Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Revolvers and Semi-Auto Handguns

Every handgun magazine i purchase and read is nothing but semi-auto handguns and very seldom ever discuss the revolver as a self defense option. I guess in this world of semi-autos the revolver is considered outdated as a conceal carry weapon and law enforcement carry piece. When growing up every policeman was armed with a Model 19 or Model 10, just never see this any longer. I still believe nothing beats a 4 inch 357 Magnum as the number one man stopper.

I won't argue that.

I don't know what the rags would write about. There hasn't been much advancement since stainless steel during the mid '60's. Most everything since has been a move backwards.

I guess fire power has taken the place of skill in law enforcement

You're right, but I would expand that to include regular folks and hunters as well.

I agree with you . Kid just don't grow up with a rifle in their hands like we did.

I like revolvers old/new of many configurations/calibers.

I also like semi-auto pistols.

No matter what them Gun Mag's say ...

When the wife and I renewed our CCP's we used a Smith & Wesson M&P 340 in .357mag. One of the officers was from a nearby town and couldn't believe we were using a five shot pistol that only had an 1-1/4" barrel and just a grove for a rear sight. After we finished the practical part of the test he admitted they were fast and accurate but you could tell he thought they belonged in a museum.

Boring old Smith 357 Magnums just don't sell magazines like the new high capacity Semi's

Just about every issue of "American Handgunner" in the past year (just those I have near the computer right now) has featured an article on revolvers, some even on ::gasp!:: "old Smith and Wesson's." I think revolvers sell plenty of magazines, and, it seems, so do the publishers of "Guns" and "American Handgunner."

Just in the last two issues of "American Handgunner:"

Nov/Dec 2011:

"A Colt Single Action Primer," p. 58
"Origins of the S&W Centennial Revolver" p. 66
"Monster Magnums," in J.D. Jones' column "Handgun Hunting"
"Off-Duty/Backup Thoughts," from Massad Ayoob (covers Colt DS and S&W M12)
"The Magic Wheel" in Clint Smith's column "Reality Check"
"Ruger's Single Action Beginnings" in John Taffin's column "The Sixgunner"

Jan/Feb 2012
"Reborn Revolver" in Dave Anderson's column "Better Shooting"
Black Powder Basics" in John Taffin's column
Lipsey's Living Legends" by John Taffin (covering Ruger special editions)

The Jan/Feb issue was a little light on revolver coverage--and both issues had 1911's on the cover--but it isn't like there is no mention of revolvers because "they don't sell."

I would say you are way off the mark.

In fact the skill sets are substantially superior now as compared to just 15 years ago. The officer survival rates of the old revolver days as compared to today are night and day better.

No longer are young officers told to put their empty brass in their pockets and then doing so later in a fight, or taught to stand flat footed, hand on their hip and shoot at the paper targets. Young cadets are taught from the outset to make hits on moving targets while they themselves are moving to cover.

They are taught to use various flashlight/weapon techniques, weapon retention techniques, groundfighting with a weapon techniques, wounded reloading techniques, etc. Things that were rare, glanced over or were only their infancy 25 years ago

New officers are taught to better assess the scene before they get "pot committed" or sucked in. Just because they have more than six rounds on board their handgun does not need that they need to use them.

Consider this, Perhaps the idea is not to shoot more, but to manupulate less. That way you do not have to do a reload while pointing your gun at a threat, or downed and perhaps not out subject.

Or because your primary hand has been shot and you cannot reload with ease anyways, but you have switched to your non dominant gun hand and still have enough on board ammo to hold a threat at bay until help arrives.

Law enforcement as a whole has learned from the deaths of its officers of the past who either made mistakes,or did not make mistakes but unfortunately were simply overwhelmed by superior numbers or force, ambushed, etc.



Earlier this year I was involved in a shooting where a bad guy fired a bunch of rounds at my face at a distance measured in feet. Luck and lack of skill is not what has me here typing.

There will be a trial next year so I cannot/will not elaborate beyond that.

Firepower has not taken the place of skill in law enforcement.

And Bea this is not directed at you, just the mentality I see quite often.

The old crap about "if you don't get it done in 6 rounds, you are not going to get it done in 15" just shows narrow mindedness. Bad guys are pretty good at not playing by the rules that say they are supposed to fall over and stop doing bad things in 6 rounds or 8 rounds. If they knew that the good guy had a legendary 1911 or "Combat Magnum" then they should be impressed enough to just fall over dead right there.

That is when they get to killing hostages, cops, civilians etc.

I have yet to be in a gunfight where in the end I said "Gee I sure wish I had less ammo back there".

I think the two gigantic things working against revolvers these days are:

1. It's just so much faster and easier to reload a semi, and with double stack mags you have to do it a lot less, and

2. Semis are to the point where they are generally so reliable that I don't think you can legitimately claim a reliability advantage for revolvers anymore.

Plus there's a bazillion types of good semis these days, revolvers not so much, and the main line of revolvers has that stinking lock. Revolvers aren't going anywhere, but the baton has been passed so to speak, and semis aren't going to hand it back.

If i was working in Law Enforcement as much as i like the Smith 357 magnums, my carry weapon would be a Glock or M&P. Right now at this moment I'm carrying a 1911 with Speer 185 gr Gold Dots. Nothing feel better in my hand than the 1911.

I hear you.

My family has lived right near the county line for years. In fact, many of them live the other side of it. We go to a Fair in that county most years. Usually, there will be several deputies there. Heck, when I was a kid, I narrowly missed witnessing an old-fashioned shootout in this town on fair day. It is still talked about.

I was watching this one deputy the night we were up there and he was wearing, of all things, some sort of Taurus revolver! From what I could see, he was a regular deputy and not a reservist, though I couldn't be sure and don't know all the police up in that county. This town isn't the county seat.

I think police training, skills, etc. in this day is way advanced over olden times.

Even if they do it's usually a semi auto with at least a ten shot mag. I grew up and learned to shoot with a single shot .22 and by God you better have a very good reason for missing a shot if Dad bought the ammo. If you bought your own ammo you were just as careful cause A: you didn't get $100 a month allowance and B: you wanted to be seen to be a good marksman.
I bought 2 single shot .22 rifles just like the one I learned with a couple of years ago, one for me and one for the kids to learn to shoot. I'm determined they will all learn that firepower is not a substitute for a well placed shot.

The articles are tiny. I much prefer revolvers myself...

The double action revolver has much to recommend it in that role, for sure. I shoot them damned well. They're extremely reliable, almost regardless of ammo choice. They make frequent practice easy, since you can actually beneficially do most of your practice at home with dry firing drills, unlike an auto pistol.

Congratulations on passing the ultimate test---someday, when you can talk about it I'm sure that alot of us would love to hear the details. You must have handled it skillfully since there's an impending trial instead of a coroners inquest. Glad the incident turned out in your favor and good luck with the trial.