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Old July 30, 2013, 06:41 PM   #51
WildBill45
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Quote:
How about a Contender in 30-30 for just one shot?

Again: It is not about the one shot

It is about confidence and trust in the gun, the one shot scenario was to take out the firepower comments, which so far most have not heeded.

For those who have, sorry for the repeated comments, but one must keep on course as some want to go elsewhere for whatever purpose...

Always happens...

How confident are you with an auto pistol vs. a revolver in the original post scenario. Do you worry if it will work when it is needed most, will you, and with which one will you worry more than the other...

A second shot is the Not issue, a shotgun or other gun is not the issue, most shooters here already know all those solutions/issues already. We are not impressed that some keep bringing them up as if we didn't...

You the shooter and how confident you are in one style or another is the issue...
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Last edited by WildBill45; July 30, 2013 at 06:49 PM.
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Old July 30, 2013, 06:52 PM   #52
johnwilliamson062
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I am with the sentiment that if you are absolutely limited to one shot a revolver isn't the best bet. Despite what OP says, there is VERY little that can go wrong with a semi-auto that is ready to fire.

If you KNOW there will be one bad guy then a revolver might be a good choice. 5 shots for one guy has a high probability of being enough to stop or scare off the threat. If you have a problem you just pull the trigger again and go to the next cylinder. Mauch faster than a failure in a semi-auto.

But when do you only have time for one shot with a pistol?
When do you KNOW there will only be one attacker?
I'll keep carrying my Corolla. I meant Glock.
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Old July 30, 2013, 06:55 PM   #53
Deaf Smith
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Either one.

As long as the gun is reliable, say a Glock/HK/SIG or S&W/Ruger/Colt revolver I would not care which one.

The top makes of semi-autos are just as reliable as the top makes of revolvers in the short run (that is shot 100 rounds or so without cleaning.) In the long run, many hundreds of rounds without cleaning, the semi-auto starts to show it's more reliable.

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Old July 30, 2013, 07:00 PM   #54
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When you talk about just one single shot and reliability, the revolver has no advantage over the auto in that case as a failure to fire is just as likely to happen in either. As far as subsequent shots a revolver may have an advantage but these days with a quality auto it really wont be by much. None of my carry or home defense semi-auto pistols have had a single failure except for a dud primer in a bulk pack of WWB 9mm, and I have put alot of rounds down range with them. On the other hand my S&W 60 revolver had a hammer pin snap when I was shooting and rendered the gun totally inoperable, so just goes to show revolvers have their fair share of problems too. This isn't 50 years ago where semi-autos were not as reliable as they are today. Unless you get one from the factory that just plain wont work right, any quality auto can go thousands of rounds without seeing a single failure with proper maintenance. Aside from .22 pistols, I have seen more failure to fires from people short stroking a revolver in rapid fire than actual stoppages in a semi-auto.
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Old July 30, 2013, 07:14 PM   #55
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In theory, I should want my 1911 .45. It's reliable, I shoot it well enough, and it has the advantages of night sights and .45 caliber.

In practice, I want my M&P 9. It's the gun I shoot far more often than any other. It's the one that's always lubed up and ready to go, since it never goes more than a week with being fired, and subsequently cleaned and lubed. Of all the guns I own, it's the one I have to think the least about - I just have to think "there should be a hole there", and voila! a hole appears.

Real world reliability - the only kind of reliability that matters - is much more complicated than Gun A malfunctions 0.045% more often than Gun B. It's about whether Gun A + Ammo X + Holster Y + Shooter Z can combine to reliably achieve the desired result in a given scenario.
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Old July 30, 2013, 07:24 PM   #56
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Only one shot? You must be talking about something like a TC Contender, because anything else will be going bang more than once.

Seriously though, I'd be comfortable with almost any any weapon I own and have fired. They have all been proven to reliable.
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Old July 30, 2013, 08:11 PM   #57
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No its not about trust in the gun, its about you trying to stir up a heated Auto vs Revolver debate.

So, to answer your flawed OP, I choose either.. I wont own a unreliable weapon. PERIOD. I run 1k rounds of various flavor out of my weapons to see if there reliable. IF not, they get fixed, and another 1k rounds. If they fail again, I get rid of them.

I doubt many here, would intentionally keep in there drawers untested unreliable weapons..
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Old July 30, 2013, 08:27 PM   #58
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Revolver. My night stand is a model 58, Smith and Wesson, M&P 41 magnum, fixed sights, 4 inch heavy barrel. always fires.

Gary
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Old July 30, 2013, 08:27 PM   #59
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Honestly, I could pick any of my handguns and feel confident in it to fire.
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Old July 30, 2013, 08:30 PM   #60
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One shot to live ... Auto ... or ... Revolver

Yeah it's pretty obvious the answer you are looking for. The gun I'd be grabbing would be a S&W M&P 9c because in your situation it would be what I had with me.

I trust my life to it, as I do with every gun I own. If I can't, down the road it goes.
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Old July 30, 2013, 08:49 PM   #61
WildBill45
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Quote:
it's the one I have to think the least about - I just have to think "there should be a hole there", and voila! a hole appears.
Now this is the answer I was looking for! Straight to the point, the one he trusts most ... SEE HOW EASY THAT IS!
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Old July 30, 2013, 09:44 PM   #62
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RickB - springs? I had a Model 19 like that. It was used and the previous owner had lightened up the springs to such an extent I had weak strikes.

Fixed with new springs.
Same, both before and after Factory Master Action Job.
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Old July 31, 2013, 07:03 AM   #63
45_auto
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdoxo
If you're on your last bullet. The slide on a semi auto will lock back. Indicating 'empty.' If the BG is not dead, he now knows your gun is useless, for the time being. A revolver has no indication when it's out of ammo.
If the slide on my semi-auto locks back, then I release it back into battery, how many people are willing to bet their life that there's no ammo in it?

Since we're discussing way out scenarios and super-observant bad guys here, take a look at a loaded versus unloaded revolver from the front. What's going to keep him from seeing those big empty holes in the cylinder of your useless revolver?

Maybe your plan is to play Dirty Harry and cock the hammer real quick so he can't see if the chamber lined up to fire is unloaded like the rest, then ask him "Well, do you feel lucky punk?"

Last edited by 45_auto; July 31, 2013 at 07:17 AM.
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Old July 31, 2013, 07:04 AM   #64
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My Remington R1 1911 because that will be the pistol I have with me. When I travel by car I carry what I consider my working battery. It consists of a Model 12 Winchester 12ga Riot gun, a 16in. lever action Winchester 30-30, the R-1, a Colt Detective Special and a 1908 Colt .25. I carry these so if disaster strikes at home, say fire, theft etc. I still have what I consider to be minimum I need to start over for hunting and defense.
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Old July 31, 2013, 07:44 AM   #65
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Quote:
Quote:
RickB - springs? I had a Model 19 like that. It was used and the previous owner had lightened up the springs to such an extent I had weak strikes.

Fixed with new springs.
Same, both before and after Factory Master Action Job.

That still doesn't say whether or not the springs were lightened or replaced with lighter springs. Use factory springs for a SD gun. I have target revolvers that work well only with Federal primers (intentionally), but I don't use them for SD. If the springs are OEM, then there is likely a firing pin issue.
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Old July 31, 2013, 08:59 AM   #66
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I am the ultimat revolver fanboy. I love revolvers and will always believe they are inherently more reliable. But, your scenario is flawed if you want to favor the revolver.

If you took 100 brand new 1911's and loaded six rounds in each and took 100 brand new S&W model 10's loaded with six rounds, I am certain the you would not be able to go 600 rounds without a jam in the autos, yet, the revolvers would.

In you scenario, the single most reliable weapon for that "one" shot would be a cocked and locked 1911. The round is already chambered, the gun is cocked. Short of a dud round, it will fire.

If you wanted TWO utterly reliable shots, I think the odds go back to the revolver.
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Old July 31, 2013, 11:36 AM   #67
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Love these kind of questions, especially when the question is phrased so that the "placement is everything" crowd can't give their stock answer!
With all other things being equal (caliber, weight, etc), I say revolver, because I'd hate to risk a semi jam on the shot that can save my family!
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Old July 31, 2013, 11:38 AM   #68
RBid
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One shot to live ... Auto ... or ... Revolver

The bit about slide lock back giving an indication of empty vs a revolver blows my mind. Here's a visual aid for why. "S" is semi, "R" is revolver. The numbers below are round count.

S. R.
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.
6. 6.
7. Empty, "benefiting" from no slide lock.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

While you're hoping that lack of slide lock is going to somehow convince a bad guy that you still have rounds, despite the fact that you just inexplicably stopped dumping rounds (likely clicking 1-2 dry cylinders, since nobody actually counts rounds in a gunfight), the other guy is still shooting.

Call me crazy, but when I hit 6 or 7, I'd rather keep firing than hope the BG is fooled.
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Old July 31, 2013, 12:20 PM   #69
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Quote:
You and your family are on a cross-country trip, and sleeping in a small hotel on the edge of some high crime city, when the door busts open in the middle of the night. The large silhouette in the doorway is holding a knife, a Big Knife, and your kids are still sleeping. You grab your handgun next to you on the bedside table as he enters the room and you only have time for one shot to save everybody.
No matter where I have been the people most likely to kick open a door in the dark sleepy of night are the cops. They are the most common door kicker openers in the U.S. So first thing I do is identify my target and make sure it ain't them. If it is and I shoot at them, then me, and everyone in the room with me is likely to die. So I try not to shoot at them.

I've had both semis and wheelguns with me when I've traveled and one or the other sets by the bedside.

I've already made sure that they are ready to go and that adequate ammo is not a problem. This is the answer to the original question.

The gun is only one part of my defense and not the most important part.

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Old July 31, 2013, 12:56 PM   #70
allaroundhunter
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I do. If you're on your last bullet. The slide on a semi auto will lock back. Indicating 'empty.' If the BG is not dead, he now knows your gun is useless, for the time being. A revolver has no indication when it's out of ammo. Sure it's possible to count shots, but the BG doesn't know if you have a 5,6,7,8,9,10 shot revolver. If your last shot didn't put the BG down, at least you still have the implication of a credible threat to him/her. You might get lucky and walk the BG out of the front door, with your gun's muzzle against he back of his/her neck. It's preferable to having an empty semi auto, with the slide locked back, IMO.
So, you actually need to shoot again and get a *click* with the revolver because you weren't warned that you were out of ammo.... Then what? Reloading a revolver is not always as quick as reloading a semi auto.

If someone sees my gun go into slide-lock, then they have about half a second to make a move before my gun is back in action. Considering how long it takes a human brain to react to stimuli, they have about .2-.3 seconds to react. They can try something, but I will have my semi auto back up and running much more quickly than you will have a revolver.
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Old July 31, 2013, 12:57 PM   #71
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For a carry gun, I pocket carry a revolver. If I carried one of my current autos, 1911 Colt Combat .38 Super, Colt XSE Combat Commander .45 ACP., or Browning H.P., I would carry in a "Thumb Break" holster which I consider has the best retention-strap system. However, having practiced drawing, hitting the thumb-break, the additional manipulation of the thumb-safety is very distracting and I cannot achieve the speed of the draw than when using a thumb-break and a double-action revolver which only requires hitting the thumb-break.
In a scenario of a small pocket carry auto, finding and disengaging the safety seems more involved also.
In short, extra steps = more things that can go wrong.
As for those who are obsessed with the eventuality of reloading, I would say: A second or multiple attackers (that stick around past the first shot), is a possibility, but what percent of actual civilian self-defense shootings does it actually happen? "Want to be sure, via more rounds...", results in a slippery-slope where we all would be pulling a little red wagon behind us filled with loaded magazines.
In short, a revolver is the better choice for the dealing with the immediate threat, leaving the what-ifs to those who like to fantasize about being in an extended fire-fight.

Last edited by dahermit; July 31, 2013 at 01:08 PM.
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Old July 31, 2013, 01:11 PM   #72
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How confident are you with an auto pistol vs. a revolver in the original post scenario. Do you worry if it will work when it is needed most, will you, and with which one will you worry more than the other...
I am confident that 7 trigger pulls on any of my defensive autos will produce 7 bangs, All my defensive revolvers will produce 6 bangs and one click.
I worry far more that 6 shots won't be enough than I do about my auto jamming.
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Old July 31, 2013, 01:48 PM   #73
Art Eatman
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Ignoring the RG and Jennings folks, I don't see why anybody who would post in this forum would have any doubt whatsoever about pulling the trigger and hearing a "Bang!"

I wouldn't own any firearm of any sort in which I was not 100% confident that it would perform as expected. So far, I've yet to have a problem.
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Old July 31, 2013, 02:20 PM   #74
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Quote:
Originally Posted by biff tannen
I say revolver, because I'd hate to risk a semi jam on the shot that can save my family!
You've got one round loaded in a semi and a revolver.

The semi has a round in the chamber, it only has to drop the hammer or striker to fire.

The revolver has to go through all the additional failure points to rotate the cylinder to get the round into the same position the semi already started in (round under the hammer).

It has to hope that the cartridge doesn't have a high primer that binds the cylinder, hope the cartridge is not over-length and binds the cylinder, hope that none of the springs or rotating mechanism jams, and then it finally gets the round into the same position that the semi started in.

At that point, the trigger mechanism in each can release the hammer (or striker) to fire the round.
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Old July 31, 2013, 05:56 PM   #75
WildBill45
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At that point, the trigger mechanism in each can release the hammer (or striker) to fire the round.
The point of this exercise is repeatedly getting lost.


The mechanism, the round count, only one round, the brand, the cost ... all of such distractions ARE NOT part of the premise so put forth...

This is a human question of confidence when going into battle, as warriors should know ... What Sword would you choose when headed out to battle ... style one--Auto or Sword style two--revolver??? Period... Which one reflects your confidence with all of your personal experiences with different types of swords over the years where you have seen everything, hence, you have an opinion on the matter. Obviously, those not long in experience may not have experienced many failures due to light experience and low numbers of repetitions in life and death situations...

What Sword would you choose when headed out to battle ... style one--Auto or Sword style two--revolver??? Period...
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Last edited by WildBill45; July 31, 2013 at 06:16 PM. Reason: Add a paragraph or two
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