Why do we still use revolvers today if pistols can hold more ammo and shoot faster?
In: Physics
Revolvers are
usually more accurate,
can fire a stronger more powerful bullet,
Are significantly more reliable over time,
Mechanically simpler and easier to maintain/fix
Easier and faster to load a single bullet (sometimes useful)
Lastly, you can carry a small speaker and legally play “big iron” by Marty Robbins on repeat anywhere. It’s fine.
BIG IRON, BIG IRON
When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
BIG IRON ON HIS HIIIIIIIP
Objectively speaking, while revolvers do have a few advantages over semiauto pistols, they’re not enough to outweigh the advantages semiauto pistols have over revolvers. There’s a reason no modern military and few, if any, modern police forces still use revolvers. They’re heavy, bulky, slow-firing, and have poor capacity. Reliability is often cited as an advantage to revolvers, but modern semiautos are reliable enough that it basically doesn’t matter.
The only people who really still use revolvers are civilians. There, the advantages of a revolver matter more and the disadvantages matter less. And sometimes, people just shoot for fun, and in that case it doesn’t matter that the revolver only holds 6 rounds of ammo vs the 15+ most modern semiautos can carry, because you’re just shooting a target, not participating in a firefight.
If a revolver doesn’t fire, pulling the trigger brings a new round to try again. You can keep pulling the trigger after a misfire, and subsequent rounds might work.
If a magazine fed weapon doesn’t fire, then the gun will not work until you manually get another round into the chamber and cock the weapon.
Revolver pros:
– rarely jam
l- no spent casings
– larger loads / cartridges
– very easy to clean / maintain
– DA w/ decocker might be better suited to some shooters
– (not really a pro, but you can load quickly with a moon clip.)
Cons:
– trigger safety only
– few, if any other safety features (i.e. no grip safety or secondary)
– longer reload (even with a moon clip)
– fewer rounds
– no suppressors
– can be bulkier
Semi auto pro:
– larger capacity magazines
– fast reload (assuming extra magazines0
– can be suppressed
– more safety features (such as a grip safety on some, switch safety, etc.)
Semi auto con:
– more likely to jam (which can be fatal to the end user)
– more likely to be picky with ammo
– some models will “stovepipe” if you hold it wrong (problem if you’re tired, inexperienced, injured–I’m looking at you, Glock)
– more difficult to clean / maintain
In many ways, revolvers are obsolete. However, there are still niches that they fill that regular semi-autos don’t.
Power: it is much easier to produce a powerful handgun as a revolver than it is for a semi-auto. This is mostly because a revolver does not need to fit its cartridges inside if the grip.
Handgun hunting: revolvers make great hunting handguns because they are available in a huge variety of suitable calibers, and they can easily be fitted with a variety of optics.
Simple operation: Some people have difficulty loading a semi-automatic pistol because you need to be able to pull the spring-loaded slide to chamber the first round. The magazine itself can also be difficult to load. Modern revolvers are comparatively simple with a swing-out design that allows you to drop the rounds right in, and a “double action” trigger, which both pulls the hammer and fires the gun.
Compact: Revolvers can be made very small while still being capable of firing powerful rounds. This is useful for people who want a powerful pistol but wish to carry it concealed.
Accuracy: revolvers are generally regarded as inherently accurate due to the barrel, frame, and sights being fixed together. It is very difficult to achieve the same accuracy from a semi-auto pistol due to the sights, barrel, and frame, usually being moving parts.
Reliability. If a round doesn’t fire in a semi-auto you have to rack the slide and could potentially get jams. In a revolver you just pull the trigger again.
Used to be that the revolver was more reliable, so revolvers were popular self-defense weapons and backup pistols.
These days there are mainly two advantages:
1. A revolver handles really large rounds (while on a pistol the magazine has to fit through the grip). Compared to a 9mm a .44 magnum is a ridiculously large cartridge, and it’s not even the largest revolver cartridge on the market.
2. It’s very low maintenance. That makes revolvers popular for things like wildlife management.
Short answer we don’t.
They still exist, obviously; and have advantages, but the long and short of it is, we don’t use revolvers when all that matters is results.
Revolvers are great for teaching a person who is new to firearms how to handle and fire a pistol safely.
Honestly just because. Also they are excellent conceal carry. A 5 shot 380 isn’t really much bigger than a small cellphone.
I like them, but don’t own one anymore. The 10mm is my go to carry for now, but if Walter came out with a semi 357 I’d buy it tomorrow.
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