Revolver vs. Semi-auto?

Question

What are the pros and cons of each with regard gun ownership? Thanks!

Answer 1

both can kill just as effectively,
but a semi automatic has a slimmer profile, and looks cooler when you have it tucked in the top of your jeans.
{incidentally, if you do keep yours tucked into your jeans, mind you dont blow your brains out}

Answer 2

Revolver pros:
1) Once loaded, the gun is always ready for action, even if stored away unattended for years.

2) Can be fired from inside a pocket if necessary.

3) No safeties to worry about on moden day double action revolvers.


Revolver Cons:
1) Although revolvers don't jam, the do freeze up, if a primer is backed up, or a bullet is stuck between the barrel and cylinder, because of an undercharged load.

2) revolvers generally hold no m ore than 5-6 rounds.

3) If a revolver locks up on you, you are not likely to get it back in wotking order until you can get to a lighted place and apply some tools to it.



Semi Auto Pros:

1) Depending on caliber, magazinne can hold 15-17 rounds, thius increasing firepower.

2)In case of malfunctions, all that is necessary to get the gun back into serviuce is to drop the magazine, rack the slide a couple of times, and reinsert the magazine, or a new magazine into the gun.

3) It has been proven that novices learn quicker on a semi-auto than a revolver.


Semi-Auto Cons:
1) On most guns there are safeties to deal with, and a shooter have to be familiar with their uses.
2) There is much more to learn about the operation of semi-autos than revolvers. In this respect, revolvers are a litte safer than semi-autos.

Answer 3

I have a shotgun my granpaw gave me. It is a 12g single barrel. I can shoot and drop a deer with it from 50yards easy. Then I clean and eat the deer. I give some meat to my friends, I make jerkey with some and eat it in the summertime.
My great granpaw had a revolver, it is a 45 Colt revolver, Single Action.
A Double action revolver is just as effective as a single action in shooting a deer. It only takes one shot to drop a deer. If it takes two, you need to settle down, breathe easy, take your time, squeeze the trigger, drop the deer.
With a Semi-Auto , my daddy had a M-1 Garand its mine now cause he died, it is nice. He also gave ma a Walther P-38, it was a Nazi gun.
The semi-auto will draw more attention, they shoot kinda wild.
The Revolvers are nice, they hit what you take the time to aim at.
A 45 ACP has alot of parts.
The Revolver has fewer.
Revolvers do not jam, well not often. if at all.
I gave all my daddys guns to the museum. I do not like guns that are designed to kill people.
The pros of a Revolver is reliability.
The cons of a Revolver is that they kill people when used by idiots.
The pros of a Semi-Auto is that they kill more people faster.
So I guess that is a con also.
With a revolver at least you have the time to think before you dump 3 rounds into what you are trying to hit.
I have often let the animal walk away because I found them to young or to pretty. That is the difference between a hunter and a sportsman. A Hunter kills what they need to eat, a sportsman shoots guns.
If you are intent on getting a firearm, get a revolver, learn what responsibility for your actions are then go hunting.
If you get a shotgun, get a double barrel, if you cannot kill an animal with two rounds, you need more practice.

Answer 4

revolvers are incredibly reliable and practically never fail , they are effectively a small cannon and so by design they can withstand the use of far more powerful bullets than a semi , on the down side the simplicity denies precision and reload times are slow , they cannot hold many bullets .

A semi is a precision tool of a far more technical design and so is more liable to fault mechanically , it cannot withstand the internal impact of firing to powerful a bullet , but on the upside it can carry far more bullets than a revolver and can be reloaded very quickly .

So if whatever situation calls for the use of a gun is likely to be up close and personal , and is unlikely to require the use of more than 6 bullets a revolver is best because it will always fire .

if the situation is unknown ie entering a building without knowing how many enemy are inside use an auto because you don't want to run out of bullets !

if i were to carry both the revolver would be the one i considered my first weapon because when something happens it happen quick i you know a revolver will work .

Answer 5

It's a compromise on what you're using it for.

A revolver's "Pros" are that they're less prone to jamming. You can leave a revolver in a drawer for a long time and it won't be as likely to seize up as a pistol. If you have a failure to fire, you just pull the trigger again and it's already at the next round. You can typically get them chambered for more powerful rounds. And you can get them with ultra short barrels (some are less than 2 inches) if you need concealed carry. Also, for novice gun handlers, they tend to be a little easier to handle in that when you open the cylinder, you know the pistol won't fire.
A revolver's "cons" are that you're limited on the number of rounds you can fire before you reload, the cylinder is bulky, and felt recoil is greater (especially if you have a really short barrel).

A semi-autos "pros" are that they have a slimmer profile, carry more rounds, less felt recoil due to the inertia of the slide countering the recoil of the round, and are easier to carry concealed.
A semi auto's "cons" are that they do tend to foul faster than a revolver, can't be fired as easily through clothing without catching on clothing, require more steps to clear a failure to fire, and require more training for safety. Too many people have had negligent discharges because they dropped the mag, but had a round in the chamber.

Answer 6

Revolver
Pros: Very High reliability (i.e. no jam/feeding problems)
Cons: Low Capacity, Moderate accuracy

Semi-auto
Pros: Large Capacity, Very High accuracy
Cons: Moderate reliability (occasional jams/feeding problems)

Having said that, a revolver can have increased accuracy by choosing a longer barrel length. Choosing a premium semi-auto and using top grade ammo, along with diligent care and maintainence can limit the amount of jams and feeding problems.

Answer 7

We switched over after 15 years of carrying a wheel gun, I prefer the S&W model 10 with bull barrell. A .38 hollowpoint P+P has more stopping power then a 9mm. .38 will penatrate a windshield where a 9mm useally wont. I figured that if I couldnt hit what I need to hit in 6 rounds It time for a retreat.

Answer 8

A lot of "technical" answers on this question. I believe that the more experienced a gun handler one is will nudge them to preferring the semi auto. However I believe that a less experienced person is often best armed with a revolver. They are a bit simpler to shoot, clean and very safe. My wife is rarely armed but when she is it's with a .357 loaded with .38 cal bullets. effective, simple and easy to carry.

Answer 9

All kinds and sizes, brands, and calibers made of both types. There are small and even tiny to huge and massively powerful revolvers and pistols. Both kinds can be used for target, speed and completion shooting, hunting, eliminating varmints and pest, Olympic events, self-defense guns, fun plinking guns, specialized guns for law and military use, collectibles like old & newer Colts and imported military surplus models, special fancied up commerative limited editions, presentation grade masterpieces, guns made to order and/or only when special ordered of revolvers and semi-autos pistols.
They're are fun, put fresh neat on the table, there are clubs and competitions locally and nationally. and going out and shooting holes in targets and tin cans is the greatest stress reliever known to man!
The cons are criminal use, carelessness, ignorence, lack of learning to respect the power of guns, and worst of all, the closet communists that want to ban, register, confiscate, and destroy our most valuable and important Right to keep and bear arms. The every day gun owner has no intent or will to use their guns criminally. Criminals don't obey laws (Duuuuuuuhhh!)!

"Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer (and governments) in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property. Horrid mischief would ensue were (law-abiding) citizens deprived the use of them."
and "To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."--George Mason, governor and a signer of the Constitution

Answer 10

none to ownership....Autos hold more ammo generally and are flatter,therefore easier to carry concealed...both shoot fine,maybe the revolver has an edge in accuracy but with the new custom autos off the shelf thats debateable.....it really boils down to the caliber....I prefer both the 357 and 45 and have 2 of each.....do some more research and make up your own mind....."cooler to carry in your pants?"...geeze,the world is full of them I guess...a friend of mine was in an actual gunfight with a revolver and the primer backed out and jammed his cylinder on the third shot....the perp lived to get a trial

Answer 11

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