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

Just spent an hour reading this thread. There's alot of food for thought. The personal experience certainly beats a bunch of guys talkin' chit they heard somewhere. I carry what I have, an ancient Browning Hi-Power 9 and a Colt Govt. 380 backup. The wife carries a .38 snub. Several years back a guy drove his truck thru .the Luby's restaurant in Kileen Tx. and murdered several people. That incident was a big factor in Texans getting concealed carry.

I tend to take the advice of the been-there-done-that folks like Mack.

I also shoot my Glock 20 more accurately and faster than any other handgun I've shot.

Yep, I agree. I've went back to carrying my Glock 20 10mm aft all the recent shootings.
Like Mackay says, I don't want to have to be thinking about a reload if SHTF. And I sure as hell don't won't to have to worry about whether or not my 5-shot S&W 640 has enough rounds or stopping power, if there should happen to be multiple bad guys.

If sh!it ever happens, I hope to hell I am able to just concentrate on my front sight & attackers. I would like to think 15 rounds of 10mm 200gr XTP loads & 1 extra mag will give me a slight advantage over a crazed-nut job or multiple shooters.
I still carry my S&W 640 sometimes, but only as a back-up.

In Viet Nam most Army Aviation units issued .38 Special revolvers. I was in one of the older assault helicopter Co.'s and for some reason we had some .38 revolvers and some standard .45 ACP's. It seems most individuals who were given a choice took the revolvers. I felt well armed either way. We weren't handgun experts (my primary weapon was a M-60 MG) and handguns didn't get used often, but both types seemed to be adequate for the job in most guys experience.

are you a cop, FBI, US Marshal if not then here in the USA every bullet you fire has your name on it and is a potential lawsuit, best forget the suppressing fire fantasy. The interwebbs, video games and TV has everybody thinking they is a "commando".

10 out of 16 is a 63% hit rate, which is above average for LEO shootings, and considering NYPD gets (I've heard) one trip to the range each year to qualify, and they've got NY+ trigger springs in their Glocks, I'd say the two officers did the best they could under the circumstances.

Here is a very brief discussion of NY's accuracy issue. The hit percentages make this weeks shooting look like a huge improvement!
John Lott

YES, suppression fire is a ridiculous notion in a civilian setting. Hollyweird has modeled it for decades though.....

MORE reading on the subject.

Ultimately NYPD needs to start spending the money it takes to train their officers to shoot well, then give them the time/ammo to maintain their proficiency. Squeaking by with one annual qualification only confirms the officer's pistols haven't corroded shut over the previous 12 months.

Sorry? Sorry nothing! I'm sitting here at a kitchen table drinking coffee and browsing the 'net. Its mind-boggling for me to even consider what you guys were involved in. Whatever you were paid, it was off by at least a few decimal places.

Rocky, my wife and I were at an Outback Steakhouse a month ago when a couple that looked just alittle older and grayer than myself, sat in the booth across from us. I noticed he was wearing a USMC ball cap so, being a Marine from the mid-70's, I gave him a "semper fi" and asked who he had been with when on active duty. He mumbled something and his wife said, "go ahead and tell him." To make a long story intolerable, he was a tunnel rat (and still alive!!). Besides the courageous duty that you performed, the only thing that I can think of that comes close are those skinny little fearless guys that crawed into tunnels with a flashlight and a 1911------geez, you guys and those tunnel rats embody courage that I can't imagine!!!

Minnesota Crossroads Mall attack:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oRgKglQy0o


The Muslim attacker fell down and got up 3 different times after being shot a total of 6 times.

6 hits in 10 shots fired, in a very dynamic, constantly moving scene.

The off duty guy was using a standard capacity auto, and it was barely enough.

I figure I would put this video here, after I ran across this old thread, and read some of the perceptions about "it's not combat", "2-3 shots is average", and "a 5 shot revolver is plenty" attitudes.

The more the merrier.

Revolver any time.

During a. Oncealed carry class my wife and I each shot 100 with S&W revolver

There were two older guys there with nifty new Glocks.

They had to shoot through three rounds before they passed.

If you believe in filling the air full of lead and you don't care about by-standees the Glock might be your choice.

Do you strive to be retarded?




Travis

That's strange, my Glocks are all quite accurate.

Maybe the 'two older guys' would have shot just as bad with revolvers. We will never know...

An epiphany for the masses. Placement trumps gimmicks 7 days/wk. I see no reason to limit myself to a 5 shot revolver, but a 6 shooter is adequate. If one needs more than a couple or three shots a shotgun might be more appropriate.

Well gee that settles it.

I'll take that as a yes.



Travis

PS-I can outshoot you with my Glock.

Unless, of course, one exists in the real world where carrying a Glock 19 is practical and carring a concealed shotgun is not.

Given all of the dribble here, I'll follow that advise of MacKay and Montana Marine any day. Real world gun fighting experience beats "I read it somewhere but never lived it."

I go over 40 years of military service on Nov 24th. To a man and woman, not a single person I know who has actually been in a gunfight wished they had a five or six shot revolver. That's out of probably 35-ish I know well enough to have asked.

Pass the Glocks with high cap mags, and hold the six-shooters.

A few years back I carried a 1911 and my GF carried a 5 shot stainless Rossi 38...this was around the time of the Luby's incident.

I did a lot of drills at 25 yards with my 1911. I could keep them in the black rapid fire with my 1911 and about 8" with her Rossi.

With concentration, she could keep her rounds on paper at that range but she couldn't even hit backstop with my 1911.

That plus her Rossi fit into her smallest purse easily so she always had it. There were many situations when I didn't have my 1911 on me due to it's size and mostly weight.

Her mindset if a dire confrontation ensued was to push the muzzle forcibly into the attackers chest and keep pulling the trigger until the threat was ended to protect her and her kids.

I think her concept was spot on...realistic and correct.

In that scenario, a 1911 or Glock might not be a good choice.

Danger will mostly happen immediately, suddenly, and at close range within seconds and without warning.