Are We In The Middle Of A Revolver Renaissance?

[Trooper224]

Part of my interest in wheelguns in the past year or so has been because of this. With some of the pants-on-head-retarded laws that have been coming down the pipe in some regions, being proficient with something least likely to be banned ahead of time strikes me as a prudent move. And if nothing happens to me in my area regarding that, then I’ve become a more well rounded shooter at the very worst.

Before the first assault weapons ban the 1911 was actually seen as just a bit passe in many circles. After all, why would you want a pistol holding only seven or eight rounds when there were other hi-cap choices gaining traction? After the ban and its associated mag limits the 1911 suddenly regained a lot of relevancy for a lot of people. This also may just be supposition on my part, but it does seem that we're starting to understand that the needs of joe average citizen don't necessarily coincide with that of law enforcement or the military. Joe's threat level can often be overcome with an easy to use five or six shooter, rather than a service pistol, two extra mags and over fifty rounds of ammo. I think it also has something to do with the old adage, "Everything old is new again." People like new things and shooters are no different. By the late 90's you couldn't give a revolver away, plastic and hi-cap were the order of the day. Now, a lot of new and/or young shooters are discovering the old wheelgun has a lot of merit.

[BehindBlueI's]

Before the first assault weapons ban the 1911 was actually seen as just a bit passe in many circles. After all, why would you want a pistol holding only seven or eight rounds when there were other hi-cap choices gaining traction? After the ban and its associated mag limits the 1911 suddenly regained a lot of relevancy for a lot of people. This also may just be supposition on my part, but it does seem that we're starting to understand that the needs of joe average citizen don't necessarily coincide with that of law enforcement or the military. Joe's threat level can often be overcome with an easy to use five or six shooter, rather than a service pistol, two extra mags and over fifty rounds of ammo. I think it also has something to do with the old adage, "Everything old is new again." People like new things and shooters are no different. By the late 90's you couldn't give a revolver away, plastic and hi-cap were the order of the day. Now, a lot of new and/or young shooters are discovering the old wheelgun has a lot of merit.

The Clinton AWB and the affect on procuring new magazines absolutely influenced my decision to carry the 1911.

[mtnbkr]

The Clinton AWB and the affect on procuring new magazines absolutely influenced my decision to carry the 1911.

I got into guns in the middle of the AWB and had brief, yet unsuccessful, dalliances with low capacity autos. That's why I was a confirmed "revolver geek" until a few years ago. Even now, I have two "high capacity" semi-auto pistols and a double-digit collection of revolvers.

Virginia's current trajectory will only reinforce that.

Chris

[mmc45414]

… the 1911 suddenly regained a lot of relevancy for a lot of people. This also may just be supposition on my part, but it does seem that we're starting to understand that the needs of joe average citizen don't necessarily coincide with that of law enforcement or the military. Joe's threat level can often be overcome with an easy to use five or six shooter

Gads, this!! Last night I went from the exercise bike to the old people's buffet we occasionally visit, and I guess I coulda taken a shower and put on my big boy pants and my pistol, but I toweled off and changed my shirt and grabbed my 340. If I die because I couldn't fight my way out of the salad bar, well that was probably my day to die. Same thing if I carry a 1911, just because they are comfortable and cool.

Now, a lot of new and/or young shooters are discovering the old wheelgun has a lot of merit.

I also think many of these people are the same ones that think older cars and motorcycles are cool, just because they can be cool.

[MDFA]

Yeah. That would be very easy and convenient.

I think I'll do 1 nice 1911 and 1 J frame for the same money.... lol

[TheNewbie]

Why do 1911s and J frames seem to go to gether so well? There is something neat about that combo.

[MDFA]

Why do 1911s and J frames seem to go to gether so well? There is something neat about that combo.

I think there's a reason that some things never go away. They just work, and some of us old guys remind the younger one's now and then....



As I get older I realize I appreciate the older (tried and proven designs) more. Guess that means I'm tried and proven too...

[BillSWPA]

Despite being a teenager in the 1980’s, I was late to the semiauto party.

While shooting my Dad’s handguns as a teenager, I could never empty even a single magazine without a malfunction, while the revolvers ran without a hitch. In hindsight, part of this may be that most of his revolvers were top of the line (Colt, Smith & Wesson, and Dan Wesson) while his semiautos were lower grade (Firestar, Sterling, and even the High Standard ..22 was and is a jamamatic).

Every test report I read in American Rifleman and Guns & Ammo invariably described a few failures to feed per hundred rounds. The first exception was a test report of a Ruger P-85, which was the first test report of a semiauto pistol I ever read that reported no malfunctions of any kind.

My first concealed carry gun was a Detective Special, since I figured six for sure beat 7-15 maybe. I like the gun but thoroughly detest the front sight.

That Detective Special went back to Colt for repair twice within the first 1,000 rounds. Once was my fault, for dry firing without snap caps. The other was for a timing issue that should not have developed that quickly.

When I made the switch to semiautos, I entered a time in my life when I was able to shoot 5,000-10,000 rounds per year through handguns. Most of that was through semiautos, but my mean rounds between revolver repairs was less than my mean rounds between semiauto failures to feed (Glock 26 and Browning Buck Mark).

I bought my 1911 during the 1994 ban, and that ban was a factor. However, such an accurate, reliable, powerful, easy to shoot gun has appeal to me even without the capacity limit. If I had one shot to stop a madman, I can think of no handgun I would prefer more.

Today, I can most often be found carrying a 10 shot 9mm even in the absence of a capacity ban. The combination of concealability and shoot ability is hard to beat. This includes pocket carry in dress slacks.

If a capacity ban were to affect my choices, it would be much more likely to drive me to 1911’s and tiny 9mm’s than to a revolver.

I really appreciate the value of training with a DA revolver for mastering trigger squeeze. There are circumstances in which I appreciate the simplicity. I just do not see the legal circumstances being much of a driving factor.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[spinmove_]

Before the first assault weapons ban the 1911 was actually seen as just a bit passe in many circles. After all, why would you want a pistol holding only seven or eight rounds when there were other hi-cap choices gaining traction? After the ban and its associated mag limits the 1911 suddenly regained a lot of relevancy for a lot of people. This also may just be supposition on my part, but it does seem that we're starting to understand that the needs of joe average citizen don't necessarily coincide with that of law enforcement or the military. Joe's threat level can often be overcome with an easy to use five or six shooter, rather than a service pistol, two extra mags and over fifty rounds of ammo. I think it also has something to do with the old adage, "Everything old is new again." People like new things and shooters are no different. By the late 90's you couldn't give a revolver away, plastic and hi-cap were the order of the day. Now, a lot of new and/or young shooters are discovering the old wheelgun has a lot of merit.

Huh, imagine that...

Why do 1911s and J frames seem to go to gether so well? There is something neat about that combo.

I think they go together so well because they’re both “old school cool” and they conceal fairly easily given their size. I don’t know that first hand with 1911s, but I do know that from pocket carrying a J-frame. It’s handy and convenient and still dressing like a regular earth person around one is significantly easier for me in an NPE than trying to do the same with a rather blocky G19.

Double stack Blocks and their blocky double stack magazines aren’t the easiest to conceal. I can see a slimmer single stack Glock being easier along with their single stack magazines.

[RevolverRob]

For me a 1911 in a good IWB holster and a J-Frame in a pocket is stupid easy to conceal and comfortable. I just did 15-hours in the car wearing that exact setup this past week. A 1911 in a Sparks SSI and the 2.5" 638 in a Blackhawk Pocket holster, which migrated from my vest to coat pocket as the temperature changed as I drove north.

It's really that simple, it works.