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[Adaminak]

Really just wanted to get the first post in a forum, but while I'm here...What do y'all think about the debate between ease of carrying and learning a revolver for self defense versus the (relative) complexity of autoloaders?

[$oC@l CTD]

Originally Posted by Adaminak

Really just wanted to get the first post in a forum, but while I'm here...What do y'all think about the debate between ease of carrying and learning a revolver for self defense versus the (relative) complexity of autoloaders?

Dunno...never really put much thought into that. I believe that when it comes to self defense, you should put the extra time in on learning the ins and outs of autos vice the ease of the revolver. Never know when you're going to need those extra shots and they sure are quicker once you do learn them...course when it comes to self defense, BOTH weapons will incapacitate somebody just the same...ya know? So I guess that it's a toss up really and boils down to preference and comfort with the weapon...

[Adaminak]

I hear what you're saying. I interchange both depending on where I'm going, what type of event it is and how well I can cover it. I'm 6'5" tall and weigh 228lb, so there's really nothing I can't hide (you should should see me pack a 2.5" S&W .500) and even though revolvers are generally more powerful for their size, I'm not really restricted by that argument. My wife on the other hand is 5'4" and 114lbs. I feel much better putting a Scandium-frame 5-shot .357 in her hands than I do a 6 or 8-shot .32 or .380.

There are also a bunch of folks out there who just don't have the patience to learn how to run an auto or keep it running. These are the folks who say "I didn't realize it was so difficult to learn to shoot...I just don't have time to learn, and I've never been attacked before, so I'll leave it up to the police to protect me". My wife was (thankfully cured now ) one of them. I taught her on a revolver and she's smart enough to ask "What happens if it doesn't go bang?" and I tell her "Just pull the trigger again until it does". Simple and effective. No explanation about stovepipes, double-feed, failure to feed, slap/rack/fire...just pull the trigger again and it's a brand new gun.

[wannadiesel]

It's my opinion that a much higher level of training/practice is needed if you are going to carry a semi-auto.

I carry a J-frame snubby almost exclusively. When things go bad, I want a simple gun.

A little off the topic but I gotta mention this since I own one: There is no way you should give your wife a scandium .357 unless she loves recoil. Those are not guns for casual or inexperienced shooters, they will develop a bad flinch on the second shot (if you can convince them to shoot it a second time). They are literally painful to shoot with full power .357 loads. Get her an Airweight .38, or if she does not mind packing the extra weight a Ladysmith or a stainless snubby would be great.

[Adaminak]

She's already carrying the J-frame (but starting to covet my Kahr P-40). I don't particularily care for shooting it with .357 loads, and even with 38 Special +P it's still a bit "brisk" so I know what you're saying. I managed to find a 3" (or is it 4"...can't remember right now) steel J-frame that she uses for practice, and we always end the session with a cylinder of 38 Specials out of the scandium gun. It works well with her confidence and I don't worry about her developing a flinch as we don't shoot the scandium all that much.

As a side note, I've stopped carrying full-house .357 in my snubbies and switched to +P .38 loads. The deciding factor wasn't the recoil but rather the muzzle flash. I can't see crap for a few minutes after shooting .357 loads in really low light, and the .38's don't do that to me. I figure it's more important to see than it is to singe their eyebrows with the muzzle blast

[n2moto]

For home/personal defense it's pretty hard to beat a wheel gun. If I were hunting people I'd have a bottom feeder.

[XLR8R]

I've been shooting my Blocks for over 20 years now (got my CHL with one at 23) and FTFs are extremely rare, so I'm not as comfortable with revolvers for self-defense.

[CMoore]

Talking about the ease of revolvers, I will share a story about a guy in my concealed carry class.

The guy didn't own a gun so he borrowed the instructors S&W .38 revolver. Before we left to go to the shooting range the instructor was showing everybody how to use a semi-auto and how to use the revolver.
When we get to the range this guy is next to me, the instructor tells every to load their guns, then get ready to fire. Well this guy is over there yanking on the gun like something was wrong. Come to find out the guy was trying to pull the top of the gun back, like it was a semi-auto. The instructor had to show him how to pull the hammer back because that gun doesn't have a slide.
If that wasn't bad enough, the guy made the gun misfire about 20 times, he wouldn't let the trigger go all the way to let the action reset itself.
Then he hit the target about 3 times out of about 50 rounds. And this guy passed the class.

So don't assume that revolvers are easier to everybody, even though I don't know if anything would of better suited this guy.
I just thought it was a funny story, especially if you were there, well funny now that I'm not in fear of being shot at a shooting range.
Cory

[wannadiesel]

I'm not sure what to make of that, Cory. Sounds like the guy had read way too much about shooting a 1911 in competition and was in outer space when the instructor demonstrated revolver operation.

I haven't come across a student who had much trouble with the revolver, other than remembering how to load only one round and have it come up on the first pull of the trigger.

I teach a class in cooperation with a local PD as part of their community outreach program. More than half the students are older ladies and they wind up preferring the revolvers exclusively. They just don't have the grip strength to operate the slide.

[CMoore]

It was an experience.

I could definitely understand people not being able to pull the slide back on a semi-auto, my wife has a hard time pulling the one back on my glock.
Cory