Why get a revolver instead of a pistol?

[3rdgeargrndrr]

You will never forget that "CLICK SNICK CLICK" sound of your first double action.
Then accuracy wise, you can always drop the hammer in single action for ultimate accuracy.
And just the art of the revolver itself.
do you like rubber timex watches or rolexes?
Simple and elegant masterpieces

Get a steel revolver for your purposes, probably a model 66 or 686 with a 3" or longer barrel as a good first gun for both hiking and range sessions. 38spl is fairly cheap to shoot. I would recommend NOT getting a 442/642 as a first revolver, they are highly modified revolvers IMHO, designed more for carry than range use and precision work.
Most dislike the accuracy and recoil as first timers.
You will Dry fire it often at zombies on the screen.

 

[500SNW]

Then stick with the plastic fantastic.
...there is more to learn and more to do with revolvers than with M&Ps.

Agreed. The revolver is truly "an elegant weapon for a more civilized age." As such, they require a lot more investment from their owners than do the polymer wonders. More time, money, modifications, handload tweaking, study and so on. Dedication might be a more appropriate word. It is JMHO, I repeat JMHO...but revolvers aren't something a newbie can just pick up right out of the box and begin blasting away with like the semis.

 

[Mister X]

Agreed. The revolver is truly "an elegant weapon for a more civilized age." As such, they require a lot more investment from their owners than do the polymer wonders. More time, money, modifications, handload tweaking, study and so on. Dedication might be a more appropriate word. It is JMHO, I repeat JMHO...but revolvers aren't something a newbie can just pick up right out of the box and begin blasting away with like the semis.

I see it the complete opposite. Airweight J-frames are pretty cheap, nearly everyone can figure out how to operate one, no extra magazines to buy, low maintenance and they work. My elderly mother got her ccw and the instructor kept pushing her to get a Glock 26 despite never being to rack it and struggling to remember the steps to load and unload it, not to mention the high probability of malfunctions. She's safe and competent with her S&W 442.

 

[500SNW]

I see it the complete opposite. Airweight J-frames are pretty cheap, nearly everyone can figure out how to operate one, no extra magazines to buy, low maintenance and they work. My elderly mother got her ccw and the instructor kept pushing her to get a Glock 26 despite never being to rack it and struggling to remember the steps to load and unload it, not to mention the high probability of malfunctions. She's safe and competent with her S&W 442.

Reread the OP's post and then reread my post, as you clearly have missed the point of both. Your own mother's experience has nothing to do with the topic. The OP admits to not having an extensive knowledge of guns in general, and revolvers in specific. That's OK, there is nothing wrong with that. My point is that you kind of have to fall into it...usually by shooting a friend or family members revolver . One cannot just wake up one morning and declare "I shall become a revolver devotee." Having experience by starting out my shooting career with pistols and then later on getting into revolvers (exclusively), I cannot honestly tell the OP that he/she is on the right path. The OP IIRC only owns one handgun and is going to carry this as a SD weapon. The OP has already indicated a familiarity and appreciation for semi-auto pistols...and a lack of knowledge of revolvers. Well...a couple old sayings apply here. First - if it ain't broke, don't fix it." And second - "If you have to ask, then it's probably not for you."

 

[gehlsurf]

I think it is personal preference, kinda like Glock vs 1911, etc. Revolvers feel different, as the weight is more forward, are inherently more accurate (although I have a 10mm RIA 1911 that can compete with my S&W TRR8, who'd guess that?!). And of course as others noted they behave differently. Google your question and you'll get pages of responses and thoughts.

As for my thoughts? I love my revolvers. Especially my TRR8, 8 shot, moon clips-im almost as fast as a mag change with practice, under tail for IR light when night hunting and light for home defense, red dot, etc.

If you want a do it all gun? Cant beat a nice 357. You can cut your teeth on reloading from light 38 spl to big 357 mag, even cat sneeze loads for I your garage.... itll always "cycle". 357 is Great self defense, great hunting gun, accurate, low maintanence, easy to use, always goes banger even if neglected, etc. Autos, to me, are more pigeon holed in their function. Quick example, cant hunt with 9mm, but good defense. Can hunt with 10mm, but overkill on self defense. So if you want a gun that YOU can grow into, revolver all the way. Cause you can always make the gun do what YOU want it to do without it bitching about Steve pipes, not cycling, not feeding rounds, etc.

And trust me, you'll take it to the range, I'm currently working up to 100 yr shooting now, got 50 yds almost satisfactory. Most autos wont do that, and yes, this is with my 357. You wont get bored at all. And hey, if you only pull it out once a year, your still GTG.

Just my thoughts.

 

[hittman77]

I'm more likely to shoot revolvers for fun. There's no chasing or catching brass. No getting hot brass on your forehead, in your ear or down your shirt. No fail to feed. No stove pipes. No fail to eject. No magazines to remember or to load.

With a revolver there's no remembering to insert the magazine, there's always one in the chamber and the safety is never on.

If you can't get your mission accomplished with 5 or 6 rounds afforded in a revolver you're likely screwed anyway.

That being said .... about 10% of my "carry time" is with a LC9s Pro but I still feel more confident with my Model 60 or LCR.

Whatever YOU decide is what's important. Me? I'm a cranky old revolver guy.

Good luck with your chase!

 

[Telecaster]

If you enjoy the mental/physical activity of shooting, if the satisfaction of caressing a machine into doing exactly what you want excites you, get a revolver.

If you think of a gun as just a tool, if you want cheaper ammo, get an M&P 2.0 compact.

Unless you find bulk .38 Special on sale, .38 will always be more expensive than 9mm (barring another ammo drought). Most stores sell at least 100-200 round boxes of 9mm. .38 is harder to find in boxes over 50 rounds.

 

[VaTom]

Three good reasons to get a S&W revolver. Model 15-3 (1974), Model 10-7 (1977), Model 64 (no dash) (1976). Have carried the Model 64 concealed since 1976 when I bought it new as an off duty revolver when I became a LEO. With a good pancake holster a 2" K Frame is as good as it gets.

I do have pistols including a Shield 9mm that I carry. However if given the choice of only one to carry it would be the Model 64.

By the way - you don't have to field strip a revolver to clean it!

Go with what you are comfortable with.

 

[jwk]

If you are comfortable w a semi and it meets your needs buy one. If you prefer a revolver buy that. For folks who really aren't into guns I suggest revolvers because the make it work safely is easier. I see the progression of small to midsize revolver then a full size auto then a compact auto because full size autos are less comfortable to carry then either a died in the wool 1911 accept no substitutes junkie or back to revolvers especially if you like big bullets at moderate to high velocities. Then when you get older and your hands don't like recoil so much anymore you start loving either a good 22 target pistol or revolver or a 38 Special target revolver.

 

[hkcavalier]

Thank you ALL for your input. It’s so helpful. Financially, I’d have to go with a J frame—-from what I can see, the K’s are too expensive. I think it will come down to a FS M&P 9 2.0, or a J frame with an enclosed hammer.
The next step is to see what’s at my two local shops, and go from there.

Unless you get a sweet deal locally, I can highly recommend the 442PCs being sold on Gunbroker right now. One vendor has them for $329.

 

[Paper Clip]

Unless you get a sweet deal locally, I can highly recommend the 442PCs being sold on Gunbroker right now. One vendor has them for $329.

+1. I got one too

 

[hdtwice]

One thing nobody has mentioned...but..

but it might be moot based on your local laws.

Transportation!

Here in the people's republic of Kalifornia... CCW is a challenge to get in many areas and when transporting your gun from place A, to B, you need to separate the ammo from the gun.

Rack that round again when you get somewhere, strip again before you leave and get back in the car, rack another round whey you get back home, or the next destination. Because of the concern of ...ah whats it called?....just forgot the name...case shrinkage?....somebody check me.

Anyway, with a revolver it is so easy to load, and unload the gun and still use the same ammo each time.

Again, depends on your local laws about transporting arms.

 

[silversnake]

The advantage to a 642 is that it is one of the best guns for pocket carry. If you don't foresee having to pocket carry then you are probably better off sticking with the M&P9C.

Full size revolvers are lots of fun at the range. Airweight J-frames, not so much.

 

[shouldazagged]

Under duress in an unexpected attack (I know, I know, situational awareness, but manure occurs) a less than optimum firing grip on an autoloader can convert it to a one-shooter at the worst possible time. If you can squeeze a revolver trigger through its arc it will speak its lines.

A revolver won't go out of battery if push really comes to thug and you are forced to ram the muzzle into an assailant.

I can no longer rack a slide, but when I could I might have considered an automatic as a head-of-the-bed house gun. But I still would have carried a revolver.

 

[crstrode]

Revolver or a pistol?.

When discussing handguns, remember that all revolvers are pistols, but all pistols are not revolvers.

 

[JagmanFL]

If you're going to carry your revolver. You need regular range days to stay sharp with you carry weapon. If you're not going to shoot it for fun, then you might want to stick with the 9mm.

 

[leejack]

The older I get, the more I migrate back to shooting revolvers, not sure why, I just like the feel of them and enjoy loading them much more than the semi's.

And today's my birthday folks, so don't argue, cut me some slack...

 

[BAM-BAM]

General rule around here......... get both!

For urban suburban concealed carry I tend to carry a "smaller" compact auto..... like a S&W 3913 or 6906 both have served me well since the early 90s.

At the cabin or out in Penn's Woods I tend to carry a .357..... generally a 3" 66 or 60-10.

All that said .................

IMO the most versatile utility/duty/ general purpose revolver is a 4" 686.....
.38 wadcutters , and shot shells to full bore .357 stainless for ease of care...... K-frame grip and trigger reach;N-frame strength. Can be carried concealed if needed.

Someone made a good point a while back................. a golfer doesn't golf with just one club...... there is no one handgun that will be "the best" for everything either.

 

[Pondoro]

I love revolvers and for most of my six decades revolvers were cheaper to buy, cheaper to shoot and more reliable. This has changed. I taught pistol and coached a teenage steel team. We used S&W M&P's (full size) but several instructors owned M&P compacts. We put literally tens of thousands of rounds of 9mm down range every year with almost zero malfunctions, some years with absolutely zero malfunctions. A few kids had personally owned Glocks or Springfield Armory guns. Same story. This was true for huge boys with strong hands and arms and also true for tiny girls who probably weighed 90 pounds. Racking the slide was difficult for the weaker kids but they could be taught proper mechanics and do it safely. Slide racking might become an issue for the elderly, I have no experience there (though I am getting close myself).

22's are a different story, but modern 9mm semi autos are very reliable and have become cheaper than revolvers.

I still love revolvers. I have no wish to die, but we all die someday. I hope I'm found dead in the woods with a revolver on my belt. (Dead of a heart attack, I don't want to get eaten and then have people say, "He should have been carrying a bigger gun!")

 

[Mister X]

but it might be moot based on your local laws.

Transportation!

Here in the people's republic of Kalifornia... CCW is a challenge to get in many areas and when transporting your gun from place A, to B, you need to separate the ammo from the gun.

Rack that round again when you get somewhere, strip again before you leave and get back in the car, rack another round whey you get back home, or the next destination. Because of the concern of ...ah whats it called?....just forgot the name...case shrinkage?....somebody check me.

Anyway, with a revolver it is so easy to load, and unload the gun and still use the same ammo each time.

Again, depends on your local laws about transporting arms.

You bring up a good point, however I actually favor the auto in some instances under such circumstances. I travel a great deal and will usually take along a Glock 26 in addition to my snub. In situations where I have to unload my weapons, I would likely opt for grabbing the Glock if it needed to be reloaded in a hurry.