Originally Posted by
SCCY Marshal
Is it possible for mods to edit thread titles? If so, you may want "IV" changed to "VI" so people don't think this is a bump of an old thread and it gets fresh views.
And I'm pretty curious what takeaways my current stint with a brace of snub revolvers is going to leave with me. Or if I even do go back to autos at all. Some items, significant to my lifestyle, have already cropped up.
1) Concealability. Revolvers have always concealed better than autos on my belt. Both before and after significant weight loss. They are also more acessible in very low ride height carry methods like my Barami grips.
2) Concealability is a necessity, not a convenience. I'm increasingly finding myself in a social circle in which I can not be made. Be it gunshy hippies, family events, kids having friends and the parents of around, or chilling with mixed company.
3) Stowability. Bring able to tuck a wheelgun under my leg at the bank drive-through is very nice. Stuffing a wheelgun in an odd spot in the rare moments an unconventional method is required. The rounded profile, stubby barrel, cylinder that binds the trigger if exposed to pressure as an added layer of safety, long/heavy trigger, compactvand rounded yet handfilling gripframe, and Hip-Grip makes for a very versatile package. Versus an auto married to a proper holster, magazine that can pop free, slide that can get bumped out of battery, and increased sensitivity to a rough grip as can more likely happen when accessing from odd places.
4) Handloading. I'm not married to a bullet profile thatbfeeds of a specific weight over a set range of powder charges to reliably run the gun. Can swap powders and bullets as I want or need in lean times.
5) Casting. If components get real thin, I can cast 105 grain SWC or even 90-something grain RNFP and save lead. Can skimp on powder as long as it doesn't squib. The ability to stretch lead and powder in times of uncertain supply is a blessing.
6) I am willing to carry a second gun. Do I need to? Probably not. But an LCR in my pocket that will be there whether or not something is on my belt is nice. Having access to a gun in two positions at any given time is nice. The slow reload and low capacity are somewhat mitigated as concerns when I comfortably have a New York reload on tap. And the ability to arm my family or a friend in a pinch does feel good. Something about a doublestack auto just alaays left me unwilling to add a B.U.G. to my wardrobe.
7) OWB carry is much more viable. I can utilize a comfotable and out of the way pancake holster and still reasonably conceal it by untucking my shirt when needed. My autos always left a decided lump.
8) Comfort. My 2" Model 10 is comfier AIWB than most any auto. My 4" is on par while more concealable. A K-frame snub backed up by a lightweight pocket revolver and reload for the K is all more comfortable on an active day than just a compact doublestack auto like a G19/USPc/PX4c.
9) As for magazines - I hate vetting, tracking, cleaning, storing spares of, vetting those spares, and segregating range units. I also hate paying for them.
10) I'm falling out of love with the five-shot .38 snub. Ruger keeping thirty-two caliber on life support, the resurgence of the quality rimfire snub, and my personal experience with the almost if not quite as concealable yet much more shootable K-frame snub on the belt leave me cold.
11) Carry ammo. Run a box to make sure the C.O.A.L. is good to go, primers pop, it regulates to sights, recoil is livable, bullets don't jump crimp, and extraction isn't sticky. Carry on with life. Versus buy a batch to try, order a bunch to properly vet if that looks promising, and remember to give all of my cary mags a few go-rounds to be sure with all the ensuing magazine tracking and documentation. That's a lot of time, money, and effort. In times such as these, being able to be flexible in load and able to test even if all I can score is a couple boxes is nice.
Will I stick with round guns? Don't know but have a hunch that I might drop LEM, bypass DA/SA, and opt for DAO if I return to autos. Should someone else tote a revolver? Absolutely not my call nor is it even so much as an opinion to which I'd be entitled. Am I starting to think that people, myself very much included, might put too much weight on capacity and speed of reloads versus the mountain of other things both administrative and practical that come with carrying a gun every day? Yes though that isn't explicitly a revolver vs. auto thing. And I just noticed that all of my points relate to finding a wheelgun easier to live with than a bottom feeder.
Thanks again for this series. It's really helpful.