Revolver or Pistol for self defense?

[lisinopril]

If you can only carry one weapon between 2 choices: a revolver or a pistol. Which one would you prefer/trust your life with? My friend prefers a revolver since according to him..no chance of jamming. To me, I prefer pistol since you can carry more rounds.

[Glock4T6]

pistol, more rounds, better chance to defend yourself, get Glock, no jam there, just my .02 cent

[westcoast362]

There is no right answer to this. It is whatever you feel the most confident with, and what you shoot the best.

[Fishslayer]

I actually sleep next to one of each. The one time something really went "bump in the night" and set off the dogs I found myself grabbing the M66.

S&W. When it absolutely positively HAS to go bang.

[Armedwino]

It really depends on the specific gun. I shoot both regularly, but issues I've had with cylinder binding in a S & W model 10 and getting some powder under the star of my 642 and locking it up have burst the bubble of the 100% reliable revolver idea for me.

A good broken in auto with previously tested ammo should do just as good. Only handgun I've owned with lots of rounds fired and no issues is my Makarov. I'll take that.

[jessegpresley]

There is no 1 right way. Use what works for you. Average law enforcement shooting is 4 rounds, my revolver holds 8.

[frankm]

Self-defense, revolver. Combat, pistol.

[Mr. Beretta]

Nobody ever raped a 38!

Revolver for me!

[rm1911]

Revolvers take a little more practice but I'm of the belief that a 4" 357 is the perfect PD weapon. Lets face it most situations you're not going to need 50 rounds. We're not doing MOUT.

And I hate to say it but revolvers leave nothing extra on the ground.

[Agent 0range]

Originally Posted by frankm

Self-defense, revolver. Combat, pistol.

This

[sbcfd]

What ever you feel more comfortable at 0 dark 30 when somthing goes bump in the night

[frankm]

Originally Posted by rm1911

Revolvers take a little more practice but I'm of the belief that a 4" 357 is the perfect PD weapon. Lets face it most situations you're not going to need 50 rounds. We're not doing MOUT.

And I hate to say it but revolvers leave nothing extra on the ground.

An unspoken benefit?

[GeeDog]

Revolver. Odds of malfunction = practically zero. Six rounds verses 10 rounds = negligable.

[mjmagee67]

Being as most all revolvers are pistols I vote yes

[Reelemup]

Originally Posted by Fishslayer

I actually sleep next to one of each. The one time something really went "bump in the night" and set off the dogs I found myself grabbing the M66.

S&W. When it absolutely positively HAS to go bang.

Hahh! Ruger DA 357 wheel gun under one pillow....Springfield 911 45 under other pillow.....Colt 32 auto on the night stand just in case. Loudass motion censor also

[mcmikeblues7]

I think a pistol is better for most situations.

[Jet Setter]

Originally Posted by westcoast362

There is no right answer to this. It is whatever you feel the most confident with, and what you shoot the best.

My thoughts, exactly. It is all preference. I prefer pistols. I have very minimal experience with revolvers and don't own any.

[jessegpresley]

A pistol is a handgun where the chamber is connected to the barrel, so revolvers and pistols are two different types of handgun.

Originally Posted by mjmagee67

Being as most all revolvers are pistols I vote yes

[rm1911]

Originally Posted by frankm

An unspoken benefit?

think about it, in a PD situation, in a state like kalifornia.

you don't plan to stick around and play gil grissom. you want to protect yourself and then get the hell away from danger. inside your home, it's a little more black and white. notice I said a "little more" as you know there's probably some tyrannical ADA looking to score some political points. but outside the home...ccw or not, the burden is going to be on you. even if justified and cleared, you'll be put through hell. I knew someone many years ago, it happened to them. (it was a non-ccw, but everything else was legal. it was in course of business activity, which is what probably saved them from worse. and it wasn't fatal. that helped as well. the details are unimportant, but suffice to say, being completely in the right doesn't really help much.)

why make their jobs easier.

obviously PD starts with situational awareness. don't look for trouble. don't go into bad places with the "I am free to go where I want whenever I want" attitude. yes, you are, but it looks like you were looking for trouble. have common sense. would you go there without protection? if not, then you're half way to being someone's cell block b*tch.

this is kalifornia, not texas.

I'm not advocating anything other than use is as a LAST resort. but don't make the last a necessary. if the brain is engaged first, it will save much headache later. and brain engaged includes thinking about ALL situations, before, during and sadly, post.

[Vacaville]

A reliable semi-auto is probably the better choice because of the number of rounds, but I chose revolver 'cause I'm a revolver nut, plus the wife knows how to use it.

[smittty]

Originally Posted by lisinopril

If you can only carry one weapon between 2 choices: a revolver or a pistol. Which one would you prefer/trust your life with? My friend prefers a revolver since according to him..no chance of jamming. To me, I prefer pistol since you can carry more rounds.

Revolvers jam too btw.

[Vacaville]

Originally Posted by smittty

Revolvers jam too btw.

I've shot thousands of rounds through my revolvers and never had that happen. Not saying it doesn't happen, but exactly how does a revolver jam?

[den888]

I like a reliable semi-auto (one that has 500 rounds, at least through it).

[CenterX]

By root definition - the term pistol was a single shot, then a double and up to a pepper-box, then when revolvers showed up they too were called pistols. Only in modern days of this millenium has the term pistol come to be used as a replacement term for semi-auto pistol. More than likely news media started this by clipping speech for time.

Revolver or Semi-auto, that is the question.
In truth I go with the clothes of the day.
Colder weather with bulkier jackets and shirts require more punch to penetrate - thus a .357 revolver.
Warmer weather with less clothing is time for a 9mm or 45ACP semi-auto, which needs less punch and easier to cover.
I pray that they never are needed.

[HKMadness]

There is a misconception that revolvers "will never, ever jam". It's a mechanical object and as such, is subject to mechanical failure at any time. Parts can break.

Also, there is very minimal clearance between the back of the cartridge rims and the revolver. So if a hot load pushes out the primer just a tad, it will "jam" and you'll be unable to easily fire the next round. Obviously, this is an ammo issue, and may cause issues with a semi auto as well.

For pd, I'd prefer a semi auto, but will gladly take my revolver if its closer or all I've got at the time.

[ap3572001]

Revolver or pistol? this is gona be fun. LOL I started LE with a S&W revolver in 38/357. Now its a Glock. 40 Gen. 4. I own several of both. If I was a civilian with a CCW, ,a nice three inch K frame in a quality holster and with e good jhp's would do very well. I cary my model 65 a lot.

[tbc]

Pistols. They carry more rounds and are faster to reload.

For those who think revolver rounds are sufficient, you can move to NY.

[lisinopril]

The problem is when my friend and I discussed (like kids), he keeps saying revolver is a better choice since easier to clean up (no take down needed), and 100% reliable while pistol jams. I told him I never had a problem with my beretta , never jammed yet so far...I will take him to the range testing out my pistols next week (he has not yet owned a semi auto pistol).

[Freq18Hz]

Originally Posted by Armedwino

It really depends on the specific gun. I shoot both regularly, but issues I've had with cylinder binding in a S & W model 10 and getting some powder under the star of my 642 and locking it up have burst the bubble of the 100% reliable revolver idea for me.

A good broken in auto with previously tested ammo should do just as good. Only handgun I've owned with lots of rounds fired and no issues is my Makarov. I'll take that.

Powder under the star is likely a training issue.

-Freq

[nrvnqsrxk]

For self defense I would go with a semi-auto, simply because I'm more proficient with them, know how to clear the malfunctions, and have a lot more practice. It's also easier for me to reload them, versus running a speed reload from a wheel.

A lesson learned last night is that your assailant may be on PED's and might require more than six shots to bring down...really eye opening for me.

Sent from my HTC Sensation

[jbatzmaru]

Originally Posted by nrvnqsrxk

For self defense I would go with a semi-auto, simply because I'm more proficient with them, know how to clear the malfunctions, and have a lot more practice. It's also easier for me to reload them, versus running a speed reload from a wheel.

A lesson learned last night is that your assailant may be on PED's and might require more than six shots to bring down...really eye opening for me.

Sent from my HTC Sensation

use .454 Casull only one shot needed.

[HKMadness]

Originally Posted by lisinopril

The problem is when my friend and I discussed (like kids), he keeps saying revolver is a better choice since easier to clean up (no take down needed), and 100% reliable while pistol jams. I told him I never had a problem with my beretta , never jammed yet so far...I will take him to the range testing out my pistols next week (he has not yet owned a semi auto pistol).

Well, now it's clear your friend doesn't know what he's talking about. 100% reliable? Easier to clean? Hasn't yet owned a semi auto, but knows/states the "facts" as if first hand?

Bottom line: both have advantages and drawbacks over one another. Semi autos generally have more capacity (not talking about single stack 1911's vs 8 chamber wheel guns), and are generally quicker to reload. A quality semi auto is extremely reliable. Semi auto technology is more advanced, though revolvers are FAR from being obsolete. For these reasons, most prefer semis.

There's a reason liberals want us down to only revolvers and db shotguns.

[MrElectric03]

I see the pros and cons to both.

Revolver- Pros: you can burry the barrel in someone's ribcage if on the ground and it will shoot, Has almost no chance of jamming, could be more concealable. Cons: limited amount of rounds, slow reload without speed loaders and its a single action forget reloading.

Pistol- Pros: holds more ammo, extra mags are easy to carry and quick to swap out, easier to shoot quickly and usually lighter trigger than a DA revolver. Cons: With glock, xd, or 1911 both safety's have to be in for the gun to shoot, if the slide is pressed in even a little bit it won't shoot, more chance of a misfire.

That being said I voted for pistol. If I need it the chances of the guy being close to me are slim so no worry about struggling on the ground and of all the pistols I've shot (glocks, XDs, berettas, 1911s, rugers) the only guns I've had issues with we're kimber and para 1911s and the POS llama .45 my grandpa has. Over 5k rounds out of my XD40 with no issues.

[USMC VET]

Originally Posted by Glock4T6

pistol, more rounds, better chance to defend yourself, get Glock XD, no jam there, just my .02 cent

there fixed it for ya

[benjamin101677]

Depends on what you going to do with your self protection weapon. If it is something your going to carry around on a daily basis a semi auto may be better as you could carry a couple extra magazines.

If it is something your going to load and put into a drawer or tackle box or something and forget about than than the revolver would be the gun to go. Will not need as much maintence as a semi auto to be ready to be fired and take care of business.

Al this also will boil down to what is your personal perference what do you like to shoot and what will you feel the most comfortable shooting. Me personally I prefer to when at home and investigating a noise or something carry my .357 revolver, but when out fishing and stuff I prefer to carry my .45 since I have more rounds available

[JoshuaS]

If carrying a pocket pistol, definitely a revolver. An LCP or LC9 if it isn't cleaned regularly WILL fail. And don't hold that many rounds.

And especially in a dusty enviroment, revolver.

Glocks can be limp wristed. Not a revolver. There is no doubt that revolvers are more reliable. But if I could carry a full to mid size gun, something bigger than a pocket pistol, well semi-auto for sheer round count

I go back and forth at home

[AragornElessar86]

Which do you feel more comfortable with? The less-than-ideal gun you have with you is infinitely better than the perfect one you left at home because it was heavy/bulky/whatever.

Sent from my MB886 using Tapatalk 2

[CK_32]

Which ever is closer and will work every time..

Glock 17 nightstand

GP 100 4" in the office

[jbatzmaru]

tread needed some pics. .357 revolver because it is effective and B@d@ss!!!

[12ga]

To me it is dependent on the frequency of practice/maintenance. If you are the type of person who will shoot this gun at least 3 times per year, and cleans/oils your guns after each shoot, you are better off with a semi-auto pistol. If you want to stash a gun in a drawer or quick access safe nearly forget about it but know that if you need it, you pick it up and it will be ready to use, you are better off with a revolver.