Revolver vs. Semi-auto


SethB

New member
I am thinking about getting a small revolver for conceal carry. I already own a 9mm subcompact and am wondering if I should just stay with that. Benefits to a revolver?
 

NO SAFETY!! Also chamber is ALWAYS ready to fire, just have to pull trigger.

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Agreed with the number or rounds. Wheel vs semi-auto. Rare instance if you carry cock & locked, semi-auto ( I cc/oc 1911A1 platform), that second round may stove pipe...ie not eject properly or fail to chambered the next round completely. BUT you get more rounds. If you choose a wheel, you're usually limited to 5 to 6 rounds PLUS needing bulky speed loaders IF you want to carry extra. I suggest 1911's. BUTTTTT, that's just me.
 
NO SAFETY!! Also chamber is ALWAYS ready to fire, just have to pull trigger.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

How are either one of those different from my Beretta Nano, or Walther PPQ?
Anyway, a revolver has a consistant trigger pull, and is in general, considered to be more simple to operate for beginners.
 
One benefit of a revolver is it is easier to shoot operate with either hand in most cases. Makes a good back up gun. Limited on ammo capacity however so that should be a consideration.
 
I am thinking about getting a small revolver for conceal carry. I already own a 9mm subcompact and am wondering if I should just stay with that. Benefits to a revolver?

I have a .38 special snubbie that I carried for a small BUG. Loved it. It was dead on, it felt great in my hand. I still love shooting it. However, when I got a Sig P238, I stopped carrying the revolver as a back up.

However, (yes another however) since I'm Glock trained, I found that I sometimes don't hit the safety on my Sig P238, so I'm in search of my next BUG that does not have a safety.

So... what do you get from my story. Get what works for you and has the features you are trained in. If you are relying on your next gun as a BUG, I would strongly suggest it be similar in operation to your EDC.
 
One benefit of a revolver is it is easier to shoot operate with either hand in most cases. Makes a good back up gun. Limited on ammo capacity however so that should be a consideration.

I'm not too sure about one-handed operation being easier. Autos have ambidextrous slide locks and mag releases on many models now, and with a good set of iron sights, you can rack the slide on your belt, boot, or what have you. I have yet to see a revolver that has a cylinder release on both sides, and can drop the cylinder out the left or right side of the frame. :) Also, a speed strip or spped loader isn't as easy to handle with one hand as a magazine is. That's just some debate fodder though.

What I actually wanted to mention was another plus for revolvers, which is that they generally are offered in mroe powerful calibers and can more easily hold longer rounds, like the .41mag, .44mag, .454 casull, and .500 S&W. It's the one thing about a revolver that I really, really like.
 
I like both... Speed of reload and amount of rounds for semi-auto, no need to think about malfunction (just pull the trigger again) and larger caliber with the revolver. It winds up depending on where I go... Hiking or anywhere there aren't many people (both of which have a higher probability of there being large, four-legged threats) I take the revolver. Crowded areas or where it's very important I stay concealed (e.g. very liberal town), I take the semi-auto.
 
NO SAFETY!! Also chamber is ALWAYS ready to fire, just have to pull trigger.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

Is that a plus or minus?

I carry a Shield with a safety. The safety is never engaged when I'm carrying. Disengaging a safety is a fine motor function that requires a substantial amount of training to control when under stress. Can I do it? Maybe, maybe not? Why risk it? That gun will not fire unless I pull the trigger. It certainly won't fire sitting in the holster.

As for the preference between revolver and semi: a small semi will carry 6 or 7 plus one, a sub-compact can go to 10 or 11 and you can go up from there, sacrificing concealment. With a revolver, you're stuck at 5, 6 or 7. I guess you can go to that 12 round .22.

The biggest plus about a revolver is that when you pull the trigger, there is a much higher (99.99% +) probability that it will fire and advance to the next round. That is my number, by the way, just to illustrate the reliability. A functioning semi's probability is still way up there, but can definitely prove troublesome.

I ran a new box of .40 through my Shield and had 2 mis-feeds. Enough that I bought a new box at the range and ran through again. Apparently the box of ammo was an issue. Gun has run fine since.

I don't recall either of my revolvers not firing when I pull the trigger. I can't say the same for my semi's. I think my LCP was the worst.

That having been said, my carry pistol is a Shield in .40 because it is easily concealed and easily reloaded.
 
I'm not too sure about one-handed operation being easier. Autos have ambidextrous slide locks and mag releases on many models now, and with a good set of iron sights, you can rack the slide on your belt, boot, or what have you. I have yet to see a revolver that has a cylinder release on both sides, and can drop the cylinder out the left or right side of the frame. :) Also, a speed strip or spped loader isn't as easy to handle with one hand as a magazine is. That's just some debate fodder though.

What I actually wanted to mention was another plus for revolvers, which is that they generally are offered in mroe powerful calibers and can more easily hold longer rounds, like the .41mag, .44mag, .454 casull, and .500 S&W. It's the one thing about a revolver that I really, really like.

I'm more of a revolver guy, but there are reasons to like both. Mainly, I carry a .357 Magnum, which is a bigger round than most any semi-auto can handle (same for my .44 Magnum as well). Revolvers are also pretty resilient when it comes to carrying while camping, and getting grit in the works doesn't cause them to malfunction nearly as easily. If you do have a misfire, with a revolver it's a simple matter of pulling the trigger again, as opposed to having to clear a round and re-rack the slide to load a fresh round. Obviously the advantage to a semi-auto is rate of fire and capacity. I'm also a reloader, so gathering up rounds off the floor or out of the dirt is less attractive than pushing an ejector rod to put those spent casings in a bag for reuse. Just some of my considerations...
 
I have a S&W Airweight 5 shot 38 spc +P for CC and when in OC I have a S&W 590 in 9mm. Unlike some on this forum , I pray to God that I never get into a gun fight .... but if so , I be ready , just hope my pacemaker is good to go ....
 
I'm more of a revolver guy, but there are reasons to like both. Mainly, I carry a .357 Magnum, which is a bigger round than most any semi-auto can handle (same for my .44 Magnum as well). Revolvers are also pretty resilient when it comes to carrying while camping, and getting grit in the works doesn't cause them to malfunction nearly as easily. If you do have a misfire, with a revolver it's a simple matter of pulling the trigger again, as opposed to having to clear a round and re-rack the slide to load a fresh round. Obviously the advantage to a semi-auto is rate of fire and capacity. I'm also a reloader, so gathering up rounds off the floor or out of the dirt is less attractive than pushing an ejector rod to put those spent casings in a bag for reuse. Just some of my considerations...

No doubt, and don't misunderstand me, I like revolvers as much as the next guy, and for many of the same reasons. I just wanted to clarify my view on some of the differences.
On a side note, if you really like a harder hitting round, look into the Glock and 1911 conversions to .460 Rowland. That's a pretty hard hitting round, and you can easily convert a number of popular semi-autos to chamber it without any permanent modification to the original firearm (slide, spring, mag, barrel swap)

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