So much for revolver reliability...

[gato naranja]

My SP101 and GP-100 are the humble remnants of the Gato Naranja Parade of Revolvers that began almost 50 years ago. Looking back, I would have to say that, overall, the revolvers have been more likely to go boom when I pulled the trigger than the semiautos. Quality-wise, the decline of revolvers - both in workmanship and materials - since I became a gun crank continues apace despite assurances of CNC machining capabilities, "aerospace" metals/polymers, and whatnot. The few revolvers in the LGS cases are sort of entertaining to look at nowadays just to see what sort of weird defects can be spotted, but otherwise I don't pay much attention to them... which is a pity, as a good revolver has always seemed like a better friend to me than a comparable semiauto.

Even in my somewhat financially constrained retirement, I would like to get a convertible .45 Blackhawk... not because I have a need for such, but because it would be my way of closing the circle that began with the "cowboy" cap guns of my pre-K days. That I haven't done so is due more to my fear of special ordering a wheelgun that may spend more time traveling to the mother ship and back for repair than actually being used.

Lots of outfits can churn out thousands of acceptable semiautos, but apparently vey few can manufacture quality revolvers in even remotely similar quantities. When one considers the Colt and S&W revolvers of 1917 and the press of wartime production with all the shortcuts, etc, the reliability that was still achieved could be worth contemplating (at least by those Americans still capable of introspection). Why S&W can not produce - as a non-Custom Shop, cataloged item - a 640 with a pinned front sight, no "safety" lock, and better than "slightly lower than crap-shoot QC" is damning testimony to... I dunno... something.

[sharps54]

My SP101 and GP-100 are the humble remnants of the Gato Naranja Parade of Revolvers that began almost 50 years ago. Looking back, I would have to say that, overall, the revolvers have been more likely to go boom when I pulled the trigger than the semiautos. Quality-wise, the decline of revolvers - both in workmanship and materials - since I became a gun crank continues apace despite assurances of CNC machining capabilities, "aerospace" metals/polymers, and whatnot. The few revolvers in the LGS cases are sort of entertaining to look at nowadays just to see what sort of weird defects can be spotted, but otherwise I don't pay much attention to them... which is a pity, as a good revolver has always seemed like a better friend to me than a comparable semiauto.

Even in my somewhat financially constrained retirement, I would like to get a convertible .45 Blackhawk... not because I have a need for such, but because it would be my way of closing the circle that began with the "cowboy" cap guns of my pre-K days. That I haven't done so is due more to my fear of special ordering a wheelgun that may spend more time traveling to the mother ship and back for repair than actually being used.

Lots of outfits can churn out thousands of acceptable semiautos, but apparently vey few can manufacture quality revolvers in even remotely similar quantities. When one considers the Colt and S&W revolvers of 1917 and the press of wartime production with all the shortcuts, etc, the reliability that was still achieved could be worth contemplating (at least by those Americans still capable of introspection). Why S&W can not produce - as a non-Custom Shop, cataloged item - a 640 with a pinned front sight, no "safety" lock, and better than "slightly lower than crap-shoot QC" is damning testimony to... I dunno... something.

I picked up a Uberti .45 with a conversion cylinder for the same reason, to have a cowboy revolver

[Malamute]

.. Looking back, I would have to say that, overall, the revolvers have been more likely to go boom when I pulled the trigger than the semiautos...

And this is the base element to many of us. Its not about how many rounds between cleanings, how many rounds until needed work or maintenance, how many rounds one can fire in its lifetime.

We know theres a somewhat surprising number of malfunctions of glocks (or similar types or modern pistols, Im only aware of glocks specifically because of their prevalence) in actual shooting incidents, its been discussed here. Theres some element at play that doesnt seem to be represented in general practice. Limp wristing, poor grip, whatever, I dont know if anyone has definitively determined what it is, but its been mentioned and recognized. Darryl has also mentioned it, the difference between loading and carrying or storing a gun, and knowing its going to fire at some undetermined point later. Not if it can fire 2000 or 20,000 or 80,000 rounds in practice or matches, but whats in the gun and any realistic amount of rounds youre going to have on you at that moment.

I can intellectually understand the abuse and number of rounds that modern semi auto pistols can take, I can also understand that they sometimes simply fail to function in some way thats not about how many rounds its fired or how dirty it is. Yes, theres ways to remedy that, practiced by drills, etc, but it happens sometimes. You may or may not have a spare hand available to remedy it. Having had 2 magazines fail that I had been carrying was part of my experience.

Revolvers, yeah, outdated in many ways, slower to reload, dont last as long between needed maintenance, can just flat wear out with use or poor examples, but thats not the entirety or definition of the reliability question. So far, other than a mainspring break in one K frame gun, Ive had no sudden, unexpected show stopping moments in their use though. For me, I trust the revolver will work when I need it to more than I do an auto pistol. Obviously YMMV.

[BillSWPA]

We have all had training in malfunction clearing procedures for semiautos, but I do not know of any for revolvers. However, it has been my experience that when a revolver goes down, it is not for a reason that can be resolved without a trip back to the factory or to a gunsmith.

[BobM]

I just finished the two day “revolver instructor “ class at the state’s academy. I saw more guns have to come off the line in two days than I ever remember seeing at a predominantly auto pistol class.

More to follow when I get on a keyboard

[revchuck38]

I just finished the two day “revolver instructor “ class at the state’s academy. I saw more guns have to come off the line in two days than I ever remember seeing at a predominantly auto pistol class.

More to follow when I get on a keyboard

Looking forward to it!

I did Tom Givens' one-day revolver course a couple of years ago. Probably a third to a half of the shooters had issues. It appeared to me that the problems centered around folks who were unfamiliar with revolvers shooting shitty ammo. My 3" M10-7 made it through with no issues, shooting my handloads, but then I was the guy hitting the chambers with an Allison Speed Brush and using a toothbrush under the extractor star at just about every chance.

[Totem Polar]

We have all had training in malfunction clearing procedures for semiautos, but I do not know of any for revolvers. However, it has been my experience that when a revolver goes down, it is not for a reason that can be resolved without a trip back to the factory or to a gunsmith.

Chapter 8 of Grant Cunningham’s “Book of the Revolver” deals with malfunction clearance—most of which revolves (heh) around emergency reloads, or specific applications of force to whatever seems to be locked up (cylinder failing to open/shut on reload, or trigger locked at any point in its travel). Sort of like SA malf clearance, in principle—he even goes on to state that the non-diagnostic step for the trigger is a “tap, stroke” (hit the cylinder in, and pull the trigger again to see if it’s back to working). He does note that the malf drills he provides for wheelies can’t all be practiced for real, because they will damage the gun on the way to getting more shots out—an acceptable outcome if you’re in a situation that needs shooting, but very expensive otherwise. While I’ve seen several vintage sources for various emergent reload techniques, that Cunningham book is the only source I’ve seen with a whole chapter on malf clearance. FWIW.

[Borderland]

I don't know the numbers but I bet that a large percentage of new revolvers are sold to cowboy action shooters or someone looking for the nostalgia of the old west/civil war. Look at the model P clones out there. 51 pages of those on GB. That's just the 1873 clones. There are other popular designs like the Remington 1858 and Colt 1860.

[03RN]

My m19-3 went down with a loose gas ring. It took a while to diagnose and eventually was unshootable. Now I know what to look for I probably could have fixed it before it deadlines the gun.

My 66-8 when new would tie up before I even hit 50 rounds of cast reloads. The solution was to have the chambers honed to the proper size so lead wasn't deposited on the arbor.

It also started skipping chambers which, nock on wood, I fixed with a new cylinder.

I always keep my ejector rod tight and keep my gun vertical when I slap it so I never, nock on wood, get a tied up gun from preventable stuff.

[G19Fan]

I own 3 lcr .22lr and one lcr 9mm (incoming)

One of my new to my non fired used lcr .22lr won't cycle most ammo. Video incoming later this afternoon