What is it About Revolvers and Older Pistols?

[Moped]

What make us hanker for older technological revolvers and semi-autos? Are we reliving our youth? Is a yearning for simpler things? Is it the beauty found in wood and steel? I find myself coming to P-F and skimming through the Semi-Auto threads and then moving on to the Revolver Sub-forum, where I read just about everything. Revolvers are just so much more fascinating to me than semi-autos, unless it's something older, like a 1911, Hi-Power or Mil-Surp. However, most of the time, I carry a modern auto. Go figure!

[Hizzie]

I enjoy wheelguns more. They are usually what I reach for when it matters.

[Totem Polar]

I feel that revolvers are more interesting, complex, and challenging to run at speed. I also just like the aesthetics, both visually and kinesthetically. That said, with the exception of the much-discussed gas station j-frame pocket carry scenario, developing serious proficiency with one is a bit like developing serious proficiency with a rapier in fencing class. Gobs of fun, but practically eclipsed by newer tools.

I’ve been running revolvers in USPSA fun shoots for several months, with two predictable results: one, more polished skills and, two: abysmal times relative to carry optics or limited. That particular game does not favor 3 (or more!) reloads on the clock.

If there was a match that tested leaving a gun loaded for 6 months while you were too busy with work to get to the range, and then running the first stage cold, I’d own that crowd with the ol’ round gun. They have their place. Which is mostly as an enthusiast tool/activity. JMO.

[sharps54]

I think for most of us nostalgia plays a big part. The fact that polymer striker powered guns have no soul also plays a big part and good wheel guns are cheaper than 1911s.

I think objectively outside specific use cases (j frames, people with specific physical ailments or no desire to learn more complicated manuals of arms) it is pretty hard to say a revolver is a better defensive/duty/competitive tool than say a Glock or D model 92 (insert compact or full size service pistol of your choice) but as long as we can stay honest with ourselves about that there is no harm with having a love affair with them.

Edit to add I took way to long to type this as I’m just beating the horse at this point

[FrankB]

I grew up with Westerns, and those actors had revolvers. Nostalgia, mixed with revolvers being mechanically more interesting to me.

[FNFAN]

The terminology of "plastic-people-popper" is accurate. The last 10 years of my career was with an issued Glock and were all rules observed, if the gun was fired without a range officer standing nearby, a report would have to be written and supervision alerted. I bought the same generation in 9mm and used the same sights, backstrap and holster for classes and IDPA. Now retired, I have little interest in shooting anything except 1911's, EDC X9 or a revolver, again. The stars aligned in my last week of work and I was able to pick up a CCO that had been worked over by a 'smith I've long admired and I am sincerely grateful to have found it and to have been able to afford it.

[Tamara]

It’s…complicated.

Like, if someone was like “you can only own one pistol and it has to suffice for e’rrthing…” then, yeah, sure, I’m going to have some kind of plastic service pistol with a 15-17rd mag and a dot and a light and all that shit, because, you know…what if?

But I have zero interest in those things these days. I got most of my fangirling for that stuff out of my system 20 years ago and now I look at people getting all wound up about Glock v. SIG v. S&W v. FN v. HK v. Walther or whatever, and I’m like “Dude, they’re all the same gun. Pull one out of the sack and go dry-fire.”

But also for the last 20 years I’ve separated “work guns” from “guns I love”, and since then (with very few exceptions) if it’s not an older Smith or a custom 1911, it’s just another fungible commodity blaster.

[Outpost75]

An old gun that works beats a new one which doesn't. How many plastic bottom feeders are still going to be working in 100 years?

[Tamara]

An old gun that works beats a new one which doesn't. How many plastic bottom feeders are still going to be working in 100 years?

That’s a specious argument. I’ve gotten rid of most of my Glocks because I’m generally focusing on FN 509s these days, but my 30-plus-year-old Gen2 Glocks still work just fine, so miss me with that shit.

Besides, you and I won’t be around in a hundred years to care.

[Trooper224]

We've discussed this many times. Do a search for "passion for the gun". That will tell you what you want to know.