Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 5-shot revolver vs. 15-shot auto for carry/defense

Oh by the way trouthunter, that was a reply from a while ago (2009) and while I disagree about the accuracy statement part of your post, I do not mean my post to come across as a personal jab. It is not Amigo!

Was looking to pick up a Ruger SR9 or SW SD9. Maybe not needed so much from what you guys are saying. But if it was, which one is the better gun?

Having just finished a Self defense class,here's my take on it... after shooting a revolver in the first stage,I reverted back to my Glock and a stack of mags...
Reason...I was slow to reload when I was preforming a "Combat" reload,behind cover for the tactical reload,not a problem..
However, the real eye opener was the fact we were being trained for mulitple targets such as a "home invasion" or "car jacking" which has become very common in the city,due to the two large "gangs" thay now inhabit the steets here.With the wheel gun,
"I" was outguned and not comfortable as armed.I now carry a G23,my wife G19 and yes I got plenty of more guns at home,but these are with us ALL the time.....

No hard feelings at all friend. I was just stating that my post was personal perspective of my shooting and not a blanket statement about the percieved inaccuracy of semi-auto's.

ddj

Assuming the same reliablity (and "my" ability) in each I'll take the high cap auto every time. That said, I'm most often carrying a J-frame because it is significantly easier to conceal and carry...and around the farm I've been carrying an 8 shot N-frame for the rat/snake shot load...so I probably carry a wheelgun 10 to 1 vs how often I carry a semi-auto...even though I think the semi-auto has a tactical advantage.

I have found that my reloads with a 6 shot moon clipped N-frame are pretty quick, no J.Mic., but moon clipped 40sw/10mm's are quick to empty and quick to load. Speed loaders, especially 8 shot .357's are extremely slow by comparison.

I'll not cull auto or wheel as long as I'm familiar with it, accurate with it, can conceal it, and it is reliable. I like the premise of manipulating less....which goes hand-in-hand with quickly making wise and tactical choices rather than just throwing lead

What most are saying, I think,is that if one has to reload after five shots, one has already blown the opportunity to defend oneself.

I think Clint Smith's comment that anyone who gets in a gun fight always wishes they had a bigger gun and more ammunition is worth considering. There are lots of light compact semi-autos out there that are easier to shoot and hold more ammo than revolvers of roughly comparable size. And as has been noted, they are vastly easier to reload. And 9mm has more power that .38 Special. So on the pure logic side the argument is strong for a semi-auto.

On the other hand, revolvers are very simple and reliable. You can stick a J frame in your pocket and be very confident that it will work (although if you make a habit of pocket carry a pocket holster would be best). I like my S&W 442 airweight a lot.

In the end it's a personal choice. You just need to be able to shoot your carry gun well. I think it makes a lot of sense to have both and then use what fits the situation best at any given time.

It's the gun you have with you that counts. I can do whatever needs to be done with either.

I choose comfort, the one that is most comfortable to carry.
That said, It most likely will not be left behind and I will have it on my person.

Lot's of people buy police size handguns and tire of carrying them.

I never understood the concept that on duty cops go out with a full batman belt of gear, shotguns, patrol rifle and the recources of additional manpower but then will go off duty with the attitude that a mouse gun is fine. (nomex suit on and yes I wore the blue for along time before an injury retirement and had my fair share of fun)

My attitude (and Im blatently copying an instuctor who's name I cannot remember) is that off duty I will probably be alone or accompanied by family which will be more of a liability than an asset. My choice of tactics (retreat) will be severely compromised by my twin 4 year olds and a 7 year old who is like my shadow. I will more than likely be operating a firearm with one hand while the other hand is herding kids or physically trying to keep some distance from the threat. With all this in mind my feelings were that I shot my full size guns far better than the SW 442 I carried for backup. I used a SW5906 until we parted with that and went to a full size USP. Sure there were times I had the 442 in my pocket when nothing else could be concealed but also found that with a little effort it was no big deal to conceal the full size pistol.

A couple months ago a transient got a little to aggressive while we were all leaving the grocery store. I threw all three kids in the cart (so much for eggs and bread) and away we went. I have never seen it in training or a match but Im pretty sure pushing a heavy cart with one hand and deploying a pistol would have compromised some skill and the mid to full size auto would be a heck of a lot easier to run under those circumstances than a compact wheel gun.

why does everyone carry just one pistol these days?

if you are an operator, or do the conflict thing for a living, such as LEO work, then yes. That is why they DO use high capacity semi autos and not revolvers.

Most of the social work that the average Joe finds himself involved with though is more prosaic. Armed assault by one or maybe two antagonists can be, and is, handled with revolvers. Heck, I even carry a SA Ruger now and then, and don't feel under gunned.
I like both high cap semis and J frame Smith's, and use them both.

I've never been in the military or police, have never been in a fight, gun or otherwise, since I was a kid, so take what I say for what it's worth.

I like both revolvers and semi-autos, but... I can shoot a semi-auto faster and more accurately than I can shoot a revolver of similar power. I can DEFINITELY shoot my carry 9mm semi-auto better (faster and more accurately) than I can shoot my .38 Special snubbie. It has more shots, reloads faster, and it is nearly as easy to conceal. The only advantage the snubbie has FOR ME is for pocket carry - and BTW I prefer my 6 shot Colt DS to the Smiths because it's easier to shoot. IF you can shoot a revolver better than a semi-auto then that's what you should carry, and vice-versa. At least that's what I'm thinking.

It's relatively easy to hit a standing target 5 for 5 at the range, but your adrenaline isn't pumping making your hands shake, and the target is at a set distance and isn't moving and ducking and taking cover. It doesn't take much imagination to see that both of these factors can make it a lot harder to hit one bad guy, let alone several. AFAIK, nobody PLANS on missing a lot, but stuff happens. When the s**t hits the fan you need every advantage you can get. More is better, as long as you don't get so weighted down that you fall face down in a puddle and drown. :-) Just my opinion, feel free to disagree.

If 15 shots turns you into a spray a pray shooter but 5 makes you shoot more accurately then the logical conclusion would be to carry a single shot pistol and you'd be a real Deadeye Dick, right? Nah, I didn't think so.

As for 5 shots being enough, consider the case of Lester Gillis. Lester who? He is the man who killed more FBI agents in the line of duty than any other criminal. You may have heard of his "nickname" - Baby Face Nelson. In the opening moments of his last gun fight with two FBI agents, he was shot at least 6 times with a Thompson submachine gun in the chest and stomach from a distance of about 50 yards (according to the book "Public Enemies"). After he was hit, he shot one FBI agent twice, fatally wounding him. Then,after further being hit in the legs with a shotgun blast by the other agent, he staggered forward towards that agent, and shot and killed him. He then limped to the FBI car, a total distance of 50 yards from where he started, drove it backwards to his own car, and his accomplice then pushed Nelson across the seat, got into the driver's seat, and they drove off. He died later that evening, but the point is, he killed two armed agents AFTER he was shot at least 6 times - with a 45 Auto! And he was not a big guy either, 5' 4" and 133 lbs according to the FBI website.

My question is: how do you know the bad guy you run into isn't another Baby Face Nelson?

Take this for what it is worth. I have had probably a half-million rounds fired at me, everything from a crossbow to a surface-to-air missile. Literally.

I am not an expert at gunfights, but I have been in gunfights. If I am ever in another one, I will put two heavy slugs into the bad guy's second shirt button, and then I will scan for another bad guy. If there is one, he will also get two heavy slugs in HIS second shirt button. That will leave one heavy slug for a third bad guy - if there is one.

If there is a FOURTH bad guy, I will die. But he will be one scared sonofabitch.

If you can�t hit your target with 5 rounds, 15 will just cause more damage to the surroundings. A police officer must engage a threat, as civilian can choose his time and how he will (or will not engage a threat.

I, and more importantly my wife, am perfectly confident in the our old Security Six snubbie loaded with 129 gr Federal +P 38 Specials. The 20" pump 12 bore is there as well.

I really thought a lot about this thread.I am not sure anyone is wrong no I am sure no one is wrong.

I would like to carry a FS92 without question but its too big too heavy. If I am home I would grab that first but out and about, I am much more likely to carry a S&W Airweight with low recoil PP loads

Hank

Unless the threat chooses to engage....

George

I have one of each....

And, I'd take either.

....or both.

That's among, if not, the dumbest damned thing I've ever seen posted by anyone.

Considering it's from you, it ought not surprise me, but it does.

Yeah... you can choose when to get jumped, mugged, car-jacked, robbed, have your house broken into....