Pistol vs. Revolver

[tallball]

I own and shoot a lot of both. In general I shoot revolvers a little better. My guess is that it varies person by person.

[OneFreeTexan]

I have a few revolvers. And always shoot them SA,, they have a very sweet trigger, so why would I want to shoot them DA? Guess I don't know.

[disseminator]

IMO, the number one cause of bad shooting with ANY handgun is: GRIP!

You likely have a better/more familiar grip on the Gl**k vs the revolver.

After a firm and correct grip, then trigger control is next. But with the grip (and stance) mastered, the trigger control comes more naturally.

*This opinion is just one of many, but this has been my experience with myself and others.

[ShootistPRS]

First, my pet peeve: Revolvers are pistols. For decades a man who was good with a revolver was called a pistolero. (Southwest and Mexico)

OK, back on topic.
I can shoot revolvers and self loaders. There is a difference in the grip and the feel of the recoil but I can expect to hit what I aim at and to place instinctively fired rounds on target. Revolvers are more flexible in the ammo they can function with but I usually pick one load and use it for each gun. Auto-loaders are more prone toward failure in feeding, extracting and firing. Most guns, regardless of action, will work properly with the correct ammo and maintenance. I have carried a 6" 357 for 45 years and I'm tired of hearing that you can conceal an auto better than a revolver because it depends on how you carry it. The higher round capacity of the autos is only an argument in certain competitions or in a lopsided encounter where all the bad guys are committed to the attack. Usually when one guy is hit the rest scatter. I firmly believe that from the gun you carry it should only take one round to stop one person. I don't practice "mag dumps" with any of my guns but I do practice on multiple targets at speed. I have done Steel challenge, falling plates, and silhouette competitions with both semi autos and revolvers and even a bolt rifle. I practice a lot and I am a reasonably good shot with all my guns. It comes down to practice and being familiar with your gun. It shouldn't matter whether it is a revolver or a self loading gun. It is never the tool, it is the person using it.

[Doc Holliday 1950]

I never do "mag dumps" if I understand the reference. Usually go shoulder-opposite hip then reverse the order. Then go groin-head and never in the same order. One of my older instructors started me on this years ago with my 4" Colt.
I do the same now with the Glock. Now that I only have a inside range to use
it's 5 yards up to 25 yards. Usually up to 15 yards. Further that that is insane and I'd be hard pressed to justify self defense. I'm older & I enjoy the practice & it's relaxing. My Doctor actually told my wife that going to the range was good for me. Great Doctor.

[ShootistPRS]

Doc,
I see a lot of folks firing "near" a target as fast as they can pull the trigger. They have 15 or more rounds in their gun and have the attitude that if you shoot fast enough one will probably hit the target. It is my belief that these folks have never fired a bolt action or single shot gun and have learned on auto-feeders. They have learned to fire the gun fast instead of making each shot count. These folks are what I am referencing when I use the term "mag dump". It is "interesting" to watch them shoot 3 gun because they are the ones who have to reload in the pistol and rifle stages because they go through so many rounds.

[Doc Holliday 1950]

For me. Again for me. Taking a revolver and pistol to a range, to practice, Is a waste of valuable time and ammo. I found that out today.

Next time it will be only my revolvers or only my pistol.

[OldMarksman]

I have a few revolvers. And always shoot them SA,, they have a very sweet trigger, so why would I want to shoot them DA? Guess I don't know.

If you are shooting at bulls-eye targets or tin cans or little knock-over targets for fun, or at small game, single action is the way to go.

BUT-- if you find your self having to defend against a surprise attack at close range by charging violent criminal actor, you will be better advised to shoot double action.

There are two reasons for that:

1. you will likely not be afforded the time to shoot the attacker several times using the SA pull; and
2. the reacion of your body to the stress of the occasion will likley impair your fine motor skills, and the longer, heavier double action pull will be preferable.

[jad0110]

There is no reason that DA mode shouldn't be any less accurate than SA. If anything, some argue that with a revolver that has DA and SA capability, in DA mode it can potentially be even more mechanically accurate because the hammer releases from a lower point in the cocking arc than SA, such that it strikes the frame with less jarring force. Not sure if I believe that, but it sounds at least somewhat plausible. Just squeeze the trigger straight back and release. Assuming you have sufficient strength in your fingers and you don't have severe arthritis, this should be very doable for anyone.

Why shoot in DA? As I did initially, take it as a challenge. I got tired of hearing folks complain that accurate and fast shooting in DA with a revolver isn't possible. So I decided to slay that particular "dragon", and for me it was shockingly easy. Within 500 rounds (and I'm being generous with that number) I was shooting in DA better on average than SA.

It won't take long to appreciate a good DA revolver trigger, one that is smooth and consistent with a nice clean break. A typical S&W for instance, usually has a pretty decent DA right out of the box. Light years better, IMO, than any striker fired trigger - which feels like it has little round kitty dingle berries and cat litter gumming up the action . Even most entry level 1911s, who most people think all have great triggers because they are short and light, typically suck because they are usually very gritty, have a lot of take up slop and have a jerk upon release.

It's highly psycological. Tell yourself that you can't shoot gun A because the trigger is too heavy, and you probably won't be able to do it. Same can be said for a rough action, to some extent anyway, there are limits if the trigger is really goofed up. Therefore, a heavy trigger is easier to overcome than a rough trigger. Take my Springfield 1911 for instance. The trigger break was so bad that the best accuracy I could ever manage was around 6" or 7" at 7 yards - I shot my S&W 642 better because the trigger on that gun is relatively smooth. Once I had the sear replaced and the action tuned and smoothed, my groups were cut by more than half.

In the end, different strokes different folks.

Poor shooting in DA often comes from folks getting impatient with the long trigger pull, so they end up jerking the trigger to take up all the motion at once. Just run it smooth and consistent - squeeze release squeeze release etc - look up some Jerry Miculek videos.

Tip: dry fire a revolver (check 23 times to make sure it is unloaded ) to a metronome, maintaining consistent press and release speed with your trigger finger. if you don't know what a metronome is, just google it.

A similar issue can come up when shooting SA - running at the trigger while trying to chase a perfect sight picture.

And I'll add this - mastering DA has made me a better shooter on ALL action types. The guy that can only shoot a gun with a 1/16" pull and 3 lbs of weight, man, that's a sad place to be.

[jad0110]

Just picked up my M&P9 Shield. Nice gun.Took it out to shoot along with my S&W 642. Fired 250 rounds of all sorts of ammo (from Tula steel case to 147 HST) and it functioned 100%, even while trying to get it to malfunction by intentionally "limp arming it". And you know what? I did good with the Shield, but I did better with the 642.

The Shield may have a lighter shorter trigger, but my particular 642 has a smoother pull and a significantly crisper release with a lot less overtravel. Made all the difference.

The Shield is a fine gun and it will enter my carry rotation when I need light, then gun for IWB carry. But that 642 is still a gem.

[stephen426]

My 6" GP100 is an absolute tack driver. The longer sight radius and short single action trigger makes it one of my most accurate guns. Glock triggers take a bit getting used to, but the light and consistent pull make it easy to learn for most people. DA/SA (crunch-tickers) like Sig P229s and Beretta 92s have a long heavy DA pull which makes it harder for the first shot to be as accurate as the shorter and lighter single action pulls. While my P229 has a great single action trigger, I switched to Glock as a carry gun due to the light and consistent trigger pull.

You already mentioned that the sights on your Glock make a difference. My experience is that 3 dot sights are probably the most precise to aim with, but slower to align. The bar-dot (Von Stavenhagen), typically found on Sig Sauers, are very quick to align horizontally, but are harder to align vertically. Glock's ball and goal post sights are very quick to align, but are less precise. Black on Black sights are the slowest to align in my opinion. The brighter the sights, whether it be fiber optics or tritium, the easier it is for the eyes to pick up. The smaller the front dot, the more precise (especially at a distance).

I have an idea for a sight design that should be fast to align and highly precise, but I want to see if it is marketable before sharing it on the internet.

[Loosedhorse]

Why ask why?

Mas Ayoob had an interesting article about the fact that, if you test yourself at the range or in competition, the gun you DO shoot better with may not be the one you like better, nor the one you think you SHOULD shoot better with, nor the one you WANT to shoot better with.

What Do You Do When The Handgun You Like Best Is Not The One You Shoot Best?

It happens. Be glad you know.

[Shimpy]

When I grew up all handguns were pistols. Some were revolvers and some were semi-autos. I still look at it that way.