Feeling more secure with a revolver vs. a semi-auto?

[decuerno]

Around town I carry a semi-auto. Walking around the ranch and hunting (where I don't expect to need the concealment advantages of a semi-auto) I carry a revolver.

 

[03hemi]

Do you have any evidence for this generalization? Experience would indicate you are incorrect.

Yes, personal experience, lock-up due to timing. At least with an auto you can clear, tap, rack and rock-n-roll, not to mention the advantage of capacity and speed of reloading.
There's an obvious reason why all law enforcement carry semi-autos.

 

[decuerno]

Yes, personal experience. At least with an auto you can clear, tap, rack and rock-n-roll, not to mention the advantage of capacity and speed of reloading.
There's an obvious reason why all law enforcement carry semi-autos.

Yes…. most of them spray bullets as if it were a water-hose because they can't HIT the target! All you have to do to confirm that statement is watch a few vids of confrontations to see their wild behavior. (note I said "most". There are "some" who remain calm and focussed, but they are the minority. BTDT(

 

[03hemi]

Yes…. most of them spray bullets as if it were a water-hose because they can't HIT the target! All you have to do to confirm that statement is watch a few vids of confrontations to see their wild behavior. (note I said "most". There are "some" who remain calm and focussed, but they are the minority. BTDT(

At least they're able to spray and not locked up? Not worth the chance in my book.

 

[decuerno]

At least they're able to spray and not locked up? Not worth the chance in my book.

The famous Miami FBI shootout is a great example of how many LEOs can't hit Shinola, and how the wrong conclusions were derived from the experience.
Their conclusion was to switch to .40 automatic calibers…. when in fact, it was a .38 revolver which ended the confrontation.
Doh.

 

[wheelyfun66]

Both, is the WAY!

 

[03hemi]

The famous Miami FBI shootout is a great example of how many LEOs can't hit Shinola, and how the wrong conclusions were derived from the experience.
Their conclusion was to switch to .40 automatic calibers…. when in fact, it was a .38 revolver which ended the confrontation.
Doh.

Doh, nope. Actually, that's where the birth of the 10mm started for the FBI, but the female and Soyboy officers couldn't handle the then full 10mm NORMA loads in qualification giving way to trimming down the casing creating the 40 cal. Duh.
The infamous 1066 the FBI carried.
Edit: I misspoke, it was the 1076 they carried.

 

[ImDrRich]

Do you have any evidence for this generalization? Experience would indicate you are incorrect.

It was a general question, but my feeling is that in my experience I have little to no trouble with revolvers as long as they were kept clean.

 

[Chuck Edwards]

Doh, nope. Actually, that's where the birth of the 10mm started for the FBI, but the female and Soyboy officers couldn't handle the then full 10mm NORMA loads in qualification giving way to trimming down the casing creating the 40 cal. Duh.
The infamous 1066 the FBI carried.

FWIW, the FBI carried the 1076, which had a SIG-style decocker. The ammo they used was a downloaded 10mm. S&W figured out a way to get that performance in a round that fit current 9x19 guns, which was the 40 S&W.

 

[03hemi]

FWIW, the FBI carried the 1076, which had a SIG-style decocker. The ammo they used was a downloaded 10mm. S&W figured out a way to get that performance in a round that fit current 9x19 guns, which was the 40 S&W.

You're absolutely right, I misspoke, it was the 1076.
I have one of those too.

 

[Smoke]

I hope this question is in the right Forum.

I like both and my collection reflects that but I still feel more secure about my revolvers than I do with any semi-auto I own. I carry either depending on my mood but when the SHTF it's the revolver that will go bang every time.

Does anyway agree? Disagree?

I don't own any revolvers and I've never carried one.

Having said that, in theory, the only part of this post that I disagree with is if you feel more secure carrying a revolver then I'm not sure why you let "your mood" dictate that you carry a semi-automatic pistol.

If I felt more secure carrying a revolver that is what I would carry every time.

 

[tcloud]

Revolvers can lock-up or misfire just as easily as a semi-auto.

Been shooting revolvers and semi-auto for 50 years. Have had misfires in revolvers, but never a lock-up. SA, OTOH, lockups, misfires, stovepipes, etc. happen, not often, but occasionally. Revolvers, in my experience, are not sensitive to the type of ammo. SA are often sensitive to the type of ammo used.

 

[WhatMeWorry?]

I tend to agree with one caveat. If a revolver does jam you are probably done. An auto gives you a chance to recover. That concerns me more than capacity.

I'm an old dude and I've been carrying and shooting revolvers for many years. I've never had a revolver jam, nor have I ever heard from anyone I know that had one jam. Of course, I clean and lube it after every visit to the range. Revolvers get dirty fast, so keeping them clean is a must.
I've had all of my semi-auto's jam at one time or another. Usually, a bad round, failure to cycle, or the occasional stovepipe. When a bad round shows up in a revolver, you just pull the trigger again, no having to rack and clear the dud round. Could be a life saver when the SHTF.

 

[Buford57]

Agreed. But we don't all carry professionally. A lot of us have never been in a profession that requires pistol carry.

This. And when I did carry professionally I carried what my department issued/authorized - both sidearms and ammo. The fact it was department approved didn't mean it was the best choice. With the ammo it was low bid and I recall at least one incident when the ammo proved the old axiom about what you get for low bid.

 

[duke2002]

870 and 4in 25-5

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

There's an obvious reason why all law enforcement carry semi-autos.

I was a cop when the change to pistols came. Some Agencies already were carrying .45 pistols for many years.

Anyways we were .38 Special revolvers only. When the S&W 9mm pistols were approved a majority of officers who had previously been involved in fatal Officer Involved Shootings with their revolvers stayed with the revolver. If you are confident with your revolver and it saved your life already you cannot argue with that.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

The famous Miami FBI shootout is a great example of how many LEOs can't hit Shinola …

Do you see the film, "Public Enemies"? What did Purvis tell Hoover? We need Lawmen from Texas and Oklahoma.

FBI is attorneys, accountants and such. You need shooters and most people are not shooter types and that is where training comes in.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

I don't own any revolvers and I've never carried one.

For anyone getting into shooting today and may want to EDC one day after professional training. I suggest a pistol like a Glock or Beretta.

My children were exposed to revolvers but they prefer the Beretta like they had in the military. Now my grandchildren are Glock fanboys. (I am talking about the 50% who are pro 2A the other half don't care)

 

[Smoke]

This is an argument I've made about carry before. Imagine for a moment that you were in a super rare defensive shooting, say, you were parked in the parking lot of a grocery store while the lady is inside.

Why is your woman Inside and protected while you're sitting in a car in the parking lot?

While parked you become subject to a crime and use your handgun in defense. Nobody saw it and nobody heard anything but the shots.

No security cameras in the parking lot

Now say the DA is one of those and tries to pin you with murder. Say it makes it to a jury trial. Well I can tell you this for sure: when a jury sees a Glock 19 with a light, red dot, extended base plate, and big suppressor sights the very first thing that's going to come across their mind, whether you agree with them or not, is that your gun is a scary tactical handgun that only cops should have. That is just what's gonna happen. Now I can almost guarantee a 642 airweight could have done just as good of a job. But how do you think a jury is going to react internally seeing a small J frame revolver? Probably not at all. It's a small little bitty gun that in their mind fits their preconceptions of what a defensive gun looks like.

What are you basing this Fantasy on?

 

[Riposte1]

Everyone has to work out his own salvation (unless your agency chooses for you).

I am comvortable with both...and I never carry just one. Two is one and one is none!

Riposte

 

[magnum0710]

I'm the same way, I definitely prefer a revolver. I love semi autos too and I do carry a semi auto quite often but my main carry gun is a 3 inch 357.

 

[walkin' trails]

Do you have any evidence for this generalization? Experience would indicate you are incorrect.

I don't have any evidence, just experience. Pre lock S&W Js, Ks, and Ls in .38 Special/.357 Magnum that I've owned or shot over the years have generally been pretty reliable and I never experienced a lockup. I had a 940, however, that spparently over heated and locked up on me. Had to cool down before I could open the cylinder. Some Ruger GP100s acquired by the Border Patrol in the early 90s would lock up during a 72-round qualification course that required the expenditure of duty rounds (Federal 110 grain .357). I thought it was caused by heat, but there may have been something else out of spec. I've seen ejector rods on 686s come unscrewed during qual courses and pretty much make the gun useless until the rod was painstakingly rotated back home. That could happen to any revolver. I'm experiencing a bit of grief right now over a S&W 43c that I really wanted to work right the first time. It initially spit lead, locked up, required excessive force to eject. Revolvers are mechanical devices. They're subject to design flaws, manufacturing quality lapses, and end user lack of attention or abuse. Occasional bad ammo lots will also cause function issues.

And I had a Colt Detective Special once that when I installed Pachmeyer grips, the pin holding the main spring would quickly work its way out causing the gun to go wildly out of time. Fortunately the problem manifested itself self with misfires rather than something worse.

But I've had problems with semi autos too, over the years. Nothing is a "load up and forget" as folks want to claim.

 

[ec fan]

Snatch and grab , purse with money, credit cards, keys AND GUN all gone.

Need to teach woman to carry on their person.

I agree 100%, and I'm a woman.

It also takes too long to get a handgun out of most purses.

I like pocket carry, although I don't always carry, and most women's clothing pockets are ridiculously small. When I do it's usually my little M&P Bodyguard .380, which is DAO hammer fired, in a pocket holster. I want the new BG 2.0 but don't have one yet.

A chambered semi auto, like a loaded revolver, belongs in a proper holster. No gun, regardless of make, model, or "safeties," needs to be floatin' around anything.

I agree on this as well.

Even the semi-autos and revolvers I keep loaded at home are in simple holsters.

I consider a striker fired pistol with a round in the chamber (the way I keep mine) to be a cocked firearm, although some of them technically aren't, and they do have striker safeties inside. I nevertheless personally like a thumb safety on a striker fired pistol, and fortunately S&W offers that option on many of theirs. I understand why many people don't like them, though. It's good to have choices. I still want them in a holster when they are loaded. (Guess I'm a belt-and-suspenders type! LOL)

Probably my favorite pistol to shoot is my Shield Plus, with the thumb safety option. I like the style of its thumb safety too; easy to swipe off with the SIDE of my thumb, a little different from the larger thumb safeties.

Btw, I have quite a few semi-autos and revolvers, and none of the semis have as light a trigger pull as my revolvers (cocked) in single action, nor would I want them to have. I still want them in a holster, though.

 

[Puller]

The famous Miami FBI shootout is a great example of how many LEOs can't hit Shinola, and how the wrong conclusions were derived from the experience.
Their conclusion was to switch to .40 automatic calibers…. when in fact, it was a .38 revolver which ended the confrontation.
Doh.

You probably need to google the story again.

 

[Darkenfast]

I was a revolver guy many years ago. I've also always been interested in the concept of one gun that can handle just about anything a reasonable person would want to do with a handgun. While I ended up with a couple of 9mm Parabellums (BHP and an early Glock 17L), I figured that eventually I would scratch the "one-gun-for-everything" itch with a 686+ sporting a four-inch barrel, and that's probably a very good choice for many. Besides, I thought I'd like to have a good revolver.

What I ended up with was a 1911 in 10mm, paired with Wilson Combat nine-round magazines. About the same weight, but a lot flatter (especially the reload), and 9+1. Significantly higher power, and after a lot of drills, I feel that the 1911 is an extremely safe firearm. The trigger is oh-so-nice. I will never be able to shoot a DA revolver like I can an SA semi-auto.

So, for me, I feel more secure with the right semi-auto than with even a really good revolver. Your choice can (and should be) your own.

Some extraneous notes:

1. I'm not interested in overly hot loads in any of the calibers I own, although I think that reasonable +p in 9mm is okay. I believe the 10mm is a better .357 magnum, and any attempts to make it more than that is counterproductive. I think its "sweet spot" is 1200-1250 fps with a 180 gr. bullet from a 1911, and the .357's is 1200-1250 with a 158 gr. from a four-inch barrel revolver. That's just me.

2. The 1911 is kinda heavy to carry. You know what they say about "jack-of-all-trades". But, so is that 686+. Interestingly, the BHP, while eight ounces lighter and extremely thin in the slide, doesn't feel that much different, when both are carried in an IWB holster. Just my build, I guess. If I ever get serious about CCW, all of this may go out the window.

Thanks for reading all this!

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

b737lvr said:
This is an argument I've made about carry before. Imagine for a moment that you were in a super rare defensive shooting, say, you were parked in the parking lot of a grocery store while the lady is inside.

@Smoke
Why is your woman Inside and protected while you're sitting in a car in the parking lot?

Answer from Friday, June 9, 1961:

Police Officer George Elder was shot and killed while attempting to apprehend two armed suspects as they robbed the Star Market on Garvey Avenue at 8:45 p.m.

Officer Elder was in his car, waiting for his wife, when he witnessed two men running out of the store. He exited his vehicle and pursued them. He was found on Alhambra Avenue, shot in the head and chest with a .38 caliber revolver and a .22 caliber pistol. He died en route to the Bella Vista Hospital after describing the suspects and the getaway car.

The suspects had robbed the store at gunpoint and stole over $1000. Bullet holes in the suspect's vehicle from Officer Elder's return fire led to the suspect's arrest in Whittier a week later.

George's brother Jon was an officer too and went on to become Chief and retired in 1987.

 

[crasig]

At first I felt more secure with revolvers, but as I got more experience, learned about, & could afford reliable self loaders - I switched over. I have some revolvers I could carry - but are heavy & lumpy. Now I prefer narrow steel small DA/SA semi autos for chambered pocket carry. In cooler weather, & clothes with bigger pockets - I carry my tried & true 9x18 mm Makarovs,
warmer weather = my 9x18 Polish Radom P-64. Although not range toys, but completely tested, 100% forgiving & reliable.
I've made improvements on both & LOVE THEM, & trust completely.

 

[03hemi]

At first I felt more secure with revolvers, but as I got more experience, learned about, & could afford reliable self loaders - I switched over. I have some revolvers I could carry - but are heavy & lumpy. Now I prefer narrow steel small DA/SA semi autos for chambered pocket carry. In cooler weather, & clothes with bigger pockets - I carry my tried & true 9x18 mm Makarovs,
warmer weather = my 9x18 Polish Radom P-64. Although not range toys, but completely tested, 100% forgiving & reliable.
I've made improvements on both & LOVE THEM, & trust completely.

I too carry a DA/SA 10mm Compact, double stack mag sometimes. 6 just ain't warm and fuzzy any more.

 

[babaylan]

Snatch and grab , purse with money, credit cards, keys AND GUN all gone.

Need to teach woman to carry on their person.

Maybe you should spend some time wearing women's clothing. Women's clothing has a tendency to be very closely tailored and doesn't always provide ready means of concealment, especially since most women's clothing is purposely designed to be revealing to be pleasing to men. It's easy for men who aren't facing society's expectations and demands of women to opine on what women should or shouldn't wear and how we should or should not carry weapons. Walk a mile in my heels.

While I agree that on-body carry is best, it's not always practical or feasible. Sometimes, off-body carry is necessary. Yes, it's inherently more risky, and it does require greater vigilance.

 

[F224]

I hope this question is in the right Forum.

I like both and my collection reflects that but I still feel more secure about my revolvers than I do with any semi-auto I own. I carry either depending on my mood but when the SHTF it's the revolver that will go bang every time.

Does anyway agree? Disagree?

With over 50,000 gunfight videos reviewed. Active self protection recommend a few things:

A reliable pistol with 15 rounds in the magazine is best.
Not a single video of a civilian where a reload was performed during the fight.
Civilians almost never shot through concealment, but treated it as cover.

Carry a revolver if you want, but you will be starting the fight with a handicap. Bigger, faster, and more is always better. Having survived a few gun fights myself, it's sound advice.