Revolver or Auto for a defensive pistol?

OK let me try.

I'm an old school kinda guy

Basically the cops carry semi autos now a days cause.

1. its issued to them

2. each clip carries more than double the ammo than any revolver ( you do the math)

3. changing clips " reloading" is faster with semi-autos than with revolvers.

4. With a autoloader, the last round leaves the slide open. You know when you are out of ammo. (stress situations make you forget)

5. Just in case there is a screw up, the department can defend its self by saying that "we have all the modern fire power needed to arrest the situation.... but" . This is the fact since the general public see the revolver as being old and outdated.

Having said all of these facts, if you ask the "police veterans" you'll be surprised that alot still use snubnose revolvers for back ups.

With revolvers, there is the least chance of jamming. Should a round misfire, you still have 5 to go around. When an autoloader jams, thats it. you have to fix the jam first before you can even pop another round.

With revolvers, you can fire 6 or 5 (depends on model) straight shots form with in you jacket or pants, no jams. autoloaders can only go once, definitely the shell will not eject or the slide will not cycle.

With revolvers, its just point and shoot.

Autoloaders you have to fidle with stuff. pull the slide, if you are chambered, is the safety on?, oops the magazine fell off. Oh no the magazine is defective! etc. ( these do happen to the best of us)

Maintenance:

Keep your autoloaders clean. The slide must be free of grime and dirt.

Move your magazines around. Unload your ammo so that you dont strain the magazine spring (especially for hi capacity mags)

Clean the firing pin and spring. Too many moving parts.

etc.etc.etc

Revolver- load 6 rounds and pack it. Thats it.

Dont get me wrong though. Autoloaders are great guns. Power?? Theres alot to choose from; 9mm, 38 super ( i like this), 45, 10mm, 50 cal.

I have a 45 cal officers model for my everyday carry. .38 super for sport. 9mm HP in the closet. 38 cal snubnose for a back up and undercover work. My 38 is a smith&wesson airweight; really light

Basically you can't go wrong with a revolver be it a 38, 357, 44.

Anybody can fire these guys should the need arise.

What ever you choose. Make sure you go to the range regularly. Keep your gun clean. Practice Practice Practice. All your firepower will be useless if you dont know how to use it.

Thats it. Peace

Christopher, it is really up to the user. Both are good. The auto loader requires a bit more maintenance and user skill. You can't hold it 'limp wristed' because it could jam. You have to keep it cleaned and lubed (but not excessively lubed). You should rotate the magazines so the springs won't fatigue and unless you have a Desert Eagle in .50 Caliber Action Express, yes, the automatic is less powerful than say a .357 Magnum or a .44 Magnum.

If you want a 'powerful' automatic smaller than the Desert Eagle line of handguns, you have the following choices:

The .10mm; the .357 Sig; the 45 acp; the .40 S&W; the .9mm and if you can find it, the old .38 Super.

Are you looking for a carry weapon? The autos are easier to conceal due to their flat profile. They also carry more rounds and reload quicker. They don't jam like they used to in the Fifties and Sixties when all they would feed was ball ammo. Now they feed hollowpoint and flat nose ammo just fine, as well as ball.

Revolvers do tend to have a bit more 'umph' and tend to be more forgiving when put away for a long, long time. No magazines where the spring might set, they shoot 'dry' if the lubricant has evaporated and they'll still go 'bang' even if you hold them limp-wristed. I keep both revolvers and auto loaders around for home protection, but then, I am proficient with either wheelgun or auto-loader. If you plan to just 'keep a gun at home' just in case, then you really would be better off with a revolver. Just remember safety rules at all times and be aware that bullets go through dry wall unless they are safety slugs.

Best,

H

Well to answer your question a revolver will be easier to maintain but harder to conceal because it uses a rotary drum ( the place where it holds the ammo). If you are gonna use anything for home defense I would stick with a semi auto pistol because of the fact it can hold more rounds. It will be a little more maintenance but i think the benefits of having those extra rounds should i need them trump the maintenance issue. As far as changing the springs I dont't think you will have to do that often.

The reason most law enforcement agencies use auto-loaders is higher capacity. A good quality auto that is kept clean is very reliable. There's still a chance of a malfunction feeding or ejecting rounds. A revolver is a simpler mechanism, therefore, less of a chance of a problem but the possibility is still there. As for stopping power, it's hard to beat a .357mag with a 125grJHP. It's been used for a long time and has about a 97% 1 shot stop. The 9mm has about the same power as a .38 Special so a lot of agencies have gone to .40cal. handguns. I've had a S&W 686 with a 4"bbl for a long time and carried it with the 125gr. JHP but it's a little heavy and bulky. I feel just as secure with the Glock 19 and it's easier to conceal and more comfortable to carry. Hope this gives you some insight on both sides of the argument.

Bound's hubby here:

Needless to say, you have opened a can of worms here. There is a difference between a personal defense weapon and police service weapon. A policeman's defensive needs are typically significantly different from those of a homeowner, but those of a "traveler" can be quite similar to those of a police officer.

At one time, semi-automatics did have "reliability" issues when the shooter attempted to improve the performance of his/her ammunition by substituting soft point and hollow point ammo for full metal jacketed ammo. Times change, and so has the ammo ... it has improved to increase feeding reliability. Today, you need only ensure that your pistol is properly "throated" to feed JHP and JSP bullets.

Police officers, and in many instances "travelers", find themselves in similar situations. They never know where the gunfight that is waiting to occur may occur. They do not have pre-planned hides and stashes. They have only what they carry. In the age of the police revolver, the average cop had six in the cylinder, and 12 in their drop boxes, total 18 shots. As criminals became better armed and bolder with a higher disregard for the law, cops needed more firepower. Two clips looked like 2 drop boxes. A wonder-nine could provide up to 42 shots without scaring the civilian sheep. Besides, for many, the semi-auto was a whole lot easier to shoot DA than a DA revolver! There is also no guarantee that the shoot-out will happen near the patrol car that may have extra ammo in it!

Today, the homeowner has an edge over the cop when preparing for a gunfight. The homeowner is defending his home, every room could house extra ammo or weapons. The homeowner has a better chance of knowing the lay-out of his home and defensive positions than the intruder! The homeowner has the advantage of pre-planning, pre-staging, cover and concealment ... a distinct advantage over the policeman or the CCW possessing "traveler"!

People carry what they either are most comfortable with (the homeowner or the CCW possessor) while the police officer carries what his department dictates.

EDITED TO ADD: Personally, at the moment, I use both a revolver and a semi-auto for self defense. Currently, I live in a state that does not allow its citizens the free and unencumbered right to carry a sidearm for self-defense. This will change in the days after my retirement.

However, I do protect my family in our home. During the hours when I am awake, I do rely upon a M1911A1 chambered in .45 ACP. I relied on this arm when I served in the Army, and I do rely on it now. That being said, my security plan changes during the sleeping hours. If awakened rudely at night, I do not want to risk firing my .45 accidently ... I need to see my target. Here, a revolver with a deliberate but good double action trigger pull is essential. The night time guns are either a Smith Chief's "TARGET" Special or a K-38 Masterpiece, loaded with Federal Hydra-shocks, or a Smith .41 Magnum loaded down with hardcast 210 grain semi-wadcutters loaded at .38 Special velocities ... a very intimidating and controlable round. While Magnums have their place, THAT place is not in a darkened room in the middle of the night. It is necessary to avoid the overpowering muzzle flash and blast a Magnum generates in a close, dark environment ... especially when it may be necessary to fire follow-up shots!

While I rely on automatics, there are too many levers and safety devices on traditional semi-autos for my liking when rudely awakened in the middle of the night. I do not like striker autos, like the Glock, and I do not like DAO semi-autos ... they are not my personal cup of tea ... therefore a good revolver and a good single action semi-auto have important places in my home and security plans!

Good luck!

A tempest in a teapot, but the police do have different needs from the guy defending his home. The main reason autos have become so popular is that they're more comfortable to carry. That's pretty well it.

There's a story of an old Texas Ranger who kept his revolver in 38/40 after his colleagues had gone to autoloaders. His explanation was that if he couldn't finish a fight in 5 shots, he ought to throw it at 'em and run. Note the 38/40 is between the 40S&W and the 10 in ballistics.

It is all a question of dedication and experience. If you want a handgun for self-defense and you are not an enthusiast, I would definitely get a revolver. Autos used to have a bad reputation for reliability because people would not routinely inspect the gun. Why did the police go to the automatic? It all started with a few agencies finding themselves outgunned by criminal organizations (particularly in Florida due to jamaican posse drug gangs). All the other agencies saw this and hopped on board. No agency wanted to be "outgunned" on the streets. Gun companies responded (especially those companies that never made revolvers to begin with) and the market was flooded with semi-automatics like never before. The public usually usually buys guns that become popular with law enforcement, so this only increases the popularity of the automatic pistol (before major contracts, a lot of people did not buy SigSauer autoamtics or Berettas). As far as being "powerful", it is not the "launcher"(gun)-it's the caliber. Don't let anyone tell you that 9mm is "weaker" than .38SPL. This is based on old, outdated theory-not fact. 9mm is closer to .357 than it is .38SPL when not watered down to pathetic SAAMI specs. 9mm, .357 MAG or SIG, 40SW, and 45ACP are all good. What I do find amusing is the fact that police carry high-capacity 40SW pistols in posh neighborhoods where the need for such an arm is really unnecessary-but perceptions of need and fashion outweigh common sense.

The main reason police use autos is due to the large amount of ammo a magazine (on avg 15 rounds of 9mm) can hold verses a six shooter.

For a defensive handgun, go with the auto. There are many that are considered 100%, have higher ammo count, and most now have the accessory rail to add a light or laser.

It's a matter of training and practice.

If you are going to train and practice regularly, the semi-auto is the way to go for it's advantages of capacity and reload speed.

If you are going to load it and put it in your drawer and take it out two years from now when you hear glass breaking in the middle of the night, you want a revolver.

Also, a revolver is the gun to learn the basics of shooting properly with.

i would say it varyes from model to model, on either auto or revolver. for stopping power, it depends on the round, i know that they dont make a .50 calliber revlolver, the .50 has the best stoppping power avialable for a pistol. it also comes down to personal tastes. the reason law enforcement carrys auto is becasue you can get 1 to 9 more rounds avialable for firing than a regular 6-shot revolver. i think you should make up your own mind, and not reliy on other people's opinion (includeing me)