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Anyone notice this recent trend about revolvers?

14K views 97 replies 72 participants last post by  RaisinRiverRon 
#1 ·
What's going on? I must have read 5 or 6 articles/editorials in gun mags lately about how the revolver isn't dead and how superior it is to a semi-auto for police, CCW, and self-defense.

It seems that in praising the revolver, which it is certainly worthy of, semis are essentially demonized as if they were all about to stove pipe, double feed, fail to feed, fall apart, get dirt in them and stop working, have magazines always ready to fail, semis have too many springs in them, the springs will break at the worst possible time, they are beyond most to maintain properly, they are harder to clean, and they produce a disproportionate number of ADs/NDs. They can't be shot from inside a pocket (how does one practice that and how often?), you can't shove them into someones "gut" and shoot. Semis hold too much ammo, reloading one will get you killed, and they are dangerous to press check. They won't handle a wide variety of ammunition like revolvers will and are too picky about ammo anyway. The SA semis are accidents waiting to happen, you can't hit fast with DA/SA autos, DAO semi triggers are too hard to pull and don't have a good feel like revolvers, Glocks DAO triggers are too light, and in general, semis are so complicated and tricky to operate that few should use them and they aren't as accurate as revolvers. Some don't have fully supported chamber and are likely to ka-boom if you shoot them. And besides all that, a semi lays so flat on a bed side stand, you can't pick it up as fast as you can a revolver.

You'd think by now that someone would be producing a low capacity (5 - 6 shot), reliable semi by now!

Maybe gun sales are slow and they are trying to stimulate sales by "selling" us on revolvers.


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#4 ·
Maybe it's just the pendulum swinging the other way. For years and years semiautos were all the rage, with hardly a mention of the revolver.
 
#5 ·
A well-handled revolver is still an effective sidearm. It has much to recommend it for the casual user...a simpler manual of arms, reliable function after laying--untouched--in the sock drawer for a decade or two, and so forth.

There are different sorts of "reliability". The revolver is typically very reliable, but can be more dirt sensative than an autopistol (a few grains of unburned powder under the extractor "star" can tie one up) or a bullet jumping its crimp can stop it from working.

In most realistic defensive scenarios, a revolver can handle the job if the shooter can handle the job.

Rosco
 
#6 ·
Rosco Benson said:
A well-handled revolver is still an effective sidearm...
...In most realistic defensive scenarios, a revolver can handle the job if the shooter can handle the job.
Rosco
That's true of course, and as I said in my post, revolvers are certainly worthy of praise, but we don't need to trash the semi to praise the revolver.

I also notice that revolver editorials/reviews/articles often include derogatory (maybe derogatory is a bit stong) remarks about semis, but it is very rare to see derogatory remarks about revolvers in editorials/reviews/articles about semis.
 
#7 ·
Maybe they just got a large advertising contract with a revolver manufacturer.
Hey, let's be realistic. If a magazine can't say anything positive about a manufacturers product, they're not going to buy advertising which is not to imply that revolvers aren't useful and effective weapons. For many people, they are the best solution.

Most of the comments Tangle is attributing to gunragwriters is simply garbage, kinda like the:

"<fill in blank> will get you killed in a gun fight"

a) Shooting IPSC
b) Having a full length guide rod on your gun
c) Using shock buffers
d) A semi-automatic pistol
e) A gun in the house
f) all of the above and quite a few more not listed here.
 
#8 ·
kbear38S said:
The answer's simple. Most (not all) gun writers are way full of ####.
Ernest Hemingway said, "The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shock-proof s##t detector."

I would say that should go double for the reader.
 
#10 ·
I think it is interesting that they are doing this. I have been shooting revolvers for about 30 years and can think of many more instances of them malfunctioning than with autos. Just like someone mentioned above, just a little unburned powder under the extractor and your hosed. I have a new perfomance center 357 that won't go through 20 shots before this happens. I know that it is because of using Hercules 2400 powder and it not all burning BUT my 1911 will have flakes of Unique all over it and doesn't slow down at all.

Yes, there are reasons that revolvers aren't real popular in military combat roles. In any case, I will always have revolvers because I enjoy shooting them - just trying to keep them in perspective.
 
#11 ·
Revolutions

I think it makes a good article to be in support of things that aren't the current rage; controversy is interesting. I gotta admit, tho, my carry gun and primary home defense gun is a snubby revolver b/c I know I won't have to worry about safeties, accidental high hold on the gun, getting the barrel pushed so it's outta battery, managing ftf or fte, etc. The snub is also really manuverable in close quarters and easy to hang on to. Then, just point and click, er, bang.
 
#12 ·
It's not that there's anything wrong with revolvers, or writing articles about them. I think revolvers hold a warm spot in our hearts if not our holsters/pockets. But there seems to be a current trend to trash semis in the process of praising revolvers.
 
#13 ·
The guy who said revolvers are less complicated than semi-autos never took one apart. The 1911 at least is far simpler to service on the internal level than the SAA or any DA S&W I've ever touched. Though, the more "modern" they get the harder the autos become to work on. Take apart a Kahr, for example, at risk of your IMMORTAL SOUL.
 
#14 ·
Every since the 80's the semi-autos have held the vast majority of the attention given by numerous gun writers. Now some of that attention is being spent on the revolvers. One of the reasons may be that some pistol shooters are now shooting revolvers more and more these days. I'm primarily a revolver shooter and see alot of pistol shooters seeking advice about revolvers on alot of the revolver boards on the internet.
 
#15 ·
What are the better revolver forums out there, just out of curiosity?

My pistol choices have always been somewhat suspect in my family because I have more pistols these days than revolvers, I have to admit. My brother has no use for auto's whatsoever and is free in sharing that philosophy. (He grudgingly admits that a 1911 is the only auto, except maybe a ruger 22, that he'd bother owning--the others are just "too inaccurate and unreliable, and not much good for hunting" in his eyes.

I love my auto's, and pretty much all of them have been superbly reliable, but I do admit that revolvers still hold a certain place in my heart. They occupied my first half dozen or so handgun purchases, and I still keep a loaded revolver as my ultimate fail safe backup in my room. In fact, I'm ruminating on trading one of my auto's for a revolver I saw the other day right now. But my auto's still outnumber my revolvers by more than 2 to 1.

I will concede that in general I have found that new shooters seem to take to revolvers more naturally and shoot them better. But then I know others who say they find the opposite. To me the variety just makes things more interesting/fun!
 
#16 ·
My take on this is, money. S&W and Taurus are THE revolver guys. Colt and Ruger are still in the game too. Ruger has some stiff competition from Beretta/Uberti in single actions. The writer has to make a marketable product. If they always told the truth, they would be honest and poor. I do admit that a 2 shot difference in rounds chambered is no big deal anymore. A 1911 or Tracker is not far apart in capacity. I have DA and SA revolvers. I only have SA autos. The gun scribes must have favorable articles to manufacturers so that the public will buy. I agree that many are ignorant and believe a revolver is the best weapon. I knew a LEO who carried a SAA Colt 45 until he died. I like revolvers. I shoot them. I carried a Colt Trooper MKIII on duty for years. When I found an agency that issued 1911s, I went to work for them. I still CCW a 1911. I see nothing wrong with autos or revolvers. Some people like beer and some people like moonshine. I also eat red meat. This means that I am a neanderthal. I like to shoot and hunt and compete. To some, I am a dinosaur. I simply think I am smarter than a piece of inanimate parts of steel, wood and composites.
 
#17 ·
Smith & Wesson, Ruger, and Colt all have active revolver forums with very knowlegable folks posting. The High Road has a very active revolver forum, but it is more general as the previous ones are more manufactor specific. Shootersville also has some good people with alot of knowlege on their revolver board.
Do a search on Yahoo as there are several active boards. I belong to one that deals with pre-war Colts and it has extensive lists and photos of old Colts still surviving today.
Sixshooter, Shooters, and Graybeard are some of my other regularly visited sites for revolver conversations.
 
#18 ·
The short to medium barreled revolvers can be employed extremely fast at very close range. While many amateur and professional pistol shooters can do as well - the average shooter might master this faster with the revolver. The record holders use revolvers too.
 
#19 ·
Yeah, all you have to do is watch Jerry Miculek shoot, and you'll just be going "wow..." :)
 
#20 ·
Majic said:
Smith & Wesson, Ruger, and Colt all have active revolver forums with very knowlegable folks posting. The High Road has a very active revolver forum, but it is more general as the previous ones are more manufactor specific. Shootersville also has some good people with alot of knowlege on their revolver board.
Do a search on Yahoo as there are several active boards. I belong to one that deals with pre-war Colts and it has extensive lists and photos of old Colts still surviving today.
Sixshooter, Shooters, and Graybeard are some of my other regularly visited sites for revolver conversations.
Thanks for the info!
 
#22 ·
Show me a gun mag article where they dog a new gun...


It is always something like this:

This new P22 Walther had some early extraction problems. A quick inquiry to Walther was that some mainsprings had some tension problems, Walther kindily sent one out FEDEX overnight, and the VERY NEXT DAY I was shooting this fine target pistol. Walthers customer service dept. has arrived again!

If they say something negitive, then they contradict it with two or more positive. Reading any gun rag, is like reading 100 pages of a fricken ad!
 
#23 ·
....................that is why, along with some other publications which will remain nameless, I just like to look at the pictures;)
 
#25 ·
Controversy Sells magazines.
 
#26 ·
An issue to consider is that if a semi malfunctions, usually one can just clear the malfunction and get back to work.

On the other hand, should a revolver malfunction (due to dirt on the star, a protruding primer, etc.) the only remedy is a good cleaning.
 
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