Revolver vs semi auto for CCW

[ClayCow]

I'm sure i'm not the first to think of this, but it hit me the other day. If a revolver can hold 6-7 rounds like a Glock 43 or shield or XDS 3.3, why don't people stick with revolvers? I haven't done or weight comparison, but I assume it's the same? Aren't revolvers more "reliable" atleast they can't jam and you just keep pulling the trigger right?

I'm just thinking about picking up Buds model 10 38 SPL used by LEO.

Also, in the event I do go with a revolver, why snubnose at 2" and not 3"?

 

[getoff]

i just found a 3" 64-3. as soon as i can find the right rig, its gonna be carried. would i rather have a 9mm or .357? no compairison. is the k frame harder to conceal? a little. but no one will argue the .357 is not a better option than 9mm. the buds model 10's are hit or miss as far as finish. as with most trade in LEO guns, carried tons, shot little, and internally sound.

 

[CATI1835]

I think you will find more people are carrying a revolver than you think. I alternate between my Shield and a J frame 432. The 432pd is perfect for Pocket carry.

 

[OKFC05]

Since you haven't tried it, I'll point out some of the challenges with revolvers ( I carry revolvers routinely).
The cylinder on a 6 shot and up are typically wider than a slim semiauto. I don't want a 7 shot revolver IWB.
A 3" revolver is as long as a 4" semi auto (revolver barrels are measured from the front of the cylinder).
Revolvers can jam, it is usually ammo related, and in my experience, likely cannot be fixed quickly. Ever see a squib stuck in the barrel/cylinder gap?
Something simple like powder under the star or a loose ejector rod can tie up a revolver.
One should be proficient with the long double action pull of a revolver to carry it.
A big rubber stock on a revolver is fun to shoot, but a small wood stock won't hang up on clothes.

All carry guns are compromises, IMHO.

 

[Tigerair]

I'm sure i'm not the first to think of this, but it hit me the other day. If a revolver can hold 6-7 rounds like a Glock 43 or shield or XDS 3.3, why don't people stick with revolvers? I haven't done or weight comparison, but I assume it's the same? Aren't revolvers more "reliable" atleast they can't jam and you just keep pulling the trigger right?

I'm just thinking about picking up Buds model 10 38 SPL used by LEO.

Also, in the event I do go with a revolver, why snubnose at 2" and not 3"?

Revolver or semi-automatic is a tough a question to resolve so I have both and it depends on the weather and where I am going when I leave the house which one I carry...

I have a model 10 2" but I never use it for CCW because of size and weight...I use it riding my quad in the Arizona desert in a Lobe flap holster...

 

[wingriderz]

I rotate between wheels and semis .those that practice alot with wheels tend to be very arcuate with them

 

[Arik]

Because not everyone carries a Glock 43 or a xds.

Both have their draw backs. Revolvers can jam too and like I found out last week they don't always set off the round. I went from having 6 rounds to 2 actual rounds that fired. Of course this can be with a semi auto too. Pulling the trigger too fast can also short stroke it.....where the cylinder doesn't have time to rotate. Sights are not exactly quickly aquired especially in less than ideal lighting. The Glock 43 or xds are ment as compact, light carry guns...almost pockets guns...and for some they are where as the model 10 is a full size revolver weighing around 34oz, same as a Beretta.

Both have their place but it's what you're used to. I carry a small 38spl ONLY when nothing else will work otherwise MY smallest gun is a Glock 19

 

[ClayCow]

Thanks for pointing out drawback. As for short stroking, wouldnt that mean the timing is off or something is loose? Is there no night sights for revolvers?

 

[Arik]

Thanks for pointing out drawback. As for short stroking, wouldnt that mean the timing is off or something is loose? Is there no night sights for revolvers?

No. It means you are pulling the trigger too fast and not letting it reset.

Model 10 have a black rear U notch and a front black sight.

 

[Tigerair]

Thanks for pointing out drawback. As for short stroking, wouldnt that mean the timing is off or something is loose? Is there no night sights for revolvers?

Short stroking is not letting the trigger reset...I have a Ruger LCR that has a long trigger reset and I have more than once not allowed the trigger to reset...

 

[F75gunslinger]

There are night sights for revolvers, but first you have to have a revolver that you can change the sights in. A model 10 has a fixed rear, and a solid mounted front. Most revolvers have target sights for a rear if not fixed, so generally people will upgrade the front to a tritium sight if it can be easily changed. A revolver will be thicker than a semi-auto, and also harder to conceal under light clothing as they're generally longer than a comparable semi-auto.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Pick a platform or platforms and ......practice practice practice........

all have pros and cons......IMHO most "civilians" are/can be well served by a 5-6 shot revolver...... most of us carry a firearm for a 1 in 100,000 (or is it 1,000,000) chance of having to defend ourselves or a loved one...... we are not strapping on a gun with the intent of going in harms way!

 

[AZ_M&P]

Or you could compromise... and carry both.

My EDC is almost always my Shield, or if I'm dressed really light for the office I pocket carry a SIG P238. No matter what though, I always have my Airweight J Frame strapped to my ankle as a BUG.

I've read a lot of Mas Ayoob's writings, and he's a strong believer that a revolver will take a lot more dirt/crud/grime and still perform more reliably than a semi-auto ever will. Thinking about the mechanics of each weapon I tend to agree, so the little .38 Special is primarily ankle carry and gets a quick swab out every weekend to keep the bore clean.

I also carry a spare speed strip for the .38 and a spare magazine for the Shield in a SnagMag.

 

[McE]

Many will say a revolver is more reliable, but being the contrarian that I am, I see it differently.

When a semi has an issue, it's usually just going to take a tap/rack.
When a revolver has an issue, it's usually going to take a gunsmith.

Semis are fairly simple designs, generally robust and easy to work with.
Revolvers are more fragile, in my opinion, with many more small, sensitive parts. Hand, crane/yoke, ejector, cylinder stop, lots of fragile bits. Timing issues aren't easily remedied, either.

What's more reliable- something that may malf more frequently but is a quick fix, or something that may malf less frequently but when it does, it's completely out of service?

Other talking points- most if not all people will shoot most semi-auto triggers better than they will a traditional DA revolver trigger. What good is any carry piece if you can't shoot it well? Of course, you should train, but there's more to overcome with shooting a DA revolver well. No cylinder gap to worry about in a semi. Semis are going to have thinner options for concealment.
It's a trivial point but I don't like the 38spl cartridge at all. It's a relic of the smokeless transition and it bugs me that you'd carry a larger cartridge than the 9mm for a slower same-sized bullet.

 

[hardluk1]

I grew up with revolvrs , hunted with them and carried a 38sp snubby for 19 years as my CC . When lite weight thin single stack polymer pistols proved reliable in general I bought a kahr cw9 that gave me a 17oz 7+1 shot pistol with a extra 8 rounds mag and a smooth 5lb double action trigger and never looked back to a revolver for CC . Still enjoy shooting revolvers and hunt with them but no more CC duty for them .

 

[Mister X]

I'm sure i'm not the first to think of this, but it hit me the other day. If a revolver can hold 6-7 rounds like a Glock 43 or shield or XDS 3.3, why don't people stick with revolvers? I haven't done or weight comparison, but I assume it's the same? Aren't revolvers more "reliable" atleast they can't jam and you just keep pulling the trigger right?

I'm just thinking about picking up Buds model 10 38 SPL used by LEO.

Also, in the event I do go with a revolver, why snubnose at 2" and not 3"?

I'm in the camp of those who prefers a revolver over a micro auto that doesn't hold any more rounds or only one or two more at most. If I'm carrying a semi-auto, it's strictly for the added capacity.

Some like to point to the faster reload capability of the auto-loader, but considering most civilian encounters are generally reactive, close-quarter and resolved very quickly, I don't see the opportunity for reloads being necessary or even realistically possible. You fight with what's onboard with the scenario being resolved either way with what's in the gun.

A revolver is more reliable IMO. If the majority of civilian encounters are close-quarter, the revolver is more effective in that environment due to it's ability to make muzzle contact shots, function better in a grappling entanglement and is immune to limp-wristing. I have the same perspective on Tap-Rack-Back as I do reloading...there simply won't be time. With a revolver, it's usually simply a matter of pulling the trigger again.

I don't care for 3" snubs nor the model 10. I like pocket carry, the ability to fire from a jacket pocket and the close-quarter and weapon retention advantages of an enclosed hammer snub. A 3" revolver with an exposed hammer loses those advantages for little in return.

 

[Kframerbluvr]

I started in LE with revolvers and sometimes still carry a five shot J-frame as a pocket gun or (rarely) a full size six shot 4" .38 sixgun on my belt. These days, it is usually now a .40 Glock, either a issued G23 on duty or my old G22 off the clock. The Glocks are flatter, lighter, hold more rounds, and I now have enough years practicing with them that I now shoot them better than my old Model 10s. I can detail strip and replace any part on the Glocks as well.

 

[Rastoff]

The answer to this question is the same as always; which do you shoot more effectively?

We can debate reliability or ease of carry, but it's the very first shot or two that makes all the difference. Can you put those first two shots on target, quickly? If you can't do it quickly, they'll shoot you first. If you're faster, but miss, the shots didn't solve the issue.

So, which do you shoot better? Carry that one.

 

[PirateJim]

......
Also, in the event I do go with a revolver, why snubnose at 2" and not 3"?

There are people out there in the internet cloud that say they're able to carry some mighty large guns concealed. Obviously (probably), how you dress has a lot to do with what you can conceal successfully. You can hide a lot more under a drover's coat than a tee shirt.

But for most of us, selecting a concealed carry gun is an exercise in compromise. You try to balance power (caliber) and capacity with physical size to find a place in the spectrum where you are comfortable with the potential stopping power and feel that you can successfully conceal the gun and carry it comfortably for long periods. The bigger the gun, the harder it is to successfully conceal, and the heavier and thus more uncomfortable to carry it becomes.

A lightweight, 2" barrel J-frame revolver can be comfortably carried in the front pocket of a lot of men's slacks. A 3" model 60 has the same capacity, but probably won't fit in that pocket and is heavier. A 3" 686 is definitely a holster gun, and would be more uncomfortable than a lot of semi-autos stuck inside the waistband.

For what it's worth, I carried a 642 for some years as my primary EDC before "discovering" the Shield which is now my main EDC, but the 642 still comes out from time to time.

 

[ibewbull]

It is all up to you.
What feels good, what hits good and is there enough power to do the job?
If 5 rounds are insufficient you it off more than you can chew.
I love my J frames and sometimes feel the need to step it up a notch depending on where I may go. First choice is avoid bad places.
On long trips in strange areas I may take my J in an ankle rig 158gr FBI Loads. and 27 Glock IWB and Glock 22 in a Miami Classic. Over kill yes but I did say long trip in unknown areas. My wife would have her 642 and ammo as always.

J in ankle rig is easy to reach when in a car. Big plus for me.
Think out the scenario and plan accordingly.