So barring any political reasons, how much life does the revolver have left in it?

[Armybrat]

I refuse to believe that my descendants will eschew my beautiful Ruger Super Blackhawk. If they do, I'll have a codicil in my will that they should undergo a vasectomy ASAP.

[Cosmodragoon]

Point taken, 44 AMP. There are some extremely powerful semis out there that do get up over the .44 magnum threshold. They just seem a bit more exotic. I know Desert Eagles and other semis have been adapted to fire revolver rounds. I was just thinking about specific semi-auto cartridges. As per capacity, I only bring it up because it's a mainstay of the "revolver vs. semi" argument. I know Glocks and Witnesses are 14+1 in 10mm, and some of the .45-caliber conversions can be done on large double-stack models, but what about those more exotic behemoths?

Yeah, awkwardness is in the hand of the beholder. I know I'm not the only one who likes the feeling of a 8.38" XVR. It's obviously a special-purpose arm but so are the big semis. The XVR shoots surprisingly well, not just from the weight but the compensator and those amazingly comfortable grips. (You can actually put those on a 686 and it works wonders for .357 magnum.) Do they have cushioned grips like that for semi-autos?

[Pond, James Pond]

Here's another reason loosely linked to my previous point as to why revolvers will stick around.

If we agree that both political pressure and urbanisation of the population tends to push toward a decrease in firearms ownership then it stands that those that still hold on to shooting in their lives will have a genuine interest in it.

With that will come more than just a cursory knowledge of firearms and their relative virtues. And anyone who knows firearms will know that revolvers have their strengths when compared to semis and as such a market will remain.

As to the size of that market...

[Safestuffer]

My first handgun was a S&W 66. I loved it because it was louder than any semi-auto I'd shot or seen. I was young and dumb and now i'm older and harder of hearing. But anyways, after I got rid of my first (Dumb but finances demanded it) I went through a succession of semi-auto's, then a few years later I found an old cut down .32-20 Colt army special. that was it for revolvers for a long time. More semi-autos later I started reloading, then the game changed.

Now I have probably three times as many revolvers as I do semi autos.
Besides my aversion to hunting through the weeds to find my brass, I have a mental block now.
My brain sees semi auto's as obnoxious in the way that the slide bashes back and forth, flinging my precious shiny brass away without a care and rudely shoving another cartridge in....while revolvers are refined, gracefully rotating the cylinder into alignment with precision, parts working in cooperation to perform multiple operations at once along multiple axis. My precious brass stays cradled safely and securely in its chamber until I decide to extract it.

Yes I'm weird.

Technically speaking though, revolvers do have a few advantages in defensive use. Contact shots are possible that would put most tilting barrel semi auto's out of battery hence out of action. Misfires are not a big deal, no tap-rack-bang, just pull the trigger again. Simplicity...no levers or buttons other than a cylinder release, and they have an obvious reloading sequence. You don't have to remember to rack the slide to chamber a round, or disengage a safety, etc...

I also really like that I don't have to round up a bunch of magazines for my revolvers when I go to the range. I dislike having to purchase extra magazines for $$$ if a gun doesn't come with enough of them. A semi-auto with a lost or broken magazine is a very slow loading single shot. I've never had to go hunting for a type or brand of magazine to get a reliable revolver.

Revolvers do and always will have a significant place in the world. Revolvers also do not have nearly a "tactical" vibe as most semi-autos imo, and some people are looking for a shooting experience without that vibe. Sometimes I like going to the range and doing mag dumps, tactical drills, defensive drills, etc..and sometimes I go to do some leisurely long range and slower paced target shooting, usually done with revolvers. Its hard for me to think of any centerfire semi-auto as a "plinking" gun.

I know when I shoot a revolver I feel more like I am using a tool, and when I shoot a semi-auto I feel more like I'm handling a weapon.

[Hal]

So barring any political reasons, how much life does the revolver have left in it?

More than me that's for sure! !

(This is probably my last Christmas so - that ain't saying much.. LOL!)

[Buckeye!]

Revolvers will always have a place in my carry rotation and Im sure they're several other people feel that way !!!

[djont57]

Yes I'm weird.

Me too! Liked your post.

[Jeff #111]

Revolvers do and always will have a significant place in the world. Revolvers also do not have nearly a "tactical" vibe as most semi-autos imo, and some people are looking for a shooting experience without that vibe. Sometimes I like going to the range and doing mag dumps, tactical drills, defensive drills, etc..and sometimes I go to do some leisurely long range and slower paced target shooting, usually done with revolvers.

Exactly. Thirty years ago I was all about the tactical. Not so much anymore. Nowadays I like to just go to the range and put holes in the target as close as possible.

[Skans]

When I first started shooting handguns, I was a revolver guy - because that's all I knew and what I learned with. In my 20's, I became enamored with semi-auto handguns and lost all interest in revolvers. While I am still mostly interested in Autos, a few years ago, I started to regain an interest in certain revolvers. There's a different kind of beauty and craftsmanship that comes with revolvers.

Tastes change over time; and they change again and again. Who knows, maybe some day I might find it interesting to collect cheap Saturday night specials, like Lorcins and Rohms.....or maybe not.

[jad0110]

They're not going anywhere, and I tend to think we've more or less stabilized in their use / popularity as compared to semi autos.

I still prefer revolvers for defense and carry, but because of recent problems with my lower back, I've been gravitating towards a lighter polymer auto, in this case a S&W SD9VE. My preference being steel S&W K and L frames.

[salvadore]

The large capacity auto loaders didn't appear in the early
80s, but the mid 30s and was a hit that caused many country's military to replace their revolvers for the P-35. Anyway, the revolver isn't going anywhere because the plastic fantastic may do it all, its got no soul.

[Armybrat]

That is a great way to put it! "No soul"

[shafter]

Handguns are used to fill many different roles. Folks plink, compete, roam the backwoods, hunt, carry concealed, and leave 'em on the nightstand or in the glove box. While I truly believe they are no longer at the top of the food chain for fighting purposes, they are far from obsolete and will be with us for a long time. In fact, for some uses they are still the best choice.

If I were walking into a fight I would not choose a revolver. However, if I could only have one handgun to fill every need for the rest of my life it would definitely be a 357 magnum revolver and most likely a stainless 4'' Ruger Security Six.

[Mannlicher]

myself, and many of my friends / family still love, and use revolvers. Concealed carry, hunting, and fun shooting are excellent reasons to pack a revolver.
I don't see them going away any time soon, if ever. They are so practical, reliable, accurate and fun, that folks will be choosing revolvers for many, many more years.

[44 AMP]

The large capacity auto loaders didn't appear in the early
80s, but the mid 30s and was a hit that caused many country's military to replace their revolvers for the P-35.

If you consider "large capacity" to be 10 rounds and up, it wasn't the mid 30s, it was 1896!

The standard Mauser C96 (Broomhandle) had a 10rnd capacity.

Savage pocket pistols from the teens and early 20s had 10rnd + capacity.

As far as I can tell, no country replaced its military revolvers with a "high capacity" semi auto until after WWII.

The P.35 was used by the British Commonwealth during WWII, but didn't become the primary standard until the 50s.

Even the US, despite 30+ years of having a high capacity semi auto as our service standard still has revolvers and still issues them for certain specific roles, in small numbers.

[SIGSHR]

Revolver are more reloader friendly. As Skeeter Skelton once wrote, they don't chuck your brass all over the place. Less sensitive to case length, no feeding problems, etc.

[Skans]

If you consider "large capacity" to be 10 rounds

No, I never considered 10 rounds "large capacity". I have always considered 17+ rounds in a pistol to be large capacity. I've always looked at semi-autos with capacities between 13-17 rounds with one in the chamber to be standard for a full-sized semi-auto.

Of course, I'm part of the wonder-nine generation, so I'm biased accordingly.

[4D5]

While revolvers may no longer hold the interest they once did, they'll still be around.

Take for instance, any S&W pre-lock revolver.
If it's in decent shape and a good price or even not so good price, it generally will not last very long in the gun case.
The S&W pre-lock anything commands a higher price than new revolvers.

.

[Skans]

Take for instance, any S&W pre-lock revolver. If it's in decent shape and a good price or even not so good price, it generally will not last very long in the gun case.

I had a Model 10 for years. Accurate, but I never really liked it all that much - barrel was too long and the grip too wide at the bottom. I sold it in the late '80's and never wanted it back. However, there are several new S&W revolvers that I would really like to have. The one classic I'd like to find is a pristine, nickel plated Model 60 Chiefs Special. My first handgun in my teens was an INA knock-off of a nickel Model 60, which actually was pretty good quality considering it was a copy. Still, I always wanted the "real" model 60.

[RetiredMajor]

A point I would make is that revolvers are a very good solution for a whole bunch of folks. There are people who can't reliably, consistently rack the slide on a semi-auto. Some folks have no upper body or arm strength, some have an arm or hand injury, some have arthritis and some just want a simple handgun that is easy to operate, load and maintain. The revolver fits the bill for them.
Major

[SPEMack618]

I really don't think the lightweight, slim, five shot, snub nosed .38 SPL is ever going to be discontinued.

There are too many folks, myself included, for whom that kind of gun, a S&W 642 in my case, will always be there, hey going to the store real quick, or cutting grass in my swim trunks, or am wearing khakis and a polo to the office, and need a gun, who will choose it.

[45_auto]

Originally Posted by skans

The one classic I'd like to find is a pristine, nickel plated Model 60 Chiefs Special.

Finding one of those will probably take a while. There is no such thing as a Model 60 Chief's Special, and the Model 60 is stainless steel (the first production all stainless revolver - 1965). I've never seen a nickel plated stainless gun.

The Chief's Special is a Model 36.

The new design was introduced at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) convention in 1950, and was favorably received. A vote was held to name the new revolver, and the name "Chiefs Special" won.

[Skans]

The Chief's Special is a Model 36.

Yes, correction, Model 36 j-frame......which can still take a long time to find.

[osbornk]

Yes, correction, Model 36 j-frame......which can still take a long time to find.

You could always buy a new one. http://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/model-36-classics

[Skans]

You could always buy a new one.

That won't do. It's got to be an older one and nickel plated. My first gun was an INA 38 snub nose. It was a very close copy of the Chiefs Special, j-frame, and not a bad revolver at all. I sold it - that is the ONLY gun I've sold that I regret selling. However, when i had the INA "tiger" special, I really wanted the real version that Smith and Wesson made - not obtainable for me at the time. So, I've always kept an eye out for a nice older nickle plated J-frame Chiefs Special. If I could ever find a like-new condition INA nickel one like the one I had (doubt any are out there), I'd snatch it up too