Revolver or semiauto more accurate?

[pdmoderator]

Hi, all,

All other things being equal, do you think revolvers or semiautos are more accurate?

Thanx,
- pdmoderator

[denfoote]

My reply is based upon the fact that I can't seem to shoot revolvers worth beans any more!! That is why my Taurus M605 sits in the safe all the time!!

[Scarborough]

With traditional service guns the revolver is absolutely superior. BUT the semi-auto target grade pistol will leave a revolver begging for mercy. Auto wins.

[9mmepiphany]

i have yet to find a pistol shooter in law enforcement to match a wheelgunner in accuracy as the distance gets longer...many won't ever try getting groups at 50yds.

look at the bianchi cup competition (decidedly bias toward accuracy), wheelguns ruled until they started putting shouds over the slides of autos

will i give up my beretta or sigs? no, but i'm not retiring my python either.

[Brian Busch]

The pertainate words in the question are "all other things being equal". Given an equal standard of quality of manufacture, with equally good ammo, I would expect an equal level of accuracy.

[C.R.Sam]

I will agree with Brian Busch except.

It generaly is more expensive to make a revolver competitive. Multiple chambers to size and time all exactly alike.

Sam

[k5blazer]

Since I am pretty bad with either I would have to say I am less bad with a revolver. Thats just me, can't speak for the rest of world.

[Ewok_Guy]

Everyone knows revolvers are more accurate than autos.

[629 shooter]

In my shooting experience I have found centerfire revolvers to be more accurate than centefire semi-auto pistols. I owned a 45 auto which had been customized by Clark Custom Guns and it was easily the most accurate semi-auto centerfire pistol I ever owned but still was no more accurate than my out of the box Smith & Wesson revolvers. Out of the box the semi-auto centerfire pistols I have owned were not even close to the accuracy level I have achieved with revolvers.

[DanP]

In my personal experience, I can shoot my revolvers hugely better than any of my autos.

Speaking solely for myself, my accuracy at 25yds with a revolver is comparable to my accuracy at 7yds with an auto.

That simple.

[chaim]

May be hard to say.

First you hear the autos are more accurate. The chamber and barrel are connected on autos and revolvers have a very small (but important, according to this arguement) gap between them and that gives the auto more accuracy- seems to make sense. Also, autos only have one chamber and not 5, 6 or 7 to make perfect and to time, thus it is more easy to make it accurate- makes sense.

Then you hear the revolver side. The auto has a moving barrel and sights and that adversely effects accuracy. Meanwhile the revolver's barrel and sights never move thus making it much more accurate- again this makes sense.

Both sides usually ignore or minimize the importance of the other side's arguements.

Which do I believe? Depends on when you ask. I do find it interesting that people are far more likely to use a revolver than an auto in circumstances where long distance accuracy is more important (hunting, long distance target competition).

[Mike Irwin]

I smell a fight and a closed thread on the horizon...

[C.R.Sam]

Naaah Mikey. Not lessen you wanna start sumpin.

Sam

[James K]

The problem is in the type of gun in question.

A fixed barrel, fixed sight auto pistol (Ruger Target is the best known) will shoot rings around most revolvers and all moving barrel autos. But as soon as we go to powerful rounds that require a locked breech in the auto, the revolver begins to shine because there are simply more things that must go right in the auto to get accuracy. And the more variables, the less the accuracy.

Put at its simplest, accuracy depends on the exact same things taking place in the exact same way each and every time. And, IMO, that is more likely to happen with a revolver than a moving barrel, moving slide pistol, especially one with the sights and barrel on different parts.

Jim

[jar]

I give a nod to the revolvers. Personal experience seems to lead me there. I can say that it was very close between my model 41 and my K-22 target. There, it depended on the day. I do know that day in and day out I could get more rounds on target in less time with the K-22.

For general everyday stuff, I find that all of my revolvers will out shoot the comparable pistol. For one thing, the barrel on a revolver is slightly longer just due to the way the two types of handguns are measured. In addition, the revolver usually has a longer sight radius. Even when I give the pistol an unfair advantage, for example let the pistol barrel be longer than the revolver, the nod seems to go to the revolver as soon as we are looking at a string instead of a shot. My revolvers just seem to put more lead on target is less time than the pistols.

[Lennyjoe]

So far I shoot my G19 more accurate.

Denfoote, wanna sell that 605? Hate to see it sitting there unused. Thats the pistol the wifey is wanting.

[Shmackey]

I do find it interesting that people are far more likely to use a revolver than an auto in circumstances where long distance accuracy is more important (hunting, long distance target competition).

My guess is that's because revolvers handle the big, high-energy loads.

[DanP]

I'm sure this is way too basic, but I've never even given it a thought before reading this thread...

Assuming an equally competent trigger pull, there is still much less drama after a strike (i.e. easier follow through) in a revolver...

Hmm.

[22lovr]

Simply because I'm an old fart who can no longer see beyond his nose, I find the larger 3-dot style semi-auto sights superior to the anemic little revolver sights.

The semi-autos have it there, so why do I prefer revolvers?

[Hal]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the single shots like the T/C Contender yet.

[Gonzo_308]

I think Revolvers are more accurate, the Barrel doesn't move and there are no links or locking lugs for the barrel to miss align with.

That said. I shoot wheelers and auto's equally bad.

[Ala Dan]

Cuz I can shoot some of either, very well.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

[Eric Larsen]

On the accuracy point, from the point of mechanical function of the gun...a fixed barrel/sight gun will "tend" to be more consistantly accurate than a floating barrel/sight gun. In reality
they are so close it may be a mute point...just depends on the guns being compared. Shoot well

[Pigshooter]

Given equal barrel lengths, the revolver generally has a superior sight radius. But that's something that affects the accuracy of the shooter, not the inherent accuracy of the firearm.

[ratatat]

Most of my arsenal is autos.I shoot my brothers s&w686 far better than anything I own! I don't get it, I practice with autos?