Revolver vs. Auto for home defense

[Superhouse 15]

Yes the Glocks and other DAO or DAO-like (lets not debate action types, you know what I mean) are point and shoot simple, but the revolvers springs and mechanisms are basically at rest. More to go wrong in an auto. Revolvers do jam, and when they do it usually is a time consuming process to clear and usually involves a brass hammer. But for the most part they are just "pull again" clearance drills. My bedside dedicated HD gun is a Glock 17, but when a newcustomer walks in to the shop looking for a first time HD gun, I go right for the S&W or Taurus or Ruger wheelguns.

[armsmaster270]

Jim: The Colt Trooper MKIII was also transfer bar but double action.

For me personally when I go to bed my CCW weapon comes out of the holster and goes by the bed a Sig 226 .357Sig w/ CT grips

[Dwight55]

I thought about not saying anything, . . . but this is hard to let slide by, . . . a statement by the OP: "I enjoy the firepower and quick re-loading capabilities of an automatic. However, a .38 special revolver is easy to operate, safer to handle and easier to fire then any automatic."

OP: contrary to your opinion, . . . the 1911 is THE safest general production firearm in the handgun line.

ALL revolvers need only the trigger pulled, . . . no thumb safety, no grip safety, . . . just a trigger pull and it is shooting.

Glocks are the same. Yeah, . . . I know, . . . there is some flim flam jargon about a safety in the trigger, . . . but anything that moves it, . . . also moves the trigger and it too is shooting.

It takes three mechanical moves to make the 1911 shoot, . . . gripping the grip safety, . . . depressing the thumb safety and pulling the trigger.

There are also a number of revolvers out there that if dropped on the hammer, . . . they go boom because they have no transfer bar, . . . they are in the hands of a novice, . . . an accident waiting to happen.

I would also never own a revolver that had a 4 pound trigger pull like my carry 1911. It is easier to shoot than any of the 4 revolvers I currently own or any of the 15 or so I've traded through the years, . . . and that includes two .357 Pythons and one .44 Anaconca.

This is not meant to be a slam on the OP, . . . as Jack Webb said, . . . "just the facts, ma'am."

May God bless,
Dwight

[rickyjames]

a revolver is a good self defense weapon. the brand you choose is up to you. i have smiths and rugers and taurus revolvers among other brands. my taurus are as reliable and as accurate as any other of their type. half of the taurus hating stuff you read on the net is from people that have never owned a taurus. i have a ruger redhawk 44mag and a taurus 44 mag and i like the taurus better. i have smith, taurus and rossi 357 mags and my favorite is the rossi made by taurus. i can afford other brands and i have other brands and taurus is as good as most and better than some.

i would bet my last dollar that if a taurus hater needed backup they wouldn't refuse help from a taurus when their bacon is on the line. i also own taurus semi auto pistols among my colts and springfields and rugers and others and i am pleased with them as well.

[jimbob86]

12 Guage.....

[BillCA]

Here are some of the reasons I prefer a wheelgun as the home defense weapon.

- Personal: I shoot wheelguns better than most autos.
- Almost zero chance of a jam, especially due to improper grip or hold.
- No hot, sharp empty brass to step on in the dark
- No brass to bounce off walls into your face/body or clothing.
- No need to remember Condition 1,2,3 or 4.
- You don't have to flip a safety up or down.
- A steel revolver makes a better sap than a poly pistol.

Some discussion:
Ever wake up because you were laying on your arm or hand and it's gone to sleep? Or ever wake up and your hand is stiff or weak? I have. And trying to fire a self-loader at that point could very well induce a FTF because you can't resist the recoil enough.

First time I did a house-clearing drill with live ammo I learned that walls and door jambs can bounce that hot brass right back at you. Like down the neck of your shirt (or pajamas). In my case, it caught on the temple piece of my eyeglasses. *ouch* Air-soft sims won't teach you that.

Never expect that you'll instantly remember the safety unless you only use and train with a single platform. Don't expect the grip shape to instantly remind you either. A friend decided to replace his Beretta with a Kahr K40 as his beside gun. Under stress he was confused because he couldn't find the safety in the dark (Kahrs don't have an external safety).

[Mello2u]

JohnH1963

Revolver vs. Auto for home defense
I've tossed this around in my mind quite a bit. I enjoy the firepower and quick re-loading capabilities of an automatic. However, a .38 special revolver is easy to operate, safer to handle and easier to fire then any automatic. I honestly do not know if I will be able operate an automatic when I wake up from a sound sleep. However, a revolver is a no brainer.

I believe that 2 shots from a revolver will slow the movement of any human being. Even if the shot is not placed on the head or heart, its going to hit something whether it be the right lung, the stomach, the legs or arms. A hit to a non-vital area is going to significantly impede the performance of anyone.

For an ordinary citizen as myself, I believe a revolver will be enough firepower, but maybe a police officer might need a bit more with the possibility of a purposeful assault everf present.

I am seeing 8-shot revolvers being produced by Taurus. So it seems that it will have enough shots to take on more then one house-guest.

Im wondering what your thoughts are on this matter.

I cannot agree with your statement above which I highlighted in blue about a revolver being safer and easier to fire than a semi-auto.

I cannot agree with your second statement that I highlighted in blue about a hit to a non-vital area significantly impeding the performance of anyone. That is an unrealistic expectation. Even a shot through the heart may not significantly impede someone for 15 seconds or more. A lot of aimed shots can be fired in 15 seconds. Each individual threat is unique. The ability to stay in the fight depends on not only physical damage sustained; but also drugs present and mental determination.

Regardless of those disagreements, your choice of a revolver for home defense may be the best choice for you. Reliability is a prime trait that you want in your defensive firearm. Sufficient power and penetration are also highly desirable factors, as they are what does the damage inside a threat to cause incapacitation. Combat accuracy is present in most handguns.

Please seek training so that you can use the tool to your best advantage. Your level of training is important to your winning (not merely surviving) a gunfight. Assuming that you have achieved a level of competence to always follow the 4 safety rules and can shoot targets well, you can move on to defensive training. Training needs to include not only the laws which impact on your possession of your handgun; but also, the laws which may come into play if you use the handgun in self-defense. Further, training needs to deal with proper mindset and situational awareness. The training dealing with actual shooting should include not just punching paper with all the time in the world, but use a shot timer to introduce a time element. You need to balance speed and accuracy.

[zombieslayer]

I like pocket guns and snubs. A small pistol within arms reach 24/7 and a 12ga for dedicated HD. My .308 is my 'do all rifle'. I'd say get a small auto or revolver thats easy 2 always carry, even @ home. Mine sits @ arms reach or on me always. My 2cents.

[Newton24b]

most people get a rather large adrenaline rush when the front door gets blown off its hinges at 2am during a home invasion. When that adrenaline hits your system, you dont really have fine motor control.A large number of semi auto handguns have multiple safeties that have to be switched off with fine motor control you no longer have.

A big wheel gun is simply "point..squeeze...re point....squeeze...repeat"

only thing simpler then that is a ww2 flame thrower " point and squeeze two triggers at same time".

Other then that double barrell shotgun is very friendly for adrenaline rush.

[raftman]

A semi-auto, or rather many if not most semi-autos, can be kept in an equally ready state as a revolver (when all you gotta do is pull the trigger if the need arises). So I don't think safeties are really a problem.

[Tom Servo]

Almost zero chance of a jam, especially due to improper grip or hold.

You've got a great point there. As one other poster mentioned, you may have to grab the gun in a hurry, and it takes a few seconds for the hand/eye thing to catch up with consciousness. Under duress, your technique may suffer. A revolver is more forgiving of such things.

And yes, I've stood at a firing line and watched three shooters limp-wrist Glock 17's to the point of jamming. Two of them work for the Federal government.

When the dust clears, the revolver is easier to clear without the mishaps that may cause a negligent discharge while clearing an automatic.

In terms of long-term reliability, the revolver can be left loaded indefinitely, as there are no springs under tension. It will work today just as well as when it did when you stuck it in the sock drawer in 1978.

(That is, unless it's begun to rust)

[dabigguns357]

For me at the bedside and at the ready, 12 gauge with #00 buck and a back up Sig 229(357 sig).Wife has 410 bore and a snubbie .357 as back up.Every thing else goes in the safe locked up.I can just clip and go.

[MLeake]

... and the hand/eye thing.

Oddly enough, I don't usually look at a pistol to determine how to grip it. I just shove the web of my hand as high up the backstrap as I can, so that I always have the same grip, every time I draw or pick up the pistol. Since I always take a high grip, and can feel how the weapon sits, it would feel strange to the point of being uncomfortable to take any other grip, and I'd adjust without conscious thought.

One of the first things that I learned with close-contact MA is that our bodies respond to sensory inputs from touch faster than from any other sense. We take in more information via our eyes, in most cases, but as far as actually reacting (rightly or wrongly) to stimuli, touch wins.

So, train to always take a high grip on a pistol, and your hands will correct to that grip before your brain consciously processes the action.

[trooper3385]

The 12 gauge I believe is still king of the hill when it comes to home defense. Just hearing the shotgun being racked is going to make most intruders turn and run. You known what they say, a pistol is just there to fight your way back to your rifle or shotgun. A shotgun by the bed can be a little inconvenient though. Especially if you have kids running around the house. If your going to use a pistol, go with what your more comfortable with. Your not looking for a gun for target practice. Most shooting incidents take place at 10 feet or less.

[Dannyl]

Hi,
One thing to consider for a HD Revolver.
Amongst the pin-shooting enthusiasts the TAURUS 608 is considered as a great revover. ( it is an 8 shot 0.357 Mag, revolver, with a 6" ported barrel.

In general, people that are invoved in this sport shoot a lot, which can cause an inferior gun to fail, and I am yet to see a 608 fail to fire.

Being able to hit the "sweet spot" of a bowling pin to make it fly backwards requires placing your shot in a 1.5" circle at 25', so the accuracy of the 608 is more than acceptable. the porting of the barrel make an easy job of keeping the gun on target for repetitive shots, by mininmizing muzzle flip considerably ( this also makes it easier on the wrists)

Also, the longer barrel lends itself to easier point-shooting, a 6" barrel is actually far easier to point (and control) than a snub-nose.


IMO, this is one more option to consider.

Brgds,

Danny

[mavracer]

I honestly do not know if I will be able operate an automatic when I wake up from a sound sleep. However, a revolver is a no brainer.

you've answered your own question right there.

[Skans]

I honestly do not know if I will be able operate an automatic when I wake up from a sound sleep. However, a revolver is a no brainer.

You must never have been startled awake by the sound of police heliocopters and/or strange sounds. This happend to me Saturday night. Believe me, you will be wide awake with heart pounding and adreniline pumping. You will be ready to operate am M60.

[wyatt3d]

1. Go with the 12 gauge

2. Go with what you are most comfortable with. If it is someone in-experienced definatly the revolver, and practice, practice, practice with whatever your choice.

3. A revolver has no more "firepower" than an auto just because it is a revolver. Taurus makes a revolver that shoots 9mm luger and I would seriously doubt it performs better than an Auto. .38 is a respectible round but doesn't penetrate any better than 9mm.

my HD is the 12 gauge and an xd 9. point and shoot, low recoil so my wife can shoot it well, very reliable, added saftey of round indicator and grip saftey.

Her carry gun is a taurus 650cia .357 that shoots very well. I have had one malfunction shooting .357 where the cylinder rotated a little after the round was fired so it was in effect jammed. I had to rotate the cylinder by hand back to fire postition. That could have been operator error because the .357's were popping my hand pretty good and I may have partially pulled the trigger afterward or not released it completely.

[JohnH1963]

The revolver is safer for a household because you can visually confirm if its loaded or not. It is safer to hand to a person because you can swing out the cylinder, confirm its not loaded and hand it to them like that. The trigger pull is usually heavier then an automatic so the risk of accidental mis-firing is less.

What if someone untrained or doesnt uses firearms in your household needs to operate your weapon? Lets say your wife while you are at work. She hears a noise, is upstairs and someone is ramming the downstairs door. The revolver seems to make more sense then the automatic.

Then there is the concept behind lubrication. An automatic that sits there for a period of time is going to get dry. So the revolver is more reliable in that regard.

Then there is the "wake-up" factor. When you wake up from a deep slumber, there is no telling what you might do next. There is no amount of training you can do to train yourself to operate something while halfway sleeping. What if the automatic jams? What if you did not load it? What if the slide needs to be racked? The revolver is more simple in design and operation.

[MLeake]

... you can't check whether an automatic is loaded by pulling back the slide?

... you can't safely hand an automatic to another person by dropping the magazine and locking back the slide, verifying first that the chamber is empty?

Sorry, but if your weapon-handling basics are sound, the automatic is perfectly safe.

Also, if your personal defense automatic is sitting long enough for the lubrication to dry out, you don't practice nearly enough.

Last, the only person who has the safe to my gun safe other than me has been trained on how to use everything in the safe, and she's quite capable of doing so both safely and with reasonably likelihood of a hit. She likes my GP100, but she also likes my SIG P220 and my CZ75 PCR, but the reality is that if something worries her enough to make her grab a gun, she's getting the 870 out.

If you think somebody else in the household may need to use a weapon, but you aren't willing to train them to a level where they can safely handle an auto (or a long gun), then you may need to adjust your thinking.

[wyatt3d]

The revolver is safer for a household because you can visually confirm if its loaded or not. Same with the XD It is safer to hand to a person because you can swing out the cylinder, confirm its not loaded and hand it to them like that. You should always hand an automatic over with magazine ejected and slide openThe trigger pull is usually heavier then an automatic so the risk of accidental mis-firing is less. ehh, okay

What if someone untrained or doesnt uses firearms in your household needs to operate your weapon?the XD/Glock/Kahr are all as easy to operate if they are left loaded and chambered, as you would a revlover Lets say your wife while you are at work. She hears a noise, is upstairs and someone is ramming the downstairs door. The revolver seems to make more sense then the automatic. Actually I'd rather her have a shotgun, but would rather her have 17 rounds of 9mm/12 rounds of .40 or 8 rounds of .45 than 6 rounds of anything
Then there is the concept behind lubrication. An automatic that sits there for a period of time is going to get dry. So the revolver is more reliable in that regard.really? against modern pistols? how many years are we talking these things setting up without taking them out and shooting/cleaning them every once in a while

Then there is the "wake-up" factor. When you wake up from a deep slumber, there is no telling what you might do next. There is no amount of training you can do to train yourself to operate something while halfway sleeping.If a safe action pistol is kept in the same ready condition as the revolver this isn't a factor, I don't believe a cocked and locked 1911 takes that much training to operate either What if the automatic jams? this is possible but not likely with a maintained quality pistolWhat if you did not load it? what if you didn't load the revolver, the auto is faster.What if the slide needs to be racked?If it's for HD, it shouldn't The revolver is more simple in design and operation. Yes.

If you prefer a revolver and will shoot it often for practice then by all means, that is what you should get. But there are options these days.

[Stevie-Ray]

For me personally when I go to bed my CCW weapon comes out of the holster and goes by the bed

Same here, in my case a Kimber UCDP in .45 ACP, the weapon I'm most practiced with, most accurate with, and it has night sights. What could be better for me?

Revolvers? No thanks. But my new house is larger with longer areas of fire that may invite use of the shotgun; at this point I don't know. I'll have to further investigate that possibility when I move. Right now, the shotgun is too unwieldy for the spaces in my house, not to mention that I shoot a pistol far better.

[a10t2]

Originally Posted by Dwight55

the 1911 is THE safest general production firearm in the handgun line.

Personally, I come down on the semi-auto side of this debate (for reasons that have already been mentioned), but I'd like to hear the logic behind that statement. Has there been a change to the 1911, or do you still have to take the safety off to unload it?

[Uncle H]

The revolver in my night stand is a Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 Spcl.

Heavy bullet, big boom. Only 5 rounds but hey, I think I can at least make lots of boom and maybe even hit a bad guy up close & personal.

Works for me.

[tju1973]

Get what you can afford and are comfortable with--- I bought an EAA Windicator for function and a nightstand gun. It is sort of ugly, and the chopped barrel is way wierd, but it goes bang..and while its a .357, I mainly load it with .38s....+P of course, but they work....


Taurus is good enough...and probably a ROssi is in store for my other side...

YMMV....