[GlenJohnson]

I'd planned on getting a .45, only because that's what I used in the military, but after some research, it looks like revolvers are not only easier to fire, but just easier to take care of in general. You can tell if there loaded with one glance, easier to clean, you can get speed loaders if need be, (I can't see a need, but who knows,) and I was wondering. If there was ever an opinion to be had, this would be the place. What do you think, gang?

 

[hillbilly68]

Glen,
Depends on what you want to use it for. Based off some of the indicators in your post, you are looking for a home defense gun. Also get the feeling that you are not looking for a carry gun. Need a little more information before we collectively can weigh in with our varied opinions. 'Cause that is what this bunch will do in a heartbeat, give you our opinion . Just need to know what you are thinking and what you want to do with it. Comes down to what you want and are comfortable with.
The revolver vs auto debate will not be reconciled...ever. You preference is what counts. The older I get the more I like my revolvers, but I carry and keep a 1911 for protection. Probably will not change that.
Good luck with your choice

 

[GlenJohnson]

My first thought was a 45, like I said because that's what I used back in the military. That was ages ago. What I'm looking for now is something that is easy to use, easy to load, easy to clean, etc, etc. I'm not Clint Eastwood, and I do plan on getting my CCW, so I'd like something small. I'm starting to hear horror stories about spring loaded getting jammed, the springs wearing out, problems like that. On the other hand, the pistols I'm told fire faster because of the springs. How fast do I have to fire? Don't really plan on getting into a shootout, (course, who knows). Spring loaded has clips, revolvers have speed loaders. I'm leaning toward the revolvers because of size, ease of cleaning and reliability. But, I must ask the experts. Opinions? Thanks in advance. (Oh, want the wife to at least get comfortable, and she's never touched a weapon her entire life, so that's a factor.)

 

[hillbilly68]

Glen,
No worries with a quality modern auto. I too grew up in the army of the M1911 .45. They were rattle traps for sure, but modern technology has done great things for the 1911. You may want to scale back to a .38 if you want a revolver, a 9mm (at a minimum) for an auto. Your personal preference, but the Mrs. may find a revolver easier to learn to operate. You may not like the "feel" of modern high capacity autos, but give them a chance; you may want to rent from a local range and shoot a few different models before deciding. Who knows, maybe Household 6 will enjoy it as a sport, she may demand one of her own...it is fairly contaigous.
Good luck

 

[GlenJohnson]

Narrowing it down to a .38.

I'm looking closer and closer at .38's, but I'm confused about barrel length's. I read somewhere that only folks like ATF use the 2" barrel, the 4" barrel is easier to use, and to my eyes, the 10" barrel looks HUGE. Anybody got the real deal? Again, I want something for home protection, something I can teach wife to use in case I'm not around, conceal carry if needed, (I've carried large amounts of cash in downtown Chicago, and that ain't never gonna happen again, I'm in the boonies of North Florida, and I'm happy here), and probably recreational. Was on rifle team up north and we have a range just a few mile from here. Haven't joined yet because of an accident, but I will. So, who's got the scoop on the .38? Thanks.

 

[robocop10mm]

If you are looking toward .38 look further at a .357 mag. It will reliably shoot .38's and you will have the option of upping the ante if needed. IMHO 2" .38's should never be considered a primary weapon. Sight radius is too short for any accuracy beyond 10 feet (for most shooters). Ejector rod is too short to fully eject the cases. A 4" is the standard. Works well with most ammo, is reasonably compact and has a much better sight radius. For adjustable sights look at a Smith and Wesson M-66 (stainless steel) or a M-19 (blued steel). For a fixed sight set up look at the Smith and Wesson M-65. The 4" barrel version has a square butt and the 3" version has a round butt.

 

[GlenJohnson]

Thanks, actually, I was thinking about the 4" .38, but was surprised to hear about the .357 firing .38's. Shows you how much I need to learn. The kickback of a .357 firing a .38 would me minimal I would think, so it would be a whole lot easier for my wife to learn. Come to think of it, there are some creatures down here I wouldn't mind having a .357 handy if I come face to face with. (This is the only state I've ever lived in where they have crossing signs for bears, panthers, beware of gator signs in the lakes, and now thanks to the nimrods that don't know any better, people have been turning loose boa's. Luckily, I'm up north and the boa's, are in the southern part of the state.) Course, we still have moccasins and rattlers up here, but I still love Florida. Have to do some real research into .357's.

 

[ScottG]

My first handgun purchase was a police return Model 19-5 S&W. Bought it for $300. Four inch barrel. The .357 is definitely sharper than a .38 on the hands. I bought Hogue grips to replace the original. Maybe buy a .22 first to introduce shooting to the wife, then graduate to larger calibers? No sense in scaring her off by the recoil....

 

[Defender]

I'd strongly recommend you go with a semi-auto, Glen.

Over the last few decades, hundreds of police departments around the country have retired their revolvers and started issuing semi-autos.

The reason being that criminals armed with semi-autos simply had too much firepower for the police to handle.

A small revolver as a backup gun is OK, but you need a good semi-auto chambered for at least 9mm as your primary weapon, if you want the best choice for home defense and carry.

 

[seedy]

Ihave both. A four in. 357 is probably the best all around gun. Little two inch snubs can be a real handful especially to those unfamiliar. Little guns especially those of light weight, recoil harder than service sized autos and revolvers. Though you don't have to break a revolver down for general maintenance cleaning all the cylinder holes and the bore carefully from the muzzle can be tedious. Most modern autos disassemble easily for cleaning. they are both alot of fun to shoot!

 

[Defender]

A four in. 357 is probably the best all around gun.

Opinions, opinions!

Even if it could be proven to be the "best all around gun", it wouldn't matter to me.

Self-defense is job one for any weapon I own, and semi-autos are clearly superior for that purpose.

 

[robocop10mm]

IMHO a 4" .357 is a perfect start for a handgun collection. Simple, reliable, versitile. Light wadcutter taget loads with low recoil, heavy magnum HP's for defense, shot shells for snakes and rats. It is not the perfect combat handgun but it does a very good job at many different tasks. Remember that firepower does not mean a lot of bullets. It means enough bullets of sufficient power to stop the attacker. 15 9mm 115 FMJ's may not do what one or two .357 mag 125 or 158 JHP's will do. Statistically police shoot outs are less than 3 shots at less than 7 yards. Hitting the target, in a vital area with a good bullet at good velocity before he hits you is how you win. PRACTICE! IPSC basic rule and motto SPEED, ACCURACY, POWER. You must have a balance. Hitting him in the periferal areas quickly is not sufficient. Hitting him center mass with a .44 mag after he has shot you 10 times is not sufficient. Two to the chest, one to the head, makes a man good and dead.

 

[Defender]

During the last few decades, virtually every significant police department and law enforcement agency in the country has switched to semi-autos. Revolvers are pretty much extinct in the military.

Revolvers are passe for law enforcement and military use in virtually the entire industrialized world. Europe switched to semi-autos long before the USA.

There were several more reasons for doing this besides just magazine capacity:

1. Officers with revolvers were often outgunned by perps with semi-autos
2. Semis fire faster
3. Semis reload faster
4. Semis have an easier trigger pull

As for the questionable theory that one should "learn" with a revolver and then move up to a semi-auto, I wouldn't recommend that.

Revolvers have a longer, harder trigger pull. If people learn with and grow accustomed to the more difficult pull, it will be ingrained in their "muscle memory". So they will develop a different shooting habit in this regard, which might be hard for many to break later.

A lot of people who switch from revolvers to semi-autos frequently have a problem adjusting to the semi trigger. They tend to pull too hard, i.e. "yank" the trigger, which causes definite accuracy problems. Some people adapt more quickly than others, but for many it will be a difficult habit to break.

If you're a beginner who knows you want to use a semi-auto, you should START with a semi-auto.

 

[Defender]

A .357 magnum revolver is a mediocre choice for a primary weapon because of the substantial recoil and poor concealability. It's not a good choice for beginners at all.

If you're primarily interested in a handgun for self-defense, semi-autos are easily the best choice.

 

[DoubleAction]

Double Action Revolvers require triggers for their intended purpose. For defense, I prefer a single stage double action stroke of 8 lbs or less. If I believed I could get everything from a revolver,that I do from a semi-auto, I would not have so many semi-autos. I love em both.

Here's a good display of revolver shooting; his name is Jerry Miculek.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsLx5ISBXw4[/ame]

 

[Defender]

Jerry Miculek is a master-level competition shooter who has won multiple world and national championships. He grew up shooting revolvers, and has spent many thousands of hours practicing with them.

When an average person is looking for a weapon for self-defense, it would be sheer folly for them to buy a weapon based on what an individual like Jerry can do with it.

For the average person who didn't grow up shooting and doesn't have thousands of hours to practice and compete, semi-autos are the clear choice.

Not to mention that you won't see Jerry beating world and national champion level semi-auto shooters in open competitions. Semi-auto shooters like Eric Grauffel and Rob Leatham will beat the best revolver shooters virtually every time.

The worldwide law enforcement and military communities have spoken---the semi-auto is the clear choice for personal self-defense, law enforcement work and military use.

 

[RJ Stewart]

Hello all. Newbie here and I thought I'd just dive right in! I have gone the route with just about every semi auto platform made in the 20 century. 1911s, Glocks, just about everything. I've decided to stick with revolvers for the first poster's reasons, and for the fact I can conceal a Ruger sp101 far easier than I can any revolver. For home defense I use a Mossberg 12 gauge. As for carrying, the average citizen is almost never going to face what policemen or the military face when we're carrying. Most self defense situations end in 3 to 5 shots max, and I just don't need to be packing a 17 round auto for carry. Two to three speedloaders give me 20 rounds for my sp101 and that's plenty. Oh, and I can conceal those speedloaders easier than magazines also.

I suggest carrying whichever style you like the best. For me, it's a revolver and always will be. I still have one auto, a Ruger SR9 but I'll use it as a backup home weapon and for range fun. I won't be carrying it though because I like revolvers better.

 

[scoutman]

Ah yes... the old semi auto vs wheel gun debate.

As was said previously, this will never be resolved. Each has it's purpose and either one can be the best choice for you. Take a concealed carry course from a reputable gun range. You will have a chance to shoot many different types of side arms and make an INFORMED decision based on YOUR personal likes and dislikes.
Just because most LE agencies have gone to semi-autos does not mean it is the best choice for you. When the US military switched to the 9mm in the 1980's, they did so thinking it was the best choice. Now, they appear headed back to the good ol' .45acp.
You wouldn't buy a vehicle without test driving a few, why buy something that your life depends on based on others opinions.

 

[Defender]

Just because most LE agencies have gone to semi-autos does not mean it is the best choice for you. When the US military switched to the 9mm in the 1980's, they did so thinking it was the best choice. Now, they appear headed back to the good ol' .45acp.

Your point is moot, since the "good ol' .45acp" just happens to be a semi-auto (SA) also. Switching from one SA to another SA does nothing to enhance the reputation of revolvers.

Virtually anyone can learn to fire a semi-auto just fine. It's simply a matter of purchasing one that fits your hand properly.

They are the virtual exclusive choice of every military organization, SWAT team and major police department in the industrialized world.

Some people are convinced that a .22LR handgun is "best for me". However, that doesn't make it a credible round for self-defense. What a lot of people think is "best for me", may get them seriously hurt or killed if they ever have to use it in a "SHTF" situation.

 

[Boris]

IMHO a 4" .357 is a perfect start for a handgun collection. Simple, reliable, versitile. Light wadcutter taget loads with low recoil, heavy magnum HP's for defense, shot shells for snakes and rats. It is not the perfect combat handgun but it does a very good job at many different tasks. Remember that firepower does not mean a lot of bullets. It means enough bullets of sufficient power to stop the attacker. 15 9mm 115 FMJ's may not do what one or two .357 mag 125 or 158 JHP's will do. Statistically police shoot outs are less than 3 shots at less than 7 yards. Hitting the target, in a vital area with a good bullet at good velocity before he hits you is how you win. PRACTICE! IPSC basic rule and motto SPEED, ACCURACY, POWER. You must have a balance. Hitting him in the periferal areas quickly is not sufficient. Hitting him center mass with a .44 mag after he has shot you 10 times is not sufficient. Two to the chest, one to the head, makes a man good and dead.

Could not have put it better......absolutly right! Do not confuse military use of handguns with that of police.

A 4" .357 Revolver would be an excellent place to start......