Pistol vs revolver

Discussion in 'Gun Comparisons' started by Arboreal, Jun 3, 2016.

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  1. Arboreal

    Arboreal Active Member
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    I've been told once by a "gun fanatic" friend that revolvers are better, because they're supposedly more reliable. However, I've read that modern semi-autos are actually no worse than revolvers, and that pistols are so advanced that "wheel guns" are basically obsolete by now. What the local experts think about this?
    (I'm asking out of curiosity, since due to local gun laws and my currently limited budget I'm not going to buy a handgun anytime soon...).
     
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  2. Arkane

    Arkane Master Survivalist
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    Each has its pros and cons!
    Centrefire revolvers you get six shots, there are no safties no rack to slide etc . Very basic very easy ideal for someone who may carry it for years and not really use it.
    It is there ready but you only got six shots before a long slow reload!

    Centrefire pistols can have upwards of 17 shots before a reload but there are safties, slides and magazines! more training involved to use properly!

    Both will bugger up if you don't look after them both can jam and both can fire the next round if the last is stuck in the barrel wrecking the gun!

    Either will serve well if fed decent ammo and maintained properly!

    One difference is if you limpwrist an auto with mild ammo they will play up! not so a revolver!

    Guns should have names and get cared for.
     
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  3. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    If I was going to use a modern gun for wilderness survival, which I am not, I would choose the revolver over the semi-auto pistol. In my work & everyday living I have used both. I love the 9mm Glock, I can chew the bull's eye out with one of these, but would only ever use one in the city.
    I have used many revolvers, from a little .36 caliber up to .45 & everything in between & favour them for hard work. I don't like snub nosed revolvers, maybe it is just me, but I could not hit a barn door with one of these. Close up, fine, but not for any distance. I think my favourite calibers would be the .357 magnum & the .45. Ruger are good, & so are Smith & Wesson. But there may be other brands just as good that I have not used to date.
    For long term wilderness living, I choose the flintlock smoothbore pistol, absolutely love the one I have. The grip & feel surpasses any other hand gun I have ever used.
    Keith.
    [​IMG]
    My .70 caliber smoothbore flintlock pistol. 300 years old & still going well :) I wonder if anyone will be able to say that about a semi-auto in 300 years time?!
    Keith.
     
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  4. Tom Williams

    Tom Williams Moderator Staff Member
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    Pistols were made for protection easy to carry easy to hide single shot pistols were first like the one keith has in his photo then new and improved multi barlled pistol came along then with the carteridge was made the revolver was developed now the semi auto. And even full auto are made1 any and all are deadly any small firearm is uselly called a pistol your choice buy in a cal you can shoot comfy with learn how to use it and dont worry what others thinkbut please dont confuse people a pistol is a hand held short compact firearm most dont have a shoulder rest stock a revolver is a type of pistol where the shell turn in a. Multi chambered round cylnder to reload after each shot its just a type of firearm i myself prefer a revolver over other types easy to load easy to reload easy to clean and care for where keiths is ok it needs tore down and scrubbed for cleaning as do semi and full auto ones do allsomy choice is a 357mag revolver paired withh a 357mag lever daction rifle
     
  5. Arkane

    Arkane Master Survivalist
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    My favourite revolver was a colt King Cobra .357m 6in barrel in stainless!
    shorter trigger reach than the Python!
    My favourite semi-auto was a Beretta 92 blue in 9mm!
    My favourite target gun was a Beretta 76

    I no longer compete so sold them off! and binned the trophies.
     
  6. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    Not scrubbed, & very easy & simple to clean, just "lock, stock & barrel" :) Far less to go wrong with my flintlock pistol than there is with a revolver or semi-auto. That is why I chose it.
    Keith.
     
  7. Tom Williams

    Tom Williams Moderator Staff Member
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    To clean any black powdee rifle or pistol right because of how dirty black powder is after a period of shooting they need tore down.and cleaned with hot soapie water not doing this leaves dirt aand debrie in the gun the causes damage to it and after a period of time makes weapon unsafe to fire a unclean gun any gun is askin for problems nothing agaist a black powder firearm in their time they were great weapons now with all the modern choices they are not the best choice for a modern person to choose im sorry Keith your guns are yours fine but without proper care and maintance a firearm becomes a club if your shootin them in shows on a reguler basees and not cleaning them right your headed for trouble black powder guns are fine weapons but the loading of the shooting of and care of them make them a very poor choice in this modern world to bet your life on
     
  8. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    Tom, I am an old man now & have been using muzzle-loading guns for many many years. Yes black powder is corrosive, but NO you do not have to scrub a muzzle-loader within an inch of its life with soapy water. I would prefer it if you educated yourself on the use & maintenance of muzzle-loading guns & stop spreading misinformation. Your posts are becoming rather tiresome Tom! Post on items you have some experience with & good knowledge of & leave the rest to people who know what they are talking about please!

    May I respectfully suggest you go to the "All Things Primitive" section & educate yourself.
    Keith.
     
  9. Tom Williams

    Tom Williams Moderator Staff Member
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    Again keith im sorry but yes you do clean and scrub a muzzleloader im very well informed on them as i owe 3 myselt 32cal and two 50 cals i do mountainman compatitions with. My old gear setups and do well at it i love my muzzleloaders they are fine rifles for what they are a blast from the past
     
  10. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    You said Tom, & I quote "To clean any black powdee rifle or pistol right because of how dirty black powder is after a period of shooting they need tore down.and cleaned with hot soapie water". This is NOT correct, & just because you do it, it does not make it right.

    In a wilderness situation you will not have soap to clean your muzzle-loader Tom. Using hot water alone is quite sufficient, in fact using cold water is sufficient, providing you warm the barrel next to a fire to dry it out. The same goes for the lock. Oil penetrates the metal in a gun barrel, using soap & hot water can remove this oil, & that is not desirable in a wilderness situation or anywhere else. I have no more to say on this matter.
    Keith.
     
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  11. Tom Williams

    Tom Williams Moderator Staff Member
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    You and yours fine i will have soap.with me. Now you and your smooth bores can do your thing thats fine wish you luck and hope it works out for you i have mine yes but when things go badim grabbing a modern firearm as you shoot your three shots two with your 20g one with your 70? And you fumble to reload someone with a modern rifle will have many rounds ready to go after you do relod they will take you out because they know where you are and waited till your done and move to ready to fire cock and aim im sorry you will be toast. The guns your useing the big cloud of smoke made when fired give you away your located as your getting powder in the ball set the ball rammed set the pan filled they have moved and just waiting for you if they wait most will spray you with burst and move onto you quickly think on it keith your guns were fine in their day but get something thats going to give you a better chance
     
  12. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    A malfunctioning modern firearm Tom is just a goat stake & a club. A modern firearm when it runs out of ammunition is no better. You attitude towards my posts & to muzzle-loaders in general are pathetic Tom. You don't think my choice is a good one, fine, leave it at that. Below is some period info on cleaning, I suppose you know better than these experts, or you will say this method is outdated for a modern muzzle-loading gun. It worked then Tom & it has been working for over 300 years, & yet you claim to know better?!!!
    Keith.

    "The Care and Cleaning of Firelocks in the 18th Century: A Discussion of Period Methods and Their Present Day Applications."

    George Edie, A Treatise on English Shooting (London 1772) (7-8) "When a person is master of a good Piece, the keeping it in proper order is a main article in the doing execution with it: it is necessary the inside of the barrel, the touch-hole, and the lock, be kept clean; and the springs and moving parts of the lock properly oiled. The barrel should be washed at least after every eighteen or twenty fires, where the best sort of powder is used; but if the gun-powder is an inferior sort, then the barrel will require oftener washing. The best method of washing a barrel is, by taking out the britchpin; but as this can seldom be conveniently done, take the barrel out of the stock, and put the britch- end in to a pail of warm water, leaving the touch-hole open; then, with an iron rod, with tow or a bit of linen rag at the end, draw up and down in the syringe manner, till it is quite clean; changing the water, and rinsing the inside, as the foulness requires: when this is done, it will be proper to put in a red-hot iron, of six or eight inches in length (which any blacksmith will furnish), and move it up and down to dry any remaining damp: the outside of the barrel should be well dried, and a little oil rubbed over every time of cleaning." ________________

    Thomas Simes, The Regulator: or Instructions to Form the Officer and Complete the Soldier (London, 1780) “How to clean the Barrel. After every firing day the barrel is to be washed, by taking it out of the stock, and putting the breeching into water, leaving the touch hole open: then with an iron ram-rod and worm, with a piece of tow or rag, draw up and down the barrel till it becomes quite clean; when dry, rub it out with another piece of dry rag, and the outside of the barrel with buff leather. The lock not to be taken to pieces but when necessity requires it – and that is, when the trigger or hammer goes stiff, or sounds unpleasant to the ear.”

    https://www.scribd.com/doc/29298585...od-Methods-and-Their-Present-Day-Applications
     
  13. CivilDefense

    CivilDefense Expert Member
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    It is not an either/or for us. Most of our defensive handguns are automatics. However, we do have several revolvers too. The primary "working" sidearm I carry whilst on our acreage is a large-frame, 6", 6-shot, .357 Magnum. However, for CHL carry, we (my wife and I) generally pack autos, with a 5-shot snubbie at times. Like any other tool, picking the right one for the job requires some variety.
     
  14. Aloysus

    Aloysus New Member
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    Pistols were supposed to completely replace revolvers, but they haven't. Pistols may fire more accurately when you really work them, but the rhythm of revolvers just feels better to me. A .44 magnum delivers high power and doesn't break your hand off - it is not even the most powerful revolver out there. A pistol does not handle power so well. A .50 compact Desert Eagle feel like it is tearing your hand off and after two shots in quick succession you won't be able to hit the target nine times out of ten. Revolvers also look beautiful, they showcase good old world craftsmanship - something generic .22's just don't have.
     
  15. Arkane

    Arkane Master Survivalist
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    Revolver/semi-auto or even what calibre matters little, they all work just if fine!
    Feed them decent ammo and care for them and they will serve you well.
    Most important thing is that you can shoot them well, and shoot them well on any day in any conditions!
    and when you are sick, injured, tired, starving, hungey or just scared shitteless!

    When a pistol is needed so is accuracy, shot placement is everything!
    So I recommend the most powerful pistol you can shoot accurately under the worst of conditions!
    After twenty years of trials the most pistol I can shoot accurately under adverse conditions is a full size 9mm!
    At the range I can shoot most any pistol accurately enough to win medals but that's under ideal conditions!
    And I would not feel undergunned with my old .22LR Beretta 76!
     
  16. Nedbushcrafter

    Nedbushcrafter Expert Member
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    If I had a choice of an old weapon I'd buy a sharps Buffalo gun maybe have a colt naval as a side arm both are excellent for black powder
     
  17. tb65

    tb65 Active Member
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    Revolvers are pretty old school but reliable. It's very rare that a revolver will jam, and it's hard to shoot it by accident. With a revolver you actually have to pull the trigger. Semi autos are quicker but have to be carefully maintained and handled. Regardless of what kind of gun it is it depends on who has it, any gun in the wrong hands can be dangerous or ineffective.
     
  18. CivilDefense

    CivilDefense Expert Member
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    The same can be said about essentially every automatic ever produced. In fact, most autos have more safety mechanisms than revolvers. The only automatic I'm aware of that will fire without depressing the trigger is the unbelievably bad Type 94 Nambu. Fortunately, that monstrosity hasn't been produced since the Second World War.
     
  19. tb65

    tb65 Active Member
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    Oh no buddy there are plenty of semi autos and autos that will fire from a tap. The Glock 40 is a main example, this is what Plaxico Burres shot himself with, he didn't even pull the trigger it just slipped down his pant leg. Here's an example of a guy who tries to do a quick draw but doesn't understand the difference between a revolver or semi auto.
     
  20. Arkane

    Arkane Master Survivalist
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    That guy is a classic idiot!
    He has a skinny persons holster and a silly gun!

    If you are going to carry a silly gun on a fatso's belt you need one with a large fat shield or silly things happen!
    If he must have a pistol in that location the pistol, holster and gut need to mesh together properly!

    His choices to fix that are firstly a fat-shield, secondly an empty chamber, thirdly a crossdraw holster and fourth a pistol with a manual safety!

    oh and he needs to get the lead out of his feet, the target has a gun aimed at him yet he fails to even step aside!
     
  21. CivilDefense

    CivilDefense Expert Member
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    Well using that as the guide, plenty of revolvers, particularly older ones, can be discharged with a tap on the hammer.

    The guy in the video is an idiot. He also put his finger on the trigger during the draw and shot himself. :rolleyes:
     
  22. tb65

    tb65 Active Member
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    @CivilDefense Yeah but I have to agree this was a bad idea. But the fact that he chose to do a quick draw with a semi auto, when it was traditionally done with single action revolvers shows he underestimated this weapon. It's a good thing he was able to recover from this.
     
  23. CivilDefense

    CivilDefense Expert Member
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    Well, he certainly didn't understand his weapon or basic safety procedures that is for sure. Though I can tell you I've shot many, many thousands of rounds through the M1911A1* (both old GI style and newer designs) and never shot myself, or anyone else, even once. Keeping your finger off the trigger until it is time to send lead down range is true of any firearm.

    * This is the one I carry in my vehicle everyday:
    [​IMG]
     
  24. ZipMedia

    ZipMedia New Member
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    Handguns can be operated at the most basic with instructions that you can cover in five minutes plus a bit of personal safety and awareness. As long as you have it down, it's gonna beat a revolver any day of the weak.

    Handguns are important because they can not only be used in quick succession, but they also serve as an extension of your body. Competition shooting is a good example of this.
     
  25. My3Sons_NJ

    My3Sons_NJ New Member
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    Although I have a preference for the handgun (pistol) in almost all cases, especially for self-defense, I would actually prefer to have the revolver when I am at a shooting range since the slow reload time is not a factor and the feel seems a bit more natural in my hand. Obviously, I am no competitive shooter but I do admire their speed, accuracy and technique.
     
  26. CivilDefense

    CivilDefense Expert Member
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    I hear you. I'm mainly an auto guy, but keep some wheelguns. Not all that long ago I invested in a full-size, 6" barrel, stainless steel, 6-shot .357 Magnum, with quality adjustable sites. Now it is way to big for CCW, but I do carry it on the acreage in a holster. It is a sweet shooter and at practical ranges it is damn accurate.
     
  27. Tom Williams

    Tom Williams Moderator Staff Member
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    A revolver is a pistol a semi auto is a pistol a derringer is a pistol a small hand held muzzleloader is a pistol all handguns are pistols used right they are all deadly i use shoulder holster for most hide easy and belt free for other tools
     
  28. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    You also have the choice between single action or double action, but both require either shells or percussion caps & in a long term wilderness survival situation that can be a problem. Great for home use though if you stock up on ammo or caps.
    Keith.
     
  29. Doubletap45

    Doubletap45 New Member
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    First, I view either a pistol or revolver as an defensive weapon, not an offensive weapon. If I know I'm going into a fight, I want a rifle or shotgun.
    There are many factors as to which is the best weapon. If you have the strength, take time to train, learn and practice to clear jams, use good ammo and buy quality, I think a semi auto pistol is the way to go.
    Fast reloads, higher capacity and flatter to carry. I like bullets that are big to begin with also, like the .45acp. A 45 cal. revolver is simply too big to carry for most.
    For those who cannot train often, have physical issues or just plain prefer a revolver, they are an excellent weapon.

    I'm also a huge fan of having a weapon that fires a big enough bullet without excessive recoil to get the job done fast. While a .380, 22LR, 38 special or other smaller caliber is far better than having a rock or a stick, I'm a firm believer in carrying enough gun. I say this because as a LEO, I've seen too many cases where a hyped up doper gets shot multiple times and just keeps coming until they bleed out. Short of a head or spine shot, they don't just fall down.
    In semi auto, a 9mm is the least I'd use and only with premium ammo. A .40 cal is a good round, but has sharp recoil. The .45acp has very manageable recoil and is a proven stopper. It's what I carry. A .380 in a pocket or 2" Chiefs Special in an ankle holster is a back up weapon for me.

    When it comes to revolvers, .38 special with a +P, HP bullet is the minimum. The .357 magnum with the 125 grn HP load is a fantastic stopper, but the recoil is not conducive to fast follow up shots for the average person and if fired in a closed room, plan on burst ear drums.
    If you can carry a .44 special or .45 acp revolver, they are excellent stoppers.
    Use only proven hollow point ammo, no FMJ.

    My opinion is to carry as much gun as you can, keeping training, recoil and stopping power in mind. It's not always easy to carry a full size pistol or revolver, but try to find a way to do it if you can. If you can't carry a full size weapon, at least carry a compact in a major caliber.

    Don't send a boy to do a man's job when your life is in the balance. This I say from years of experience, not what I have read somewhere.
     
  30. Mauser'sDaDa

    Mauser'sDaDa Member
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    There are reasons I chose a semiautomatic pistol.
    A. I run both a 1911 .45 and a Wonder 9. 1911s and magnum revolvers are woods pistols. Woods pistols are for facing deadly wildlife with large FMJ or non-hollow point expanding bullets.
    B. The town pistol. This is a wonder 9, Ultra .45, or Hyper 10 stuff. Town pistols hold at least 13 rounds and are meant for stopping gang jumps.
    C. The Hybrid: This is a 10MM or .45 acp pistol that holds at least 13 shots. They are good for either town or woods work, too. But they tend to be pricier than a basic Wonder 9 or 1911, too

    The rural outlaw culture has been emboldened by the 1977 removal of automatic weapons from the WVSP. They have actually counted the shots of revolvers and then gang rushed the likewise -armed defender, too. There's a reason why state trooper families were labeled 'little Nazi @#$%!' and it was because they saved their troopers' lives by buying them M-1 carbines, SKS and AKs to carry on duty to augment their firepower-challenged ,357 magnum revolvers and pump riot shotguns. This is why I vowed in 1977 I will never back an assault weapons ban, period!

    Also, I studied handgun history for many years before adopting my current choices. The fact Bat Masterson and Winston Churchill both preferred the semiauto pistol to the revolver that was common on both the American and African frontiers
    swayed me. Additionally, experiences in both WWI and Prohibition further convinced me my choice was right. Last several terrifying experiences, one of which happened to Aunt Sharon Gray.

    In 1969, Aunt Sharon Gray was living in an old 'company' mining shack with her then two pre-K kids. My late uncle Woody worked nights at Alloy. One dark night, a pack of violent drunks hit and scared her and the kids. Her pump shotgun jammed and only the timely return of my revolver-armed uncle prevented a potential mass murder. That same shotgun was pawned for a hyper-reliable Plainfield M-1 carbine that serves the Gray family even today.

    In 1982, a northern Florida couple were newly married. Both worked but had no telephone. One of six outlaw brothers got lusty for the same wife. One Thursday night, they got emotionally revved up and confronted her .357 magnum revolver-armed husband. They were all armed likewise, too. Mexican front porch vs. dirt driveway stand off. Just before dawn
    they fled suddenly and without explanation. Wordlessly, this same couple got in her pick up truck and drove towards Tampa. She took her money jar and that same revolver with her. They returned with two Iver Johnson M-1 carbines and two 9mm VP-70 H&K pistols, too. Saturday, the 6 outlaws returned. The wife aimed a carbine with a 30 round box mag at the center of their front windshield. They immediately left without incident and never returned, too.

    And remember the 'rooftop Koreans' during Rodney King 1992? Or how about the WV Derecho of 2012? I kept a loaded WASR-10 grab ready by my bed, too. All over the radio, the local police were telling they were on their own and just to shoot thieves taking advantage of the blackout, too.

    I understand that for people with limited dexterity, but a double action revolver makes logic. But I'm sticking to my semiautos.
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2020
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    1. TMT Tactical
      I agree, limited capacity and slower reloading are relegated to outdoor / woods adventures. Urban animals tend to roam in packs and dealing with them requires the ability place lots and lots of rounds downstream very quickly.
       
      TMT Tactical, Jul 4, 2020
  31. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    In my heart, I prefer the revolver. In my head, I prefer the pistol.

    I could rant for hours about the potential beauty of the revolver. I love the .357 mag revolver with adjustable sights. I love the .357 lever carbine with 16" barrel that is so handy, that hardly recoils at all, but delivers devastatingly lethal results ... times 9 cartridges in its tube mag. and one in its nose. I am a rifleman and wish rifle accuracy in a handgun. To an attacker, I'm a dangerously accurate shooter and have no qualms about killing. Lever carbine, revolver backup, speed-loaders. Me, I feel OK with that. What about a new shooter? How long would it take that person to come up to speed in the use of this combo? I know me. But, what about a new shooter? I can't go back that many decades (half-century) in my memory to empathize with that novitiate -- I know not what I know. It's just "in me" now.

    When it comes to a serious self-defense go-to, what do I have? What's in my pocket right now? It is a pistol loaded with a double-stack mag. What's in my other pocket? Another double-stack magazine.

    Forgive me for running-on, but in today's madness, secondary to the breakdown of civilization, one requires very many rounds of ammunition -- many rounds ready to be fired RIGHT NOW! Witness in the news (that which is allowed to be shown by communist editors) how individuals and vehicles loaded with family are being surrounded by out-of-control savages. Put yourself in that hellish situation! How is one to extract oneself and their family from that mind-numbing apocalypse?! They'll block your vehicle with a stolen vehicle in front and a stolen vehicle slammed-up behind you. The only things on your side are having many rounds at the ready and the lack of courage of these non-men. It is not within them to fight to the death -- that is one thing that does work for you.
    .
     
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2020
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  32. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    This is a pistol thread, yet I'm going to first show a video addressing firing from/around a vehicle with a semi-auto rifle carbine. I'm old, do forgive. I don't think I have a fever. I have my reasons, bear with those "getting on in years".



    Now, the handgun:

     
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  33. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    Drawing your weapon from inside a vehicle



    This for those who use an appendix holster. My paternal grandpa, NOT me.



    Back to shooting from a vehicle



    Military techniques handgun then rifle





    NOTICE THE VARIATIONS IN TECHNIQUES AND RESULTS!!!!!!!!!!

    Guess what, we live in a SEMI-predictable world!!!!!
    .
     
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  34. watcherchris

    watcherchris Legendary Survivalist
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    Carried my Ruger GP 100 .357 Magnum Revolver all this holiday weekend...though I was mostly out in the country and they have very little two legged wildlife running loose out there.

    Also carried three speed loaders and a wallet case containing a mix and match of Hornday 158 grain HP and also 180 grain cast lead flat points.

    I also carried in the back of my car a Henry lever rifle in the same calibration.... .357 Magnum.

    The nice thing about this revolver and rifle is that they will shoot both .357 Magnum rounds and also .38 Special ammo as well.

    If I want to go bigger in revolvers I can switch to .41 Magnum and also have the rifle for it.

    For most of my uses, however, the .357 Magnum works out fine...and ammo can be found coast to coast in this country and in .38 Special as well.

    One cannot always say that about the .41 Magnum and thus I buy and put back plenty of brass for it and roll my own ammo...for said calibration.



    I like and prefer wheel guns...and only have two autos...a Ruger Government in .22 LR ...a very very accurate .22 semi auto ….

    I also have a 1911...in .45 ACP..and only carry it on certain occasions...it is a Kimber and it is very accurate..


    But I mostly like wheel guns..


    Also...for the most part...In heavy pistil calibers....the field is mostly revolvers....not semi autos....

    The exception of which I am familiar is the Desert Eagle..semi auto. There may be others...but if so I am not familiar with them.

    Still ….mostly I Like wheel guns.


    Watcherchris]
    Not an Ishamatlite.
     
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  35. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    Many of you out there are thinking that you must have a semi-automatic handgun or your weapon is obsolete. OK, so I am NOT going to go into the topic of revolver vs. automatic. What I want to say is that if you have a revolver and ammunition for that revolver, all is NOT lost, OK.

    I want to show you that the revolver can be reloaded rather rapidly by using a speed-loader. The more you practice (use non-fireable snap caps in your training, NOT live ammunition, duh!) the faster you get. Remember all weapons are loaded. An unloaded weapon is loaded. This MUST be burned into your brain!

    I have been into firearms for well over a half-century and have had two accidental discharges -- they both went into the dirt downrange because I NEVER point a weapon at anything but in safe direction. That was burned into my brain as an adolescent by men who had been at war and who NEVER ever compromised anything ever -- far beyond hard-core.

    If you have a revolver, learn to use it. It is not obsolete. Today's firearms prices are stupid ridiculous. If you already have a revolver, keep it. Buy speed-loaders and learn to use them using snap caps (not live ammo).



    https://duckduckgo.com/?q=snap+caps&atb=v140-1&iax=images&ia=images

    https://duckduckgo.com/?q=revolver+speed-loaders&atb=v140-1&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

    .
     
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  36. TMT Tactical

    TMT Tactical The Great Lizard ! Staff Member
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    The only handgun I regret trading away was a Dan Wesson with four interchangeable barrels. It was a 357 and I could hit a static clay pigeon at 50 yards. Now that was a great pistol and I still kick myself in the butt for trading it away. It would have made a great field gun. I even had a shoulder holster for it. Young and dumb.
     
  37. Morgan101

    Morgan101 Legendary Survivalist
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    This is a debate like Ginger vs. Mary Ann or Great Taste/Less Filling. Nobody is going to win. Nobody is going to change anybody's mind. My personal preference is the revolver. Point, and pull the trigger. If it doesn't go bang pull the trigger again. I have always been of the opinion that the Ruger SP101 (Hammerless) in 357 magnum was the best trail gun, and a great choice for concealed carry. Easy to clean. Easy to conceal. Easy to draw. Enough fire power to take down virtually every predator 2 legged of four legged. Just my 2 cents.
     
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  38. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    A handgun is a very personal weapon. You carry a rifle or shotgun around when you are hunting or going just shooting but the rest of the time it sits in or on a gun rack. A handgun may be more like your favorite pocket knife and live on you for a major part of every day. There is no RIGHT one in guns anymore than there is one car or truck that is the RIGHT one.

    I own both autos and revolvers and think that EACH has places where they are the best but IF I had to pick one and that was the only one that I would have it would be a heavy frame 357 mag revolver. The reasoning behind this is simple. I am a reloader and you have a LOT more options in the power of the ammo in revolvers than with autos that are made to work for a relitivly specific round.

    For defence in a civilian world there is very little need for a lot of shots. Most gunfights are rather quick altercations. You are not likely to have someone hang around and let you shoot at them 10 or 12 times. Secondly for me, I like the power offered by magnum rounds. Instead of shooting at you I WILL either hit you within two or there shots or one of us will leave and end the fight. I am not a policeman. If I were my choice probably be an auto but that is for other reasons.

    A 9mm with ball ammo is not a good fast stopper. A 9mm with ball ammo is amazing if you are shooting at someone in a car. Tests that I have done on the much heavier older cars showed repeatedly that a 45 or 357 mag didn't do well shooting through a car door while the ball ammo 9mm woud do the deed EVERY time!

    Never hide behind a car door like you see on TV. The 45 dented the hell out of it and a few went througn but then bounced off the far side door with litte damage. The 9mm always went through the first door and a few that hit in the right place went out the other side. There were older cars from the late 60s and early 70s so they were heavier made than modern cars. Nonetheless it perminantly made me lack confidence in using car doors for protection.

    A pistol versus revolver has one point that I want to make. You hear people say that a revolver is more dependable than an auto. That is CORRECT but not because of the gun. If your life is going to be on the line, if you drop the hammer on a dud round a double action revovler is an almost instant reload a new round.

    If you hit a dud with an automatic you have to drop the gun down to rack the slide and then PRAY that the problem was the round and not know until you bring it back up and try again. I KNOW that ammo now is very dependable but since nearly all gunfights among civilians is a very short thing with very few aimed rounds fired, I like my odds better with a revolver.

    Autos have improved to the point now that as long as you pay for a good quality weapon and keep it clean you are very unlikely to have one fail you but if you are going to buy a pistol, shoot it afew times and then stick it in a drawer beside your bed you are better off with a revolver. An auto needs to be used and you need to shoot it pretty often. A revolver is simple you pick it up point it and pull the trigger.

    I know a lot of people that are uncomfortable with an auto being loaded, cocked, locked with one round under the hammer. A gun that isn't loaded, hot and ready for action is wose than useless. While you fumble with a gun that you are not practiced with and comfortable with to the point that you won't keep it ready I will send 3 or 4 rounds down the road at you. BAD day in Flatrock for you.
     
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  39. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    Each firearm has its own niche. I have revolvers in different calibers. I also have automatics in varying calibers.

    One tool does not accomplish all potential duties.
    .
     
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  40. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    "One tool does not accomplish all potential duties."

    You don't nail down roofing tacks with a 16 pound sledgehammer. You COULD do it but you would end up exaused really fast and probably have some VERY tender fingers. I am and always have been a tools user and have hammers from tiny jewelry hammers through sledge hammers. You need a half dozen just for doing smith work and such and then there is no one perfict hammer for nails or any other use normally calling for a hammer. I have them made from all sorts of different materials and shapes. A hammer was probably the first tool something that was similar to a modern man made. The FIRST thing made was a weapon.
     
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  41. TMT Tactical

    TMT Tactical The Great Lizard ! Staff Member
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    I have owned many revolvers in the past and found they all worked exceptionally well but I do not currently own a revolver. I only plan to get one to match a future lever action rifle. I do own several semiauto pistols and also plan to get one or two more. Both current / modern revolvers and semiautos are very safe. In the past, a revolver should not be carried with a live round under the hammer. The same applied to semiauto, due accidental discharge if dropped. Todays handguns are safer, so to me locked and loaded (round chambered) in not an issue. I agree if you want maximum firepower, then the revolver is the way to go but I plan to get 10mm semiauto. That is my middle ground caliber. Plenty of stopping / penetration power and maximum ammo capacity. JM2C
     
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  42. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    I like to reload and reloading for autos isn't very interesting. You must conform to a certain power and pressure range for them to work dependably and not get dammaged. Even if you don't reload you have options on 44 and 357 mag calibers. It is nice to shoot lighter loads for plinking and such or even for some hunting applications.

    A lot of the reason for my preferance has to do with the fact that when I first got into shooting the loads for autos were not very impressive. Ball ammo was the rule and even a 45 auto isn't a big stopper on any of the larger animals but then is too much really for the smaller animals. I was looking in terms of survival and where I live there are no animals that need a 44 mag. A 357 will drop a whitetail deer and then shooting down loadsor 38 specials you can take rabbits and not blow them to pieces.

    The only time that I sort of reconsiddered needing a 44mag was when we started having wild hog problems. I loaded some .357s HOT with solid bullets and they worked real well so that was about the last time I thought about a 44mag.
     
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  43. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    Why a boar hog can be a bugger to kill:

    First off, them having a gristle-plate sure is a bother.

    https://feralhogs.extension.org/shoulder-shields-in-feral-hogs/

    "Shoulder Shields in Feral Hogs"


    "Sexually-mature male feral hogs (also called wild hogs; Sus scrofa) possess a thickened subcutaneous layer of tissue, commonly referred to as the “shield” or “shoulder plate,” which overlies the outermost muscles in the boar’s lateral shoulder region (Fig. 1). This unique anatomical structure, a secondary sexual characteristic found in this species, serves a reported protective function for boars fighting for breeding opportunities with estrous sows (Feral Hog Behavior)."

    upload_2021-9-4_12-28-55.png

    A hawg's gristle-plate can get down-right THICK. This plate can stop a broadhead arrow.


    upload_2021-9-4_12-42-28.png


    And then there is the matter of a hawg not having a big brain to target ...


    upload_2021-9-4_12-37-40.png

    https://www.skinnymoose.com/hogblog...ment-on-hogs-arguments-against-the-head-shot/
    .
     
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  44. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    We have had a hog infestation here for quite a few years and people kill them every chance that they get. The problem is that the mature and start dropping litter before they are a year old and can drop two littler a year. When they are rooting you can go to bed with a nice 1/2 to 1 acre garden and wake up to what looks like a fresh plowed field.

    When I used to deal in guns in a busness way I picked up a lot of 44 mag handguns because a lot of novice shooters bought them after the Dirty Harry Movie and just couldn't deal with the recoil. To me it really isn't that bad but at that time I shot a lot and knew how to handle real recoil. A 44 is a little stout but after shooting big bore guns and hunting guns that are real kickers the factory 44 mag just isn't that bad.

    The 30-30 for example shot from a thompson Center has a notable redcoil.
     
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  45. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    Hmmm ... let me think back here a minute ....

    I guess it was a few hundred years ago that this happened to me. Time does pass.

    I'm out at the range sighting-in whatever or executing crushed aluminum cans. Guy pulls in and sets up on the bench next to me, 25 yrds. I'm at the 50. Nobody else is there. This is a range put in by the forestry service (Cherokee Nat. Forest). I finish and call to go downrange, come back, the guy chats me up. Shows me this .44 mag. single action revolver ... I can't remember what brand it was, but I think I remember (?) that it was one of those Uberti knock-offs of a Colt. The revolver had like a 7 1/2 inch barrel and a plowshare grip. The revolver looked to be in fine shape.

    Guy sez, "Wanna shoot it?!" I said, sure and touched off a couple of rounds. As far as recoil went, it was par for the course. These revolvers roll back in your hand. When I ejected the cases, I noted by the primers that these were reloads. This guy did NOT reload -- he had greenhorn written all over him.

    Turns out that he'd bought this revolver off his brother. He'd never fired it before. I was his lab rat. He wanted somebody else to fire it before he dared fire it; such was the obvious situation ... one that he sure as sh## wasn't sharing with me. Those reloads could have been loaded hot enough to kill moose. He'd just handed me the loaded revolver.

    Stupid me. Lesson learned.

    Always trust good'ol'boys. Not.
    .
    .
     
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  46. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    I concur w/Tex. I like revolvers in .357 mag. Firing either .38 or .357 magnum, the range of loadings is downright vast. In my lifetime, that was as much as I needed.

    If one lives in big bear country, well that is one whole other story.

    Now to the impractical. I can be practical. I can be seduced by a pretty firearm. I have been known to purchase pretty revolvers and rifles that were particularly impractical. I've owned a few .32 revolvers, not to defend myself, not to go moose hunting, but because they were pretty. I have put all manner of grips on automatics and revolvers.

    I've got a revolver with mother of pearl grips. I have a revolver for which I had custom grips made by Craig Spegel -- beautiful cocobolo wood. I had to send off for thumb-rest target grips for one of my automatics that is a nail-driver. I am a lover of beauty. I love beautiful guns. Runs in the family. The pictured grips below are ones I put on my wife's revolver. My grandmother's revolver had mother of pearl grips. The men of my family favored nickel-plated revolvers.

    My dad was mainly dangerous with a pool cue whether shooting pool or pool hall fight. I've watched Willie Mosconi shoot pool and I reckon he could have taken my dad, but Dad was GOOD (Jackie Gleason "The Hustler", that character was a clone of my father; dad could joke like Gleason too; the real Minnesota Fats had a sh## personality -- Gleason didn't play the part of the real Fats; Fats was arrogant). Dad didn't shoot people; profoundly rare for him to go for a gun; when a kid, I once got him his gun to shoot a fellow (I thought he was going to shoot a dog) but the guy didn't come back around. When Dad was himself, he was just the greatest guy to family and friends. He was a gentle giant (thick as a fire plug). God bless his soul.

    These are a set of Spegel's grips. I have a pair by him that are identical.


    upload_2021-9-4_17-36-54.png
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2021
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  47. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    Those grips are beautiful!!!
     
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  48. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    This was like in the late 1980s or 1990s -- I simply cannot remember. Got this shrouded hammer S&W .38 ... mainly for the wife. Me, I hated the feel of the little rubber grips. What to do? Had read of Craig Spegel and his great work. OK, so I bit the bullet for the money and sent off for these grips. I didn't get them for like eight or ten months, it was the better part of a year. But when they came, OH MY!

    I put them on the revolver and held it. The angels sang. It was if he had taken a mold of my hand then made the grips. Total perfection. The grips are shiny and smooth, but because they fit perfectly, the snub revolver stays in your hand without slipping at all, even under recoil.

    I hand the wifer the revolver and she says she likes the rubber grips better. Sh##!

    I keep the grips in the revolver's original case ... for ME!

    I take them out put them on that revolver every so often. I hold the revolver in my hand and hear the beauteous music. It is something of a religious practice. I rotate getting nice firearms out the safe. I guess it is something like worshiping at different shrines at different times of the year. Like when going to the range, "What should I take this time?"

    A man's gotta have a sense of humor about life.

    .
     
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  49. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    I bought a Taurus Millennium G2c Semi-Auto Pistol last year. I'm going to sell it. I've done everything to improve this machine to include after-market parts to make it more reliable. Still, it is finicky about ammo. When the slide is in its most rearward position, the barrel floats/wobbles/moves forward and aft -- this has resulted in difficulty chambering the first round. Once the first round is chambered, it fires and feeds. When the magazine is topped-off (12 rounds), the angle of the topmost cartridge is such that it hits the lower margin if the barrel feed-ramp is anterior in its floppy range. I have three magazines for it and this happens with all magazines, Taurus-made or after-market.

    Long story. I recommend that you NOT buy one.

    upload_2021-9-6_18-38-38.png
     
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2021
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  50. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    I well know about that PERFICT FIT feeling. It is GREAT and in my case it isn't something many handguns offer me. My trigger finger got tangled up on a bandsaw and I lost about half of the last joint of my trigger finger right behind my nail. It is still long enough to work on the trigger but I had to slightly adjust my grip.

    I tried to switch to my left hand but it was just WRONG. I am somewhat crossed in my prefered Eye, hand and foot for different things. I write and throw left handed. I shoot, and do about everything else right handed because I am right eyed. I was a total switch hitter in baseball with no real preferance. It seemed to bug pitchers for me to swap sides in the middle of my bat. I got walked a lot.
     
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    1. Old Geezer
      I am totally right-handed. The big "HOWEVER" is that I actually believe that I am left eye dominant. As a shooting instructor, one is supposed to check to make sure which eye the shooter's brain considers dominant -- this, irrespective of which hand-dominant the person is. Tricky stuff this! My left eye, even at my age (old), is better than 20-20. My right eye's cornea is warped, thus marked astigmatism. My central nervous system likely preferred my left eye. I ended up shooting with my right eye. I've often wondered if my right eye had been corrected properly or if I had been identified as left-eyed, I could have been a better shot. ???? Who knows. I qualified Army expert small bore at age 17. But in shooting competitions, "expert" doesn't mean much even by those old / more-stringent standards (1960s/early-70's). Oh, what the hell. Life's clocks can't be set backward.
       
      Old Geezer, Sep 6, 2021
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