If the number one criteria in a defensive gun is reliability...

[Bartholomew Roberts]

...then why do many of us carry semi-automatics instead of revolvers?

To put it another way, at what point does a semi-automatic become reliable enough that it is viable to choose instead of a revolver. How much reliability are you willing to trade for the higher capacity and slimmer lines of a semi-auto?

I posted this to General because I am interested in hearing from the revolver crowd why they prize that reliability more highly than a few extra rounds or a more compact carry package.

[Mike Irwin]

I carry both, but a revolver predominantly.

It's not a matter of reliability of the revolver.

For me it's a matter of comfort, convenience, and sometimes what I put my hand on first when I reach into the gun box.

That's right, I often find a revolver to be MORE comfortable and MORE convenient to carry than a semi-automatic.

I've never been able to explain it, but I've always felt just that little bit more comfortable, happy, and secure, with a revolver. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm uncomfortable carrying a semi-auto, it's just that I prefer to carry a revolver when I can.

The guns I choose to carry are all extremely reliable. I wouldn't carry them if they weren't.

[Clayton]

Under harsh field conditions, an auto like a 1911A1, SIG, or a Glock is more reliable, and far more durable than a revolver.
For daily carry, they're even. A revolver holds no advantage over the auto in reliability or durability.
Both have advantages and disadvantages, overall.
The reliability of your particular specimen is what counts.

[J. Parker]

Strangely enough, my semi-auto's have been more reliable than my revolvers. Although I love my revolvers the handgun of choice for me is my Sig P-220. At thirty ozs. it's light on the hip, nine rounds of 45 on tap (with factory eight rd mag), utterly, absolutely, without question 99.99% reliable (no handgun is 100%). Best Regards, J. Parker

[Dave T]

I have been carrying and shooting handguns for 30 years. It has been my experience that semiautomatics have been more reliable than double action revolvers.

The first year of my law enforcement career I carried a revolver (S%W Model 28) and practiced with it extensively. In that year the timing, indexing and ignition became unreliable. My next duty weapon was a MK IV Government Model. It proved as reliable and much more durable than the revolver. I carried one model of 1911 or another for the next 26 years.

During that time I owned numerous DA revolvers and competed with some (PPC, IPSC, steel combat, IDPA). I never got through a match with a revolver without one binding up or experiencing cylinder drag. By the way, this doesn't include single action revolvers which in my experience have been as reliable at my semiautomatics.

I know this goes against the conventional wisdom but it is none the less my real world experience. To those of you who prefer revolvers, more powder to you. Please, allow me to carry the semiauto of my choice (these days that's a Glock).

[Ala Dan]

Speaking of defensive weaponary,

I have always chosen the Sig P220, due
to its world-wide reputation for
reliability. While I like some
revolver's, in today's society I think
a dependable autoloader is the order
of the day?

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

[revolvergeek]

Well i carry revolvers primarily because i grew up shooting them and they tend to 'fit' me better. I normally shoot them much better.

Most of my S&W and Ruger revolvers have fired THOUSANDS of rounds with no malfunctions. They work if they are dirty, clean, well lubed, or have just come our of hibernation in the gunsafe for many months.

I have shot automatics also for years and carry them maybe 1/3 of the time. I have only had a very few autos through the years that were as reliable and my revolvers:

- an East German Mak
- a S&W 3954 and a 4586
- a lightly customized Hi Power

Normally I only carry an auto if i
1) need a very small gun (Keltec P32)
or
2) I am going to be somewhere that i know the BGs tend to hunt in packs and will be very much by myself.

That said, my S&W 4586 and a couple of 8 round mags full of Golden Sabers is very reassuring when i have to go to work (two blocks in either direction from two different housing projects) at midnight to check the alarm.

The rest of the time though it is a 640-1 or a 686.

[Doug 29]

The only malfunction that stops a revolver is having a bullet stuck in the barrel. There are MANY that can happen with an automatic! I'm 67, have shot handguns since I was 18, and have NEVER had a part break! Auto or revolver! Being a reloader, I've put many thousands of rounds downrange! But if your life depends on it, use a revolver. Plus, a "HOT" load in a auto is a mild load in a revolver. (Before someone starts......I've never had one of my reloads fail! That's a fact!)

[RikWriter]

Doug said:
The only malfunction that stops a revolver is having a bullet stuck in the barrel

That would be incorrect. I have had several malfunctions with revolvers. I had an Airweight Centennial Smith that got so dirty after just a couple cylinders of reloads that it jammed up and had to be disassembled and cleaned throroughly to work again. I had a 586 that went out of time and had the cylinder sieze up. I had another Smith, a 686, that had a part break without warning and siezed up.

The fact is, although autos are more prone to malfunction than revolvers, when an auto has a malfunction, it can be cleared in a second. When a revolver has a jam, it usually requires disassembly and sometimes a gunsmith.

[J. Parker]

In a revolver a light primer hit is not a serious malfunction but when split seconds count it could mean the difference between who wins in a gunfight.

[James K]

I have been shooting for a while, maybe 53 years, and have had far more malfunctions with autoloaders than revolvers.

Most of the autoloader failures were cleared by immediate action; many were due to ammo or magazine problems.

But the two completely disabling parts breakages I have had have been with revolvers. I had the hammer pin break in an S&W Model 36, and the entire top part of the hammer break off in a Colt PPS. So, maybe that evens things out. I have never had a bullet stuck in the barrel except in one of my reloads (which is one reason I never use reloads in a carry gun).

Still, I prefer the revolver for carry.

Jim

[Mike Irwin]

I, too, have had more malfunctions with my autoloaders than my revolvers.

I even recently conducted drop tests with one of my revolvers, repeatedly dropping it out of my home office window onto the concrete patio below (2nd story office) and then dropping it, cylinder open, onto the slab in my basement to see if I could damage the ejector rod.

In neither case was I able to make the revolver non-functional.

I've had numerous failure to feed problems with semi-autos over the years, either related to my handloads, my fogetting to lubricate my 1911 or, most recently, magazine failures.

My VIS 35 Radom has recently started not extracting spent shells from the chamber, leading to jams.

Most of my semi-autos are extremely reliable, but my revolvers have, by far, been more reliable.

[C.R.Sam]

Revolvers can't spell limpwrist.

Sam

[jtduncan]

A good semi auto like a Glock, Sig, or HK is just as dependable as any own of my Smith or Rugers.

Different mechanic both prone to some small degree of failure.

[johnAK]

semi-auto's reliability depends on the gun,
my makarov is just as reliable as any revolver,

[Marko Kloos]

I completely trust my SIGs, Glocks and Berettas, as they have proven 100% reliable through thousands of rounds and many specimens of either brand. Most of the time, though, I carry one of my *&* wheelguns. You do give up capacity, but the stats say that most gunfights are 3-3-3 (three yards or less, three rounds or less, in three seconds or less), and for that there is no advantage in lugging a box of shells around in your gun. Also, a revolver has no safeties that can be left on under stress, it has no magazine that can get dropped accidentally or lost, and it is completely "feed-reliable" with any bullet shape or propellant charge. A revolver can't be pushed out of battery at close range by an assailant's hand or body in a struggle, either.

I do carry autos as well on occasion, but other than higher capacity and a faster reload, they offer no significant advantages over my revolvers. I'm unlikely to need more than five or six rounds, and if I do I'll be dropping the primary like a hot potato as I'll be performing a NY reload with my backup. (Always carry backup, no matter whether the primary is a semi or a wheelgun.)

[Doug 29]

ALL malfunctions (parts breakage) that I've seen with Smith & Wesson revolvers were with "tuned" revolvers. Everyone seems to want the gun "tuned", which includes "polishing" parts and reworking springs. You can't do much with the mainspring without affecting primer reliability so they usually weaken or cut the trigger return spring. When the trigger doesn't snap back smartly, a lot of shooters have a "balk", which can stress the hand and screw up the timing eventually. Hammer breakage, or firing pins, can happen with a lot of dry firing. USE SNAP CAPS! The dirty reloads and cylinder binding is a "personal" problem and CAN be prevented. I do "tune" my revolvers......by doing a LOT of dry-firing !!! Builds the hands muscles, for double-action shooting, as well as polishing the guns parts. You might read "Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting", by Ed McGivern. He shot nothing but STOCK revolvers! Double action trigger pulls were usually 12 lbs.

[RikWriter]

Doug, mine were not tuned, they were dead stock. And the reloads were not mine, but then again I have never had an auto jam up so bad that I had to disassemble it from shooting a couple mags of dirty ammo.

[RikWriter]

Hey Sam, how many times do you plan on posting that little gem?
BTW, I have never had a limpwrist with any semiauto either, so do I then conclude they don't exist?

[MeekAndMild]

SIZE!

Show me any .32 or larger revolver which is 3/4 inches or smaller thick.

[bad_dad_brad]

I research all the guns I buy. I don't buy cheap guns and I don't buy cheap ammo. If you follow that rule, then I don't think it matters unless you don't take care of your firearms.

However, if you don't have a whole lot of cash, don't pay attention, and never shoot, an inexpensive, yet quality .38 snubbie, like a Taurus, with good ammo, is probably the better way to go.

Heck, I bought my SP101 for $240 bucks.

But I think, if you are somewhat experienced and take care of your guns, a good semi-auto with higher capacity is better for carry.

I have always thought a Kahr K9, G19, G26, or MK9 is good for this purpose. Much easier to conceal because of their slimness.

And an important point. If I drop my Glock to the floor, no problem. It will shoot. But many a revolver will need fixing after this.

[blades67]

My SIG Sauer P220 has had exactly 0 malfunctions. My Python has had 2. One of those was caused by factory ammo. The other was the gun. The reliability winner is the semi-automatic.

[WESHOOT2]

So I hedge my bets and carry both (but IMNSHO the auto-feeder is a more reliable carry piece -- and that's even with a broken wrist...).

Just carry what you like; you'll probably never need it, if you need it you will probably just 'brandish' it, and if you fire it you will probably miss.

Next?

[CZ_]

My Sigs and Ruger P97 have been 100 percent reliable so far, as have my Glocks. So far, my CZ's have been reliable as well, but since they have under 500 rounds in them I will wait until they reach the 1,000 round mark before calling them "utterly reliable". Anywho, my point is that with MODERN HIGH QUALITY semi-autos' reliability is extremely high. In fact, I've had more reliability issues with my S&W revolver than with all my semi-autos combined! For whatever reason, my S&W 686 revolver occasionally gets "stuck" when firing DA--the cylinder stops turning. I'd hate this to happen in a firefight, so I have basically retired the revolver for just target work. My other revolver (Ruger) has been perfectly reliable so far, so the main point to my post is that there is NO 100 percent reliable handgun. Any kind of handgun can have troubles.

[Archie]

the "stuck bullet in the barrel" will pretty much jam up a pistol or revolver. I've had both.

In reality, there is very little difference in reliability, if one compares good quality examples of both.

There are autopistols that won't feed FMJ out of the box, and revolvers with the cylinder binding on the forcing cone. So we check them out prior to carry, right?

I have to confess, I just shoot revolvers better these days. But I have a couple of 1911's that I'm rather fond of, too. They ride along from time to time.