Thinking of getting a revolver


C

cluznar

New member
I have always owned semi-auto handguns but I'm thinking of getting a revolver just to see what they are like. You revolver guys talk to me, why do you like them so much? The thing I find interesting is you have very little break in with a revolver. I am under the impression that with a revolver you need only shoot 25 rounds for break in. Is that right? Also you don't have to take them apart to clean. Of course you are limited to 5 or 6 shots and have less firepower, but most people in a gun fight only shoot 1 to 3 rounds.

Is a revolver more fun than a semi? Let's hear it. :dirol:
 

I have owned many revolvers before I purchased by first semi-auto handgun. I have found in my experience with revolvers, that I have always had to replace the stock wooden grip. Those stock grips were either too big, or ergonomically precarious. So, you may find you will need an aftermarket grip or a grip adaptor. The only exception to that rule has been my wife's Colt 'Trooper MK III', it has a grip filler situated between the grip and trigger guard that helps fill the hand better. I believe the biggest allure to revolvers is their classic aesthetics; they look so cool, don't they? Plus you can tell at a glance whether it's loaded. Yes, I know. A gun is philosophically always loaded. Today, I myself have a revolver that I'm going to sell. It's a S&W 'Highway Patrolman' 357 magnum blued with 3.5" barrel. The only revolver I want to have is the S&W 'Governor' that chambers the 410 gauge shot shell. I find that a practical application of revolver to ammo. I have rented and played with the Taurus Judge, but I have experienced inconsistent behavior while operating it in double-action mode. But I like the idea of a common shotgun shell in a revolver.
That's my 2 cents worth.

** Correction: My wife's Colt is a Trooper MK III. My S&W is the Highway Patrolman, model 28-2.
 
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357 mag

Try something in a 357 magnum, it will shoot both that and 38 special. Ruger makes some nicely priced models or if that's not as much of a concern try a Smith and Wesson, its hard to beat a Smiths trigger pull. I think the couple posts before mine state a similar statement.
 
686SW.jpg

:wink:
 
I just put one of these on law-a-way. I shoot revolvers better. I have more confidence in them. I have never had a failure with one. Plus, now I have seven rounds of .357 the same as my 1911 so I am not giving up any in the way of fire power.Link Removed
 
This is a subject near and dear to my heart. My first handgun purchase was a Ruger Blackhawk. I've owned at least one since 1989. As an open carry piece, I've used Ruger a 4" GP100 in .357. Yeah, nothing like carrying a revolver. Since I use the strong-hand technique for reloading with speed-loaders, the pouches for them go behind the holster. I wish Ruger still made K-frame sized .357s, they're easier to conceal versus the bigger ones out now. Even with the 4" barrel, the GP100 will handle stout .357 Magnum loads. I switched out the stock grips and put Hogue grips on, and I use it for IDPA matches. And nothing says you're in charge quite like a revolver.
 
And now, with magazine capacity becoming a major headache, you can't go wrong with a revolver. Not that I'm giving up my 1911 by any stretch if the imagination. I have always been a revolver fan, and still am. Change out grips, sights, customize as much as you like, or leave them stock, I have found mine reliable, and much less picky about ammo than some semi autos.
 
I like revolvers for their accuracy, simplicity and their safety. It's easy to verify whether the gun is loaded or not just by popping open the cylinder. They are sometimes easier to conceal in that they don't print like a semi auto does in your pocket. Holster selection, of coarse, reduces this problem. Revolver accuracy is really a function of the ridged barrel and using the single action mode for those revolvers with an external hammer. I think you have to be careful when talking about revolver reliability. Yes, they are inherently reliable based on the types of moving parts they contain but make no mistake they do contain moving parts often more than a semi-auto.

I have several S&W and Ruger revolvers. My experience with them has been interesting. My SP101 (.357 Mag), for example, has very tight tolerances. If I shoot dirty ammo the cylinder will actually start to bind after 50 rounds or so until I clean it. This can prevent the gun from firing. My S&W PC 627 will do the same thing. Keeping it clean is important because revolver hang ups can be hard to recover from. In my case dirty ammo can simply be the result of shooting .38 Spcl in the .357 Mag. You need to pay attention to the cleanliness around the close tolerances between the face of the cylinder and the frame.

And, something you'll figure out quickly is that Air Weight revolvers can be brutal to shoot. There is no spring assisted - recoil cushioning effect. Most folks I know that have small frame revolvers for carry purposes subscribe to the theory that they should be carried a lot and shot a little. My best illustration of this would be to complete a side-by-side recoil sensitivity test between a S&W Air Weight .357 Mag or .38 Spcl and say a new S&W Shield in .40 S&W. Highly subjective obviously. I consider the Shield recoil more manageable than that of the J-Frame.

I'm not trying to discourage you from buying a revolver. Good luck.
 
I have both pistol and revolver.
Both are great to shoot.
It's true you do not have to break down the revolver to clean
but you you also have to clean the wheel so time wise
it's about the same.
I CCW IWB and I prefer the semi for concealment and comfort.
I also like knowing I have an extra mag ready to go in on my person.
One advantage of the revolver is with a miss fire you can just pull the trigger again.
Best advise I can give is to get one of each.
 
I own several revolvers as well as several semi-autos. Using my Colt Trooper (my dad's old service revolver) in .357 for discussion sake, you can shoot a variety of ammunition through it from a standard .38 special, to a 38+P, a .38+P+. and finally a full .357 magnum round. This diversity in being able to shoot several different cartridge types allows me to practice or punch holes in paper with a less expensive round. Clean up is a breeze as there is no disassembly and with HK speed loaders I can get off 18 rounds in less than a minute and a half. One of the big advantages I like when shooting the revolver is you can immediately switch from single or double action with a manual cock of the hammer or full pull of the trigger from shot to shot.
 
I'll leave shotshells to shotguns. All that extra cylinder length kills concealability anyway and it's but ugly. A nice 5 shot 44 or 45LC with a 2.5" barrel would be the cat's ass. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of selection with those requirements. That said, there's nothing like a smooth S&W revolver in DA.
 
One of my favorite guns is a 4" S&W 686 .357. It is smooth, accurate, and a work of art. If you prefer blue over stainless, get the 586. With a little practice, I can shoot this gun as quickly and accurately DA as any of my SA semis.
If you want something a little smaller, the Ruger SP101 in either a 2'' or 3" barrel is a joy to shoot. Well, the 2" isn't as much of a joy with .357's, but it's still an amazingly well made gun.
I like innovation as much as the next guy, but when something works as well as a good revolver, it's hard to ever replace it.
 
Two words "jerry miculek" google it. After many years much research I have found the answer to the question "what is the perfect handgun?" Well the truth is there is no perfect handgun. Each one can be the best based on the need for the task. I like both pistols and revolvers but, for defence I use hammerless 38 revolvers. Enjoy the journey.
 
Amen to Jerry Miculek! Anyone who thinks that semis are the fastest and most accurate in a gunfight needs to check out Jerry's vids. While there are a lot of great pistoleros out there, Jerry is the last guy I'd want opposite me in a gunfight.
 
RossA said:
One of my favorite guns is a 4" S&W 686 .357. It is smooth, accurate, and a work of art. If you prefer blue over stainless, get the 586. With a little practice, I can shoot this gun as quickly and accurately DA as any of my SA semis.
If you want something a little smaller, the Ruger SP101 in either a 2'' or 3" barrel is a joy to shoot. Well, the 2" isn't as much of a joy with .357's, but it's still an amazingly well made gun.
I like innovation as much as the next guy, but when something works as well as a good revolver, it's hard to ever replace it.
Click to expand...

Ruger's are well designed guns, but the revolvers just aren't as smooth as Smith and Wesson's. NIMO and I have owned both. I had a speed six with a 23/4" barrell. With mag loads, it was a flame thrower. I also had a Smith model 15, 4" barrel. It could keep them in the black at 25 yards.
 
I have both, and like both. I don't shoot much so I won't have any opinion to express, but I'd suggest you try one and see what you think. I used to have a Ruger GP-100 (.357 Mag), and loved that one, but I needed to get a molded after-market grip for it. I suppose your location and purposes would determine your selection, e.g. if you live in the NW and like to camp or hike, you may want something that will stop a large bear. I wouldn't trust mine to do that.
 
About 20 years ago I bought a Taurus Model 82, 6 shot .38spec, ported 4" barrel, and I added Pachamyr grips and I still believe it is a great gun. Very well balanced, easy and fun to shot and add .38+p Hornady Home Defense ammo and it will hold its own on personal defense. I love my semi-autos, but my first love is a revolver.
 
I own four revolvers, all .38Spl and I love 'em. I love the looks, the feel and the history behind revolvers... and, I watch Dirty Harry too much.

Revolvers do have the downside of fewer rounds at the ready, speedloaders are kinda bulky depending on dress. The weapon itself can be a problem for concealment again, depending on your dress. You can of course get revolvers chambered in every caliber from .22short to .500 S&W so you have some room to find what you need. They can fill the CCW role well with careful selection but can also be great for hunting almost anything within range of the caliber itself.

Revolvers are, in my experiance, more reliable than autos... generally. Even shooting dirty ammo, my revolvers have never failed to go bang. I have however, had a few autos jam for various reasons with dirty ammo. If you wanted to jam a revolver, you could... of course, but it's like an AK... I can make it jam but it won't jam unless I make it.

Cleaning a revolver is easy-peesy... Get a rag, some Rem-oil, a chamber/bore brush and take a few minutes and she's back to new.

I've actually been looking at getting a few more, I want another .38Spl, a .44mag, a .22WMR and a .22LR... I love 'em.
 
azhusker said:
About 20 years ago I bought a Taurus Model 82, 6 shot .38spec, ported 4" barrel, and I added Pachamyr grips and I still believe it is a great gun. Very well balanced, easy and fun to shot and add .38+p Hornady Home Defense ammo and it will hold its own on personal defense. I love my semi-autos, but my first love is a revolver.
Click to expand...

My first pistol was a Dan Wesson 44 with an 8" barrel. After that I traded for a brand new Colt Government, then a 4" Python, I also had a Ruger Speed Six, SW M15, Blackhawks in 41 mag and 45LC, a Virginian Dragoon in 45LC, and now the only pistols I have are a Commander and a FEG R9. I'd like to get something else and I am torn between the XDs an a big bore snubbie. Charter Arms doesn't do anything for me though. I wish someone made a 45LC snubbie.
 
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