Is the revolver now a 'hobby gun'?

[Hair Trigger]

Yes, I agree with this. However: I've been burned before trying to buy these. (sellers who lie and misrepresent the condition of a gun). I've also had many good experiences, and regret selling the ones I had.

And that has nothing to do with the gun itself, just the manner in which it is purchased. There are manufactured items I absolutely refuse to buy without a Mark 1 eyeball, hands-on inspection, and a firearm of any type is at the top of that rather long list. If I miss out on a few great online deals, that's okay with me. I've still found the ones I've wanted.

Well very few, police departments or countries armed forced issue them as carry pieces.

And what, do you suppose, are the reasons behind it?
1-cost
2-gotta have the newest model and biggest capacity magazine or latest "best" caliber.

It has little to do with the actual long-term quality of the gun, because in 2-4 years, they'll be swapping them out again.

 

[Iggy]

I've never had a failure with a revolver, and never had a pistol that hasn't.


That said, with age and infirmities, I'm down to carrying a Sig P365 because of the world we live in today.

 

[dr. mordo]

On the other hand, if you ask the guys who teach handgun defensive courses for a living, most will tell you that they believe the revolver is "obsolete." Most of them see no advantage in the revolver as a weapon carried specifically for defensive use, especially in an urban environment. I taught with John Farnam for years and I know that in the last 10 years I worked with him we didn't see a single revolver in a single class that I helped with. That would probably have encompassed around 300 students including cops, US Marshals, military and civilians. Had a revolver shooter showed up he would have had a hard time keeping up with the class.

This makes me want to follow thru with my idea to take some defensive pistol courses with my 3" M629. My handloads are light magnums, and I shoot them well enough to think it would be pretty fun to pit my skills against guys shooting autos.

I've never had a failure with a revolver, and never had a pistol that hasn't.

This has been pretty much my experience, except I've fiddled with a few revolvers until they became unreliable, and I've had a couple of semis (a Para 1911 and a FN Hi Power) that haven't malfunctioned. YET.

 

[5-Shot]

"Given that position ammo capacity is probably the most important requirement for these people (not all - or me however) and semi-autos are the only way to maximize ammo capacity."

Sadly, I believe that's an accurate statement. What amazes me is that I can not imagine a civilian situation in which I have time to fire more than 6 shots and still be standing.

Ed

 

[Oracle]

Hand guns are a hobby of mine that come with diverse benefits, shooting for fun and hopefully never ever in a poo hits the fan situation. For many years handguns meant semiautos for myself, my favorites were full size model 1911's. I bought a 6.5" model 629 a few years back and wondered what took me so long.

I have yet to have any issues with the 6.5" model 629 or the subsequent S&W revolvers. The same can't be said of the 1911's.

I don't see revolvers going the way of the carrier pigeons.

 

[pawncop]

Have not read all the responses, so sorry if I am repeating other thoughts.

In consideration of any firearms purchase, the need is to be defined clearly.

When I began in law enforcement, self loading firearms (rightly or wrongly) were thought to be less reliable than revolvers. So most officers I worked with carried revolvers with the raging debate regarding brand, caliber, sights, etc.

In the 80’s with the introduction of the wonder 9’s the self loading firearm came into it’s own.

My journey was changed by a chief that decreed we could not longer carry 357 magnum rounds. Accordingly, I chose to carry a S&W 4506 in 45 ACP.

Until I retired, I carried a 640-1 as a second gun, the M&P in 45 ACP as my duty sidearm.

I believe the revolver will evolve into a category like the single action revolver.

We will probably see fewer choices, noting the 45 ACP is no longer available in new production.

It is sort of sad to witness the decline, but it is the way of the world.

 

[hyena]

The 642 on my hip right now is not there for a hobby.

 

[Muley Gil]

My solution?
Buy pinned and recessed Smith and Wesson revolvers.
They work.

Well, if you do that, you limit yourself to magnums and rimfires.

 

[Darkenfast]

Are there ANY American law enforcement agencies ordering new revolvers? Any? I'd say that there are good reasons for that and it's not because they have succumbed to some sort of collective craziness or that cops today are inferior to cops of old.

Outside of a very small niche area (BUGs), revolvers, like bolt action rifles (even sniper rifles are mostly semi-auto), are sporting items now (even if you can often defend yourself with either).

 

[Dieseltech56]

If the revolver is a hobby gun then that must be why I like my hobby so much. No one my age cares about revolvers so it’s hard to find someone to talk to but that may be the only downfall. I’ve tried semis and realized I don’t like squishy triggers and I don’t like chasing brass.

Before anyone says it yes I have a 1911 but I also have glocks and one Springfield XD. The 1911 trigger is not the norm

 

[Laketime]

If new gun bans come to be this year then it will be 6 against 10 rounds.Then you will see new interest in big bore’s and magnum power being a Consideration like in the old days.

 

[sigp220.45]

When I carried a badge I had work guns and hobby guns. I’m retired now, so they’re all hobby guns.

I don’t have to carry a gun. I live in a nice town and the odds of me needing a gun again are infimitesimally small. Its probably the same with nearly everyone here. I carry one anyway, because I have a lot of guns and I like carrying them.

To the OP’s point that it seems like new revolvers aren’t up to the standards of older ones because LE doesn’t use them anymore, I would agree. The revolver in modern law enforcement has been reduced to a stunt - like patrolling in Andy Griffith’s old Mayberry PD unit. Of course a couple fearsome old time cops may post photos of themselves still wearing a revolver, but they are the exception that proves the rule.

The most sought-after revolver this past year has been the new Colt Python. $1500 and they can’t make them fast enough. It may be the definition of a hobby gun. Many will never leave the safe, most will never see a holster, and precious few will be carried by anyone with a chance of actually having to use one for “non-hobby” purposes. (Still a great gun, though!)

 

[STCM(SW)]

The CC semi autos I CC are a Walther PPKs Interarms & a Kimber Pro Carry II.
But most of the time it is my M640 357 Magnum & M696 44.
All are just what I need if anything should need as far as I concerned.

 

[CH4]

Tracking down nice revolvers is a hobby, carrying them is not. 1/2 of my SD rotation is revolvers. I carried this 2” 15-2 for the past week.

p.s. After 14 months of waiting I finally received my brushed bronze Tyler T, a bday from a friend and forum member.

 

[Neversink n Klapperthal]

I believe the op is correct,considering all the horror stories I hear about new revolvers.But ,out of suitcases full of model 29s I own, most were made before 1965,so I have no real experience with modern revolvers.I`ve had loads of Kimber and dan wesson 1911s,none of which have ever missed a beat

 

[Miami_JBT]

Is the Wheel Gun Dead?

Those were the words uttered in 1989. The Era of the Wondernine was upon us. High Capacity 9mm Semu-Autos that had a magazine capacity of 15rds to 17rds was becoming the standard. Technological wonders from S&W, Ruger, GLOCK, Sig Sauer, and Beretta were hitting store shelves and police holsters. The thought across the gun ranges and in the roll call rooms was that the old reliable wheel gun was done. By the year 2000; we'd all be shooting lasers in the 40 Watt range and doing it on the moon.

Carry guns like this factory bobbed hammer DAO S&W Model 65 were done and no one would want them.

Only old people would be carrying such a beast. Low capacity, heavy, and large. Why would someone lug a S&W Model 13 around?

The semi-automatic was to replace the revolver like the percussion cap replaced the flintlock or the self contained cartridge firearm replaced the muzzle loader. Well, weren't they wrong. Revolvers are still here and gaining popularity. So much so that Colt is back in the game with the Python and Cobra line after they abandoned it entirely with the belief that the semi-auto was the only future they could partake in.

Kimber has jumped into the market with an entirely new design.

S&W is making newer versions of their ever classic J-Frames without locks and they've even brought back the 3" Model 66.

Ruger is selling their revolvers like hot cakes and coming out with new designs.

And ultimately, folks like yours truly are still putting the original ones through the ringer.

The revolver is not dead, far from it. It is rising from the ashes like a phoenix. Sure, the wheel gun had a slump in the 1990s and early 2000s. But in the 2010s it regained its strength and is it starting the 2020s with a hell of a demand. Folks want guns that go bang due to the rioting and pandemic. And the revolver is still a hell of a self defense gun. For a novice shooter, the revolver isn't a bad choice. .38 Special and .357 Magnum are nothing to sneeze at and the fact that they don't need magazines is a plus to the thrifty buyer. Since with the massive panic we're witnessing, magazines like guns are hard to find.

 

[uncleted327]

By their functioning methods alone, revolvers will ALWAYS be inherently more reliable than semi autos. I'm not sure why this is even a debate still. And I know someone will try and say that if a revolver does malfunction its probably a very serious issue that will stop it for the time being. Even if that is true the rate of malfunction versus semi autos is still minuscule. Any one person's experience with any type of weapon means nothing overall.

 

[Alton]

Last year was a great year for me purchasing fire arms. I picked up 586 classic, 686, 9mm EZ, Sig 9mm, used 29-3, Python 2020, and a 10/22 target barrel. All shoot and look great. I prefer the revolver over the auto, but I shoot deer with a Ruger #1 single shot and have for 40 years. And I drive a stingray with a manual transmission, so I guess you could classify me as old school or a classic.

 

[Muss Muggins]

They're all hobby guns. My hobby is protecting me and mine, and sometimes I'm feeling revolvery and sometimes I'm feeling semiautoish . . .

 

[glenwolde]

It's entirely up to the individual. For me, they have always been hobby guns. But then so have the autos. At least as far as actual rounds fired.