Revolver realities - Living with the revolver as a duty sidearm

[SteveK]

A lot also has to do with era's. We had proper screw drivers on the range and specialized cleaning equipment for our revolvers. Cops understood more about "maintenance". Our cars did not have fuel injection or computer controlled electronic ignitions and drum brakes. We could drive a manual transmission. We could change our oil and rotate tires. We could maintain our revolvers and understood the maintenance needs. We shot far less rounds with far higher standards for what a hit was. We kept score. We didn't have "firepower". We controlled people via how much force you could generate with a fist or impact weapon (and everything was an impact weapon). Today's officer is far better served with the disposable service pistol, and being tough involves pushing a button on your electronic fighting device.

I pray there is a retirement community for this breed. I struggle mightly in these times.

[BehindBlueI's]

Yea I agree, of course, but the Polish had all the training in the world when they rode their horses at the Nazi's...who were in their tanks.

https://skeptoid.com/blog/2014/03/10...against-tanks/

http://www.historynet.com/1939-polis...an-panzers.htm

Let's pretend it's true, though. If it were, it would be an excellent example of tactics that suck yet blaming it on equipment. Saddam rolled out in tanks. How'd that work for him? The insurgents used decidedly lower tech weapons...yet the US was using even higher tech weaponry than the first go around. How'd that work out for them? How's Afghanistan's record against technologically superior invaders?

Weapons are an advantage, and they allow different tactics. What's more important is to train with what you've got and understand the advantages and disadvantages so that you can tailor your tactics.

[LSP972]

When I used to shoot with our PPC guys, I overheard a conversation between two more experienced shooters. Bob noticed that Charlie always had a towel in his range bag specifically for wiping down his Python. So Charlie tells him that he does this because he found out that if you wipe off the residue before the gun cools, most of it comes off with out any effort. So next time I'm at the range I bring a towel and try it and it works.

Another easy, non-messy way to remove all those powder smudges, etc., is with a pencil eraser. Buy one of those "gum" erasers made for draftsmen. You can still find them at blueprint supply shops. The cylinder flutes are one area where these smudges build up quickly, and pretty thick. The gum eraser gets them gone easily, before you ever get the solvent bottle out.

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[Dagga Boy]

Actually, the M-68 was originally made for CHP... LAPRAAC (the gun/gear store at the LAPD academy) procured some for sale to the troops. I don't think the M-68 was ever an issue piece for LAPD... but I could be wrong.

Anybody know how to get in touch with Bob Kolesar? He would know.

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The LAPD M68 is on my "list". They were the last gunfighter's revolver at LAPD before the auto transition. It was basically a M66 chambered in .38 Spl. Larry Mudgett was a big fan of them. Had a friend who was a "shooter" in the academy. He said Larry had arranged to get him guns before he graduated. When he finished Larry gave him 2 model 68's for duty guns that had been properly tuned. Folks like Scott Reitz and most of the other serious shooters carried them before going to the auto's. For working things like the bonus course, a bit recoil absorbing .38 with a long sight radius was a good thing, and they were also visually impressive.

[11B10]

Legacy information, right there. "Today's officer is far better served with the disposable service pistol…" and LOTS of burrets. We had a big-time shoot-out here a few weeks ago. Two city officers against one hood rat with a heavy barrel AR he'd stolen. The officers used pretty good tactics, despite one being grazed, and both emptied their pistols… 18 rounds out of a G17 and 16 rounds out of a G22. The distance was 15 feet. They got two… TWO… hits. One happened to nick the carotid artery, and said hoodrat bled out.

The other day, I called an old friend who is retired LAPD. In 20 years on the street, he let the air out of five miscreants in six separate gunfights, all with the same 6" K-38. Granted, they were all one-on one, but they had the drop on him (drew first, and on two occasions fired first) every time. He never had to reload until after it was over.

Now, one can twist the above facts any way they choose to make a point good or bad… but what DB wrote is 100% spot-on. It was a different era, with a different breed of cop. Yes, today there are some young lions out there just as capable. But I can tell you one thing for sure, since I interact with a lot of cops from all agencies around here… most of the young ones are more interested in the proper payroll code for court overtime than learning/practicing survival skills.

Make of that what you will.

And, most of these guys, if they even know what a revolver is, consider them "useless" like our resident expert a few posts up. Nonsense like that is why I quit trying to convince folks a long time ago; of anything. If they come with a question, and seem genuinely interested, I'll do my best to help them. Otherwise, I just nod and smile a lot.

Sorry for the novella… DB's post hit a nerve.

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IMH(HUMBLE)O, there is no need for any "sorry's!" I love what nyeti, you - and all of the "different breed of cops" have to say on the current state of the things. Thanks for your words here and, please, keep 'em coming!

[voodoo_man]

https://skeptoid.com/blog/2014/03/10...against-tanks/

http://www.historynet.com/1939-polis...an-panzers.htm

Let's pretend it's true, though. If it were, it would be an excellent example of tactics that suck yet blaming it on equipment. Saddam rolled out in tanks. How'd that work for him? The insurgents used decidedly lower tech weapons...yet the US was using even higher tech weaponry than the first go around. How'd that work out for them? How's Afghanistan's record against technologically superior invaders?

Weapons are an advantage, and they allow different tactics. What's more important is to train with what you've got and understand the advantages and disadvantages so that you can tailor your tactics.

I was just taking it as an opportunity to make a Polish joke...

[pablo]

I pray there is a retirement community for this breed. I struggle mightly in these times.

I'm pretty sure it's this mysterious place called Northern Idaho.

[NEPAKevin]

Another easy, non-messy way to remove all those powder smudges, etc., is with a pencil eraser.
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The one with the white eraser that clicks out so when you screw up with your mechanical pencil you have a mechanical eraser to fix it? I will have to try that. Thank you!

[Dagga Boy]

I'm pretty sure it's this mysterious place called Northern Idaho.

There is a funny joke about that....

[JonInWA]

I wholeheartedly agree that Rugers have significantly removed some of the main causal factors in revolver issues. And that they're easily actually field-strippable (at least the -Sixes, GPs, Redhawks, and Super Redhawks).

They're not perfect, but within limitations I'm pretty comfortable in carrying my Security Six or GP100-particularly in the daytime or as a nightstand/camp gun. And both have functioned well in IDPA and steel late competitions, where 100+ rounds are run through without any cleaning; however, towards the end of matches, I usually will need to press in cartridges into the cylinder by hand to fully seat after speedloading, even with a Comp III, due to powder/GSR build-up.

Best, Jon