a revolver is perfect for those people that lack neither the training or motivation to get more training in learning how to operate a semi-auto.
The typical "tap-rack-bang" and conflundering manual-of-arms for a semi-auto is simply a PITA for many folks, men or women.

With eleven basically satisfying S&W revolver purchases, I was shocked at the quality, action, and materials superiority of the German made Korth Mongoose, and that niche kind of occupies "finely made" for me. Of course at $3,500 . . .

Notably, this thread has picked an argument almost exclusively with plastics which is understandable given their market share; but some the finest and latest arguments in gun manufacturing in the "finely made" department may be among defensive semi-autos such as the March 2017 release of the Wilson Combat double-stack EDC X9.

Revolver or semi, it's a good day to be an enthusiast.

Respectfully submitted.

1. An imported by Nighthawk from Germany Korth Mongoose.
2. A Performance Center 627 after a long day.
3. A Wilson Combat EDC X9
4. A Performance Center TRR8 with Aimpoint red dot and aftermarket Hogues (couldn't get the picture's orientation corrected).

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What I like about the Plastic Pistols, is that
they are bring out the Revolvers, that are
used to trade for the "Cool Guns".

With that said, it gives great opportunities
to buy a New In The Box or slightly used
S&W Revolver.

So keep trading.

I've always had Revolvers since 1981.

P.S. that's how I got my S&W 625-6 45Colt
Mountain Gun (the bottom one).

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While I often sing the praises of the snub revolver and growing up I primarily shot revolvers, my very first handgun purchase on my own was actually a semi-automatic.

Outside of inherited firearms, I currently own 3 revolvers(two 642's and a 442) and 4 Glocks(two 17's, a 19 and a 26), so although I like wheelguns, I obviously feel autos definitely have a place in my personal defense preparedness plan.