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twobit · September 27, 2012, 05:30 PM

I think your choice of a revolver is sound logic. Here is how I have transitioned over 25+ years in law enforcement.... I'm over fifty, but not retired yet.

As a rookie officer, my department mandated that all rookies carry a revolver for the first two years. This was the mid to late 80's and many carried a S&W .357 (mine was a 686). Six in the wheel and two speed loaders on your belt. A whopping 18 rounds! You learned to make your shots hit and count. I would guess over 90% of all officers in the USA carried revolvers.

After two years you could attempt to qualify with a semi-auto. Back then there were two basic acceptable semi-autos for on duty; a 1911 or a Browning high power. One or two more rounds in each magazine than a revolver cylinder held, but still only about 20 rounds on your person total. The reason for the two year wait was safety of operation. Both the above semi autos have to be carried on safe and removed from safe just before firing. Lots of switches / buttons to commit to muscle memory before you could make it fire. Us rookies were not deemed capable of not shooting our foot off.

Then the double action only and double/single action semis with a zillion round capacity hit the scene. WOW! As inherently safe as a double action revolver, and you were carrying almost 50 rounds. Those excellent revolvers that had been dutifully serving our country for over 100 years were suddenly inferior garbage and were treated like a skunk-sprayed dog. We had Firepower! Officer accuracy went into the toilet. Just keep shooting till you hit something mentality. No academy would even train officers to shoot revolvers anymore. No one noticed that the 9mm round could not hold a candle to a .357 round as far as power.

Time went buy and the 9mm caliber was mostly replaced by 10mm or 40 cal or .357sig or .45ACP.... Skill level was sometime still bolstered up by "multiple rounds down range".

Fast forward to today. I'm not a line officer anymore, I'm an administrator "the brass". My duty gun while in uniform is still a a semi (Beretta 96), but I also qualify with, and sometimes carry plainclothes different revolvers of varying calibers of .38, .357. 45 colt. Some of my BUG's are .380 and even a lowly NAA .22mag. You can hide that NAA anywhere!

Why have I mostly gone back to revolvers for off duty?

I believe in the philosophy of "Beware the man with a single shot gun...he will be a very accurate shooter!" It translates well to "a man shooting a revolver is apt to be a good shot" because you need to stop the threat with less ammo.

When out on my ranch I have no hesitation in carrying a Cimarron SAA 45 colt with "five beans in the wheel and daylight under the hammer". That sigle action revolver is actually my favorite handgun.

My wife has a CHL. She used to carry a Walther PPK/S and was good with it. Now she carries a Ruger LCR and loves it. Easier to operate and more accurate with it.

September 27, 2012, 05:30 PM	#2
twobit Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2010 Location: Coyote Creak, SW Texas Posts: 597	I think your choice of a revolver is sound logic. Here is how I have transitioned over 25+ years in law enforcement.... I'm over fifty, but not retired yet. As a rookie officer, my department mandated that all rookies carry a revolver for the first two years. This was the mid to late 80's and many carried a S&W .357 (mine was a 686). Six in the wheel and two speed loaders on your belt. A whopping 18 rounds! You learned to make your shots hit and count. I would guess over 90% of all officers in the USA carried revolvers. After two years you could attempt to qualify with a semi-auto. Back then there were two basic acceptable semi-autos for on duty; a 1911 or a Browning high power. One or two more rounds in each magazine than a revolver cylinder held, but still only about 20 rounds on your person total. The reason for the two year wait was safety of operation. Both the above semi autos have to be carried on safe and removed from safe just before firing. Lots of switches / buttons to commit to muscle memory before you could make it fire. Us rookies were not deemed capable of not shooting our foot off. Then the double action only and double/single action semis with a zillion round capacity hit the scene. WOW! As inherently safe as a double action revolver, and you were carrying almost 50 rounds. Those excellent revolvers that had been dutifully serving our country for over 100 years were suddenly inferior garbage and were treated like a skunk-sprayed dog. We had Firepower! Officer accuracy went into the toilet. Just keep shooting till you hit something mentality. No academy would even train officers to shoot revolvers anymore. No one noticed that the 9mm round could not hold a candle to a .357 round as far as power. Time went buy and the 9mm caliber was mostly replaced by 10mm or 40 cal or .357sig or .45ACP.... Skill level was sometime still bolstered up by "multiple rounds down range". Fast forward to today. I'm not a line officer anymore, I'm an administrator "the brass". My duty gun while in uniform is still a a semi (Beretta 96), but I also qualify with, and sometimes carry plainclothes different revolvers of varying calibers of .38, .357. 45 colt. Some of my BUG's are .380 and even a lowly NAA .22mag. You can hide that NAA anywhere! Why have I mostly gone back to revolvers for off duty? I believe in the philosophy of "Beware the man with a single shot gun...he will be a very accurate shooter!" It translates well to "a man shooting a revolver is apt to be a good shot" because you need to stop the threat with less ammo. When out on my ranch I have no hesitation in carrying a Cimarron SAA 45 colt with "five beans in the wheel and daylight under the hammer". That sigle action revolver is actually my favorite handgun. My wife has a CHL. She used to carry a Walther PPK/S and was good with it. Now she carries a Ruger LCR and loves it. Easier to operate and more accurate with it. __________________ Twobit, Strive to live up to the opinion that your dog has of you. Last edited by twobit; September 27, 2012 at 05:37 PM.