Popularity of revolvers seems to be increasing lately.

[Bud11]

When I joined this forum in March of this year, I was looking to buy my first gun and settled on a Smith 67 revolver. If I remember correctly, the amount of people viewing the S&W Revolvers 1980 to Present section was always way less than the S&W Semi Auto Pistols section. Anyhow, it now seems like many times the 1980+ revolver section (not including the 1961-1980 section) is as full or fuller than the semi auto section.

May be coincidence on my viewing times or are the revolvers becoming more and more popular lately? My first three guns are revolvers and I plan to continue buying them, although a semi auto will definitely join the gang sometime. Don't know exactly why I was initially drawn to revolvers over the semi autos, I just plain like them better.

Do you think this is true, and if so, why?

 

[gr7070]

They might be on the rise; it would be near impossible to decline - revolvers just aren't very popular by comparison.

A few weeks ago Bud's sent out a list of their 15 most popular selling guns.

3 were long guns. The rest were automatic handguns, not one revolver.

Also, the list was largely quite inexpensive guns, $300 +/-. Only one gun was above $500 IIRC, and it was a $700 AR. So many revolver models are well over $500.

People just don't buy many revolvers. Revolvers are not generally well-liked, and people prefer inexpensive guns, which typically aren't revolvers, too.

 

[Butchbird]

I don't know if revolvers are getting more popular these days -- for me they have always been my first choice -- of course I'm old and grew up with them and feel very comfortable with them -- I have many autos -- and I do carry them -- but -- all my home defense guns are revolvers -- I like their reliabilty and simple operating features -- maybe others feel this way too

 

[williamlayton]

For carry, I have always been a semi fan.
Always had a roller under the mattress.
Blessings

 

[stantheman86]

I'm 31 and I have always been a revolver guy. People in my age group, early 30's-late 20's are probably the last "era" that can remember revolvers being common LEO sidearms and also when gun shop cases had bunches of S&W and Ruger revolvers, and they weren't "retro", they were popular choices for handgun buyers. Officer Friendly would come to our school for a MADD presentation or a driver safety class and seeing the wood or rubber grip of a S&W, Colt or Ruger revolver was the norm.

I like the variety for shooting and collecting, and S&W offers me a WIDE variety of revolvers to shoot and collect. I am an M&P-Model 10 junkie and I can own an M&P from 1915, all the way up to a 10-14 from 2006 and cover almost a century of S&W history. I think it is a testament to revolver popularity that all ammo companies still report the .38 Special to be in the top 10 handgun rounds they sell the most of, usually the top 5.

I will always be a revolver guy, I own very few autos and of those, most are CZ's because one of my "niche" collections is CZ handguns.Also have a few S&W autos, just because I have a weak spot for stuff like 5906's. I own one Glock, a 17, because it's a tool I don't have to maintain and I can store it in my closet ready to go as a "safe room" gun. Otherwise I have no use for the Blocks.

 

[glwt06]

I joined this forum because it's membership participation in the revolver.

In the defense of my self or others, I would pick up a semi-auto. But, that is a function of being better trained and much more capable with a semi-auto. I'm a use of force instructor for my department. I've spent hundreds if not thousands of hours with a semi-auto, mostly plastic tools. And that's really all they are to me, just tools.

Yet, I really enjoy my revolvers. I wish that I had the time and experience with the revolver that I do with the semi-auto. Even if for some reason I could no longer use a handgun anymore, I would still have a revolver or two around just to admire. A brilliant weapon designed and refined by brilliant men.

Paul

 

[stantheman86]

I use revolvers for CC pretty much primarily, but I'm not a LEO and so my odds of needing a handgun for self defense are low, and if so, I feel 6 rounds plus 12 reloads should be enough for the likely point blank encounter that most CC scenarios are.

Along the same lines as my love for bolt action rifles..I love the classic look and feel of blued steel and a walnut stock, but I realize they are no longer 1st line combat weapons........I love them, but I wouldn't have wanted to carry one of my 03 Springfields during my deployment in Iraq

If I were a LEO in today's world, where bad guys have more firepower then the police, I would go for an AR patrol rifle and a Glock 22. As much as I hate to admit it, the days when policemen were adequately armed with a Model 10 and a Rem 870 are pretty much over.

 

[AveragEd]

I like revolvers much more than autoloaders - but then I'll be 65 in about two months, if that age thing matters. I never got into the pseudo-military movement and don't shoot at silhouette targets, so rapid fire - rapid reload was never an attraction.

I've only ever owned three autoloading handguns - a 1976 Colt Gold Cup .45ACP, a 1972 High Standard Supermatic Trophy .22LR and my most recent purchase, a 2011 Kimber Stainless Gold Match .45ACP. I sold the Gold Cup when I quickly tired of chasing empty brass all over my gun club's range and the High Standard went about 10 years ago when I was offered 450% more than I paid for it. I was autoloader-less until a month ago, when I ponied up the loot for the Kimber.

In the meantime, I built a shell catcher for an auto using 1/2" PVC tubing and fiberglass screen so my range sessions are less frustrating. I still had dies and 500 pieces of new Starline .45ACP brass so all I needed to buy were the 200-grain lead round nose flat point bullets I shoot for practice. I really like the Kimber - it feels great, shoots very accurately and looks good to boot.

But it isn't a revolver.

Lastly, autoloaders never appealed to the collector in me because no autoloading firearm except shotguns are legal for hunting in Pennsylvania (and autoloading shotguns can't be used for deer hunting). Revolvers, Contenders, XP-100s - them I got a bunch of because I can use them for more than punching paper.

So there could be all kinds of reasons why a person might not prefer autoloading handguns.

Ed

 

[amazingflapjack]

I sold a friend in texas a M-29-2 a while back, and he emailed me that he was hitting steel silhouetts at 150 yards with it, and that all of the younger folks with plastic autos wanted to know what that "old fart" was shooting. They were not attempting the same shots. I have some autos that I'm very fond of, but they don't make many of them in 44Mag, 44Sp, 357Mag, 41Mag, 38Spl, etc. I have one auto that is suitable for longer range and serious hunting duty, it's a S&W 1006 10mm, it's made of stainless steel, and can be loaded to 41Mag levels. I watch gun broker all of the time, and I have noticed that revolver prices have risen in the last year. Usually when something has declined in popularity, the prices go down, not up. There are some "typical" models that have hovered around the same prices, but those that have gained popularity over the years have become more scarce, and therefor demand a taller price tag; at least that is what I have observed. I haven'ty seen a 629 no dash 4 inch in recent memory, and its' two cousins ain't so easy to find either. Take a look at anything with a 3 inch barrel, or anything that uses moon clips, especially 10mm's-ain't many, and when you see them they sell quick, and bring premium prices, oh, and anything new in box with everything with it. At least, that's the way I se it. Flapjack.

 

[Fairlane]

I'm only 45 but Revolvers are my favorite. I have autos also but revolvers just provide more fun. Had my 29 and 625 at the range today. Three young guys were blasting away with some plastic wonders. It didn't take long before they were asking what I was shooting. Good thing I brought extra ammo. Let them shot a bunch of rounds, though they had no takers for a second round on the 44 Believe I made three converts today.

 

[imjin138]

I prefer revolvers and mostly in the K frame variety, Saw a blue Python today for 900.00 but some one else was buying it. I am looking now for a few more K frames probably a 19, 66, 64 or soething similar for CCW. 2 in 2,5 or 4.

 

[44 special Dave]

Interesting place to ask this question.....but let's look at the real world not an "fan" board.

Stopped into a shop I hadn't been in lately and there were a fair # of Taurus judges, a scant few snub nose revolvers and everything thing else was a semi auto.

While I favor the revolver, the evidence is other than ccw type snubs the revolver has lost a lot of popularity over the last 30 years.

Was a time when gun shops had some 1911s, a few brownings and everything else was a Colt or S&W revolver.

As Bob Dylan said " the times they are a changin"

Dave

 

[tom32]

My revolver to auto pistol ratio is currently at 8 to 1 and will only increase.

 

[one eye joe]

I don't know if revolvers are getting more popular these days -- for me they have always been my first choice -- of course I'm old and grew up with them and feel very comfortable with them -- I have many autos -- and I do carry them -- but -- all my home defense guns are revolvers -- I like their reliabilty and simple operating features -- maybe others feel this way too

DITTO..........

 

[C Islander]

I just plain like revolvers!

 

[M3Stuart]

My current revolver to SA ratio is about 1 to 1.

I agree with all the people who said the LGSs all feature the inexpensive plastic brass shuckers. That's certainly the way it is around here.

I was at the range yesterday with a bag o' guns when a good friend of mine walked by - on his way to test his brand new LCP. He could hit ok with it. Then he started shooting my old 36. It's the older of the old type with the 1/10th inch sight (painted bright orange). He shot it for a while then ran a silhouette target out to 75' then proceeded to hit a dead-center head shot followed by 4 dead-center in the center (10?) ring. Heck, I can't even shoot it that well. He said it was way more accurate than his new(er) 649 and 642. (We were also shooting a MkII, 34 4", 64 4", 686 4", and a few others)

At the same time as we're doing all this, there's an older (than us and we're old) couple to the other side of us with new his and hers Glocks. The little lady was scaring the heck out of us with her 17 (or 19?) 9mm. The thing was jumping around in her hand so bad we would step back when she stepped up. Congrats to her for learning how to shoot, but jeez, isn't that what the Ruger MkII/III is for? I pulled my MkII out and asked her if she wanted to try it - "nope, we're good". Also, the brass was flying into her hair occasionally. She had one of those Texas 'big hair' do's. We were afraid that the residual hairspray might cause her to spontaneously combust when the hot brass hit it!

So there it is in a range metaphor - experienced shooters shooting all types revolvers, SAs, short barrels, long barrels - comparing different calibers at different ranges right next to a couple newbies with their right-out-of-the-box Glocks.

 

[dwever]

If I consider my agency's Glock Model 22 against the old six shot S&W revolver's, I would feel seriously outgunned with the old six shot. However, with a modern 8 shot revolver, moon clips, and the ultra-fast re-loads, I'd go on duty with that set-up if it were available.

Not likely though when agencies are barely paying $400 a copy for Glocks w/3 mags, they are reliable, and you have 46 rounds with two reloads.

My son is a graduate of Airborne and Air Assault, has competed with the M-4 and M-9 (I think M-9 is their Baretta), and revolvers not only aren't on his radar, he would barely be conscious of them if it weren't for mine.

 

[stantheman86]

They don't make autos in .454 Casull, .500 S&W, .460 S&W, and I would not consider the Desert Eagles in .50,.357, .41, or .44 any kind of replacement for my S&W and Ruger revolvers.

You can pretty much get by without rifles unless you're a hunter.......the Ruger .454 Super Redhawk will reach out and touch out to 200+ yards and a .500 S&W will stop anything that breathes out to about the same. Magnum Research makes huge SA revolvers in 30-30, and other rifle calibers.

 

[Cpt. Obvious]

all i know is, i've always been a 1911 guy, but i still only have the one kimber... waiting on getting my 2nd wheelgun in a month, a 681 no dash to keep my 19-6 company.

Think i've always been a revolver guy, too, and just didn't know it.

 

[TAROMAN]

This knife cuts both ways. The young (32) owner of the LGS was pretty much focused on polymer pistols and black rifles.
I had always helped him with identification when something "old" came in. Included, of course, were most all revolvers (except CC Js and the like). So, I managed to pick up some nice Smiths 12-3, 34-1, to name a couple, at very "friendly" prices.
Then, a while back, he called me about a Combat Masterpiece. Offered it to me for $425, IIRC. Well, this turns out to be an ANIB 1950 model with all the papers and Evaluators LTD. Provenance. So, being the honest soul that I am, I explained that this one was special and worth a lot more.
So, he decided to keep it, and now, he has gotten into Smiths in a big way. I think he reads SCSW at bedtime.
So, now the nice ones (Model 51 and a 1939 .32 I-Frame HE) have gone into HIS safe!