Semi vs. Revolver for Carry

[spyder]

True, but that is a mechanical failure due to stress and fatigue. And just pure and simple breakage, which happens more than you know. As I also stated, that is just one of the ways in which a revolver can let you down.

Even a good quality automatic in perfect condition can jam if there is a hard primer or the pistol is fired limp wristed... Some designs are more susceptible to limp wristing the gun. For example, my eight year old daughter can shoot my USP without issue, nuff said.

I had one revolver jam due to primers backing out of aluminum cases, and another jam due to a 40 year old mainspring that was dry as a bone. Those are the only two jams I've ever had with a revolver. I've had dozens of jams with pistols, even once with a Glock.... I shoot 45's, and in that arena, Glock sucks with both the 21 and the 30 in which I have owned multiples of... and was happy with none...

Revolver advantages:
- organic shape < I like the description
- more tolerant of *neglect* This depends on the semi auto pistol the revolver is up against....
- simple, non-bewildering operation Have you opened most revolvers out there?

Semi-auto advantages:
- flat, narrow shape
- more tolerant of *abuse* (dropping) Depends on the revolver.
- speed of reloading Depends on the person.
- capacity

Safeties? That's not really a revolver-vs-semi issue, as there are plenty of semis without active safeties. Don't forget revolvers with passive safeties! Trigger weight? < Can be changed with either platform. Short barrel? External hammer or not? Same answers.

The mechanics of revolver operation are pretty straightforward, and that can be a big deal... I think there are lots of revolvers out there that you have not taken apart...

Another place revolvers shine, IMO, is in pocket carry. The small semis just require more maintenance than most people are going to put into them. With a linted-up revolver you can always just crunch through to the next round. Ideal? No. But this is the real world. If lint is going to stop your carry gun from working, you need a different carry gun...

This can be argued many different ways... Lots of different points can be brought up for both sides. For triggers, one trigger that is growing on me is the light LEM for Hk's. It's a 4 lb trigger pull on a DAO set up that is very crisp and easy to shoot with. The next thing, is most of the revolvers out there, are not straight forward in how they work, at least not any easier to explain than the normal semi auto. You can note, there are 52 parts to my USP...

...and 70 parts to the S&W J frame...

...and the same ammount of parts on an 1877 Colt, as there is on my USP...

...and this old revolver with 42 parts that is a single action, with no safety...

There are more revolvers with even bigger parts lists than these... Can you tell me exactly what happens when you pull the trigger on your revolver? What parts do what, at which specific time? I guess it depends on what you mean by straight forward...


The only arguement that I will take that the revolver has over the semi auto, is if you have a dud round, you can just keep pulling the trigger till one goes bang, where on the semi, you have to rack the slide, but that's the only arguement I will say is a win for the revolver. The arguements about all of the other faults of semi's... as I said, buy the best one you can if you are serious about carry (this includes ammo). In this, I compare the revolver to my Hk's, and in reliability and durability, the revolver isn't any better, and in a really dirty environment (mud), you won't like that revolver.