Is the revolver inherently more reliable than the modern semi?

[jamesvt]

Interesting take on the subject.

 

[just jim]

A lot of us old timers love single actions and there are many good reasons to have them around. Out here we hunt animals with handguns and while purist use single shots a big revolver takes more game. Game tends to move and those those extra rounds are handy. Lots of power in a revolver and that single action trigger makes for a better pull to hit long distances.. Plus the single actions tend to take a pounding better than the doubles, first Smith 29s when they used them alot needed constant work.

Second, I don't believe there is a better gun than a 22 single action to start out training new shooters. They are safer because it takes pulling the hammer back to fire. You can teach grip and stance,trigger pull and sight picture one shot at a time with little chance of an accidental discharge. It takes a distinctive action for the gun to go off, unlike double actions and autos with the next live round at the bump of the trigger. When it comes to teaching hunting the single action is perfect.

 

[just jim]

Interesting take on the subject.

Guns are tools, a good mechanic knows how to use all the tools and what they are best at. Guy is right if you just work on race cars, autos go fast. Lots of pluses and minuses with going fast. Good video, thanks.

 

[Spanz]

yes, the simpler the better. revolvers are much simpler.

there is a good reason they use double rifles when elephant hunting--TWO chances to get the elephant before he gets you without needing any mechanism to work properly, no feed, no chambering....just need a hammer to come down on the back of a cartridge..

 

[spt_1955]

I did own a S&W 642 for a while and was impressed with the instructions for firing the gun. "To fire the gun pull the trigger fully to the rear". (** This is the only mode of operation possible on Smith & Wesson Centennial models (with enclosed non-visiblehammer) such as models 296, 332, 340, 342, 442, 640, 642,940, etc.)"

Seems simple enough.

 

[92G]

i no longer ascribe to the notion that revolver is inherently more reliable. for example, put enough debris under the extractor and the cylinder will bind up. for those who cannot properly maintain an auto loading pistol, then perhaps revolver is more reliable. otherwise I believe those days are over.

that's not to say revolver is without advantages. it has many, but reliability over autoloaders not so much.

 

[Dadstoys]

For those who don't plan to get in much range time I always recommended a revolver.
I still see people who SHOULD know better trying to clear a semi jam without dropping the mag first.
Forgetting where the safety is ect.

Those planning on getting to know their gun like the back of their hand ? Semi all the way.
I still carry a revolver now and then , cause F it , I can if I want.

And I will NEVER own a revolver with one of freaking ridiculous key locks on it .

 

[CaseHardened]

If you do not have a spare mag, but DO have a few loose rounds, modern Revolvers are far easier to reload.

Some Magazines require a LOT of force to insert the cartridges.

 

[MGnoob]

I just had a revolver get jammed up with pieces of asphalt. ( ankle carry)
Since when you cock the hammer or pull the trigger the cylinder is suppose to rotate.
My gun would not fire like a semi auto would with one in the pipe.

Either can fail. Buy my revolver is so light and small its a pleasure to carry....
And im confident 5 rds of .357 will get the job done..i just converted from carrying full sized semi with 16rds of 9mm.. hopefully ill never need a single rd.

 

[M1911]

I still see people who SHOULD know better trying to clear a semi jam without dropping the mag first.

Unless it is a double feed, tap, rack, bang works. The only time I drop the mag is if 1) tap, rack, bang didn't fix it, or 2) I immediately see it is a double-feed.

 

[just jim]

Here is an example of typical revolver defense.... was the shooter useing ISO

http://komonews.com/news/local/im-not-just-the-typical-granny-80-year-old-shoots-kills-intruder

Edited to add, gun probably in a drawer for a year yet when she brought it out it ran.

 

[Pilgrim]

Many women (most?) prefer a revolver as they don't have sufficient grip strength to rack the slide. My wife can't rack my 1911's or my HP and she's no weakling.

 

[Gammon]

When the Army adopted the 1911 Colt, it was tested against revolvers and was found to be more reliable. A revolver is not a simple machine but rather a complicated one that requires close tolerances to operate safely. My vote goes to the semi auto.

 

[spt_1955]

For those who don't plan to get in much range time I always recommended a revolver.
I still see people who SHOULD know better trying to clear a semi jam without dropping the mag first.
Forgetting where the safety is ect.

I guess you are not from the tap and rack school of learning?

 

[sig shooter]

I would say that smaller autos are less reliable than their bigger brethren, revolvers fill this gap for me. I retired my P938 to back up duty and switched to the LCR in 9mm due to reliability issues, the pistol was very ammo picky and I lost confidence in it. I will admit the internals of a revolver are more complex and require tools to fix but, those internals are not exposed to the elements like a semi auto. I have no issues with service size autos, my sig 1911 has not had a hiccup and I would put my life on it.

 

[M1911]

Many women (most?) prefer a revolver as they don't have sufficient grip strength to rack the slide. My wife can't rack my 1911's or my HP and she's no weakling.

Yes, it is easier for them to load a revolver. However, back when I was teaching, some of those women who had trouble racking a slide also didn't have the hand strength to manage the double-action trigger pull on a revolver.

 

[sig shooter]

Many women (most?) prefer a revolver as they don't have sufficient grip strength to rack the slide. My wife can't rack my 1911's or my HP and she's no weakling.

I agree with this but the other side of the coin is that DA revolvers are harder to shoot well and take time to master.

 

[just jim]

Guns better than no gun and folkes will hold that gun the way their body allows them to. You train those people for what works for them. Some women can't rack a slide but want a small auto because they have trouble with revolver triggers. Beretta makes a tip up barrel in 22,25 and 32 that you don't have to rack the slide to load it and shoot it. Not the best gun but better than no gun. Small guns so I doubt they would use ISO

 

[kalash]

Here is an example of typical revolver defense.... was the shooter useing ISO

Small guns so I doubt they would use ISO

 

[whacko]

a revolver is more reliable in the hands of an untrained user.

i think semiautos require a bit more knowledge, such as proper feeding, cleaning and possibly mag choice.

This x1000. The manual of arms for a revolver is simpler for a novice shooter. I owned only auto loaders until my wife took her safety course a few years ago. She had fired my 1911s and a baretta 92. After the live fire portion shooting a revolver and auto she asked the instructor "so with a revolver all I have to remember is....did i load it"? After some research we got her a 642 performance center 38 special. She shoots it well.....and likes that she can just aim and fire. I now carry an sp101 in 357 magnum because i shoot it very well and like the simplicity.

But for the bedside gun for an owner that does not intend to do much training i think the revolver is a fine choice.

 

[gerrycaruso]

In my experience revolvers are more reliable that semi autos and single action revolvers hold up to hard use better than double action revolvers. That doesn't mean that I carry a single action revolver. Semi autos carry more ammo, spare ammo conceals easier and most people can reload a semi auto faster.

 

[KBCraig]

At the risk of driving those here with trichinellosis over the edge I present the following for intelligent discussion-

www.luckygunner.com/lounge/magazine-springs-and-ammo-cycling/

I've never understood the fascination with magazine springs, as if those are the only springs in a firearm.

Last time I checked, revolvers have springs, too.

 

[M1911]

While the manual of arms for a revolver is simpler, it is harder to learn to reload a revolver quickly and reliably than it is to learn to reload a semi auto quickly.

More than once during a competition I botched a revolver reload and wound up with six rounds on the ground at my feet.

 

[Mountain]

Anecdotal, but...

Been shooting for 45 years. Never had a failure from a revolver.

Failures: HK USP40 FTE a couple times with one brand ammo, Para P1640 fail to feed a couple types of ammo. The worst by far is my new G34. FTE's and fail to feeds. Seems to be breaking in and has settled down but I would not trust it with my life. Range toy tuned for 'race' so I don't care but not a good endorsement for Glock.

My EDC is a Sig P220C DAK SAS. I would trust my life with that, but if I could only choose one for the rest of my life it would be a S&W 686 revolver.

 

[jasons]

All of my guns are reliable and accurate. That's table stakes. Semi-auto, revolver, rifle, doesn't matter; and if they're not I work on them until they are. If you're carrying an unreliable gun you have bigger problems than action preference.

For me personally, taking reliability out of the equation, it's all about capacity and how easy they are to reload. Semis win on both counts. I don't remember the last time I carried a revolver.

 

[drgrant]

The worst by far is my new G34. FTE's and fail to feeds. Seems to be breaking in and has settled down but I would not trust it with my life. Range toy tuned for 'race' so I don't care but not a good endorsement for Glock.

Your gun is broken you should probably send it in and get it fixed. It takes about 2700 rounds before my G34 will even think about barfing. I could probably stretch it out more simply by wiping the crud off ramp and putting a spot of lube on the gun every 1000 rounds...

-Mike

 

[just jim]

So does the question of more reliable change with heavy use of the firearm? Are they better or worse after a thousand rounds or even ten thousand rounds? I have read that they ran a Glock 17 over 100,000 rounds without a failure, would a Smith 15 do the same? Reliability takes an owner who knows how to keep it running...

 

[tk421991]

So does the question of more reliable change with heavy use of the firearm? Are they better or worse after a thousand rounds or even ten thousand rounds? I have read that they ran a Glock 17 over 100,000 rounds without a failure, would a Smith 15 do the same? Reliability takes an owner who knows how to keep it running...

It depends on the person. You can be a happy owner of Ol' Dirty, the FAL with 16,000 rounds shot and no cleaning, or you can be the guy who takes out his gun and cleans it if you literally put one mag's worth or one cylinder's worth through it.

http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68486

I can't stand the idea of not cleaning a gun after shooting it. I will also clean a gun if I just touch it more than a few times. I also clean it every Friday or Saturday or Sunday if I'm carrying, but I haven't been shooting. Not talking a total takedown, just a wipe off of old oil/sweat/dirt/pocket fuzz then a re-oiling of the internals and externals. Some people think doing so is blasphemy. I bought a Savage 110 off my dad and he never cleaned it in the roughly 10 to 15 years he owned it. He also had never shot more than a few boxes of ammo out of it since it was his deer hunting rifle before he got into bow hunting. He also rarely cleans his skeet guns besides re-oiling them and wiping out the barrel(s). He started skeet at 16 and is 45 now.

 

[Hoon]

Your gun is broken you should probably send it in and get it fixed. It takes about 2700 rounds before my G34 will even think about barfing. I could probably stretch it out more simply by wiping the crud off ramp and putting a spot of lube on the gun every 1000 rounds...

-Mike

This. There's no break in, the gun should be 100% reliable from day 1.

I clean mine every 1000 rounds or so and its been 100% reliable so far, with a variety of ammo.

Send it back to Glock.

 

[Horseman508]

I'll take my Glock 19 and call it a day. No evidence other than it goes bang every single time. With sand/dirt/dust/lint in it, under water, without cleaning or lubing it for thousands of rounds. Just like every other Glock I own.