[Malysh]

Revolvers are not going away. I think they will always be around until they perfect a tiny power/ignition source for a microwave rifle and handgun, but they will never have more than a quarter of the market from here on in. If that much.
A member posted firearms manufacturing statistics recently for all major makers and a breakdown of how many were semi autos and how many were revolvers. It's not even close.

I don't think they are outdated. They are still very lethal and their virtues and positive design features are many, as I am sure previous posters mentioned. I own a few more revolvers than semi autos myself. But I have a lot of both types.
I carry a Colt Agent or a S&W Mod 37 98% of the time from June to the end of September and I love and shoot old snubbys well. I never seem to carry my S&W Mod 13-2 3" even though I am crazy about it (not for sale). I had a slick Mod 58 but I sold it. That was some cannon! Very accurate, though.

However, it's hard to argue with semi autos when it's widely accepted that most people shoot better with a DA semi auto than they do with a DA revolver. Unless one is Jerry Miculek's class, semi autos can be reloaded much faster by most, even if the charged magazine is somewhat fumbled. Most people feel they are more comfortable to carry unless they favor the Desert Eagle or something similar. The capacity issue really doesn't come in to play as much as these other factors. Modern semi auto reliability is still a hair under that of the redoubtable revolver, but it's very close after 111 years of semi auto design and modern materials. Perfectly designed tools for self defense - low maintenance, lower production costs, many caliber choices, frame sizes, and cartridge capacities. They will stand up to more field abuse than most revolvers - not pretty like a good old revolver or a Colt Govt. Model, but deadly effective.

I remember an article by a Lt. Toronto Police official written about 1988 about the Glock 17. In part he said "the best reload is no reload." This is not gospel, but it's a good point.
Not everybody that has high cap semi autos "spray and pray" either. The Glock is not the point, whether we like them or not, it's the fact that it's a high capacity plastic framed pistol. Modern single stack semi autos have the same semi auto good points as the high caps. Again, the capacity is not the central issue to me.

I apologize if I am being too provocative, but we will never see an eye popping market jump of revolvers to even half the market. That is, unless semi autos are legislated out of possesion for average citizens and revolvers are the only alternative.
Just my brash opinions, again

Now, I think I'll go back and read what my fellow members think!

 

[Malysh]

On paper maybe so. But, it seems to have worked down here for decades for police to choose what they want and carry and what they are comfortable with. But funny you should bring that up. I was talking to a former deputy sheriff from Texas just the other day who is managing an area of our landcrew. Like myself he prefers revolvers. He carried a Ruger Service Six .357 Magnum. One of his partners carried a .44 Magnum M-29. He attended some kind of meeting in Dallas where some "expert" was telling all these agencies that semi-autos are better and/or everybody should be armed with the same kind of weapon. Whereas he inquired "why?" The "expert" explained "suppose you've got a .357 and your partner has a .44. Y'all are in a shootout, he runs out of ammo. You can't give him any of your ammo because you have two different guns."
The deputy replied: "He's got 6 rounds in his gun, 12 on his belt in speedloaders. If he can't take care of business in 18 rounds....he's not getting any of mine."

That's very nice nostalgia, but it proves, what? Nothing.

 

[Malysh]

Doug, most of us here are experienced pistoleros (that doesnt mean world class, it means what it describes. experienced).

If we are going to discuss the merits of revolvers over semi autos here we might as well discard what beginners think about revolvers and semi autos - and "movie guns". It doesn't logically relate to the majority of forum members or our levels of experience. It has very little bearing to your initial theory, at least here on this forum and in this thread, even if you did start it.

I agree that some people choose guns because they are blinded by dumb movies. They buy breeds of dogs based on dumb movies, too. It can't be denied, but I also think most people who stick with guns over a longer period of time outgrow the infatuation with a movie gun, and will eventually wind up with a gun that is practical for them (as you touched on) unless the movie gun is right for them and they are proficient with it. We cannot assume they will always stick with the gun because "James Bond" carried one, or some such fictional hogwash. How do we know that you aren't more favorable towards revolvers because of older movie influences that stoked your imagination, just by example?

The anecdote about the local cops with the revolvers really doesn't prove anything, despite your displeasure with my remark. We're talking design, tactics, ease of maintenance, durability, & consumer cost, not about romanticism, nostalgia, and emotion or a few cops personal choices. The only relevant points about revolvers trumping the many features of modern semi auto pistols, is ease of usage. That one is notable but again, more important for the novice than to most experienced shooters. Yeah, you can always see that the revolver is loaded. That's great, but careful gun handling trumps that one. too.

As far as introducing novice shooters to handgunning with a revolver, this has been dogma for at least 60 years and I think it's safe to say that most of us agree with this for the obvious reasons, but that doesn't mean one has to stick with revolvers - unless they want to. That's fine, but not when we are discussing the fine points of design, ergonomics, practicality and low maintence. The best reason for introducing a novice to handgun shooting with a revolver is the revolver's relative simplicity in handling and safety aspects, and to get the novice comfortable with noise, recoil, and muzzle flash associated with controlled explosions. Semi autos have various design systems and reinforcing safe handling becomes more complex with a semi autoi. That's about it. Citing the novice falls short in logic. Next you'll be saying we have novice members. True, but not nearly the majority of members.

Here's an example of experience choosing a semi auto, even thought it's not a top shelf one. Our esteemed Judge Colt daily carries a plastic pistol, the KelTec P-11. Check some of his posts. He's a realist as well as a nostalgic collector, as am I. I also have a KelTec P-11 but it's not a favorite of mine and I don't have to wear a suit all day and carry a document case on top of it.

Do you really think short of a legal ban of semi autos that the masses will return to the revolver in any great numbers? I cannot believe you do so, despite your opening remark, and I quote

" one day the world I think will swing back the other way and realize that speed kills, old people are wiser, history has more to teach than we think and revolvers means Six for Sure and the polymer semi-automatic fad will die out or at least retract into moderation."

Do you honestly believe this? As another member said to you, "sir, I think you are dreaming." You've got to be kidding us.

We might as well go back to flintlock pistols and revolvers because we like them, certainly not because of self defense issues. Let any individual shoot and carry any type of gun he chooses and feels most proficient with, but please don't start a thread saying semi autos will fade and revolvers will be back, unless you anticipate the govt. banning semi autos.

Lets re equip our military and police with old time firearms! Then we can watch our enemies and local criminals laugh their heads off while they mow most of us down.

 

[Malysh]

. See you're illustrating my point. You are arguing from the assumption that revolvers are outdated and no longer a serious weapon compared to semi autos.And I'm not talking about new shooters necessarily being influenced by movies, its just thst , due the mainstream gun culture that they get their interest in guns ftom , they think semi autos are what there is and that is THE category to choose from. Or if they do happen to be exposed to a revolver its some horrible clunky tight DA that Academy sells by Taurus, ruger or rossi

I give up, you win Doug. I did not say revolvers were out dated I said they were lethal and still viable. Please read the label.
I stated logic and you stated emotion. And, you specifically mentioned new shooters, and movie influence, before I did. How you blithely ignore your own previous comments is amusing.
Have it your way, but read what majority of posts say, and - you are outgunned, in more ways than one
Out.

 

[Malysh]

Based on retails sales and also production , revolvers are not making a come back .

Thank you. I mentioned this but nobody else seemed to care. Doug's title says in part..... "Or will they make a big comeback?"

BTW: I have more revolvers than semi autos. I like both and I carry both. I also practice a lot with both. Revolvers will never outstrip semi autos in the US market again, no matter how much many of us like them.

 

[Malysh]

I think we alll agree revolvers will never disappear. They may never have the majority market share again, but they do have many virtues and I doubt there will be a time that somebody isn't making a few models, if not more than a few.
I love 38 Special snubbys.

I shot my latest revolver on Thurs. A 1953 or 54 shooter grade Baby Chiefs Special. At 10 yds. it put every bullet in the black with quite a few Xs registered, mostly 10s and 9s with some 8s. Same for the head of the silhouette. One flyer on the head shots, I think.

I also shot the 1937 .380 Colt Hammerless I bought not too long ago. It was a pleasure to shoot and very accurate! Again, every shot in the black @ 10 yds. with Xs registered, mostly 10 and 9s but some 8s. and no flyers. A couple of misses on the head shots. It's too old a design for a carry gun for me, but I was very impressed with it. It was like shooting a 22lr pistol. The Hammerless is a great historical gun I think most Colt fans want or have. I prefer a .380acp over a .32acp. If I wanted to carry this gun, I'd have to retrain mysellf to draw the gun and then rack the slide, something I just won't do after so many years of carrying revolvers and modern semi autos.

 

[Malysh]

Let's not forget that two of the biggest US arms makers introduced polymer frame revolvers in the past, what? 4-5 years?

I got to shoot the S&W Bodyguard 38 Special. I didn't like the action/trigger pull as much as the traditional J frame's action. I have no experience with the Ruger. I'm not particularly fond of the looks of either of them.
But then, I remember when I first tried an aluminum frame gun. I had grave doubts but I grew to like some of them, too. By the time plastic framed semi autos arrived I was more open minded.
Now, I'm set in my ways, of course.

 

[Malysh]

What's next, a polymer Luger?

Funny you should mention it.......