Revolvers VS Pistols

sillymike said:
Depends what you want to do...

If you need to send a large projectile downrange... fast... Revolvers are pretty much your only option. (Until someone finds a way to make a semi-auto in 454/460/500) :D
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Actually it really doesnt matter what your doing with it, the topic was what is more reliable. In Canada all we can do is go to the range anyhow for the most part unless your lucky enough to have an ATC.

I think modern pistols like Glock are way more reliable then modern revolvers, but thats my opinion.

I get your point though, if it was for the purpose of wilderness carry, id be leaning towards a 44 mag or more as well.
 
I really enjoy shooting revolvers. I've had the best "luck" with them for accuracy, and when shot single action, the triggers tend to be very good. I have had a few problems. A 686 I bought had improper clearances, and with very little fouling of the front of the cylinder, or carbon particles under the ejector star, it would hang up and make rotation of the cylinder difficult. I've also had the odd high primer hold up rotation. Other than that, they have been flawless. I haven't had an auto, other than a 22 rimfire, suffer from any form of failure in operation. The 22's seem to be tempermental about getting too dirty, or picky with ammo. My S&W M&P 40 seems like its almost self cleaning.
 
GunGuy34 said:
me too, I love glocks, but from a ###y esthetics standpoint, they dont do it for me. Seeing as all i can do with them is go to the range, im leaning more towards revolvers these days.
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There is something about the petina of the wood and the metal. There is a lot of craftsmanship in a revolver that you do not readily see in a modern day Glock or MP etc. I even enjoy cleaning them more than my semi's.
 
I have a ATC and my choice is a single six ruger super black hawk 44 mag It rode my hip for 9 years in the mountains and never missed a beat and when The chips were down it went off and never an issue at the range no matter what I feed it light practice or balls to the wall 300 grain loads plus I can hit what I shoot at with it as compared to the autos that I have shot
 
GunGuy34 said:
So with the advancement in pistol design, which is more reliable these days the revolver or the pistol?
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In a controlled environment using factory ammo, I would say they are both about the same for reliability.

If my life depended on choosing one for reliability (say... in a Zombie situation) I would choose my .357 revolver (S&W 686) hands down. no chance of catching a slide on anything (clothing, etc) when drawing and fewer moving parts in my eyes.
 
Teapot said:
A revolver is a pistol too. A semi-autoatic is also a pistol.
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They are all "handguns." Usually we say "revolver" to separate them from "pistols," which are every other type of handgun that is not a revolver. This is normal, current handgun jargon. 99.9% of all handgun owners are onboard with this. Any dissention should go to another thread. As to the real matter of this thread, any statistics that might point to one type being more reliable than another are just that. Statistics that can be manipulated to prove that 2 plus 2 equals 5. Here someone is seeking an opinion, so take cover. All kinds of crap is going to come out. An auto has advantages in competition, and only because many competitions are designed to favor the auto. As for personal defense... well..not many of us have carry permits, so how do you plan on defending your home then? Bad people don't knock and wait for you to unlock everything. Do you need ten rounds to stop the threat? Then you should step up to an AR or a 12 gauge. This is like a Ford versus Chevy debate. Every model has its share of lemons. It's the same chance you take with everything you buy. You might be lucky, or not. A revolver will stand more abuse, load-wise, and tolerate a wider variety of loads. Both have their soft spots though. Dropping things was mentioned. To come out and say autos are better because you can drop them all day is saying something else too. The pros and cons of each has been listed already, and that's pretty much all a person needs to make their own decision, based on their own needs and wants. Both handguns still have their inherent problems. Technically a revolver "should" be more reliable, but like the auto, it can still be limited by poor quality. A well made auto will be more reliable than a poorly made revolver, and vice versa. It's plain and simple. Remember a better shooter figures into the equation.
 
condomboy said:
In a controlled environment using factory ammo, I would say they are both about the same for reliability.

If my life depended on choosing one for reliability (say... in a Zombie situation) I would choose my .357 revolver (S&W 686) hands down. no chance of catching a slide on anything (clothing, etc) when drawing and fewer moving parts in my eyes.
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Wrong. Revolvers consist of far more parts and far more moving parts than an auto. The inability to readily change parts on a revolver without tuning is a serious downfall. The very limited capacity and excess weight and size are yet more negatives.

I will post a list of revolver only problems when I have more time, the list is long.

TDC
 
I have never fired a handgun I don't like, but I like some more than others. Only center-fire revolvers make me think "yeah baby...". Maybe it's from growing up watching Dirty Harry movies.
 
TDC said:
Wrong. Revolvers consist of far more parts and far more moving parts than an auto. The inability to readily change parts on a revolver without tuning is a serious downfall. The very limited capacity and excess weight and size are yet more negatives.

I will post a list of revolver only problems when I have more time, the list is long.

TDC
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This is true.
Yet...in all my years of shooting I can count the problems that I experienced with the revolvers using the fingers on one of my hands only.
To do so in regard with the autos I'll probably need a whole bus of people and all their hands plus some spare fingers as well.
 
I still shoot my S&W Model 41 as well as any other handgun, but I have sold off my center fire semi autos,including my Wilson Combat, and replaced them with Freedom Arms single actions. My Wilson never ever,jammed, but my Freedom Arms have been just as trouble free. When I decide to target shoot at 50 yards, or farther, the superior ballistics of the 357mag, and 454 Casull compared to the 45ACP make it easier for me to hit targets at longer distances.
 
My first handgun was a 586 in 6". I thought it was easier for a beginner but I was not really right. The biggest down side of a revolver is you will have 6 chambers to clean. Compare to my Glock this is nightmare since I hate cleaning guns. And these chambers get really dirty and hard to clean when I shoot 38. instead of 357.:bangHead:
 
And these chambers get really dirty and hard to clean when I shoot 38. instead of 357.
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Just load up mild 357 loads, and it isn't an issue. I could shoot 45colt loads in my 454, but instead I am just going to load up some light loads in the 454 cases.
 
MUGEN said:
My first handgun was a 586 in 6". I thought it was easier for a beginner but I was not really right. The biggest down side of a revolver is you will have 6 chambers to clean. Compare to my Glock this is nightmare since I hate cleaning guns. And these chambers get really dirty and hard to clean when I shoot 38. instead of 357.:bangHead:
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Never an issue for me, i kinda like cleaning my guns.
 
Reliability is a measure of 'Will it fire when you need it to'. On this aspect I vote revolver.

If you want to talk about lifespan then that is a different story that needs to take into account number of rounds fired and aging issues(WITHOUT changing parts...as this constitutes repair regardless of who did it).
 
What does it matter the only place you will be discharging the firearm is in a controlled environment? So unless you are playing one of the action games, does it really matter? Pick the one you like to shoot, and that you like to spend time at the range with.
 
stubblejumper said:
I still shoot my S&W Model 41 as well as any other handgun, but I have sold off my center fire semi autos,including my Wilson Combat, and replaced them with Freedom Arms single actions. My Wilson never ever,jammed, but my Freedom Arms have been just as trouble free. When I decide to target shoot at 50 yards, or farther, the superior ballistics of the 357mag, and 454 Casull compared to the 45ACP make it easier for me to hit targets at longer distances.
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I have more revolvers then pistols certainly. Four of them are magnums. But I myself would feel lacking somewhat, if I did not have my 1991A1 Colt and the other 22 pistols. In fact I purchased the smaller framed rimfire, but still only restricted Star Model F because my daugthers could not hold up the Ruger Mk II and comfortably shoot it. For those of us without 12/6 there are less options. There are fewer still rimfire sixguns that are restricted, yet small enough for smaller framed novice shooters.
Into this discussion I'm going to briefly mention the other stepchild, the single shot 22 LR target pistol, made solely for 50 meter one handed shooting.
 
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