deputy125

thought i'd see if i could stir things up..............

Just a friendly debate if you will……………..

I’ve had a long love affair with revolvers and have for years chosen the revolver……specifically the 38 spl five shot snub…..as my weapon of choice for a CCW while off-duty.

Now this decision is probably rooted in several factors that can be considered as factual or works or fiction. Anywho, I’d thought I’d run them up the flag pole and see if anyone salutes……..

1. Reliability……In my mind the revolver for CCW purposes will always be more reliable than an auto loader. This is based on years of observation at the gun range firing thousands of rounds and witnessing others on the firing line. While I’ll freely admit a revolver will mal-function, I see the frequency of mal-functions greater in the auto…….an uneducated guess but when talking failure to fire due to jam or ammo problems, probably a ratio of at least 20 to one in favor that the revolver as far as placing multiple rounds down range with simply pulling a trigger. Having to do a tap/rack/bang drill on autoloaders when the bad guy is 3 feet away is not a good thing……….I’d rather just pull the trigger again on my trusty revolver. (and I again witnessed malfunctions in sigs and glocks this last qualification cycle)

2. Concealment…………the 5 shot snub in my opinion is just about the best compromise in a weapon that a person can easily conceal and easily control. A snub easily drops into a pocket and can take the lint and what-ever trash there is and still function (see #1). There are no requirements for special high dollar holsters, or special requirements for high dollar belts for said high dollar holsters. There is less likelyhood of an inadvertent “flash” of the weapon. And there are no worries about over-size shirts, jackets, vests, or getting color coordinated for the wife while dressing to hid the weapon…….just drop it in your pocket and go.

3. Control……….the Lord blessed us with the 38 spl. The round can easily be found in multiple flavors with different bullet weights and power factors where the gun can be “tailored” to the individual needs and requirements. From heavy +p’s to light recoil wadcutters, the ammo flexability of the revolver will always be the envy of the auto crowd.

4. Tradition………..ok, you can hang me on this one, but the 5-shot snub has had a very long history of years of service in the role of CCW. Back in the academy days, it was always a pairing of a duty revolver with a snub. Bread and butter, peanuts and coke…………its just the way I was taught. And to be honest, despite all the new-fangled auto loaders introduced in plastic and such, the 38 revolver just refused to die. Smith and Wesson has introduced more models than probably any other time in their history. Even ruger has intro’ed a new “plastic” model that goes round. Charter Arms has increased their offerings as well over the past decade.


The snub refuses to die or fad into history…….in fact, if anything, it just might be getting more popular.

So there you have it!

Throw out your thoughts…..do you believe the auto is superior to the wheelie?

Bountyhunter

Well, I can't argue. The revolver is less likely to have a malfunction when it is needed. But I carry the Ruger LCP anyway. It slips into my pocket and is concealed easily. I have thought about another snubby for carry though. Snubbies are also great for beginners. Not much to know. Point and shoot. K.I.S.S.

Cruelshoes

I could not agree more. In spite of my growing interest in the 1911, I will probably always love revolvers more. For all the reasons you listed, plus the fact that the .357 magnum usually comes out of a wheel gun.

XLCH

I have Ruger, Colt. and Browning autos but it is the revolver that is with me 24-7

gunman42782

I, too, love revolvers. But, I carry a 1911. It is much easier for me to conceal, as it is so much flatter than a revolver.

sheepdog

...nothing feels so good in the hand to me as a good snub...my Stainless Bodyguard and my GP100 3" stainless were favorites...my Taurus .44 3" stainless is close behind...BUT....today I was helping H.L. reside his house...3rd day this week no work so we just did it to keep busy...he took me to D.T.s for lunch...and we stopped by our local pawnshop down there...looking for some hand tools...I looked into the guncase cause my DIL needs a J frame 2"....and saw what I first thought was a K frame...then I thought it was a Rossi .44...I asked to see it...and he put into my dead-broke hands a Taurus higloss stainless 2" Magnaported DAO bobbed hammer .44 SPECIAL...I liked to have fell out...I've looked for a Taurus stainless 2" .44 for 5-6 years...someone had pawned it...lost it...he held it till they came back to put it back into pawn...and he lost it again...had only been out today...H.L. took a look at the tag and paid for it and gave it to me...I was in shock...what a gift...what a friend...what a day...yep, I'd say revolvers are great guns...now I have 5...and even my High Standard 4" .22 is special to me...it's the model I used to learn to shoot in 1965...paid $41.50 then...paid 5 times as much for this one!!! When I thinks about long drawn-out combat...or multiple BGs...the Ruger .45s go...when I need one for around the house or neighborhood on foot...or for a backup...the snubs come out....I gotta go rest up from the most exciting Wednesday I've had in a looooooooooooooong time!!!

deputy125

a great day indeed!!!!!

congrats on finding that pearl...........

would love a pic when ya get the chance.......

though i dearly love the 38, one of my greatest losses was a smith model 296 as a belly gun.......they are a $1000/gun nowadays.......

sheepdog

...the only other Taurus I've seen like this was an airweight or alloy...felt like a toy and I'd be afraid to shoot it...I carried a Charter .44 or two...and even the 3" original was around 19 oz and beat me to death when I shot it...I've passed on the one you carried locally for the same reason...it was priced at around $500...about 3 years ago...I'll keep my eyes peeled for you, thougn...this is one hell of a New York reload for my Taurus 431...I'm still in shock...

XLCH

Congrats sheepdog

Cruelshoes

Awesome! Could not happen to a more deserving dog.

44s Rock

+1

44s Rock

Although I normally cary my 4" 1911 and have another as well as two Glocks that are fun to shoot, my weapon of choice around the house or in the field is a revolver. My pocket gun is a 3" S&W 64 and the wifes is her 650 Taurus. I also have 3 45 SAAs to choose from and are also fun to shoot but rarely cary. Not as many as many of you folks but all keepers1

tx gun runner

+1 ...... plus the extra mag are easier to carry and hide then a speed loaders , Plus the extra rounds don't hurt and I have NEVER had my bottom feeder jam . My Kahr CW45 didn't like Remy primers and replacing the striker spring fixed that .

sheepdog

....BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...now show us your revolvers, gunrunner...you didn't get rid of all of them, did you?

tx gun runner

I sold all my DA revolvers , I shoot the SA only better and faster then the DA /SA guns .

sheepdog

...I'm really surprised you don't have ONE...not even a .22??? Now that you're in Texas, you gotta get a fine DA revolver to wear to a BBQ...

Johngoboom

When I first started shooting I really loved the bottom feeders. Since then, I have come to appreciate a good revolver and carry them more than any other gun. We are frequently out in the woods or working around the farm, and nothing feels as good in the hands as a wheel gun for that sort of work. Yes they weigh more, yes they hold less ammo, but as a CCW holder, my job is to protect me and mine, not take on an armed gang in an extended fight. Shoot and get the hell to safety. A revolver fits perfect in that roll.

Plus there is nothing quite as fun as carrying my old Model 18 in .22 when taking walks in the woods (when we're not in bear country) and shooting a couple knot holes or soda cans, and not worrying about ammo.

tx gun runner

2 of the 3 times I need a gun , a 5 shot wheel gun was not the gun to have . I like to have more bullet then target , plus you can change a mag with 1 in the tube and 7 or 10 yds with a bad in front of you , is no time to try to reload a wheel gun . You NEVER run a bottom feeder dry is rule number one . You are better off to leave 1 or 2 in the mag and change it if you lose count .

sheepdog

...a smart man don't pick a fight with a whole gang at once...unless he's got a scattergun...

tx gun runner

Me and my buddy [ retired San Jose cop ] was seating on a couch at one of my friend house in Globe Az when over 10 dirty necker bikers drunk and high came roaring up to the house , looking for one of his room mates and raising hell inside and outside house and getting worse by the minute and our bikes where in the middle of the pack . So leaving was not a option . I was to shoot left to right and Dick was to shoot right to left if it came down to it . I carrying my 1911 with only 1 extra mag and Dick carried 9MM Glock with no extra mag . It sure wasn't looking good there for awhile . NO 5 shots for me ...