How unreliable are revolvers?

Question

In what rare instances have revolvers failed?
What are their weaknesses mechanically?

For clarification, my question is portraying to modern double action revolvers.

NOTE: I'm not looking for answers that have anything to do with ammunition capacity.

Answer 1

Reliability is the modern double-action revolver's forte. How reliable are they? How about 99.9% of the time. What are their mechanical weakness? Unless you have a junky revolver or any extremely lightweight one not rated for +P ammo and you're shooting +P or +P+ ammo in it they are very strong. In fact they are generally considered stonger than automatics and except for the .50 Caliber Action Express (Desert Eagle automatic) they are chambered in more powerful calibers. There is a .50 AE revolver and of course, the .500 S & W is considered the world's strongest, commercially available, handgun in the world.

In what rare instances have revolvers failed? Failure in a revolver is usually ammo failure, not revolver malfunction. Someone has tried to fire stale ammo, or ammo that is otherwise not good due to spoiled primers, etc. The other time when a revolver will fail is if the firing pin is broken or worn. Springs sometimes break but again, this is the exception and not the rule. A revolver can go out of time from excessive usage but again we're talking about thousands of rounds later.

Revolvers will still be around for a long time even with the progress the auto loader has made. The revolver can handle wadcutters, shot shells and Glazier ammo flawlessly, something not all semi autos can do. A loaded double-action revolver will go 'bang' every time you squeeze the trigger without wondering if you've flipped the safety off or worrying about racking the slide. Should your revolver fail to fire all you have to do is squeeze the trigger again and it will rotate to the next shell without having to rack the slide to clear the shell that has misfired. The .357 Magnum 125 grain semi-jacketed hollow point is still considered the most reliable manstopper. This is one load you can find revolvers chamber for all day long, and will have trouble finding in an automatic unless you own an old Coonan Auto or a Desert Eagle in .357 Mag.

The only short-coming of the revolver is its smaller ammo capacity and that it tends to be slower to reload. For some people a revolver may be a bit harder to carry concealed. However, if you want five or six for sure, then a revolver may very well be your cup of tea.

Best.

H

Answer 2

Revolvers if taken care of are most reliable. The load capacity was why it was replaced over time. Rust is a big problem along with rear site falling off. I say this because I recall that a police officer lost his life having let his revolver rust-up in his holster. I have never known a revolver to fail if taken care of. A well-maintained program is always wise for any weapon. The revolver got started because more than one shot was required in most cases during the 1700's, but all were ball and cap back then. Sometime in about 1850 to 1858, the complete bullet came into service; this change was due to an Army captain wanting a way to reload while on horse back. The major problem with any weapon and the greatest weaknesses is and will always be the little nut on the end of every stock.

Answer 3

Revolvers almost never fail. They are a lot simpler than any auto out there even the touted Glock. I have had every semi-auto pistol I have ever owned jam in some way. I have never ever had a revolver have a problem except for the arrant stuck case where you have to push a little harder on the ejector.

Answer 4

I grew up with guns and the semi-auto thing never appealed to me. I have never, ever, had a problem with a revolver. I have owned a couple semi-auto's, but I got rid of them because of the reliability issues.
The Ruger 10/22 is the only exception, for me.
I would choose a revolver over a semi-auto 99.9995683% of the time.

Answer 5

Revolvers are very realiable...

The issue with revolvers vs. semi-autos comes down to the fact semi-autos malfunction more often, but most malfunctions are easily cleared by the user.

If a revolver malfunctions, you usually need tools to fix it. However, revolvers rarely malfunction.

If reliability is your only issue, revolvers are far and away more realiable than semi-autos.

Capacity is obviously an issue you are already aware of.

Answer 6

Revolvers are A #1 for reliability & dependability as compared with pistols.* The revolver is the best to have and use Anytime, Anyplace, by Anyone.*

Answer 7

Sorry but revolvers as so reliable that, for long, most police officers preferred revolvers on the ground that automatic pistols were not as reliable as they are today!

As former gunsmith the two or three examples of possible trouble I know about revolvers are.

-Dirt in mechanism, owing a careless owner.
-Improperly manufactured cartridges which may cause trouble while the cylinder is rotating.
-Presence of lead and dirt between the barrel and the cylinder (owing to a careless owner, once more).
-Overloaded ammunition (owing to confusion between two types of powder, usually) which cause the cylinder to blow up as if it were a frag grenade and the frame to be irremediably damaged (the shooter is unhurt, in most instances happily).

Ah, one more little thing. Old black powder revolvers and their modern copy are much likely to work improperly when not thoroughly cleaned after each shooting session. This owes to the fact that black powder and the use of 100% round shaped lead bullets are a cause of fast paced clogging.

Answer 8

Very reliable of course making sure you buy one of the better brands like Smith and Wesson, Ruger, Taurus (I have not heard of any problems with their revolvers). Just make sure you buy quality not for for price. You will loose more money in the end when you sacrifice quality over $$$$

Answer 9

Very reliable. There is no such thing as a mechanical device that mnever fails. Yes, revolvers can fail for various reasons.

Answer 10

yeah all answers here have good things to say about revolvers, when you go to buy one do your research, don't buy a hunk of crap... good luck