Revolver vs Semi
 

I know this is an age old debate, but I want everyone's opinion.

I carry a Glock 19 and it does the job. I don't mind revolvers, in fact, they have a coolness about them, but I don't consider them to be a good modern carry option for the reasons of capacity, reloading, trigger pull, etc.

I would use a revolver and keep one in my safe but it isn't the first thing I grab.

Semi, just because I am more confident in my skill with one than I am with a revolver, partly because I am left-handed and take waaaay longer to reload a revolver than a right-handed person of equal skill probably could



I still like revolvers, though, I just wouldn't use them in a life-or-death situation if given a choice

The only niches where a revolver is as good or better than an auto are in the extremes, like microcarry and hunting rigs.

When you get down to micro carry guns, most of the problems with revolvers become moot. The recoil of a .38 Special J frame (alloy or all steel) is similar to the felt recoil by slim 9mm or .380 pocket pistols, and with proper loads, the effectiveness of the .38 is roughly on par. .357s are also an option, but at the cost of the worst possible recoil. Capacity is also nerfed in the autos making the difference all but 2 rounds in most cases. The weight difference between snubs and micro autos of equal size and material is negligible at best. The difference in the quality of sights (those lovely, shitty J frame trench sights) is half the time not there (like with the LCP/LC9), and half the time immaterial, as these guns are not designed for true handgun combat range. The expectation for them to perform at that range is unrealistic, and if they can, it should be considered a luxury (and the individual who can make those shots, a damn good shooter). The revolver will also have a far better chance of being dead nuts reliable over the auto, as smaller guns operate at higher pressures with tighter springs, upping the chance that they will be more finicky. I suppose autos may have lighter triggers, but even with the weight, a smooth double action revolver trigger is far better suited for affirmative shooting, as the break point and reset are easy to determine. And if you know a gunsmith in your area, he's not worth his salt if he can't slick up a revolver trigger, something that every gunsmith ever has know how to do for decades. The only real advantage that autos have over revolvers are the reloads, as button release mags will always be faster than speedloaders (or those silly speed strips people insist on carrying). The philosophy behind the pocket gun, though is having the bare minimum gun you can, and so foregoing reloadability is just part of the creed. Reloading tiny single stack mags is a blunder compared to using full size double stack mags. It's a gray area within a gray area really. The point is, when you get down to this small size, revolvers are highly viable, if not preferred.

As for hunting, there are only a few options in this arena for autos (like the Desert Eagle). The bigger cartridges produce more pressure, which revolvers are able to take (if built right), while autos can't. This is not only due to the chamber pressures and internal issues, but the cycling as well. You need a strong locking mechanism and excellent recoil springs to handle those kinds of pressures, which is why the Desert Eagle has a rotating bolt and dual recoil springs. You're always going to get more energy out of the revolver too, as no energy is being tapped off for cycling. An auto will be easier to reload, and take many more rounds, but again, in the hunting niche, these are not primary concerns. If you need a fast reload, it's because you're a crappy shot and you can't take your prey down with what you have. Work on that before upping your load to 8 instead of 5, or use a rifle. And of course, a good revolver trigger beats any auto trigger, in single or double action modes.

To get back to the original question, though, revolvers are only adequate or superior in niches where the advantages of autos (capacity, sights, trigger and reload ease) are not a factor, and in the micro and hunting niches, these factors are a non issue, or at the very least, not as pertinent as other factors or philosophical considerations.

I suppose I should just make the question more specific. My buddy carries a 10mm if he ever hikes because of wild animals.

I covered the hunting discipline already. Of course, your specification raises another question. What kind of animals is does he think he's going to encounter, and how many? If it's a pack of coyotes, yeah, a Glock 20 with 16 rounds of 10mm is probably nice if he needs to handle all of them. If it's one bear, he ought to bring something with more power, as 10mm may be on the high spectrum of service calibers, but pales in comparison to a lot of standard factory .44 Magnum loads, aka a revolver round. And the ability to stop something like a bear is not something to be piece mealed either. 6 rounds of .44 Mag are better than 16 rounds of 10mm, as the .44 Mag has more energy and higher penetration threshold per bullet.

Of course, what you should have asked in the first place is whether or not 10mm is as serviceable in this particular niche than higher calibers, not whether or not revolvers are better than semi-autos in any given application.

This being said, I am very tempted to get a Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 to carry (it won't be my main carrypiece, though) when I get my license, just because

I always thought if you're going someplace where five or six rounds aren't enough, then maybe you should reconsider going there.

Well, you might as well have more. In case of zombified velociraptors or some other supernatural terror decides that today is the day that it wants to mess with you, you know

I've read stories of home invasions and encounters on the street where there are more than one attacker, sometimes up to 4. A revolver can only do so much in those situation and just because you shoot one guy down doesn't always make the others run away scared.

Home invasions are another thing altogether. Anything goes then. I have a Remington 870 and a fire axe ready for that. But I can't really hide either down my pants for carry.

Yeah, this is exactly why I keep my SKS-M with a 30-rounder ready to go

Tell anyone who asks that you're just really happy to see them?

Yeah, to be fair, if there's a home invasion happening, I'd grab my rifle as well but that's a different situation. What about if you attacked by a gang? I've read about it happening.

I saw the picture of your SKS earlier. Is the detachable magazine mod permanent? I thought about doing that to my SKS, but that'd make it illegal to own in NJ, and I'd like keep the option of moving back one day.

Everyone will agree that more rounds is better against multiple assailants. That's obvious. When I made my comments, I didn't bother naming all the areas in which semi-autos are better, because they are better for most niches, and the reasons why they are better are obvious and well known. It's far easier to comment on the niches where revolvers are better, since there are fewer of them, and they are not widely discussed.

Mod? It came straight from Norinco with the ability to take AK mags


I'm like the least likely person ever to mod my guns

Oh, I didn't know such a thing existed.

Yeah, Norinco SKSs have that ability. I remember wanting to buy a Paratrooper variant that can take AK mags.

Anyway, off topic.

Revolvers can mess up if abused. The timing can be thrown off, has problems when dropped in lots of dirt or sand. Anything that hinders the rotation of the cylinder of a revolver will cause it to stop working. Anything that keeps the cylinder from locking up at the right place (timing) can affect its ability to fire. Something as simple as lint from a pocket or purse can stop a revolver from working. It does not take sand to stop a revolver.

If you're willing to carry, I'm assuming you're willing to take the time to properly maintain your firearms as well, although I believe timing is something only a qualified gunsmith can fix.

As for pocket carry, I'm pretty sure you should always have a pocket holster, and as a lady friend tells me, ladies should never carry in their purse, since it's something they can toss to deter an attacker. (I don't think guys realize how lucky we have it when it comes to carry options.)

Semi-autos can mess up if abused. The slide timing can be thrown off, has problems when dropped in lots of dirt or sand. Anything that hinders the cycling of the slide of a semi-auto will cause it to stop working. Anything that keeps the slide from returning to battery (lockup) can affect its ability to fire. Something as simple as lint from a pocket or purse can stop slide from cycling/locking. It does not take sand to stop a semi-auto.

True, but most common malfunctions like failure to feed or go into battery can be fixed right away either by tapping the slide forward to resume firing or racking it to chamber a new round if it's an ammo problem.

Or, on a revolver, pulling the trigger.

How do you fix an internal problem like if the timing is off or debris getting into the action? You pull the trigger and you get a click

I was referring to the ammo problem you mentioned.

And no, you should not rely on ANY dirty, poorly maintained weapon for self defense.

Anything that would gum up a revolver would certainly gum up an automatic as well.

I'm happy with my revolver in the few times I carry. Crime is relatively low where I am, and I avoid going places where it isn't.

I've fired more than a few revolvers whose timing were off. They still fired. Just spit lead something awful. I've had revolvers which were giving light strikes. I just pulled the trigger again and the next round went off. I kept pulling the trigger and the next time around the rounds that didn't go off did. Anything mechanical can fail, but revolvers are pretty dependable. I carry a Glock and I've seen Glocks not function property. I've also seen M-16's fail and I saw an M60 machine gun experience a ruptured case. Needless to say it stopped functioning.