my favorite gunsmithing tool: locktite, has probably been used on more revolvers than any other firearm. i once had a s&w mod. 29 lock up on me solid. the culprit was the cylinder star/ejector locating pin had backed out, and locked it up so solid, it took some major work to get it fixed. i glued that pin in with locktite, end of problem.(please don't ask me how i did it, i was young then) ahem,  anywho, just the other weekend a bud of mine comes up from the state of californication, and we have a good time shooting. ar's, fn's, glocks, sigs, no problems at all untilllll----he reaches way down into his ditty bag, and pulls out this beautiful little s&w 38 special revolver out. said, "this is my camp gun, never shot it much, so, lets try it out". he shot it and it must have shot four feet high. i looked at it and the rear sight retaining screw was ready to fall out. locktite again saved the day.(yes, i even carry that with me)  ok folks, this may sound like i am talking about locktite, (and i am, a bit), however, the cusp of this conversation is: a quality revolver is not as reliable as a quality semi-auto pistol. not even, no way jose' nadda, nicht!! any comments?

Your statement is not even worth commenting on.


Oh damn!

Other than the fact that maintenance would have revealed the overly loose sight adjustment screw, if you set up an auto with an identical sight system it would loosen if ignored there, too, I would point out that the weapon fired when he pulled the trigger, which, to me, does not raise the reliability red flag.

I like both, but it's tough to hear somebody call wheelguns in general unreliable.    

Each type of weapon has their benefits and drawbacks... after shooting  both for many years I would prefer the semi auto if, and this is a big if, I could only have one. But then again, i do love to shoot one of those big 357 revolvers...actually I guess I have to have both!!!

It comes down to wear and maintenance, really.  Two handguns of comparable quality and maintenance, one a revolver and one a semi-auto, will have a significant difference in actual pull-the-trigger reliability.  There is simply less to go wrong in a revolver.  Mistreat or neglect an auto, and you're asking for trouble.

[size=2]HOWEVER[/size=2] when something [b]does[/b]go wrong in a revolver, it isn't a simple "tap-rack-bang" fix.  Usually it's screwed up but good. Worst one I ever personally witnessed was a factory load with no flash hole in the case.  The primer backed out and swaged itself against the frame.  It took several blows from a soft-faced hammer to get the cylinder open.

If you're willing to train on stoppage drills, a semi-auto makes a better defensive weapon.

If you aren't and you want something to put under your bed for things that go bump in the night, a revolver is a better choice.

My $0.02.

yes, raf. but let 'er roll!!

the semi auto pistol wins. period. i don't wanna hear any arguments! period. ok, what do you want to say?(semi colon)!

sasquatch, i feel yor vibrations!!

What's best?

Whatever works for you.

Both revolver and semi-auto are working machines and as such they need care, wear out and break.  Modern versions of both are very reliable, so reliability is generally a non-issue.

Ease of use...while there are variations, this has generally become a non-issue.  People of all skill levels are trained on both all the time.

I favor a semi-auto, but if I had a revolver of similar caliber, I'd be more than pleased.  Sure, the semi-auto has more capacity, but I think one of the primary reasons I use a semi-auto is wearability/concealability.

The semi-auto tempers recoil a little and in general, people tend to be able to make faster follow-up shots with the semi-auto.  But with training, the revolver can be very fast indeed.  I've seen some very fast work with a double-action revolver and some amazingly fast work with a single-action revolver (granted, he was a very highly-skilled shooter).

Find what works for you and go with it.  After all, the pistol is just a stopgap measure until you can get to your shoulder-fired weapon.

- Robbie

'A LTTLE DAB WILL DO IT' the same bottle has done me for 20 years! long lasting stuff.

KBaker in right on the mark.  An Auto is ammo sensitive...A revolver is not, if you have a dud, just pull the trigger to "rechamber another round.  With an Auto, a bad Mag, will create FTF.  Faulty extractors and ejectors, can, and do, cause jams.
With a revolver, drop one in sand, and in all probability, it will be tied-up for some time.  
My opinion, use what you have confidence in.
BTW:
During the  the 1992 Rodney King Riots, in LA.  I had a a S&W M25-5 in .45 Colt and a /.357
Ruger Sec-6, by my bed.  I also had a Browning Hi Power 9mm, Colt Gold Cup .45ACP and Glock .40 in reserve.  I trust a good revolver to go bang every time.

Revolver, Revolver, and again Revolver. Hunting, duty, and carry. nuff said [moon]

OT:

Two of my favorite guns right there!  Even my wife just loves to shoot the 25-5.

- Robbie

Nobody will mess around someone who has a revolver, it makes you look ten times meaner then if you had a semi-auto pistol.

ahem, JBR, whoever you are, please, please, continue to believe your last statement. thankyou,
willy

freewilly- Red or Blue? [;D]

As for the topic: own a Colt .38special and a Glock 19. The Colt is too bulky for me to carry comfortably and the trigger pull is too long DA. At a bowling pin match during a two-man team event we lost twice due to malfunctions, the wheel gun locked and I had a stovepipe on the Glock (never mix different brands of ammo). Needless to say if the Glock isn’t in the safe it’s on my hip.

Is it better to have my AK in my Chevy, or my AR in my Ford?....Oh, yeah, and what's the best combo if I want to drive real fast & shoot real accurately? AK & Chevy? AR & Ford? AK & Ford? AR & Chevy? And please, seriously guys, don't tell me HK & Dodge. Making a purchase in the far future and I need real advice here.