testtest

Thinking about a “wheel gun”

USS Callister said:
A .22 revolver is intriguing, but aren't .22's an "iffy" type of ammo? I imagine it's more reliable in a revolver, instead of a semi-auto, because there's no action needed to load the next round in place (a point of failure), but don't let anybody kid you that it isn't deadly--there are plenty of people killed annually by .22's.
Click to expand...
OP said he was only interested in the revolver for range use (he seems to have 9mm and .45 covered for defensive use), so I didn't let that influence my recommendation of a .22.
 
USS Callister said:
...or as Mark Twain once said, "I am always satisfied with the best."

Like everything in life, you get what you pay for.

A .22 revolver is intriguing, but aren't .22's an "iffy" type of ammo? I imagine it's more reliable in a revolver, instead of a semi-auto, because there's no action needed to load the next round in place (a point of failure), but don't let anybody kid you that it isn't deadly--there are plenty of people killed annually by .22's.
Click to expand...
Not really. Cheap .22 ammo can have primer issues, but that’s the good thing about a revolver; get a “click”, and just press the trigger again and advance to the next cylinder for a “bang”.

And I carry a S&W 43C .22 fairly regularly…11oz and it disappears in my front pocket.
 
TSiWRX said:
Easy one, first -


.....to which @benstt replied -

^ This is where I am at, too, @neil0311.

And towards this, the great Jim Miculek recently released this video:


Similarly, Greg Ellifritz's many writings on the revolver makes his Active Response Training blog a great resource for modern defensive wheel gun info:

www.activeresponsetraining.net

Thoughts on Revolver Reliability

This is a guest post from my friend Darryl Bolke. Darryl is the co-owner of Hardwired Tactical and a very well established firearms instructor. I saw this posting on Darryl's Facebook page DB's Shooting Adventures.
www.activeresponsetraining.net www.activeresponsetraining.net

-----



So, I'm going to play the devil's advocate on this one. ;) Would you mind allowing me to debate your choice to not stock another type of ammo? :) If you're up for it, please let me know - but if your mind is closed/settled on this one already, I won't pry. :)
Click to expand...
It’s not an absolute edict to myself, but getting a revolver is a whim for use at the range.

I don’t need one, and so not looking to add to the cost and storage of another type of ammo. I keep a stock of 9mm and .45 ACP, so grabbing 100 rounds to use with a revolver isn’t a big deal.

Honestly, you’d have to make the case that a revolver that uses .38 or .357 or whatever was so worth it that buying the gun and a new type of ammo would be on the positive side of the cost/benefit.
 
neil0311 said:
It’s not an absolute edict to myself, but getting a revolver is a whim for use at the range.

I don’t need one, and so not looking to add to the cost and storage of another type of ammo. I keep a stock of 9mm and .45 ACP, so grabbing 100 rounds to use with a revolver isn’t a big deal.

Honestly, you’d have to make the case that a revolver that uses .38 or .357 or whatever was so worth it that buying the gun and a new type of ammo would be on the positive side of the cost/benefit.
Click to expand...

Is why mentioned using a 22LR revolver for range and revolver practice like some others did. 22LR is also fairly common like 9mm and 45ACP is. That helps availability wise. 357/38 ammo isn't always readily available like the other three usually are and is usually more expensive than those too.

22LR ammo is also smaller, less expensive than almost all other calibers. 22LR ammo would take up less space, money and *time than any of those too. That lesser expense paid for 22LR ammo could easily pay for the revolver and extend range time with less recoil over a fairly short time. Another option is to buy less 9mm or 45ACP and more 22LR and you'll likely still use it the same way? But, if storage is still an issue as it sometimes is who's to say?

* Less time may not be correct if you use the revolver more often because it's likely more enjoyable and get more rounds off? :)
 
400px-S&WModel15.jpg
My wife packs a near mint 15-3 Combat Masterpiece like this one. She wears hers with the pearl grips. Nothing beats the simplicity of a fine six gun.
 
I learned to shoot handgun on a Smith 15 in Uncle Sam's Flying Club. Lovely piece, and the first revolver I privately owned was a 4" Model 19 .357, which I still have.

If one could only own ONE handgun for everything--including everyday concealed carry, home defense, training/plinking, occasional whitetail hunting and perhaps a hike in bear country--a very strong case could be made for the 4" Smith 19/66 .357.
 
Last edited:
neil0311 said:
It’s not an absolute edict to myself, but getting a revolver is a whim for use at the range.

I don’t need one, and so not looking to add to the cost and storage of another type of ammo. I keep a stock of 9mm and .45 ACP, so grabbing 100 rounds to use with a revolver isn’t a big deal.

Honestly, you’d have to make the case that a revolver that uses .38 or .357 or whatever was so worth it that buying the gun and a new type of ammo would be on the positive side of the cost/benefit.
Click to expand...

:) Got it. Thanks for expanding. :)

So, here's my story and thinking.....

As many here know, I came into armed self-defense rather late in my life. It's only been 11 years since I truly started shooting. Before that, it was just the occasional range-day with friends/family - maybe once a year, maybe once every 5 years. Like that.

So, when I first came to this, I decided that I'd make things easy for myself: all handguns would be 9x19.

Things sailed smoothly until the peak of the craze/shortage of that era, which hit not too soon after I'd started shooting, in 2012. Suddenly, 9x19 could no longer be found at all, even though I was willing to pay a premium. .45 ACP soon disappeared, and then so did .40 S&W.

What was left on the shelf?

The seemingly bygones of a previous era - .38 Special and .357 Magnum.

I had a 3-day handgun class with a *very* popular instructor lined up that summer (summer of 2013), but I ended up not being able to make it because we'd just gotten a new puppy, and I didn't want to miss out on that early bonding time (he's literally laying with his head on the keyboard as I'm typing this message, now). When I put my seat in the class up for sale, I had a hit within the first 10 minutes, but the interested party said that while he had no problem taking my seat, he was up against the wall in terms of the ammo (approx. 2K rounds, 9x19) he'd need to source for the class. I already had ammo set aside for training that year, and I ended up selling that quantity to him, at-market.

I do confess to owning quite a few guns. But at the same time, I'd be lying if I said I was a collector. The last time I purchased a gun was in 2019; instead, I budget for ammo and training. To me, diversifying -even though I still really only have caches of .22LR, 9x19, and .223/5.56- means that even during shortages, I still have options. A 12-gauge shotgun, a .357 SIG that's easily swappable for .40 S&W or 9mm, a .38 Spl/.357 Mag and a .22 WMR may make for a bit of extra demand in organization, but the fact that these options allow me a bit more time to bone-up in the days immediately following the onset of a run on local stores - it's worth it, for me.

I don't know if this will sway your thinking - it's just a bit of personal experience from having gone through the last drought as a newer shooter. :).
 
Last edited:
To add to @TSiWRX ’s excellent observations, I’d put in another benefit of a .22LR revolver, particularly a DA revolver…

Cheap practice.

You can go to the range and go through 500 rounds for under $50 in ammo fees…can’t do that with 9mm, at least right now, with the price of reloading components (primers alone would run you $50…).

Additionally—get good at running a double action revolver? Your skills at running other pistols will get exponentially better.

A .22 revolver would be a much better choice than a 9mm or a .45.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top