Questions about revolvers

OhioGuy · July 25, 2019, 03:32 PM

So I'm totally new to revolvers. Many thousands of rounds of 9mm have gone through many semi autos, but my revolver count stands at 100 and that was all this week.

I know all the arguments against carrying them as primary CCW weapons. 5 shots, 6 if you're lucky, reloads more complicated than magazine changes and all that.

But dang they're easy to shoot and I kinda like them . And I never thought about how the shape of a revolver grip makes them so easy to conceal.

So for you who carry them, why don't you consider yourselves under-armed? Why aren't you rushing for the latest Sig or Glock that's cramming 10, 12 or 15 rounds into small magazines?

Please talk me out of carrying a revolver

I'd give up capacity, but they seem so easy to carry.

mk70ss · July 25, 2019, 03:42 PM

Police carried revolvers for about 115 or so years.....so I would say they are still valid and effective if you can shoot them well. I carry a .44 Bulldog as my EDC gun

Doyle · July 25, 2019, 04:15 PM

Most of the time, I can shoot a revolver better than I can an auto - partly because I shoot revolvers single-action style. For concealed carry, I prefer a small auto. It just feels better to me. However, if I'm hanging something on my belt without trying to conceal it (like when I'm fishing or walking around in the woods) it's going to be a revolver.

As to the number of shots, well - I've never had to use a firearm in self defense so I've no experience there. As to actually using a handgun against something other than paper, the most shots I've ever had to take at one time was 4 and that was at a pig. First shot broke his spine and he tried to crawl away using his front legs. Took me 3 more shots to hit him right and stop him.

Ben Dover · July 25, 2019, 04:20 PM

Most folks don't like them because with only 6 rounds you need to learn how to shoot.

bn12gg · July 25, 2019, 04:59 PM

SW M64 is my Jeep gun. I like it. Five rounds with the hammer down on the empty cylinder is just fine. Total reliability is huge imo.

.02
David

2damnold4this · July 25, 2019, 05:00 PM

I can't say what is best for you but pocket carrying a revolver works for me.

I carry a S&W 342pd with modified Altamont "Bateleur" wood grips because it is easy to access from a pocket or AIWB holster. It is extremely comfortable to carry in a pocket while doing my job as a grease monkey and that is important.

I've experimented with trying to carry semi-autos in various ways and while several methods work fine when I'm not working at the shop, they all fall short for me in one way or another when i'm at work. OWB doesn't conceal well enough at work. AIWB isn't comfortable if I am laying on top of a radiator support working. A G26 or LC9s won't come out of my work pants pockets like the 342 does, though the LC9s isn't as bad as the Glock.

The snubby isn't a G26 but it's there and it's easily accessed when needed.

dontcatchmany · July 25, 2019, 05:21 PM

I often carry a Ruger SP101 2.25 inch in a pocket as a backup to m6 semis.

I also have a 2" Kimber K6S that I had to send back to Kimber for a broken striker and 4 other striker related parts. Broke at around the first 350 ish rounds. As of yesterday and today after putting a J frame grip in it (with modifications) and finally getting the rear sight moved enough and putting another 1,000 + rounds of all types of ammo (now a total of approx 1400 rounds) I finally feel like can trust it. She now shoots lights out and will become a 6 r4ound back up.

The thing I found out about revolvers is that they are great training for semis. Snub nose revolvers can be difficult to shoot for some people and for me who was mostly accustomed to longer barreled guns.

I had worked on my trigger press/pull so much that when I shot one of my semis a couple of days ago I was much more accurate and faster than I have been in quite a while.....been working on grasp/grip of the gun to get stronger in my hands and arms because of the revolvers.

AK103K · July 25, 2019, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben Dover

Most folks don't like them because with only 6 rounds you need to learn how to shoot.

Either way, you need to know how to shoot.

Reality is, you dont always get to stand still and shoot at a target thats standing still and not shooting back at you. That part of things tends to make your basic shooting skills a tad lacking, no matter what youre using.

I always looked at it as, Id rather have 17 and only need one, than to have 5, and need 6. And I shoot both types on a regular basis, and fairly well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bn12gg

SW M64 is my Jeep gun. I like it. Five rounds with the hammer down on the empty cylinder is just fine. Total reliability is huge imo.

.02
David

You do realise that you can load the 64 fully. Its not an old SAA that isnt drop safe.

QUOTE=OhioGuy;6733338]
Please talk me out of carrying a revolver

[/QUOTE]
If you want to carry a revolver, by all means do. Its all part of the learning curve, and there is nothing wrong with them if youre practiced and like anything else, understand their strengths and deficiencies.

Ive carried 4" K and N frame Smiths in the past, as well as 2" K and J frames, and never found them to be a problem to carry, I just find the autos to be easier and more comfortable, especially when carrying IWB.

Reloading them isnt a problem either, but it takes some practice. Get yourself some good speed loaders and some snap caps and Im sure youll pick it up quick. I find Ayoob's "stress fire" reload works best for me.

Just make sure when you do reload, you do so "muzzle up", empties to the ground. If you dump the empties "muzzle down", you risk getting crap under the extractor star which can and will eventually tie the gun up.

2damnold4this · July 25, 2019, 06:16 PM

Quote:

The thing I found out about revolvers is that they are great training for semis. Snub nose revolvers can be difficult to shoot for some people and for me who was mostly accustomed to longer barreled guns.

I had worked on my trigger press/pull so much that when I shot one of my semis a couple of days ago I was much more accurate and faster than I have been in quite a while.....been working on grasp/grip of the gun to get stronger in my hands and arms because of the revolvers.

This is true. Shooting a light weight DAO snubby is a challenge but the practice put into it seems to carry over to semis. Whether it's timed drills at close range or slow fire at distance, shooting the snubby seems to make me better at shooting my semi-autos.

lee n. field · July 25, 2019, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OhioGuy

So I'm totally new to revolvers. Many thousands of rounds of 9mm have gone through many semi autos, but my revolver count stands at 100 and that was all this week.

I know all the arguments against carrying them as primary CCW weapons. 5 shots, 6 if you're lucky, reloads more complicated than magazine changes and all that.

But dang they're easy to shoot and I kinda like them . And I never thought about how the shape of a revolver grip makes them so easy to conceal.

So for you who carry them, why don't you consider yourselves under-armed?

I carry, on and off, over the years, a couple different .38 snubbies. Under-armed? To a certain extent. It's a judgment call. They carry well, and conceal well, especially in pocket holster.

Quote:

Why aren't you rushing for the latest Sig or Glock that's cramming 10, 12 or 15 rounds into small magazines?

I don't say I don't do that.

Quote:

Please talk me out of carrying a revolver

No.

Quote:

I'd give up capacity, but they seem so easy to carry.

Some serious guys say, carry more than one.

OhioGuy · July 25, 2019, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AK103K

Either way, you need to know how to shoot.

Reality is, you dont always get to stand still and shoot at a target thats standing still and not shooting back at you. That part of things tends to make your basic shooting skills a tad lacking, no matter what youre using.

I always looked at it as, Id rather have 17 and only need one, than to have 5, and need 6. And I shoot both types on a regular basis, and fairly well.

You do realise that you can load the 64 fully. Its not an old SAA that isnt drop safe.

QUOTE=OhioGuy;6733338]
Please talk me out of carrying a revolver

If you want to carry a revolver, by all means do. Its all part of the learning curve, and there is nothing wrong with them if youre practiced and like anything else, understand their strengths and deficiencies.

Ive carried 4" K and N frame Smiths in the past, as well as 2" K and J frames, and never found them to be a problem to carry, I just find the autos to be easier and more comfortable, especially when carrying IWB.

Reloading them isnt a problem either, but it takes some practice. Get yourself some good speed loaders and some snap caps and Im sure youll pick it up quick. I find Ayoob's "stress fire" reload works best for me.

Just make sure when you do reload, you do so "muzzle up", empties to the ground. If you dump the empties "muzzle down", you risk getting crap under the extractor star which can and will eventually tie the gun up.[/QUOTE]
Where can you carry a speed loader that doesn't buldge under a shirt or look like a golf ball in your pocket?

AK103K · July 25, 2019, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OhioGuy

Where can you carry a speed loader that doesn't buldge under a shirt or look like a golf ball in your pocket?

On your belt, with something like these.....

I prefer the last one, which is a Safariland. The speed loader straddles the belt, making for a slimer profile.

JERRYS. · July 25, 2019, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AK103K

On your belt, with something like these.....

I prefer the last one, which is a Safariland. The speed loader straddles the belt, making for a slimer profile.

the split six is a great product.

dahermit · July 25, 2019, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bn12gg

SW M64 is my Jeep gun. I like it. Five rounds with the hammer down on the empty cylinder is just fine. Total reliability is huge imo.

.02
David

Hammer down on empty cylinder? Yours has no hammer block?

KyJim · July 25, 2019, 07:54 PM

My answer to this sort of question is that carrying concealed is a compromise. And the area where you compromise may differ upon occasion. You have to consider "firepower" (rounds, caliber, etc.) and your ability to shoot the gun versus ability to conceal which is dependent upon handgun size (and shape) and clothing. Then you have to throw your environment into the mix.

If I'm driving straight to the office and back, the chances of needing a gun are way lower than if I'm walking downtown after dark. I feel comfortable with a five-round J-frame with no re-loads in the first situation. In the second, I'm carrying either a 1911 or my SW M&P Compact if clothing allows. I'll sometimes carry a mid-sized revolver (SW K-frame) in either of those two situations, but with at least one re-load.

If we didn't have to make such compromises, I would be carrying a shotgun backed up with a hi-cap 9mm with extra mags and a k-framed revolver with a couple of re-loads. But that's not practical for a variety of reasons. That's why I said we all compromise to some degree with what we carry.

KyJim · July 25, 2019, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Where can you carry a speed loader that doesn't buldge under a shirt or look like a golf ball in your pocket?

Instead of a speed loader, you can wear a magazine pouch with a quick strip. Not as fast as a speed loader but easier to conceal. I have one like this from Simply Rugged.

That "split six" also looks interesting.

Nanuk · July 25, 2019, 08:21 PM

Quote:

So for you who carry them, why don't you consider yourselves under-armed?

Because hits with a 357 magnum tend to ruin ones plans. With good speedloaders, proper technique and practice reloads can be done very quickly.

pete2 · July 25, 2019, 08:28 PM

I carry a 642, 5 shots, don't carry a reload. If I expect a fire fight I'd want something belt fed. If 5 shots won't handle the situation kiss it good bye. I pocket carry, if I were to carry in a holster it would be a 1911. One other thought, a semi auto is easier to shoot accurately than a revolver. That's the reason semis are used in Bullseye pistol competition.

Nanuk · July 25, 2019, 08:47 PM

Quote:

One other thought, a semi auto is easier to shoot accurately than a revolver. That's the reason semis are used in Bullseye pistol competition.

Depends on your skill level and experience.

wild cat mccane · July 25, 2019, 11:50 PM

I can hit with an LCP without trying better than I can with a snub

To each there own, but I like my GP100s ans 686s for the range.

My P365 carries better than a revolver and I can make hits with that like a full size.

Cirdan · July 26, 2019, 12:11 AM

Police carried revolvers when criminals did too. Are there any departments out there that still use revolvers?

10-96 · July 26, 2019, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Where can you carry a speed loader that doesn't buldge under a shirt or look like a golf ball in your pocket?

Folks carry so many doodads and gadgetries these days, I don't think it would stand out at all unless one has the tendency to hit the town wearing speedo's and such.

Anybody else try to picture that feller up there with the M64 doing the "load one, skip one, and load four" routine on a swing-out?

stinkeypete · July 26, 2019, 12:31 PM

I've never run out of ammo in a gunfight yet. Not even close. Sorry about my reality.

pete2 · July 26, 2019, 12:59 PM

Nanuk, Nope, the fact that you don't have to thumb cock a revolver makes the semi easier to shoot. 5 shots 10 second with one hand is harder to do with the revolver than the semi. It has nothing to do with accuracy of the piece, I think that the revolver as produced is usually more accurate than production semis with the exception of the .22 LR. Go to a few bullseye matches and see what they shoot.

deadcoyote · July 26, 2019, 02:35 PM

For me personally the only times I ever came close to shooting someone in 20 years in rural law enforcement was all after significant hand to hand fights and we were both gassed out and rolling around in an alley or an apartment building hallway. All of these circumstances were resolved without shots fired but if it had gone that was it would have been straight into the body in a contact shot. I carried an auto pistol because we were required to but any small revolver would have been just as useful and you wouldn’t have to worry about your slides cycle getting jacked up by clothing or into your own torso. I have an investigator position now and carry a 642.

July 25, 2019, 03:32 PM	#1
OhioGuy Senior Member Join Date: August 11, 2016 Posts: 1,089	Questions about revolvers So I'm totally new to revolvers. Many thousands of rounds of 9mm have gone through many semi autos, but my revolver count stands at 100 and that was all this week. I know all the arguments against carrying them as primary CCW weapons. 5 shots, 6 if you're lucky, reloads more complicated than magazine changes and all that. But dang they're easy to shoot and I kinda like them . And I never thought about how the shape of a revolver grip makes them so easy to conceal. So for you who carry them, why don't you consider yourselves under-armed? Why aren't you rushing for the latest Sig or Glock that's cramming 10, 12 or 15 rounds into small magazines? Please talk me out of carrying a revolver I'd give up capacity, but they seem so easy to carry.

July 25, 2019, 03:42 PM	#2
mk70ss Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2008 Location: Tennessee Posts: 1,598	Police carried revolvers for about 115 or so years.....so I would say they are still valid and effective if you can shoot them well. I carry a .44 Bulldog as my EDC gun __________________ Say when.....

July 25, 2019, 04:20 PM	#4
Ben Dover Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2013 Location: High up in the Rocky Moun Posts: 665	Most folks don't like them because with only 6 rounds you need to learn how to shoot. __________________ The soldier's pack is not so heavy a burden as the prisoner's chains. Dwight Eisenhower It is very important what a man stands for. But it is far more important what a man refuses to stand for.

July 26, 2019, 12:59 PM	#24
pete2 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 2,566	Nanuk, Nope, the fact that you don't have to thumb cock a revolver makes the semi easier to shoot. 5 shots 10 second with one hand is harder to do with the revolver than the semi. It has nothing to do with accuracy of the piece, I think that the revolver as produced is usually more accurate than production semis with the exception of the .22 LR. Go to a few bullseye matches and see what they shoot. Last edited by pete2; July 26, 2019 at 01:05 PM.

July 25, 2019, 04:15 PM	#3
Doyle Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2007 Location: Rainbow City, Alabama Posts: 7,167	Most of the time, I can shoot a revolver better than I can an auto - partly because I shoot revolvers single-action style. For concealed carry, I prefer a small auto. It just feels better to me. However, if I'm hanging something on my belt without trying to conceal it (like when I'm fishing or walking around in the woods) it's going to be a revolver. As to the number of shots, well - I've never had to use a firearm in self defense so I've no experience there. As to actually using a handgun against something other than paper, the most shots I've ever had to take at one time was 4 and that was at a pig. First shot broke his spine and he tried to crawl away using his front legs. Took me 3 more shots to hit him right and stop him.

July 25, 2019, 04:59 PM	#5
bn12gg Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2011 Location: Winter Park, Florida Posts: 470	SW M64 is my Jeep gun. I like it. Five rounds with the hammer down on the empty cylinder is just fine. Total reliability is huge imo. .02 David

July 25, 2019, 05:00 PM	#6
2damnold4this Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 2009 Location: Athens, Georgia Posts: 2,526	I can't say what is best for you but pocket carrying a revolver works for me. I carry a S&W 342pd with modified Altamont "Bateleur" wood grips because it is easy to access from a pocket or AIWB holster. It is extremely comfortable to carry in a pocket while doing my job as a grease monkey and that is important. I've experimented with trying to carry semi-autos in various ways and while several methods work fine when I'm not working at the shop, they all fall short for me in one way or another when i'm at work. OWB doesn't conceal well enough at work. AIWB isn't comfortable if I am laying on top of a radiator support working. A G26 or LC9s won't come out of my work pants pockets like the 342 does, though the LC9s isn't as bad as the Glock. The snubby isn't a G26 but it's there and it's easily accessed when needed.

July 25, 2019, 05:21 PM	#7
dontcatchmany Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2010 Posts: 460	I often carry a Ruger SP101 2.25 inch in a pocket as a backup to m6 semis. I also have a 2" Kimber K6S that I had to send back to Kimber for a broken striker and 4 other striker related parts. Broke at around the first 350 ish rounds. As of yesterday and today after putting a J frame grip in it (with modifications) and finally getting the rear sight moved enough and putting another 1,000 + rounds of all types of ammo (now a total of approx 1400 rounds) I finally feel like can trust it. She now shoots lights out and will become a 6 r4ound back up. The thing I found out about revolvers is that they are great training for semis. Snub nose revolvers can be difficult to shoot for some people and for me who was mostly accustomed to longer barreled guns. I had worked on my trigger press/pull so much that when I shot one of my semis a couple of days ago I was much more accurate and faster than I have been in quite a while.....been working on grasp/grip of the gun to get stronger in my hands and arms because of the revolvers.

July 25, 2019, 07:54 PM	#15
KyJim Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2005 Location: The Bluegrass Posts: 9,142	My answer to this sort of question is that carrying concealed is a compromise. And the area where you compromise may differ upon occasion. You have to consider "firepower" (rounds, caliber, etc.) and your ability to shoot the gun versus ability to conceal which is dependent upon handgun size (and shape) and clothing. Then you have to throw your environment into the mix. If I'm driving straight to the office and back, the chances of needing a gun are way lower than if I'm walking downtown after dark. I feel comfortable with a five-round J-frame with no re-loads in the first situation. In the second, I'm carrying either a 1911 or my SW M&P Compact if clothing allows. I'll sometimes carry a mid-sized revolver (SW K-frame) in either of those two situations, but with at least one re-load. If we didn't have to make such compromises, I would be carrying a shotgun backed up with a hi-cap 9mm with extra mags and a k-framed revolver with a couple of re-loads. But that's not practical for a variety of reasons. That's why I said we all compromise to some degree with what we carry.

July 25, 2019, 08:28 PM	#18
pete2 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 2,566	I carry a 642, 5 shots, don't carry a reload. If I expect a fire fight I'd want something belt fed. If 5 shots won't handle the situation kiss it good bye. I pocket carry, if I were to carry in a holster it would be a 1911. One other thought, a semi auto is easier to shoot accurately than a revolver. That's the reason semis are used in Bullseye pistol competition.

July 25, 2019, 11:50 PM	#20
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,626	I can hit with an LCP without trying better than I can with a snub To each there own, but I like my GP100s ans 686s for the range. My P365 carries better than a revolver and I can make hits with that like a full size.

July 26, 2019, 12:11 AM	#21
Cirdan Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2013 Location: Tahoe Posts: 363	Police carried revolvers when criminals did too. Are there any departments out there that still use revolvers?

July 26, 2019, 12:31 PM	#23
stinkeypete Senior Member Join Date: July 22, 2010 Location: Madison, Wisconsin Posts: 1,293	I've never run out of ammo in a gunfight yet. Not even close. Sorry about my reality.

July 26, 2019, 02:35 PM	#25
deadcoyote Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2009 Location: northern CA Posts: 674	For me personally the only times I ever came close to shooting someone in 20 years in rural law enforcement was all after significant hand to hand fights and we were both gassed out and rolling around in an alley or an apartment building hallway. All of these circumstances were resolved without shots fired but if it had gone that was it would have been straight into the body in a contact shot. I carried an auto pistol because we were required to but any small revolver would have been just as useful and you wouldn’t have to worry about your slides cycle getting jacked up by clothing or into your own torso. I have an investigator position now and carry a 642.