Lets look at the revolver vs. semi auto from a different angle

[SHOOTALL]

Would you rather reload a revolver or clear a jam in an semi auto . In both cases I think I listed the most common mentioned fault for each when debating the two. Of course there are other pros and cons but lets debate these two. And it's choice not right or wrong.
 As for me , reload a small revolver and clear a jam on a large pistol. Size matters .

[Oldshooter]

If you are talking sheer dependability, reloading a revolver.
 
A semi auto is easy to clear, I'm betting that a reload takes longer than a jam clear. If you have a fifteen shot semi auto, and say you get a stove pipe. You drop the magazine check the chamber and slap the magazine back in. You still have way more shots before you have to reload.

[Mike in Virginia]

That's true, but what if the jam occurs on the second round?  Or the third?  You would have been better off with a revolver in that case. 
 
Ideally, we'd have an auto that never jams.  I've got a few that have never jammed, but then I can never know for sure that it won't. 
 
But to answer, if I knew for sure and for certain I was going into a firefight and I had time to pick one or the other, it would be a six-shot 686.  Yet, I don't even own one. 

[45-70.gov]

i rarely ever  miss
never felt the need for  more than 5 rounds


besides that i shoot revolvers better and the fit my hand better
no levers or buttons to thik about
there is always one in the chamber....one less thing to think about


clips and reloads are for people that can't shoot

[flintlock]

i rarely ever  miss
never felt the need for  more than 5 rounds


besides that i shoot revolvers better and the fit my hand better
no levers or buttons to thik about
there is always one in the chamber....one less thing to think about


clips and reloads are for people that can't shoot

Cute...
 
Until you are being shot at, then, things change real quickly.....

[Dee]

You beat me to it flintlock.
I assume I have the choice in auto or revolver, so: I'll take a Glock 23 into a heated discussion any-day, as I have had the experience of reloading a revolver under most dire circumstances. Targets stand still. Boogers almost never do. It is possible I might miss once or twice.

[Lloyd Smale]

I dearly love a beautiful revolver but in a situation where im confronted by bad guys id take a semi auto anyday. Your not  bullseye shooting and under pressure like that a civilain usually point shoots anyway. A semi auto is just as reliable if not more and has twice the capasicity. Like dee id feel best with my 23 on my hip if that happend. Ive shot thousands of rounds out of it and its never even burped. Its got 12 rounds in the mag. Mag swaps are faster then reloading a revolver even with speedloaders. Even my loved 1911s would be prefered anyday over a revolver in a situation like that. Like I said revolvers will allways hold a spot in my heart and ill allways own them but my use for them is more on the hunting side then self protection. theres good reason every police dept in the country uses semi autos and you sure dont see a revolver in the military anymore.

[spruce]

I'd take the semi-auto.  It requires less fine motor skills to clear a jam than to reload a revolver, and one of the first things you lose under stress are your fine motor skills.
 
Either one, if too small or too large, becomes more difficult to operate.  The size that most closely matches YOUR size and strength will be the easiest to manipulate, be it revolver or semi-auto.

[FPH]

Revolvers for fun, semi-auto for carry,

[SHOOTALL]

Like I sais for a small hide out gun like a 5 shot revolver I will chance reloading . Why because even magazines for small autos are hard to find in a pocket and orient to go into the well for big hands like I have. Second a jam on a small auto might require me to get out the pocket knife because of the hand thing . When we step up in size and to a Glock or equal in reliability then the large hands don't become an issue as much. But the lack of on board ammo might. Now I admit I have never shot a person and pray I never have to. I have shot and seen shot a lot of critters deer being among them. I really can't say how shooting deer compares to humans but they both can be shut down from the same injuries. I have seen deer shot more than 6 times before they stopped and them a finishing shot was needed. Then there was a guy who shot a hog 14 times before it gave up , 44 mag. So with body armor , other stuff in the way mo ammo ain't a bad thing.
 

[Mikey]

Semi-auto.

[JustaShooter]

i rarely ever  miss
never felt the need for  more than 5 rounds

...

clips and reloads are for people that can't shoot

Cute...
 
Until you are being shot at, then, things change real quickly.....

Or have multiple bad guys to deal with, or even one very determined bad guy - I've read way too many reports of bad guys taking 5 or more rounds (hits, not misses!) and keep coming.  Sorry, but "I never miss so I don't need more than 5 rounds" is just delusional thinking.

Me, I'd rather deal with a jam in a semi than reload a revolver.

[SHOOTALL]

i rarely ever  miss
never felt the need for  more than 5 rounds

...

 
 
 
Although I can count on one hand the mis fires I have had from quality factory loaded ammo from a good company if happens so five rounds could be reduced in number and since most likely the rounds came from the same box and during manufacture when the problem existed it could be more than one defective load. Sometimes a click or 3 are louder than a bang .
clips and reloads are for people that can't shoot

Cute...
 
Until you are being shot at, then, things change real quickly.....

Or have multiple bad guys to deal with, or even one very determined bad guy - I've read way too many reports of bad guys taking 5 or more rounds (hits, not misses!) and keep coming.  Sorry, but "I never miss so I don't need more than 5 rounds" is just delusional thinking.

Me, I'd rather deal with a jam in a semi than reload a revolver.

[Bigeasy]

Carried a S&W 586 357 mag the first 5 years of my LEO career.  Practiced A LOT, and was very confident with it.  Saved my life at least once.  For the remaining 24 years of my career, it was a semi-auto in one flavor or another.
 
Learned a few things...
 
Revolvers do malfunction.  Bad reloads, high primers, debris, loose ejector rods, broken parts / out of time..... It happens.  Same can be said for autos as well.
 
Reloads.  The 5 or 6 shots in a typical revolver is usually all you will ever need.  Usually...  But, if you have to reload, you are already ahead of the game if you are carrying an auto with a higher capacity.  I have seen a lot of guys under the "pressure" of qualifying pop their speed loaders too soon or out of alignment, dropping all their round on the ground.  Embarrassing.  Deadly in a real gun fight.  A lot quicker to pick up a dropped magazine, and slam it in the gun.
 
Clearing a "jam".  In a revolver, a "jam" is usually caused by high primers, debris under the ejector Starr, or a bullet pulling from the case under recoil.. All of which can be difficult and time consuming to correct.  With a typical service auto, "Tap, Rack, Bang" (Or the more politically correct Tap, Rack, Shoot if Appropriate) usually suffices, and can be done quickly.
 
Back in "the day", semi's were not generally as reliable as revolvers, especially using hollow point ammo.  That has changed, and modern semi's like Glocks and SIG's are extremely reliable.  Used to be able to get all the duty ammo I wanted, in any quantity, free.  Spent quite a bit of time seeing how many rounds I could shoot out of a personal Glock 19, as well as a Gvt. owned Sig 226 and Ruger P-85, without cleaning.  After many thousands of rounds, the Ruger suffered a magazine lip failure (crack).  The Sig was still running fine last I seen it after many many thousands of rounds, and many student agents.  My Glock 19, I finally gave up on, and cleaned, as I have retired, and am running low on free ammo to waste.
 
Today, when I carry my old 586 under my jacket, I feel well armed.  When I carry a Glock, I feel more so...  Of course, there is always a Ruger LCP in my pants pocket, just in case.
 
Larry

[Lonegun1894]

I have spent about equal amounts of time using both, and feel equally comfortable with both.  My agency doesn't issue any specific weapon, but rather just gives a minimum caliber while allowing anything larger and requires that you qualify with whatever you carry.  My main is either a 1911 .45 or a Ruger Security Six .357, but I carry the .357 more.  My back up is a Ruger SP-101 also in .357.  Now, we're talking a small department, but I am the only one who carries a revolver as my main duty weapon.  Having said that, I am also the only one who practices beyond 50 yds, and this being a rural area, longer shots are very possible and the .357 allows me the capability to make hits at extended ranges where I would not be able to with most calibers that are used in semi-autos.  I also practice at longer ranges with my 1911, out to 200yds, and the drop at that range makes range estimation, um, critical.  The .357, even out of the 4" barrel on my Security Six, is much less than the .45 ACP, but we all knew that already.

[SHOOTALL]

No real correct answer until you need one then it can go either way.

[Oldshooter]

You know I have never practiced 200 yard shots with a 45 but I guess a fella could. from my point of view if my target is 200 yards out and I have a 45 in my hand, unless he's shootin at me i figger he is no problem yet.

[JustaShooter]

You know I have never practiced 200 yard shots with a 45 but I guess a fella could. from my point of view if my target is 200 yards out and I have a 45 in my hand, unless he's shootin at me i figger he is no problem yet.

And if he is a problem and all I've got is my .45 then I've got the wrong weapon at hand and should probably be fighting my way to my long gun...

[Dee]

This is startin to get silly.

[Lonegun1894]

Wha got me practicing the long shots was when I was enlsted and being told I would be issued a handgun instead of a rifle.  I figured there's two schools of thought in that situation:  1.  If you need a rifle, there will be plenty of them laying around.  And I always hated this one because that meant my team mates and I were bleeding.  and 2. Practice the long shots and be useful to the team.  I chose #2, and have actually qualified on a military RIFLE qualification course with my 1911.  I'm not saying I could still do so because I don't get to shoot as much as I did then, but I do know I can still make good hits at 200 with my .45, and 250 with my .357mag.  Now I would NOT hunt with these guns at those ranges, but I figure any hit on a man shooting at you is a good hit that will allow you to either get away, or get closer, depending on the needs of the situation at hand.  I eventually got things done and was issued a rifle, but by that time, I had spent the better part of a year with all my spare time being spent on the range with a handgun.  When the XO saw what I was doing with a handgun, he got me a rifle since I wasn't "smart enough" to realize that some things a handgun just isn't made for.  That extended my range to 850 with the issue sights.  But anyway, I no longer have the same limitations that I did for a while, and obviously a rifle is the more appropriate tool for many situations, but it is good to know I have the required accuracy to make sure that I can get to my rifle if I need it.  I mean, we all make comments about a handgun being a tool that is used to fight your way to your rifle, but how many of us can honetly say that a rifle is always within reach at all times?  I wish I could, but I can't.  I may be in my yard with my rifle in the house, or on the side of the road 200yds from my patrol car, trying to herd cattle back into someones pasture, or at my other job with my rifle out in the parking lot in my truck.  No matter what, we all have to be able to either handle th esituation with our handguns, or be good enough with the short gun to live long enough to get to our long gun.  And while I hated it at the time, I think my time of being forced to use nothing but handguns made me a better shot with both handguns and rifles.

[charles p]

When I joined the CG in the late 60s, the service pistol was a 1911 Colt 45.  About 15 years later we adopted the Beretta 96 in 9mm.  Obviously the 45 had more stopping power, but they stove piped a lot.  The Berettas were flawless and most of us could shoot them more accurately.  Tough to decide which was better.  A new 1911 would probably have been better.  Ours could have been worn out.
A double action revolver is a problem for me even if it is dependable.  I have to shoot them as single action to hit anything with consistancy.

[FPH]

I think that the only attribute a revolver has over a good modern semi-auto is mental.  When you cock a revolver at close range, it gets the other persons attention and tends to unhinge them.  I have found it is much easier for me to slam another mag into a semi than to reload with a speed loader.  I also have developed a habit of counting my shots, so I don't need to manipulate the slide when reloading......I try to stop with one round left.  This has become much more important to me since the loss of feeling and dexterity in my left hand.

[45-70.gov]

i rarely ever  miss
never felt the need for  more than 5 rounds

...

clips and reloads are for people that can't shoot

Cute...
 
Until you are being shot at, then, things change real quickly.....

Or have multiple bad guys to deal with, or even one very determined bad guy - I've read way too many reports of bad guys taking 5 or more rounds (hits, not misses!) and keep coming.  Sorry, but "I never miss so I don't need more than 5 rounds" is just delusional thinking.

Me, I'd rather deal with a jam in a semi than reload a revolver.

i thought  my OVER CONFIDENCE  would get a few of ya'll worked up
but  this post  was still  serious too
i am responsible  for any round  i turn  loose
i don't intend to fire my gun  if  i am not sure and justifed to make ONE decicive hit
this  ''I''  can do best  one time with a revolver  i shoot ALOT....and  know my/its limitations


not  saying  i am right...that is just my thoughts and plans......for  me

[S.B.]

Would you rather reload a revolver or clear a jam in an semi auto . In both cases I think I listed the most common mentioned fault for each when debating the two. Of course there are other pros and cons but lets debate these two. And it's choice not right or wrong.
 As for me , reload a small revolver and clear a jam on a large pistol. Size matters .

Seems to me you nterjected size when you didn't want others too? Kinda changs the whole picture. In the context of your original question: I have far more experience with a 1911 than with the S&Ws I own so I'd opted for my .45 ACP.
Steve

[Dee]

Everyone has an opinion of how their imaginary fight will play out, if there is one. Jeff Cooper the much touted "shootist", was one of many others. Like those many others, I don't recall ever reading a documented account of any shootout that Jeff Cooper was ever involved in. Maybe he was, but I couldn't find one. But hey! He had a great writing career, and made a lot of money talking about how YOU should do it, and folks take every word he wrote as the gospel of gunfighting.
My point here is, that know one REALLY KNOWS what their gonna do, until they have to do it. I remember when I was fresh outta high school I was workin in a cotton gin machinery manufacturing company drivin a fork lift. In the crating dept. where I picked up machinery to load on trucks was a very large, laid back black guy. Also in there was a younger white guy that was pretty mouthy, and taking the black man for a coward, the white guy got bolder by the day with his sase, and disrespect for the black.
One day he went too far, and threatened the black guy. The black guy laid down his hammer, stepped around the crate he was building, and calmly said: Don't tell me what your gonna do. Do it, and then tell me what you done. For the rest of the time I worked there, the black guy was treated with the respect he deserved.
Gunfighting, REAL gunfighting, is that way. The "shootist" left standing, can tell it how it really was, and the "typist" can type it the way he "thinks" it might be. There's nothing wrong with discussing it, things can be learned to a degree, but one should "weed out the typists" with the most graphic, macho keyboard. They seldom really know.
Now this latest issue of weapon size, can be made into an issue, but it really wont matter, as a revolver, is a revolver, and an electric is an electric. Location of hit, and CALIBER are what really matters.

[S.B.]

Nice story Dee but, don't think I can agree with results not being what your muscles remember doing in training but, your story so tell it like you see it.
Steve

[Dee]

When I was still teaching, muscle memory was a big part of my classes. Muscle memory is what makes a good golf shot, a good racket ball kill shot, and a good pistol shot, so what's YOUR point here?
We started on topic, of pistol or revolver, and opinions started drifting. It seems your reading stuff I didn't write, and givin me credit for a mistake I didn't make.

[Hodr]

Reload a revolver or clear an auto jam was the question as I recall.  I have had neuropathy in my legs and no longer carry a gun on my waist.  As I am better with a revolver, I have had vests made for me to hold an SP101 on the left side in cross draw fashion.  If I have to shoot it dry, there is another one packed into the vest on the right hand side.  I practice by firing 5 from cross draw with right hand, left hand already has second Ruger out.  Empty gun is dropped, thereby utilizing gravity, and left hand is already feeding right hand the second Ruger.  This has surprised some people.  It is called a New York Reload and I was taught by one of the NYPD finest. 
Hodr
 
 
 

[Dee]

Reload a revolver or clear an auto jam was the question as I recall.  I have had neuropathy in my legs and no longer carry a gun on my waist.  As I am better with a revolver, I have had vests made for me to hold an SP101 on the left side in cross draw fashion.  If I have to shoot it dry, there is another one packed into the vest on the right hand side.  I practice by firing 5 from cross draw with right hand, left hand already has second Ruger out.  Empty gun is dropped, thereby utilizing gravity, and left hand is already feeding right hand the second Ruger.  This has surprised some people.  It is called a New York Reload and I was taught by one of the NYPD finest. 
Hodr

Doesn't surprise me Hodr. I carried a NYR in the late 70s on thru the early 90s. When I was plain cloths workin dope I carried a satin nickel Combat commander in a pancake holster on the right hip, and a matching one with one serial# off in a shoulder holster on the left side. I think they call that "educated paranoia". I'm a born pessimist, and I like your idea. Like you said. When a gun runs dry, gravity, or you can throw it at him while you get the other one workin.

[Oldshooter]

Those are some good ideas!
 

I'm a born pessimist, and I like your idea. Like you said. When a gun runs dry, gravity, or you can throw it at him while you get the other one workin.

Everyone knows about murphys law, "what can go wrong"..........well he was an optimist!!
 
Can you imagine the look on a bad guys face when a polished nickel revolver comes hurtling at his head, and before he can assimilate that , a second one flashing in his eye!