revolver vs. pistol

[Doc Holliday 1950]

What would you want to carry for SD, a 357 in magnum revolver(6 or 7 shot) or a Glock 19 you can sub any pistol & any 357 in magnum for this discussion.

At this present time I'm going between my new & improved 686 + revolver & my G19 gen 4 &/or my G43. My G19 is by far an easier pistol to shoot with accuracy that my G43.

However, my 686 + with my new trigger job is now my first choice to carry 24/7
even though its a monster to carry.

As always, all responses are welcome.

[grade6man]

I've enjoyed carrying my new Kimber K6S. Love the feel of the trigger and the 6 shot capacity. I have other revolvers and semi's but Kimber is my baby for EDC now.. FWIW Grade6man

[Model12Win]

I FAR prefer my Walther P99AS over my Glock 19, and I'd rather carry both of those over a revolver.

[TraumaRN]

Give me a .357 revolver over any pistol. No magazine failures,ability to shoot mild to wild and a flatter trajectory for a long shot.

[jrothWA]

Either, a K-frame in .38 Spl., or Ruger SS6 or 9mm in M39-2 , BHP, or 1911 variant GM or Commander.

[CDR_Glock]

I like the capacity of a semiautomatic so I carry a Glock 19. However, I like the reliability, compact nature and size of a revolver such as the Kimber K6S; therefore I carry it, too. Since a North American Arms 22 Magnum is very small and discrete, I also carry it.

So I carry 3 guns, usually = Carolina Reload, takes after the NY Reload which is a backup gun. But I carry a backup to a backup.


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[5whiskey]

Given my rathers, for SD in the urban jungle of men, give a CZ P07 with 15x2+1. That's 31 rounds almost as fast as I can accurately pull the trigger, minus a second or so for reload.

That being said my rathers aren't always my carry. A cw9 pulls under cover duty. A full size 1911 is my OC "show off" piece in the right venue. A security 6 in 357 is my woods guns. I'm versatile.

[Andy Blozinski]

I have small, medium and large.
Small = Sig P238 with 7 shot extended mag. .380. I can't stand all my fingers not being on the grip, so this is as small as I go. Pocket gun for me.
Medium = Bersa Thunder Plus. 15 shot .380. A little large for a .380, but a fun gun to shoot and I feel confident it could handle reasonable self defense situations with its rapid fire accuracy and capacity. It really nicely fills up your hand too.
Large = Chiappa Rhino 4" barrel .357 mag. Still amazingly concealable. I take this when I feel like a member of the Hawaiian shirt mafia or if I'm going to be outdoors. I actually have a polo shirt that conceals it too. It only has 6 shots, but if I hit, things will happen, even if they're wearing a kevlar vest.

[Kirosha]

I'm with CDR. I would use the .357 as a backup and the semi auto as your main.

I use a snub .38 though, but if I could manage the $500 for a Ruger Security Six that is local, since he wont take less, that might change.

[tallball]

With practice you can learn to shoot a Glock 43 well. I did, eventually. It's easy to carry. You can always have an extra magazine (or two) on you if you feel the need for more ammo.

[peterg7]

I HAD a .357mag and while the cartridge may have its advantages the excessive noise and blast aren’t worth it to me, no G19 but a G23 and that’s my choice over both proposed firearms.


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[Longhorn1986]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=CD2t_qG9dls

[tony pasley]

SD carry is a personal choice that each to own, I carry a 1911a1 and have over 40 years because it is what I know, practice with, and feel comfortable with. Which ever you trust the most is best for you.

[USSR]

'Nuff said.

Don

[pete2]

I carry a 642 but to answer your question I do have a 2-1/2" 19 revolver that I carry once in a while, I recently bought a Glock 19, shoots pretty good if I can get past the fact it has no safety. It's about the same size as a Commander so if I have to carry a bottom feeder it will prolly be a Commander.

[KY_blkout]

I would almost always carry a semi auto over a revolver for my preference at least. Round capacity being the number 1 reason why.

[K_Mac]

This topic comes up often. It always stirs great passion in many and provides good entertainment!

My position is simple. I like revolvers, but will always choose a semiautomatic for concealed carry. I am more comfortable with, and shoot them better. With capacity and reload speed factored in it is an easy choice for me.

If I carried a Glock it would be a 26. I would also be fine wit a 17 or 43 in most circumstances. For pocket carry an LCP will always be my first choice.

[TailGator]

I changed from revolver to semi a few years back because of concerns for capacity. If one accepts that handgun rounds are not reliable one-shot stops, then you have to get a 40% hit rate, better than most reports of LEO accuracy, to get two hits from a five-shot revolver and have a reasonable chance of stopping a single assailant. Seems to me that the odds favor higher capacity.

There is a certain irony in the observation that capacity is a long-discussed advantage of semis over revolvers, but the modern trend is to market smaller semis that exceed the capacity of revolvers by little if any. Yes, I know there are still bigger semis on the market, but the six- and seven-round semis are becoming more and more popular, and they really narrow that aspect of the advantage of semis.

[Nanuk]

I have been carrying revolvers more lately. 357 and 44 mag's. I have a Glock 31C that gets carried a lot also. The Glock 19 is too small for me.

[CDW4ME]

Glock 19/23/26/27/32/33 (for example) > revolver
I own both, never carry revolver.

[bamaranger]

Key word here is CARRY. The 686, is a big gun, any medium frame .357 will be.........and though I'm a fair sized guy, I would not want to try to conceal a 686 everyday year round. It could be done with a cover garment, but tucking a L-frame inside my waistband for concealment, with a hammer, target sights, and the bulk of the cylinder and butt, would just be plain uncomfortable for me. A K-frame .357, especially the round butt versions, might conceal a bit better.

I have no experience with the small frame .357's ( Smith's J and what ever Ruger calls theirs) but I would think with real .357 ammo they would be harder to shoot well). The 5-shot J frame has its place, but I do not believe as a primary weapon with magnum ammo in most cases.

The modern auto pistol is compact, durable and reliable. Modern ammo makes the 9mm a better stopper (so they say anyhow) than in times past. Something like a G19 is flat, compact and easy to carry, has high capacity, and can be shot well by nearly everyone. The autopistol's adoption by LE in both patrol and detective/plainclothes use is no accident.

I own and shoot .357 revolvers of course. Carried one for a duty gun for about a decade. Still carry one to the woods now and again, and even occasionally strap one on for a trip to the store for gas. Their as good a weapon as they ever were. But the modern auto offers advantages.

[Sevens]

I absolutely love revolvers and I own and regularly shoot a slew of them. I would absolutely want a revolver if I couldn't have a semiautomatic pistol, but I would not choose a revolver over a medium or full size 9/.40/.45, not ever.

If you have never experienced a real stoppage with a revolver, you might also see where I am coming from AFTER you do. While it is true that a semiautomatic can have failures and they are (arguably) (somewhat/occasionally) common failures, they are almost always fast and simple to rectify if you are practiced.

Revolver stoppages are a nightmare and rarely cleared and undone quickly or easily.

One of the biggest myths and oldest FALSE legends are that revolvers are infallible, "six for sure!" and the like. Truth is that the mindset of revolvers being rock-solid came about from days gone by when most pistols were questionable in comparison. Revolvers are far more complicated and prone to failures that cannot be rectified without a work bench, bright light, tools, experience, and a steady hand to fix them. And that becomes MORE SO in a harsh, fighting environment.

I love revolvers but I choose to carry soulless, ugly Tupperware.

[jmr40]

One of the biggest myths and oldest FALSE legends are that revolvers are infallible,

True, in the real world, in 2018, a semi is going to be at least as reliable, probably more. I know semis are less susceptible to dirt and abuse that will lock up a revolver. Kept spotless and in a night stand a revolver MIGHT still be more reliable, but not out in the real world.

I like revolvers with long barrels for longer range precision. The longer sight radius means better accuracy and the longer barrels mean better ballistics. But from 4" or shorter barrels 357 mag will just barely shoot the same bullet weights faster than the better 9mm loads from much lighter and more compact guns. With less muzzle blast and recoil. For SD I'll take a compact 9mm 10 times out of 10

[RickB]

I'd choose just about any auto pistol over just about any revolver.
Of course, I'd choose a J-frame over a Desert Eagle, but choosing between a .357 revo and a 9mm auto, guns of similar size, I'd take the auto every time.

Shooting a DA revolver quickly and accurately requires a lot of work, a lot more than an auto, and I don't see the need to put in the extra work to master a less-effective weapon.

[Onward Allusion]

For your question, it depends. For woods, the 357 Mag. For EDC, the G19. 16 rounds of 9mm > 8 rounds of 357 Mag for SD against 2 legged creatures.

Personally, I carry 357 Sig.