http://bearingarms.com/revolvers-are-not-obsolete/

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

It amazes me how many, especially younger shooters regard the revolver as some sort of antique that is virtually useless. On a California gun forum, in a thread entitled "Impractical Pistols", some guy posted "Impractical? Any Revolver" as a response. What was sad were the number of people who agreed with him.

Those are the folks it's fun to win against in an informal shoot off - using that "obsolete" "wheel gun".

Sometimes while teaching a CCW class, I'll carry my 4" M29 .44 Magnum, just to show that you can carry and conceal one with the right gear. I've never felt undergunned with it, but all the kids I'm around carry some kind of semi. I do also, mainly because that's what my students are carrying, but on my own time I'll have a revolver, or two, with me.

The "kids" all want semi-autos and disdain the revolver as useless. I've noticed too that the trend today in hunting is to have a rifle capable of 1000 yards. Sniping has replaced hunting. Getting close the game is out and dropping it at long range is in.

I fall towards being a "younger shooter" at least for a month or two more and I find most of my friends that shoot that are my age or younger do lean towards auto's over revolvers. Their usual response which I find fairly valid is they like the higher capacity of the auto. Everyone is going for the higher and higher capacity mags, the only downside I point out is the fact it teaches you to "spray and pray" rather than placing your shots like you should be. Oh and I point out my revolver has never jammed like their auto does every other mag or so and sometimes more often. I prefer to carry one of each if possible that way I don't have to choose.

I think 10 rounds of .40 are roughly 1/2 pound.

"jammed like their auto does every other mag or so and sometimes more often"

Something is real wrong there.

My P35 has gone through a couple of gunslinger classes (Suarez International Close Range Gun Fighting classes) that were essentially firing as fast as the gun could be fired for two days on a hot dirty range shooting in excess of 1200 rounds without a bobble.

Dozens of Glocks, SIGS and Smiths also breeze through 1000s of rounds without a burp with no more maintenance than a squirt of oil during lunch break.

IMNSHO the argument that revolvers are more reliable that autoloaders is no longer valid.

That does not mean revolvers are outdated. I have many.

Byron

Agreed, Byron. All autos are not the same. A modern semi auto from Glock, SIG, Smith & Wesson or Springfield Armory will withstand a lot more abuse and use than a revolver. There's a reason they don't use revolvers on the battlefield, and haven't for a long time. They just don't take the abuse and dirt and grime you find in combat.

Also, clearing a malfunction on a semi-auto(which really doesn't happen that often,) is easy to fix. When a revolver stops working, and the trigger can't be pulled, it's done til it can be taken apart and looked at. I've seen a lot of revolvers stop working for various reasons, they're not the end all to be all some make them out to be.

They're both different animals; you can't just pick up one or the other and expect it to work like it does in the movies. They both have good and bad points, and I too have been known to carry both at one time. I just refuse to attribute any magical qualities to one or the other.

Carry class I went to there were issues but the guns were new in the box. People also don't realize how critical care of magazines and having quality magazines.

They are stone cold reliable but I think we still need to bear in mind most people on this board would be considered experts in a lot of circles. Such as I definitely would not suggest a beginner shoot a micro 380.

Part of the jamming is due to the ammo quality I'm sure, second I'm not positive they clean their guns properly either.

First: In years of watching handguns run hard it is obvious that while considered the "ultimate" by many, it is rare to find a GM that will keep up with a the current crop of plastic pistols in durability or reliability.

Second: A well designed and sorted out firearm will run reliably even if it is crazy dirty as long as it is properly lubricated.

Third: The P35 was Browning's best pistol and a huge improvement over the antique
1911!

Byron