Has Anyone Else Gone Full Revolver?

[Edster]

At this point, I'm afraid I don't trust a revolver to work right out of the box as much as a semiauto. The stories of poor revolver quality assurance from even respected manufacturers seem too numerous.

Those who are truly committed to revolvers have often spent quite a bit of time and money making sure they work. I might be more inclined to carry one if I had, say, a 3" .357 with a good trigger, good sights, and no issues that my Lego-brick-assembly gunsmithing skills couldn't solve. Not having it cost as much as two Glocks would be nice, too.

[CDW4ME]

No.

My first handgun was a S&W 357 mag 686 that I got new in 1987. (still have it)
First gun I bought my wife, over 30 years ago, was a Charter Arms 38. (still have it)
I've owned (past tense) various revolvers: Dan Wesson, Redhawk, N-Frame 44's, Speed Six 357, 44/642/ 38 Bodyguard (j-frames).

I'm not a revolver guy.
As a primary carry I'd take a Glock 19/17/22 over a revolver.
As a 2nd gun (back-up) I'd rather have a Sig 365 or Kahr PM9 than a snub (aint shooting through a coat pocket in FL)
Bears? If one shows up in the parking lot of Publix or Wal-Mart, I'd prefer a Glock 20SF over a revolver.

[revchuck38]

At this point, I'm afraid I don't trust a revolver to work right out of the box as much as a semiauto. The stories of poor revolver quality assurance from even respected manufacturers seem too numerous.

Those who are truly committed to revolvers have often spent quite a bit of time and money making sure they work. I might be more inclined to carry one if I had, say, a 3" .357 with a good trigger, good sights, and no issues that my Lego-brick-assembly gunsmithing skills couldn't solve. Not having it cost as much as two Glocks would be nice, too.

No argument with the out-of-the-box reliability of new revolvers. The most recent new revolver I've bought is an S&W M22-4. It was fine out of the box, but that was about 15 years ago when S&W still had folks working there who knew revolvers. I wouldn't buy a new one now, it's too much of a crapshoot, especially at current prices.

My favorite carry revolver is a 3" M10-7, produced in '79. My second favorite is a 4" M10-8, produced around the same time. I have several other S&Ws in J, K, L, and N frames plus a couple of Colts, all from about the same time frame. The fixed sight versions all shoot to POA with the bullet weights of the time. They all go bang every time I pull the trigger.

One newer revolver I have is an M642-2. It was a police trade-in (KSP) and looks beat to hell, but it works fine and shoots to POA with 125- and 130-grain ammo.

[Rex G]

At this point, I'm afraid I don't trust a revolver to work right out of the box as much as a semiauto. The stories of poor revolver quality assurance from even respected manufacturers seem too numerous.

Those who are truly committed to revolvers have often spent quite a bit of time and money making sure they work. I might be more inclined to carry one if I had, say, a 3" .357 with a good trigger, good sights, and no issues that my Lego-brick-assembly gunsmithing skills couldn't solve. Not having it cost as much as two Glocks would be nice, too.

I never had to spend an extra dime on any of my numerous revolvers, to make sure that they worked, but, I do tend to buy the older ones, and rarely buy sight unseen. Reports of issues, from recent buyers of new revolvers, have, indeed, been disappointing to read.

Regarding added time and money, I do have to spend quite a bit of time and money on the ammunition and range fees, to vet an autoloader, which includes running a statistically meaningful sample of the load I plan to carry on the streets. One of my Gen3 G22 Glocks, that had run reliably with several different loads of 165-grain ammo, over time, started locking open, with live rounds still in the mag, after I had to buy 180-grain ammo, which was all I could find in quantity, for an ECQC class. (That was back when I was mandated to use .40 duty pistols, and, that was a fix-able problem, but it was a different bullet weight, made necessary by circumstances, that revealed the problem.)

When my favored load gets difficult to find, I have to repeat the vetting process, with every carry mag that I plan to use. I am not being anti-autoloader, in saying this. It simply is what it is. I have auto-pistols, from several auto-loading pistol systems. My “first love,” among handguns, was the 1911 system. I still have some, today, two of which are lubed and loaded, though on a shelf, in the safe, at this moment in time. I like 9mm Glocks, too, which are better all-round fightin’ pistols, due to being better lefty guns. (My left thumb, hand, wrist, and shoulder are not aging so well.) Some after-dark errands, especially if into nearby Houston, will prompt me to carry a G17, with a Surefire WML affixed.

It is the day-to-day role, that usually goes to revolvers. I walked the dogs, this morning, with a pocketed SP101. (Big pockets.) When I run an errand, in Houston, within the hour, I’ll add a 3” SP101, or a 3” or 4” GP100, in a “real” holster. [Edited to add: My palms are long, but narrow, my fingers are not long, and my thumbs are short, so, gripping an SP101 is not unlike gripping a duty handgun. I can get all three skinny fingers onto the SP101 factory grip. I have tended to shoot SP101 five-guns better than several compact autos that I have tried, over the years.]

[StrawHat]

Just read through this thread, some interesting comments.

I have revolvers, a bunch of them. My preference is the ones by S&W that are chambered for the 45 ACP. As a matter of fact, a revolver so chambered with a 4” barrel is my EDC. I have tried self loading pistols but do not have sufficient faith in my skills operating such a machine. I understand revolvers inside and out.

For carrying, I prefer the Model 22-4 because it has fixed sights and is slightly smaller than the same revolver with adjustable sights.

Just my observations, they may not apply to everyone.

Kevin

[Malamute]

At this point, I'm afraid I don't trust a revolver to work right out of the box as much as a semiauto. The stories of poor revolver quality assurance from even respected manufacturers seem too numerous.

Those who are truly committed to revolvers have often spent quite a bit of time and money making sure they work. I might be more inclined to carry one if I had, say, a 3" .357 with a good trigger, good sights, and no issues that my Lego-brick-assembly gunsmithing skills couldn't solve. Not having it cost as much as two Glocks would be nice, too.

I never had to spend an extra dime on any of my numerous revolvers, to make sure that they worked, but, I do tend to buy the older ones, and rarely buy sight unseen. Reports of issues, from recent buyers of new revolvers, have, indeed, been disappointing to read...

I havent spent any amount on getting revolvers to run beyond expected replacement of hands at reasonable intervals, or on new-to-me guns I have no knowledge of their history of use. The newest one I have is 1980s period, a 10-8. It was a GB purchase, but I knew it was a beater grade gun and priced accordingly. The barrel was junk, which didnt bother me as I had a 3" barrel I planned to put on it. The edges all felt like dull saw teeth probably from rattling around in somebodys tool box in their truck. The action was perfect. Timing, end shake, trigger pull, zero complaints other than the smooth faced trigger. The trigger action was so good I didnt put a grooved trigger in it (so far), but it reminds me every time I pick it up how much I dislike smooth triggers. I think I paid about $200 for the 10-8 and $100 for the barrel. I also splurged on some Hogue rubber bantam grips.

Its disheartening to see the issues with the newer guns, but so far older ones have held much more interest for me. Hands arent that hard to fit as needed, I have oversize hands and some other odds and ends of small parts, I doubt Ill ever have one break down in a way I can get running myself. I think mine will outlast me regardless of how much ill ever shoot them.

In my simple world, the revolvers ive bought over the years, if I looked at them carefully, checked timing, end shake, felt the action, opened the cylinder and cycled the action and felt firing pin protrusion, extractor rod tight, I could tell if it was going to basically function. Firing would confirm that, and tell the tale on sight zero and if it needed adjustment, but so far Ive never had one not function that looked like it would, although a couple drops of oil on a couple occasions of guns nobody apparently ever lubed have helped quite a bit.

[gato naranja]

There was a time in my life when I did more plinking with a .36 cap & ball revolver than anything else- not because I was history-obsessed (which I was), but because I had a lot of free time, access to plenty of woods and pastures, and not a great deal of money to spend on reloading gear. I read everything I could find on the use of percussion sixguns and pestered the few people who shot them locally. By the time I had to buckle down and get my life moving, I was fairly adept with the things; to this day I think I could handle most trouble I am likely to encounter on my normal routine with a pair of Colt's Patent Revolving Belt Pistols.

Yes, I may be full of crap, but I still think it anyway. (I learned how to "twirl" an empty one too, but I can't reliably do that anymore. No illusions on that.)

As for going all-wheelie with more modern designs, I would like to do so but can't make myself actually do it. The USA of today has rotted away too badly even in my neck of the woods to go Full Revolver, and sometimes that small voice tells me to take the Beretta instead of the SP101 (or some similar scenario). The sketchy places of twenty years ago are damn near belt-fed territory.

[FrankB]

Full Disclosure Re Capacity:

Today I’m carrying a Python in a shoulder holster, and a Colt Cobra Carry in a waistband holster. Prior to the Colt Cobra(s), I was carry either a 7 shot 686+ in 2.5” and 3”. Dropping my capacity down to 6 rounds does not make me feel as capacity comfortable, and it’s noticeable at the range. My wife packs a Glock 19, so I’m carrying 12 rounds in two pistols plus another 12 in speedloaders. We are pretty well armed….except I miss my 7th round….sometimes.

[Dave T]

I am currently a "full revolver" shooter. That's not because I dislike semi autos. I spent my LEO career carrying various models of Colt 1911s and continued to be a 1911 shooter and carrier for close to 20 years after retirement. I've also owned and carried more Glocks than I prefer admitting to.

I carry a revolver now because of age and arthritis. I can no longer preform the 'manual of arms' with a 1911 or a Glock. I refuse to carry a gun I can't properly manipulate. My first gun was a revolver and over the years I owned many more, mostly for recreation. I was a PPC shooter for several years which taught me DA only firing so it didn't take long to recover that skill.

I'm not as fast with a revolver now as I once was with my 1911s, but then I wouldn't be as fast with one of them now either. I've gotten over the mind-set I had for many years of needing to be ready to defend any and every victim. I'm old and cranky, pretty busted up and just want to be left alone. My carry gun, a 386 Night Guard, is more of a "get off me" or "get away from my wife" than a "I'll save the day" gun. For that a revolver works fine.

Heck, I'd like to have the guts and determination to carry a single action revolver, my favorite gun to shoot these days. But I am rooted enough in realistic training and tactics to know that's just fantasy. Still...

Dave

[Totem Polar]

Heck, I'd like to have the guts and determination to carry a single action revolver, my favorite gun to shoot these days. But I am rooted enough in realistic training and tactics to know that's just fantasy. Still...

Dave

I’ve mentioned here before that I have carried an SA wheelie—either out on the trails or to the range for fun. I have no illusions about it being anything more than the best tech that the 1800s could offer, but hey, sometimes you just have to do something because it gives you pleasure. Drinking craft cocktails gives me pleasure too, and that’s a whole hell of a lot more likely to “get me kilt in the streets” than toting an SA gun in limited spheres of activity. JMO.