@@johnsonfrance2616 I dont think I can trust it now that I fiddled with a few. I sure thought 13 pounds of trigger pull would be enough. Lighter than I thought
John, with all due respect, I think you may be overstating a perceived lack of reliability in dealing with a good quality, well-maintained revolver, at least in my experience. I spent 30 years training both police and private citizens on a regular basis, in a private school and three regional police academies during years when revolvers made up the bulk of what was being used, through the transitional years, and up until I retired and it was almost all semi-automatics. While I have seen some of the problems that you note with revolvers, they were by no means widespread. And in 30 years, I never gave recruits a break in the middle of their qualification to clean their revolvers. I'd agree with you that no mechanical device intended to be operated by a human works perfectly. But in my opinion, given weapons of equivalent quality, I'd say that modern revolvers and modern semi-autos are about equally reliable. I can well remember when this was not the case, and the reliability advantage was heavily in favor of the revolver for most shooters. Oddly enough, my experience has been that the more dedicated students always seem to have the more reliable firearms of either type. This tells me that in most cases, the lack of reliability we see in a lot of cases is owner-induced. I have absolutely no argument with your choice of a semi-automatic pistol for self-defense, and the arguments for the semi-auto as a superior fighting tool are well taken. But many people for many, many years have defended themselves just fine with revolvers, including myself. I don't think it does anyone a service to suggest that their revolver will somehow spontaneously fail them at the moment of truth if not cleaned every 25 rounds or so. I seriously doubt that revolvers have become significantly less reliable in the modern age, but I do see where modern gun owners pay much less attention to maintenance, or even the use of high quality ammunition in the age of the polymer striker-fired pistol. But blaming the revolver for this is like blaming the manual transmission in an automobile simply because today's drivers no longer know how to shift gears. Cheers, Sir.
Just reporting what I have experienced is all. I think the myth of unimpeachable and legendary reliability of revolvers is just that: a myth. They go down, at bad times, and hard. Now, that said, 13 of the 18 we had on the line ran great for 300 rounds. So in the odds game, chances are the high quality one someone is shooting will run.
@@papimaximus95 you are unquestionably correct in terms of what to select for on-duty or LEO work. And as you have rightly stated, I'd also trust my life in a private citizen encounter to a good revolver, while I typically used the semi-auto for LEO work.
Active Self Protection Extra As a retired cop that had to use a revolver in a deadly confrontation three times (reloaded under fire once) I know they work when needed. That said we transitioned to the Glock 23 in my final 10 years, they were just as reliable but both need to be maintained in order to work properly. I’ve never heard of anyone having to clean a revolver mid way through a qualification course though. If I had to go back on the street today it would be a modern auto loader w/o question. Good video w/excellent points that I agree with.
John, when I started as a copper, we had to carry revolvers on duty. I was one of the range masters who fought to let us carry semi autos. Any firearm needs to be checked often if your life counts on it.
Young man, back in my day revolves were king. I've shot several revolves I've owned for over 40 years. I started carrying a Colt lawman III in the 70's for security and shot the hell out of it without a problem. Then upgraded to a Smith model 66. Thousands and thousands of rounds through both and never had a issue. I've never had a semi automatic that hasn't jammed up every few hundred rounds. Although I carry a shield these days, I always have my trusty 5 shot 642. Old guys know
I’ve been actively shooting revolvers and semi-auto pistols for 40 years. NEVER had any issues with any revolvers! Not one single time. I cannot say the same thing for the semi-autos. I also never heard anyone at my gun club say they had any issues with revolvers but I’ve heard countless stories about issues with semi-autos. I’ve never heard anything about being able to clean a pistol during qualification.
Anecdotal evidence is never reliable. Just because the people at your gun club almost never have problems with revolvers, but have countless problems with semi autos, doesn’t mean that another club can’t have the opposite going on. Sample size and other variables can account for both extremes being equally true.
Out of all the training and range visits I've had, almost all malfunctions were due to ammunition. That being said, I've never had a semi auto pistol get so jammed up that it couldn't be cleared or rectified by doing a magazine change (I usually always have a 2nd mag on me). That fact alone is why I choose to carry and recommend semi auto pistols to everyone. One day we decided to take a few revolvers out to the range for some fun and out of 5 revolvers, we had two show stopping failures that would have been bad in a gun fight. Again the issue wasn't the actual revolver but the ammo. The primer on one of the rounds backed out enough to lock up the cylinder. We literally had to beat the cylinders open on both to get the bad casing out. Again if this would have been a SD situation, it would have been bad news. For the most part you are depending on the lottery that you have good ammunition in your carry weapon and that you will not have any failures. Failures will and do happen, so please practice and train to protect yourself and others if the need arises.
Great job John, the only thing I’m thinking Is that for most new shooters or people that don’t train as much as they should, a revolver is much simpler to use. Remember kiss! Basically point and shoot. With a semi-auto they have to consider clearing potential jams, working the slide, possibly manipulating the safety, etc.
My every day carry is now a pistol but I have a S&W Model 13 that I have put over 7000 rounds through since I bought it over 35 years ago and it has never once had an issue. Plus it's a tack driver and has the smoothest double action trigger I've ever shot thanks to a old Navy buddy that did a trigger job on it.
Wow, 5 out of 18 revolvers "went down hard". I have been shooting revolvers over 50 years and never once had a problem with any of them. However, I have had multiple problems with semi-auto's mainly related to magazine issues, bad ammo or not ejecting. I trust a revolver to go bang every time. That said, my suggestion is for everyone to carry the gun they are comfortable with.
I carry both. (not at the same time!) I find a revolver will actually conceal better, for me, than the square chunky semi's. If I carry them high on the belt, strong side, the cylinder tucks into the area above my hip, and on the belt line the barrel is thinner than the muzzle of a semi. During the winter/spring/fall, my 24-3 (S&W) actually conceals very well. My Bulldog (charter) conceals well under a T-Shirt...so I would disagree a bit with revolvers not concealing as well because the cylinder is wide. And that all depends on body type also, just speaking for myself. On modern semi's I don't like them at all. My favorite carry semi is a CZ52, and sometimes I'll carry the 1911 when it's colder weather and I can wear more clothes. My AP-MBP is super concealable, but the caliber (32ACP) does not generate a lot of confidence. That's why I practice with it the most, and don't pack it often.
Me too. 342PD for pocket carry when I want something light. P229 or G19 when I want a bit more firepower and don't mind a bulkier gun. I can carry the Smith in my pocket at the gym and it is light enough it doesn't drag the pants down so as to obviously have something heavy in there. Only problem with the 342 is that after maybe 8 to 10 rounds the frame/cylinder heat up so much and expands that everything tightens up making the trigger action that much heavier. But I only carry it with 5 onboard and no extra speed loader or anything so not an issue in a real life situation just at the range.
My dad inherited a smith and wesson 38 special from his dad (who got it used). It had never been cleaned and ran just like new with now problems. Revolvers are about as reliable as it gets.
You can buy a good or bad product in anything you buy. some of the best rated cars have a lemon every so often, even a brand new light build can be brought home and found not to work. I knew of someone years ago who had a 38 special S&W and had nothing but problems out of it, and even had taken it in several times for repairs and rebuilds. then one day, a Gun Smith found the reason for it, and stated that there wasn't anything anyone could do. he said, yes I can fix it, but it will wear out quickly again, it just wasn't well made. So the guy sold it, and stated he would never buy another S&W. Taurus used to be part of S&W but branched out on their own. Taurus has made some very fine guns, but they have a poor reputation for a lot of poorly made guns. I would love to have a Taurus G3C for a semi auto. they are very reliable, but I also have my heart in Revolvers, as I know most semi auto's will hit the trash long before most revolvers will. I'd take a S&W 38 special all day over any Semi Auto I think, because that was the only time I've ever in my life ever heard about a poorly made S&W 38 special. S&W must be dependable because most law enforcement have used them over and over again for years. Peace..
I must disagree. I shot competition for 10 yrs, mostly with revolvers, s&w 625 and 66, with many other wheelgunners. I cannot recall one malfunction, b/c there were none. We used revolvers cuz a malfunction in some of these matches put the shooter out of contention. So this is my anecdote, and I think it is far better than yours-one day versus 10 years. Edit: I just got done reading the comments. You have been crushed on this topic, but I still love you.
Haha I was a cop who carried a revolver. A S&W that NEVER misfired. I have NEVER had a revolver misfire. Then again, my S&P Shield .40 has never misfired, either. I always carry one or the other (or both) depending on where I'm going and what I'm doing. Also, my enclosed hammer J frame is easier to conceal appendix carry than my M&P, so, I think that's just subjective, brother. I do shoot a little more accurately with my S&P.
I'm old and grew up with revolvers and I've never personally known one to malfunction. Hard to believe that three or four out of eighteen had serious problems. Did these folks bring grandpa's gun that had been stored in the barn 50 years? I own and shoot both kinds of guns, so I'm not anti semi-auto at all. I keep one loaded at home, along with a revolver, for HD. I've just never known revolvers to be so unreliable. I think that range session John discusses had to be a fluke. As for the other pros and cons, there are pros and cons for both types and I like both types and consider them reliable.
My revolvers (Model 19 and 642) have never had a malfunction. My semi autos? Many, many. Including several top brands, including the HK VP9 and Glock 19. User errors are common with semi auto and finicky with some ammo.. Yes, I agree semiautos make sense and I carry them most of the time. But I know my SW 642 is going to fire all 5 shots, absolutely. First shots on target make the difference. Revolver could be the weapon for certain folks.
@@AString95 funny how different guns have very different results for people. My G19 finally settled in after about 700 rounds. I trust it now. The VP9 I gave up on and traded it in.
I agree, Jeff, and I'll add this as a recent example: Last week I went to the indoor range with a male relative. We shot his 9mm semi, my 9mm semi, my .380 semi, a .38 spl revolver, and a .357 revolver which of course can, and did, also shoot .38 spl. (100-200 rounds for each caliber, except fewer of the .357 magnum). One 9mm semi had one malfunction with Am Eagle FMJ (with me, an older female with small weaker hands--the first this gun has ever had), and the .380 had one malfunction with Speer Lawman TMJ (its first), with the younger, strong male shooter during rapid fire. Both were failures to extract or eject the spent case and chamber the next round, and they may or may not have been user-caused and were cleared by a rack of the slide. Regardless, a malfunction is a malfunction, whether user-caused or not. Neither revolver had any issues of any kind, ever. These are only the second and third malfunctions I've experienced/personally seen since I've been shooting semi-autos (occasionally over several years), but I've occasionally shot revolvers all my adult life (decades), and I have never had one to malfunction in my presence, nor heard of anyone that I know that had one. I know it can happen, but very rarely in good quality firearms. The failure rate John mentions in this video is NOT the norm; not even close. I still don't know what on earth could've been going on there. I seldom disagree with him, but (as many other experienced shooters have said) he's way off base in this video. I own and shoot both types of handguns, and I believe they all have good reliability. Each type has its pros and cons. But revolvers are much less prone to user-caused (poor grip, "limp wristing," riding the slide stop button, contacting the slide, etc.) and ammo-based malfunctions than semi-autos are. That is just a fact. They may also be a little more prone to inherent mechanical malfunctions as well, but I won't go that far. Semis have other important advantages (usually higher capacity, faster reloads), but reliability is not one of them. This from my own, and those with whom I've shot, experiences over 50 years, not just something I read.
As a police officer who trained and carried a S&W K frame and Ruger Service Six I never had a revolver fail to go bang when I pulled the trigger! I was a LE Firearms instructor and armorer and aside from occasionally running into a cylinder timing issue or end shake problem revolvers were uber reliable.. I also used various semi auto's at the mid point of my career and had complete confidence in there reliability (Glock19, S&W 59series Sig P226). Nowadays I'm strictly a semi auto hi cap magazine type of guy!
Yeah they CAN do great. I am not saying revolvers are UNRELIABLE. I am just saying that their mythical "never can fail" reliability is just that: mythical.
@@ASPextra John I concur, just last week I went for my HR218 annual qual and a retired cop who was shooting a S&W M36 Chief 38 Special broke his trigger rebound return spring. I'd say his M36 was made in the late 70's. It's my understanding that the newer model revolvers from S&W and Ruger seem to have more problems than the older ones.
Failure to feed + failure to eject + magazine failures in the middle of a fight are what people generally think of when they choose revolver over semiautomatic pistols. I would like to see the per-round and per-defensive use failure stats for revolvers and pistols to compare them.
Yes. The problems for an auto come in real life fights, especially those that involve grappling. The shooter may grab the pistol with a poor grip (as bad as hand behind the slide). He may bump the magazine eject button while grabbing the pistol. The pistol may get bumped out of battery. And if the front of the slide is pushed into the bad guy most autos will go out of battery. Limp writing in a grappling situation is also likely, and that only effects autos. If you can engage a target at range (like you do at the range) autos are great. But if you maintain your revolver you are more likely to get off all 5 or 6 rounds, at any range. In the real world predators like to surprise people at short ranges. It's illegal to engage someone at range just because they look suspicious or even brandishing a pistol in a borderline threatening situation. In theory there are ways to hold your pistol in one hand while keeping the opponent away with the other arm, but don't try practicing that at most shooting ranges.
@@JimTemplemanexactly. Every defensive counter I have EVER been in was inside or about 4 yards and that's the truth! I want a revolver everytime for distances like that! Most baddies will rush you fast so a revolve is a way better choice. Source: me Supporting data: multiple (over a dozen) street confrontations, 2 home invasions.
At 70 yrs. old, using revolvers exclusively since I was 14, I have Never had any problem with any revolver I have owned unless it was ammo related. but then again, I never owned anything but proven and well made revolvers. Last time at a range (before I built my own range), I fired over 150 rounds without any problem while those using pistols on either side of me had numerous malfunctions. Much of it was due to ammo, but way too many was due to the firearm itself. Granted, none required a gunsmith to fix, but all required 'tinkering" which could cause one to end up dead. I will stick to my revolvers.
We all knew you old dudes would be saying this. Your family jewels don't even work anymore. You were almost 20 when Bonanza started playing on television do of course you choose revolvers
@@johnnylewis7437 My jewels are in good condition, taken care of, and in reliable. I can't remember ever having a failure. Bonanza, great show and I have seen every episode.
@@johnnylewis7437 most semi auto's will hit the trash heap long before most Revolvers will. Revolvers are hand made, now that being said, A Ruger security 9 or a Taurus G3C would be great guns to carry without breaking the bank. a good and well made revolver cost a lot. I do love revolvers, but most of them are just to big to conceal and carry. not to mention a semi auto's gets off a lot more shots, and fire much faster. But for fun factor, I do love Revolvers. a 22 rough rider would be a great gun for shooting cans. or just a great cheap gun to shoot cheap ammo. all guns are great when they're working good, or not breaking the bank. no need to insult anyone. everyone has a right to disagree. Peace..
Wow! I have never claimed revolvers are more reliable than slide pistols. However, I have never know anyone who has ever had to fix their revolver for anything. While in the Marines, I spent about 3 years on embassy duty and at the time we were issue the same Model 19 and I fell in love with it. Between the school and serving two embassies, each Marine probably put 10,000 to 15,000 rounds of Federal Hydrashock .357 magnum 125 gr. rounds through them. And that cycle was continuous over who knows how many decades. They were 100% more reliable than owing taxes or death. Many embassies are in really terrible countries so if a revolver went down, we were just short a firearm because no gunsmiths at all and to get a new firearm to the Sahara takes a very long time. So I carried daily a revolver that could have had well over 100,000 rounds through them or more and they never failed. And again, no gunsmith or spare parts so they never had anything replaced on them either. Cannot wait to get a vintage model 19 for home use!
Having served in Federal law enforcement 15 years and shooting a lot, I do not remember revolvers ever failing. Presently, the technology of 9mm guns now is so impressive, that they do not fail often either, in contrast to 40 years ago. I tend to agree with the post below, go with the gun you shoot most accurately. If you are in law enforcement, you must carry a large capacity pistol because of the firepower carried by bad guys. This is not necessarily the case for citizens and home defense.
Wow, after 35 years of carrying a handgun on me every day of my life and after having shot literally many thousands of rounds, in both revolver and pistol (SA and DA) -and owning both, I have never had a revolver jam and/or fail. However, every single semi-auto I have owned and or own, be they"high quality" and expensive or "affordable," ALL jammed and/or failed at one time or another. The problems that can happen with a semi-auto are legion -Limp-wristing, hitting the magazine release inadvertently, impeding the slide from properly functioning and jamming the pistol by inappropriately using cover, having a spent shell casing bouncing off of a wall or car (as you're using cover) and jamming your pistol, leaving the safety on, improperly racking a round, etc. That's not to mention your "run of the mill" problems like stove pipe jams (failure to eject), failure to feed (damaged magazines, weak magazine springs, damaged or faulty cartridges, dirt and/or grease accumulation in or around the chamber and magazines not seated properly), failure to extract, failure to fire, etc. Any of these problems can happen while you're under the adrenaline dump of combat, when fine motor skills go out the window and when your visual perception and cognitive abilities are hampered by the stress of combat. If you are a law enforcement officer or military, you usually control the initiation of combat and usually can approach a situation "ready (or more ready)." Most of the time when civilians have to defend themselves they have no warning and no time to get "ready." They can go from feeling happy, while they are sharing a meal with their family at a restaurant, to having to switch to lethal self-defense mode as they are experiencing the adrenaline dump and combat stress. Fine motor skills are not as necessary with revolvers. I know, I know, the Glock has no safety and a great performance record. However, it is still subject to all of the problems of a semi-auto. Remember. "no plan survives contact with the enemy." Theory will only get you so far. Combat/fighting is nasty business. it is completely unpredictable and you can only get so "ready." Thus, never forget the axiom, "less is more."
Dude, I have seen people show up to class with guns they have carried for a long while without shooting, and seeing how gunked up they were made me sick!
For me it's all theory, because nobody carries guns where I live. I do believe that the first two shots are (or should be) much more important than the rest you potentially have. The biggest question for me would be: Which gun would help me get both of those shots on target before the other guy can shoot me? Perhaps an easy shooting semi-auto? I am listening to John here about the trigger issue. On the other hand, they say that a firm and predictable trigger helps you to confirm your target before you shoot. I'm lucky it's not really my dilemma.
Revolvers for self defense vs. semi autos. EDC. Hands down for me is a revolver. More reliable, more accurate, less incidents of jamming. They don’t stove ever. Yes 17 is better then 6. But if you practice, practice, practice you should be find. As a 20 year armed alarm response guard I’ve carried revolvers for 5 of those 20’s years. I carried the sig, the s&w and glock semis. By much farther the revolver performed with the less problems. Additions to accuracy and reliability the revolver in .357 magnum is the most versatile in a munitions. You can use .38 special, .38 special+P, .38 special +P+, .357 magnum, .357+P, and of course glazer rounds. Sorry John I I disagree on all of your points. Live your active self protection lessons, keep them going and thank you.
Wrong. Chances are you will be fighting someone high on drugs and can take 10+ rounds and still keep coming. I'll take auto-loader all day long over an outdated revolver. The threats have evolved, more drug users out of their minds than old days. You are still fighting outdated battles whereas the threats have changed. Why hobble your life with old technology?
@@frankc.2869 however, would you agree revolvers make a better bug? Most people who carry a bug rarely practice with it, and it's usually a j frame or subcompact, so would you agree that 5 shots of .357 mag with better reliability is better than 8 of .380 for a backup? Also a bug allows you the option to arm a 2nd person, and just about anyone can fire a revolver.
@@frankc.2869 6 rounds of 357 magnum is equivalent to a whole magazine of 9mm lmao. I deal with people on drugs daily. Put 3-5 rounds in the chest or one in the head and they’re done. You’ll be ok. I promise.
@@gunlover5564 I like 357 for the ranch but follow up shots are quicker with a semi auto. And depending on who you you train with, my training was two to the thoracic cavity ie the chest. If they are ineffective then one to the head. We know that all handgun rounds are underpowered. Hence the two rounds.
FWIW, I am one of those old farts who started in the business when we all shot revolvers. I cannot think of a single time during training or quals where we were ever allowed, let alone encouraged to clean our guns halfway through the course of fire. In the academy we would shoot 100-150 rounds in a training session and we were not cleaning in between strings or boxes of ammo. I am aware, from having shot PPC, that competitors might swab a barrel or wipe down a cylinder periodically but for the most part we didn't. Usually by the time I was done with a practice session the gun had so much carbon on it it was sticky to the touch and it still shot fine. While unburned powder grains under the ejector star can over time cause an issue, a cylinder full or even ten isn't going to put enough unburned powder under the star to tie it up.
Greetings, I am also a member of the O.F.C...I started my LE career with revolvers. Many, many years later we transitioned to semi-autos with the arrival of the ruthless Jamaican drug dealers. I carried 3 different caliber revolvers at one time or another and never had any problems. We never cleaned our revolver until the qual was over. Having said that, when we switched to semi-autos I never looked back. My personal favorite is the DA/SA semi-auto.
@@1oldbluesheepdog When we made the change it was to S&W DA/SA guns, 59xx and later 45xx. Eventually went to Sig P220/P226 and, FWIW I still shoot those Sigs better and more naturally than any other semi-auto. But I don't shoot any of them quite so well as I can a revolver. :)
Rocky Groth I carried a j-frame for many years and each time I went to the range to shoot anything I always loosed off 20 to 150 on my carry revolver. I never cleaned it at the range, I’ve never had any malfunction either and I’ve put the cheapest to expensive ammo through it. Also, it looks nasty from being in my pocket and I have no idea what finish S&W put on it but it looks like it’s diseased on the outside. Still fires and inside normal home distances to a cross the street distances I can always print a good group.
Adam R Yes. I think guy in video is full of shit. I’ve experienced the same as you and the others in comments. And never seen an issue with wheel guns.
Revolvers are good, but modern day striker fired guns are better. If your good with a revolver you can be even better with a striker fired. Doesn't make sense to carry a revolver today, maybe as a backup gun, but that's it.
When I went through my CCL class I put 40 rounds through my Taurus 856UL, and the gun was working as well on the last shot as it did on the first. I didn't need to stop halfway through and clean it. But let everyone carry what he is most comfortable with. There is no best gun for all persons and situations.
I do agree semi automatic is more efficient and more rounds is a comfort. I have full respect for John, however reliability about revolvers are top notch. I’ve sometimes put like 500 rounds in a Ruger DP100 without cleaning it and didn’t have a single malfunction.
Hmmm. Done a whole lot a shooting of both over many years.... I’ve yet to ever even see an issue with a revolver..... can’t say the same for semis.... usually see more than one per range trip. My own have each malfunctioned more than once each. So yea. Maybe that’s just me. But I stick with my snubby for ccw for the reasons I’ve experienced.
That has also been my experience, my husband's, and everyone with whom I've personally shot both types of handguns. No revolver malfunctions; the occasional semi malfunction even with good name-brand factory ammo. And I agree, hmmm.... That video is definitely not the norm; not sure what was going on there.
Was talking the other day to a Glock technician. Told him my Glock failed to fire occasionly. He said my problem was "limp wristing" and that I needed to use better quality ammo. I told him that my S&W model 19 has fired thousands of wad cutters, semi-wad cutters, reloads, shotshells, cheap ammo and good ammo without a single failure to fire. He said "Yeah, that's because it's a revolver". I rest my case.
My rookie year was 1968 and over the next 30 years I was forced to use my issued revolver three times (reloaded under fire in one fight) to defend my life or the life of someone else. In all that time of qualifying w/my gun I never saw anyone have to stop and clean a revolver in the midst of a qual course. We transitioned to the Glock 23 during my last 10 years and those guns never failed either. A well maintained handgun will run reliably but I don’t see the need to clean a revolver weekly unless it’s been shot. If I was still on the job a semi auto would be my first choice, especially given ammo capacity & reload speed.
Active Self Protection Extra Yes, reloaded my department issued Colt DS w/a speedloader and emptied it a second time before ending the threat. In the aftermath we had one officer shot (he recovered), one suspect dead and two others under arrest. This was 1974 when we all carried revolvers. You can get the details from a Fall 2016 edition of American Handgunner, author Mass Ayoob.
Actually i think more idiots have cranked that hammer back and shot themselves or someone else because they were to stupid to know how light a single action trigger is
Which is best for you? It depends on the individual, carry what you shoot best with. It’s as simple as that, no need to be a tactical ninja. Most important thing is that you carry everyday.
@@robinfood74 I was simply making a statement about my preferred firearm. If you're talking about my comment to James, he deleted it and I don't remember the context.
Sounds like either you have a big disparity in the amount of rounds through each where you have a very low quality 9mm. Or poor ammo. If you're 9 mm was made before approximately year 2000 it's likely a whole other generation of reliability from modern stuff. Whether you're talking cars or pistols a lot of improvements and reliability happen between 1970 or 1980 and 2021. I know you didn't say which type and for all I know you do have something modern. But if you really are having a lot of problems with it there's something wrong with that specific gun or your ammo. Having a brand name that rhymes with block doesn't make you any more immune to this fact than having six chambers that rotate does. Bad Glocks exist. Messed up revolvers exist.
@@GunFunZS You definitely are on the money. Ammo and models can make a significant difference, as well as age and maintenance. Now me personally, I've had more issues with my 9. I've had varied success with switching ammunition, sometimes I'll get a couple dozen clean runs through with a certain brand, then I'll go back a day later and run into the same issues. I don't think I've ever had a huge hang-up with my revolver aside from the time I couldn't get the cylinder to rotate because of my improper placement of a few parts. But yeah it really all comes down to preference.
I carry a revolver on a regular basis. They’re a lot like 1911s. Get one from a reputable manufacturer and stay on top of maintenance on it and it should run.
Retired LEO here.....I love my six-shooters...I have a pair of S&W model 65s (3" and 4" barrels) and never had any problem with them in the past 40 years despite the fact that I'm lazy and don't clean them very often. BTW, the triggers came from the factory with 9 Lbs. of pressure for double action, not 11. And FYI, with speedloaders I can reload just as fast as a semi-auto. Now I will concede capacity but the revolver fits my hand better with Hogue custom rubber grips and so I am more accurate with it. I have watched too many modern cops in these videos doing a "spray and pray" rather than aiming and putting just one or two rounds on target and while I don't have the stats, I'm sure collateral damage is much higher since high-capacity autos took over. I also have watched too many videos where cops have their semi-autos jam and fail to clear the round while under stress but never seen that happen with a revolver. And as far as your statement, "having to clean a revolver midway through a qualification course"....NO, that's nonsense....I have literally watched hundreds of officers qualify over the years and NO ONE ever had to do that even one time. OK, I admit it, I'm old and probably set in my ways, but I do know some things about revolvers that you young whippersnappers don't.
Conceal carrying not included? Lol i dont know a single person more comfortable carrying a wheel gun with only 6 bullets. I dont care how good of a shot you are, its just bad planning.
@Christopher Marlowe They do make wheel guns that carry 8 rounds.. And I think that's plenty for even the most aggressive shoot out.. I personally can't stand semi autos because their a bitch to handle.. I don't trust the clip springs or the side shell ejection mechanisms.. But hey it's just my opinion..
Revolver is less likely to experience a user induced malfunction than a semi. Mechanical reliability is a totally different animal. Pretty hard to beat the mechanical reliability of a Glock double stack or an HK.
@@brandanb9735 You sir wouldnt win in a gunfight against 1 person with a semi auto and 15 or 30 round mag. You really want to bet on their gun malfunctioning to win? Come on 😂 thats literally your arguement reverse engineered. You're going to squeeze off 3 rounds while you piss your pants and then you're going to realize you only have 3 or 4 bullets left and your heart is gonna drop because whoever your in a gunfight with knows that as well. Its not even close to practical in 2020. Research the Alien pistol, you can shoot it with your non dominant hand better than a revolver based on how it is built. This is such a dumb arguement to make 😂
I am curious to know if the malfunctioning revolvers in your class were new guns, and if the malfunctioning guns tended to be from the same manufacturer. Typically if a new revolver is defective it will be discovered in the first 500 or so rounds. After that, mechanical issues are rarely seen until parts start to wear out.
I have both and would trust both. But I’ve had my Glock jam at the range one too many times (with underpowered range ammo, never with good stuff) to trust it 100% as much a Revolver. If something happened, I’d probably reach for the 357 magnum revolver first.
Have numer of both and carry either/both depending on the situation and what I'm wearing. I've experienced a couple stovepipes, one bad mag out of the box, three mag spring issues, and various ammo related ftf and fte. I've had one cylinder lock up that cleared by working the cylinder back and forth while doing the same with the hammer. My preferred carries are my S&W 649 .357 and my S&W 638 .38 spc. as they are shrouded hammer that can still be cocked for single action, but be fired repeatedly inside a pocket without getting jammed by the pocket material. I sleep with one as well for the same reason- can be fired from under the sheets without getting jammed.
A semi stands up better to abuse; a revolver tolerates neglect better. I like revolvers. I shoot revolvers. I carry revolvers. Revolvers grips and shapes are easy to change. A lot of this is just video is based on biased opinions.
6:55..."you may get through 1 wheel or 2 wheels without any problems" All revolver guys are now laughing at you. What a load of B.S. Look, you can have your preferences but it looks like you are exaggerating. I don't know you personally so your level of character is unknown to me but that quote of yours I started with is SO FAR from reality I have to wonder if you are really just that wrong, or, exaggerating to help convince others of your bias. I like both platforms and have no dog in the fight since I use both equally. I can say that out of the thousands of rounds I have shot, only my revolvers had NEVER had a problem and I rarely clean them. My semis, all quality brands, have had a few FTF's but mostly ammo related. Personally with today's well made semis I think both are about equal in terms of reliability but for you to make such a wrong...and I mean wrong by a LONG shot....is just irresponsible by someone who is a voice in the gun world.
I know right I mean I admit revolvers have issues like capacity trigger pull and so on but the way he talks about them you would think they are highpoint guns. I have lost alot of respect for this channel over this video.
@@catcowboy6376 His video is based off his experience as a trainer and someone who frequently trains. If you lose respect for someone because they base their opinions on their experiences and the experience of those they train with, then you didn't have much respect to begin with. Honestly, I wouldn't want the "respect" of someone who can't respect other's opinions, regardless of their respect for those who state them, because that "respect" means nothing at that point.
I normally shoot Atleast 100 rounds at the range with my wheelguns, and I've Never had any of that shit happen.....guess I'm the Luckiest guy on the planet, or I'm calling BS....you be the judge, to quote Paul Harrell....
@@ASPextra I think I understood pretty well. I'm sick of the "gun community" telling people who carry revolvers they're basically idiots, and that you should carry a shitass small, lightweight, compact Hard to shoot 9mm. I shoot revolvers WELL , and that's what I'm going to carry. I've shot and owned revolvers for over FOUR DECADES and never had ANY of the issues cited in this video with mine...and I shoot them ALOT.
@@ASPextra I don't get hurt feelings, I just don't like shills that prey on peoples fear and ignorance, to turn it into a multibillion dollar industry, then act like they're doing the public some kind of Favor.
Well thankfully I won't be at your gunfight to muck it up for you. I did not shill a single thing. If you want to carry an 1811, that's on you. Be my guest. But they're demonstrably inferior.
I disagree with your assessment, but you are welcome to your opinion. Note that the majority of the commenters seem to disagree with you as well. I have hundreds of thousands of rounds through various revolvers in my life, and I have NEVER, not ONCE had a revolver fail in ANY way. Not ONCE. Now, don't make the mistake of thinking I'm some revolver fanboi, my daily carry has been Glock 19 for years, and recently switched to an MP Shield plus. So this isn't just some case of an old man preferring revolvers, and trying to justify that preference.
I've been watching your channel for a while now and while I don't always agree with what you say, for the most part you are laying down some substantial information. However, this one is a real stinker. I was an Air Force Small Arms Instructor back when we still carried S&W Model 15's and were pushing a +P+ round out of it, (ballistics were closer to a .357 magnum). Due to that round, that was by civilian standards a dangerously over powered load for that gun, I'll admit that we had issues with the ejector rod coming loose during firing as well as rear sights coming loose and the thumb piece coming loose. But we never had a problem with powder under the extractor because we cleaned the guns after each day on the range. As for lint causing problems, both the Cops and us fired our daily issued revolvers at the range and we never once experienced any issues due to the guns being dirty. Another fact you seem to miss here is that some people, my wife was one of these, can't handle semi-autos. Jo had the feeling that the thing was coming apart in her hands every time she pulled the trigger. This led to problems with anticipation and jerking the trigger... It also made training for her, no fun and so she didn't want to train. However, after moving her to a revolver, she was far more accurate and enjoyed it enough that she looked forward to training. Some others have problems with strength and grip when trying to work the slides of semi-autos. Thankfully, S&W has come out with their EZ pistols which really helps, but wheel guns are still a viable defensive tool for these people as well. I wasn't there when you experienced the major malfunctions with the revolvers that day. All I can say to that is that I have run thousands of people through revolver training through the 1980's and 90's and in all that time I never once had a problem with a revolver that required pulling it off the line and these were guns with hundreds of thousands of rounds through them.
I simply don’t believe his story about 3 revolvers going down. Notice, we didn’t receive any information on what the problem was, what make and model they were. I had a loaded revolver in a safe for a little over 5 years and simply used others and simply forgot about it. When I rediscovered it, out of curiosity, I took it to the range. It was a S&W Model 15 and the ammo was just 238 gr soft lead. It fired fine and was accurate. I’m not arguing about reliability of one over another, but simply saying that it’s amazing that I have never seen multiple revolvers fail like he said happened in his class. If a revolver has a problem, you will know it immediately. The idea that a bunch went down is beyond belief.
Wish he would have told us the brand of the revolvers that had malfunctions. How much do you want to bet it was a cheap-o discount brand revolver or something that was modified to be more tacti-cool.
3 out of 18 revolvers going down in that class is absolutely the exception and NOT the rule. Revolvers aren't perfect but in the past they were more reliable than semi autos. These days a lot of semi autos are up to that reliability or close, but not all semi autos are that good.. Both can have failures while shooting, and both can go down HARD, DONE, DONE, DONE. That is not unique to revolvers at all. Revolvers are simpler to operate. Not everyone is tacticool. Some people need or want something simple that you point and go bang. Revolvers can be put in a drawer and left untouched for years and still fire if needed. Not so with the semi auto. Most civilian shootings are resolved in 2-4 rounds fired. So the semi auto capacity advantage is almost never an issue. It's a psychological comfort. There are revolvers with 7-8 round capacity too. You can get revolvers in more powerful calibers than the upper end of semi autos. You are obviously a semi auto guy and that's fine. But you are really exaggerating the potential problems with revolvers. You make them out to be prone to failure and that isn't true at all. If you are going to comp are, be objective. That being said, folks should carry what they are comfortable with. One advantage revolvers have always had and will always have. No semi auto will ever be as cool as a revolver
I disagree that revolvers are simpler to operate. Revolvers DO tolerate neglect well. Where do you get that statistic? Because it's a lie. The caliber wars are not useful and that's been proven.
John, that was an interesting rant. Since I'm well into my senior years, I trained with revolvers then with a 1911A1, which was not fine example of an American pistol. As an armed citizen, I did not trust the semis that were available from the sixties through the eighties. Today, I do have confidence in many modern pistols and own quite a few. I carry them more than I carry revolvers, these days but I refuse to carry small pistols. It's all a matter of choice. Buy a quality firearm, keep it clean and know how to use it. Remain alert and stay out of trouble.
John I have to respectfully dis agree with you about the reliability of wheel guns. As a retired C.O. I had to qualify once a year for 22 yrs. I can only remember 2 times where a weapon quit working and had to be replaced. The first time was when the firing pin on the hammer broke. The second time the cylinder locked up. We used S&W mod 64. We shot 50 practice rounds and 50 rounds to qualify, no cleaning until we were finished shooting. Just wanted to share that. Thanks for all your videos.
Nope cant say I agree. Have both semi and revolver and my revolvers any of them Never ever ever EVER had a malfunction. I dont do anything you just described in cleaning after 25 or even 100s if not way more than that. Semi yes failures on occasion. Ftf fte. Etc. My H&K vp9 sub has been perfect so far but only 500 rounds so far. So not much. No Myth but Fact in regards to all my guns and my personal experience. But yes I would prefer semi all day long but I just dont agree about semi more reliable. Not in my experience for sure and it's not even close lol.
I have a handgun safe and a couple of revolvers. I can lock them up...come back in 30 years (the safe has no electronics) open the safe and fire the revolver. It will work. Can't say the same for semi's.
Is that your experience or do you have some data to back that up? If it’s your experience I’m open to hearing it, what revolvers have you used vs the pistols you’ve used? If you are siting a study please share.
I have carried Model 19 Smith & Wessons for over 40 years without any issues whatsoever. I fact the Model 19 is my weapon of preference. With all of my firearms revolver or pistol I am thorough in the cleaning & lube. I do own semi auto pistols! In general they are quite reliable as well. Though rare I have had several stovepipe issues with semi autos through the years. I have never had a Model 19 fail to run ammo ever. Even my 19-3 from 1975. I bought it in 1980 and it still works like new after all these years. I have a 19-4 and a 19-5 and they have been totally reliable as well.
Difference between range ammo and defensive ammo. Also, in the case of this class, it was a problem because I flew to it (it was in OK) and could only take so much ammo on the airplane. I have to order Magtech by the case, naturally, and we ran 300 revolver rounds...so I ended up buying ammo from the range for the revolver portion, as did many of the other students who flew. It had primer issues for sure.
I have been shooting revolvers and semi-autos for over 30 years as a police officer, soldier, or a private citizen. I have received pistol training from Tom Givens, Gunsite, and others. As Clint Smith noted all weapons have some sort of limitation. I agree with most of the points made but I never remember having to clean my revolvers during qualifications or for that matter during training. We cleaned them when finished shooting for the day. I have had revolvers bind up because unburned powder got underneath the extractor star but that gets back to the issue of quality ammunition. I am surprised the retired cops didn't mention the biggest advantage of revolvers which you didn't discuss. IF ENGAGED IN A FIGHT TO THE DEATH AT BAD BREATH RANGE, THEY CAN FIRED IN AWKWARD POSITIONS WHERE THE MUZZLE IS PRESSED AGAINST A BODY OR IT HAS TO BE FIRED WITH A LIMP WRIST. Semi-autos will not function if the slide is pressed out of battery when the muzzle is pressed against something and will often malfunction after the first round if firing with a limp wrist. Disarming someone with a snub nosed revolver is also very difficult since there isn't a lot of places to grab onto one. Here is a link showing a retired deputy who was working as a security guard at a bank having a semi-auto malfunction when firing from an awkward position with a limp wrist. ruclips.net/video/C0mlfAm5VXs/видео.html Fortunately the suspect was fleeing the bank and wasn't shooting back at the guard when the malfunction occurred. The A answer for many is to carry a semi-auto backed up by a snubby revolver if things go deadly at bad breath distance.
As a veteran and subsequently years of LE experience, every body with years of experience with both pistols & revolvers knows that a revolver has less moving parts and more reliable. If you think this is a “myth”, take a new revolver & pistol off the shelf and be told your life is at stake. Which one would you choose? And of course in civilian self defense situations where a citizen is attacked in public such as a gas station or parking lot statistics show that 1 to 3 shots are fired. I personally carry a Beretta with 15 in the mag. Why, because my mind set from my LE days stays with you the rest of your life. Some things John does not ‘get’ because of his absence of LE experience. There is usually a big difference between gun channels with LE veterans and ones that don’t have that perspective & real world experience.
Huh? That's just an error of fact. There are 59 parts in a K-frame S&W Model 19, and 37 in a Glock. www.brownells.com/schematics/smith-wesson-/k-frame-19-sid595.aspx
I bet you were running Magtech in your class which I have found to suck for my revolvers. My gunsmith told me they use hard rifle primers, not pistol primers.
He doesn’t know what he is talking about, I have both and my daily use is a semiautomatic pistol but revolver are any day 100% more reliable!!! That’s it plain and simple
I like the revolver just cause it has a lot of utility. I can take a heavier load hiking and camping, and most likely none of us are gonna have 20 terrorists rush us so 6 rounds and being trained to use a speed loader should be fine. Plus if you buy an expensive one it makes a good memento to pass down to your family.
Unfortunately, I think the likelihood of 20+ attackers rushing has gone up lately...the world sucks. I teach hundreds of students a year and have thousands come through the range I work at and from my experience revolvers and semi autos are equal for total failures proportional to their numbers (around 5% ish). All the revolvers I have seen fail are relatively new air weights that seemed to be properly maintained or total pieces of crap that were rusty. 1911s are the top semi auto I see fail followed closely by Sig Sauer guns, particularly newly made ones (P365s, P320s and even the classic steel ones like P226s made recently...I think their quality control went down as the demand for the government contracts went up).
It doesnt have to be 20 people. I think too many people assume a bad guy is going down with one round. I'm not saying you're going to have a dozen attackers. But let's say theres 2. 2 attackers is certainly not uncommon. Not by any stretch. Most carry revolvers hold 5 shots but even if you have a 6 shot. That's 3 rounds a piece. Let's say you fire the gun empty and they're still trying to kill you. Now what? Now for the record. In general I'm of the belief that for most applications revolvers are fine so long as you take care of them. That being said. With as far as semi autos have come, I dont see much advantage to wheels guns any more. Maybe in the days when autos were hit and miss for reliability. But now? No not really. Even if we overlook the difference in capacity, which semi autos often hold at least twice as many rounds, if not more, they are much easier to reload especially under pressure, etc.
@@ASPextra For any/all incident statistics, I wonder what the mean/mode number of rounds fired are. I.E. How many times were more than 15 rounds needed? Or 6 rounds? So most CCWs are carrying extra magazines? Even the other way, how many CCW revolver carriers out there CC speed loaders?
It depends on the model, given reliable ammo. My Ruger SP101 and Ruger LCR have never failed to fire. However, I bought two Pietta 1873's and both keep breaking the transfer bars. I've given up on them. So I'm waiting for the govt. buyback program to sell the broken Pietta's and use the money to buy another Ruger.
I’ve had more issues with my Glocks, smith semi autos, and sigs than my revolvers. The only issues I have had are with very cheap revolvers or ammo with a coating/steel case.
Lol what kind of shit revolvers were failing at the range... I put 100 rounds of mixed JHP, FJFP, and 305 grain flat point bear load through my Dan Wesson 44 magnum in about 30-40 minutes with absolutely no issues... If anyone has confirmation bias it may be you on this one John. Cheers
He was also shooting blanks 15 degrees off axis, with a 10 foot minimum for the person he was shooting. In between his coffee breaks from craft services.
The fact is, there is a higher % of a malfunction with a semiauto, even newer ones that are maintained. There's a reason alot of training for semi-autos is for clearing malfunctions. Everyone knows what tap and rack is, its literally part of the beginning of training. John knows the importance of the first shot on target. Sorry, I'd rather that be a 357 magnum with a slightly higher % of working. Real world encounters are 2-4 shots, and there are carry 8 shot revolvers now that have superior ballistics to any 9mm. Even experts goof up a draw and place their hand on the slide You mess up or have a malfunction against a decent 357 shooter at the FBI ranges for encounters and you probably won't get to rack that slide ever again. You cannot simulate bullets flying at you at the range, so you haven't trained for real stressors. A gun that is easier to use compensates for all the things(while unlikely) that have a higher chance of happening with a semiauto and you get better ballistics as a nice bonus. There are countless videos of cops unloading 9mms into a dude's chest and they keep going. Never heard of that in all the years when cops were running 6 shot 357s. I'll take 2 more shots in a cylinder than those cops, better ballistics than they ever dreamed of, and a speedloader in case I'm in one of those west wild shootouts that semiauto lovers think happens. The smart ones actually know it just takes a lot more 9mm to stop someone.
@@ASPextra you also doubted that 410 buckshot out of a handgun until you actually tried it and you had the biggest surprised face I'd ever seen looking at that gel. I would be curious what you think is wrong. I've never heard any experienced firearm person say semiautos and revolvers are essentially the same in terms of reliability. Never said semiautos are terrible or anything just to be clear.
@@ASPextra I literally just watched you shooting it in gel today. You shot the Governor with 4 000 buckshot with a single trigger pull. Some of them went completely through the first block of gel. You said it patterned well and met FBI standards in gel. I would rather get shot with your hot 9mm round over that any day of the week.
ruclips.net/video/B7KcgdRcIo0/видео.html&ab_channel=ActiveSelfProtectionExtra I've shot alot of 9mm, 32s, and 38s that don't hit that penetration threshold btw
Hi there, I’m Dennis and I’m a very proud owner of a new .44mag Ruger Super Red Hawk Hunter edition 7 1/2” barrel. I just bought it last month from collecting Bass Pro Shop gift cards over the years from family and friends. As a big gift From my wife this Christmas, she gave me a plain gift card and said I can pay for the remaining balance with cash. My gun cost me a whopping $1,019! I have shot over a 150 rounds already and I love it. I really enjoy hearing the different reviews by other owners. Your review was great. Thank you
I am a hand loader and because of the lack of supplies in my area I learned to make my own gun powder. Recently I loaded some of that powder in .38 cases and took it to my range. It works quit well even though it does not produce as much power as smokeless. I do have to say if I had used it in say my 9mm I would have only been able to fire a few rounds before the firearm would have been to fouled to function. Not so with the wheel gun. It got dirty and it stunk but it never failed to fire. Once the smoke cleared I found it to be quite accurate.
I've never seen anybody bash revolvers reliability so much in one sitting. I don't really care. I've got both, and when I pocket carry in the winter a hammerless revolver is perfect for the jacket pocket. I can put my hand on it and shoot through the jacket. Can't do that with a pistol. However I have pistols Galore and I conceal carry those as well. I keep them cleaned and adjust. I don't worry about it.
You actually CAN do that with a pistol, and I think that "shooting a revolver through a pocket" is another myth that I am just going to have to bust on camera.
@@ASPextra Mr. Paul Harrel did a video. The semi auto pistols got one or two shots off in pocket before it jammed. Myth busted? Paul goes on, uses different jacket and revolver gets 5 rounds off twice no misfire. Watching other YT videos either platform can jam, but pistols are far more likely. Type of jacket or pocket lining is a factor. Other videos on RUclips about shooting from inside the pocket are fairly consistant, but did see pistol get all 6 shots off. Revolver pocket fired with no misfires was common. Pistols are prone to jam especially with lined pockets. One safety concern is a pocket gun should be holstered. The idea is un holstering in the pocket and have it ready. The Kydex or soft pocket holster are easy to push off gun by thumb. However why not go ahead and draw? Idea is stage it and have it ready but canceled if you perceive threat but don't want to show. Alternative is put hand on gun ready to draw. I need to practice this dry and buy some used jackets and practice live fire. If you see me walking around with Goodwill Jacket and hand in pocket watch out... ha ha..
The idea of shooting a revolver through a pocket is simply a bad idea in every capacity in every way. And Paul can make any video on it he wants to, but he is wrong to recommend that technique.
@@ASPextra Paul doesn't recommend it, just shows pistol vs revolver. The topic was if you do shoot out pocket or purse revolver is less likely to jam. I agree it's not desirable either way after further thought.
I love John's channel, but I have to agree. To say that revolvers have to be cleaned that often or they won't work is insane (as many far more experienced revolver shooters than I have posted). And yes, there are videos that show revolvers can shoot from within a pocket or from under bed covers. Not that you'd want to do that unless you had to, but I can envision scenarios where it might be necessary. I understand the advantages that semiautos have over revolvers, but revolvers have some advantages over semis, too. I own and shoot both types, and they both have excellent reliability. To claim that reliability is a significant issue just goes against common experience. smh
Out of all the training and range visits I've had, almost all malfunctions were due to ammunition. That being said, I've never had a semi auto pistol get so jammed up that it couldn't be cleared or rectified by doing a magazine change (I usually always have a 2nd mag on me). That fact alone is why I choose to carry and recommend semi auto pistols to everyone. One day we decided to take a few revolvers out to the range for some fun and out of 5 revolvers, we had two show stopping failures that would have been bad in a gun fight. Again the issue wasn't the actual revolver but the ammo. The primer on one of the rounds backed out enough to lock up the cylinder. We literally had to beat the cylinders open on both to get the bad casing out. Again if this would have been a SD situation, it would have been bad news. For the most part you are depending on the lottery that you have good ammunition in your carry weapon and that you will not have any failures. Failures will and do happen, so please practice and train to protect yourself and others if the need arises.
I know, I am two years late to the party here but HAVE to say something anyway. I have been carrying for 36 years. I have trained a metric crap ton in those 36 years. While I tend to carry a semiautomatic these days, I still train with my revolvers and over that 36 years of carrying, I have carried a revolver for far more time than semiautomatics and still carry one at times. In 36 years and tens of thousands of rounds I have had exactly ONE malfunction with my revolvers. ONE! That one was a squib that jammed a round in the barrel. It took about a minute to fix. Now, if you want to talk round count vs round stopping power that is a different story but reliability? I wonder what kind of crap guns you had in that line of 18.
Whoever watches your channel knows that several people got killed in the fight using revolvers running out of ammo. I am a revolver lover. However in my life I had to use the warranty to repair 4 guns in total, they were all revolvers sadly. Whoever says that a revolver doesn't jam never shoots different revolvers. They are indeed problematic. Carry a Glock 21 everyday and that my friend is a reliable gun. Gotta love the 45 automatic colt pistol!
I do carry my semi a lot more because of his videos and those who ran out of bullets in their revolver. That said, I feel more comfortable with the revolver, so I do carry it as well based on where I'm going and what I'm doing.
I wonder how many of those revolver people were killed in the US? Few I suspect. We've seen a lot of semi-auto defenders killed because their draw was too slow, though admittedly most of them drew against the drop. It seems that readiness is a much bigger issue than capacity.
Which one do you shoot the best and which one are you most comfortable with. My Wife doesn't feel comfortable with semi-autos because of having to work the slide to check to see if the gun is loaded or not. She also has some arthritis in her hands so semis are harder for her to use. She like revolvers because for her they're simpler, easy to load and unload and she's just more comfortable with them. I shoot my revolvers and 1911s better than my poly fame "wonder 9s" so for me they're also a better choice. Also far from being a "Swiss Watch" a Smith and Wesson revolver has very simple internals. A hammer, trigger, bolt(locks the cylinder in place) hand(rotates the cylinder) and a couple springs. I've pulled a lot of em' apart to smooth up the action and install Wolff Spring kits.
I really enjoy your videos regarding active self defense. However, this was more of an anti revolver video than it was a versus by a long shot. The title is definitely misleading. Maybe you need 34 rounds of ammunition in your every day dealings but most people will be served well with 5 or 6. For those have arthritis, can't rack a round well or wont want to carry a round in the chamber, a revolver may be a best solution and they should feel safe having that rather than nothing. And the fact is, you don't need to clean your gun every week if you carry a revolver under normal circumstances. I understand you had a bad day at the range with revolvers, but is it possible these were just not maintained well? Additionally, could you have picked a better revolver? Maybe you could have gotten your hand on a Smith and Wesson 500? Seriously, most people are conceal carrying a snub nose 2" barrel and those are considerably smaller than what is presented here.
@@rukkit8705 Depending upon which source one chooses to study, the average number of rounds fired in a deadly encounter is between two and four. So the guy who likes to bet his life on averages would say that he is good to go with a five-shot, snub-nose revolver with no extra reload. I carry my Glock 26 and my Canik tp9sf most of the time but if I carry a revolver it’s usually my judge and most of the time as a backup.
@@789qazify IMO. I like the simplicity factor of revolvers. I don’t trust myself to do a “tap and rack” whenever my gun doesn’t fire in a HIGH stress situation, my instinct would be to press the trigger again. So there’s pros and cons for both types of guns.
I love my 642. I love my Glock 17. Both have their place. If I could get away with it, I'd have the 17 at all times, but small revolvers, in my experience, prove themselves as much better deep concealment options than a comparably-sized auto. Their organic shape and weight balance behind and below the belt cater to this role incredibly well. When it comes to a service-sized handgun for general carry, though? Autoloader all day. There is so much more to be gained in having a large pistol with all of the bullets in it. If you don't have the skillset and tools to do minor gunsmithing on a semi-regular basis (vise, good screwdrivers, assorted other small tools), I really don't recommend revolvers for you. They require a different level of technical intimacy than an autoloader. And for the love of God, get good ammo. Federal has never done me wrong. Don't follow the Paul Harrell School of Derp and use Remington as your carry loads--I've had magnum bullets separate from their cases and lock the cylinder multiple times.
John, your credibility just took a big nosedive. Instead of wasting 17 minutes of everybody's time, just say I don't like revolvers. I have a Ruger SP101 and a Ruger LCR with thousands of rounds through them and never once had a failure to fire from either weapon. Go back to the time when all 42,000 NYPD officers carried revolvers and try to find just one officer involved shooting report where there was a misfire attributed to the officer's weapon.
I think it's a myth if anyone thinks a revolver CANNOT malfunction, because any mechanical device can. I've just never personally known one to do so. The 4/18 has to be a fluke. Many people have posted their experiences which are the same as mine.
@@abc-wv4in I've seen revolvers fail too, and it's not like they're infallible or even anything close to that. In a typical firefight scenario neither a revolver nor a semi auto handgun is likely to fail, though it is more typical to see beginners causing semi auto malfunctions due to their incompetence (limp wristing, riding the slide stop, etc)
I have used a variety of revolvers in competition for 20 years. Revolvers just plain run, Never once had an issue with any of my revolvers.
Are most revolvers safe to pocket carry without a trigger guard?
@@ForGlory1 Yes. Just don't put anything else in that pocket.
@@johnsonfrance2616 I dont think I can trust it now that I fiddled with a few. I sure thought 13 pounds of trigger pull would be enough. Lighter than I thought
@@ForGlory1 A pocket holster will keep stuff out of the trigger guard of a revolver.
@@johnsonfrance2616 I'm on it. Thanks
John, with all due respect, I think you may be overstating a perceived lack of reliability in dealing with a good quality, well-maintained revolver, at least in my experience. I spent 30 years training both police and private citizens on a regular basis, in a private school and three regional police academies during years when revolvers made up the bulk of what was being used, through the transitional years, and up until I retired and it was almost all semi-automatics. While I have seen some of the problems that you note with revolvers, they were by no means widespread. And in 30 years, I never gave recruits a break in the middle of their qualification to clean their revolvers.
I'd agree with you that no mechanical device intended to be operated by a human works perfectly. But in my opinion, given weapons of equivalent quality, I'd say that modern revolvers and modern semi-autos are about equally reliable. I can well remember when this was not the case, and the reliability advantage was heavily in favor of the revolver for most shooters. Oddly enough, my experience has been that the more dedicated students always seem to have the more reliable firearms of either type. This tells me that in most cases, the lack of reliability we see in a lot of cases is owner-induced.
I have absolutely no argument with your choice of a semi-automatic pistol for self-defense, and the arguments for the semi-auto as a superior fighting tool are well taken. But many people for many, many years have defended themselves just fine with revolvers, including myself. I don't think it does anyone a service to suggest that their revolver will somehow spontaneously fail them at the moment of truth if not cleaned every 25 rounds or so.
I seriously doubt that revolvers have become significantly less reliable in the modern age, but I do see where modern gun owners pay much less attention to maintenance, or even the use of high quality ammunition in the age of the polymer striker-fired pistol. But blaming the revolver for this is like blaming the manual transmission in an automobile simply because today's drivers no longer know how to shift gears. Cheers, Sir.
Just reporting what I have experienced is all. I think the myth of unimpeachable and legendary reliability of revolvers is just that: a myth. They go down, at bad times, and hard. Now, that said, 13 of the 18 we had on the line ran great for 300 rounds. So in the odds game, chances are the high quality one someone is shooting will run.
Well said
@@papimaximus95 you are unquestionably correct in terms of what to select for on-duty or LEO work. And as you have rightly stated, I'd also trust my life in a private citizen encounter to a good revolver, while I typically used the semi-auto for LEO work.
@@papimaximus95 Well said!
Active Self Protection Extra As a retired cop that had to use a revolver in a deadly confrontation three times (reloaded under fire once) I know they work when needed. That said we transitioned to the Glock 23 in my final 10 years, they were just as reliable but both need to be maintained in order to work properly. I’ve never heard of anyone having to clean a revolver mid way through a qualification course though. If I had to go back on the street today it would be a modern auto loader w/o question. Good video w/excellent points that I agree with.
Which SHOULD you carry? The one you're comfortable and competent with.
This is exactly what I would say....
CryWolf Adam the one that you can pull out faster
I liek rainbowsss , I partly disagree. It is the one you can pull and shoot accurately faster!
@@POCASBL ……...rainbowsss are grate. Skittles are like the rainbowsss. Eet them.
Basically you're right.
John, when I started as a copper, we had to carry revolvers on duty. I was one of the range masters who fought to let us carry semi autos. Any firearm needs to be checked often if your life counts on it.
I can agree with that for sure.
Young man, back in my day revolves were king. I've shot several revolves I've owned for over 40 years.
I started carrying a Colt lawman III in the 70's for security and shot the hell out of it without a problem.
Then upgraded to a Smith model 66. Thousands and thousands of rounds through both and never had a issue.
I've never had a semi automatic that hasn't jammed up every few hundred rounds.
Although I carry a shield these days, I always have my trusty 5 shot 642.
Old guys know
I’ve been actively shooting revolvers and semi-auto pistols for 40 years. NEVER had any issues with any revolvers! Not one single time. I cannot say the same thing for the semi-autos. I also never heard anyone at my gun club say they had any issues with revolvers but I’ve heard countless stories about issues with semi-autos.
I’ve never heard anything about being able to clean a pistol during qualification.
Anecdotal evidence is never reliable. Just because the people at your gun club almost never have problems with revolvers, but have countless problems with semi autos, doesn’t mean that another club can’t have the opposite going on. Sample size and other variables can account for both extremes being equally true.
30 yrs. No problem with any revolver. Dont think much of his advice anyway.
juan gonzalez anecdotal evidence may not be reliable but revolvers are!!!! 😎
Out of all the training and range visits I've had, almost all malfunctions were due to ammunition. That being said, I've never had a semi auto pistol get so jammed up that it couldn't be cleared or rectified by doing a magazine change (I usually always have a 2nd mag on me). That fact alone is why I choose to carry and recommend semi auto pistols to everyone. One day we decided to take a few revolvers out to the range for some fun and out of 5 revolvers, we had two show stopping failures that would have been bad in a gun fight. Again the issue wasn't the actual revolver but the ammo. The primer on one of the rounds backed out enough to lock up the cylinder. We literally had to beat the cylinders open on both to get the bad casing out. Again if this would have been a SD situation, it would have been bad news. For the most part you are depending on the lottery that you have good ammunition in your carry weapon and that you will not have any failures. Failures will and do happen, so please practice and train to protect yourself and others if the need arises.
@@scottminniear9839 Doubt he cares what you think.
Great job John, the only thing I’m thinking Is that for most new shooters or people that don’t train as much as they should, a revolver is much simpler to use. Remember kiss! Basically point and shoot. With a semi-auto they have to consider clearing potential jams, working the slide, possibly manipulating the safety, etc.
My every day carry is now a pistol but I have a S&W Model 13 that I have put over 7000 rounds through since I bought it over 35 years ago and it has never once had an issue. Plus it's a tack driver and has the smoothest double action trigger I've ever shot thanks to a old Navy buddy that did a trigger job on it.
Wow, 5 out of 18 revolvers "went down hard". I have been shooting revolvers over 50 years and never once had a problem with any of them. However, I have had multiple problems with semi-auto's mainly related to magazine issues, bad ammo or not ejecting. I trust a revolver to go bang every time.
That said, my suggestion is for everyone to carry the gun they are comfortable with.
A supposed Mexican assassin told me years ago revolver is the way to go when at close range. Best part no spent casings on the ground.
I'm a bit skeptical of that, 5 out of 18 revolvers "went down hard," too, and my experience matches yours.
I choose both. Boom! Ya didn't see that coming did ya!
Yes
I carry both. (not at the same time!) I find a revolver will actually conceal better, for me, than the square chunky semi's. If I carry them high on the belt, strong side, the cylinder tucks into the area above my hip, and on the belt line the barrel is thinner than the muzzle of a semi. During the winter/spring/fall, my 24-3 (S&W) actually conceals very well. My Bulldog (charter) conceals well under a T-Shirt...so I would disagree a bit with revolvers not concealing as well because the cylinder is wide. And that all depends on body type also, just speaking for myself. On modern semi's I don't like them at all. My favorite carry semi is a CZ52, and sometimes I'll carry the 1911 when it's colder weather and I can wear more clothes. My AP-MBP is super concealable, but the caliber (32ACP) does not generate a lot of confidence. That's why I practice with it the most, and don't pack it often.
Me too. 342PD for pocket carry when I want something light. P229 or G19 when I want a bit more firepower and don't mind a bulkier gun. I can carry the Smith in my pocket at the gym and it is light enough it doesn't drag the pants down so as to obviously have something heavy in there. Only problem with the 342 is that after maybe 8 to 10 rounds the frame/cylinder heat up so much and expands that everything tightens up making the trigger action that much heavier. But I only carry it with 5 onboard and no extra speed loader or anything so not an issue in a real life situation just at the range.
Where are you from Ivan?
Amen!
My dad inherited a smith and wesson 38 special from his dad (who got it used). It had never been cleaned and ran just like new with now problems. Revolvers are about as reliable as it gets.
You can buy a good or bad product in anything you buy. some of the best rated cars have a lemon every so often, even a brand new light build can be brought home and found not to work. I knew of someone years ago who had a 38 special S&W and had nothing but problems out of it, and even had taken it in several times for repairs and rebuilds. then one day, a Gun Smith found the reason for it, and stated that there wasn't anything anyone could do. he said, yes I can fix it, but it will wear out quickly again, it just wasn't well made. So the guy sold it, and stated he would never buy another S&W.
Taurus used to be part of S&W but branched out on their own. Taurus has made some very fine guns, but they have a poor reputation for a lot of poorly made guns.
I would love to have a Taurus G3C for a semi auto. they are very reliable, but I also have my heart in Revolvers, as I know most semi auto's will hit the trash long before most revolvers will.
I'd take a S&W 38 special all day over any Semi Auto I think, because that was the only time I've ever in my life ever heard about a poorly made S&W 38 special. S&W must be dependable because most law enforcement have used them over and over again for years. Peace..
@@thebluesrockers Don't believe Taurus was ever a part of Smith & Wesson.
@@mmabagain look them up on Wikipedia
OG LA area cop. We never had a stop and clean revolver break during training. I'm sensing trolling here.
I must disagree. I shot competition for 10 yrs, mostly with revolvers, s&w 625 and 66, with many other wheelgunners. I cannot recall one malfunction, b/c there were none. We used revolvers cuz a malfunction in some of these matches put the shooter out of contention. So this is my anecdote, and I think it is far better than yours-one day versus 10 years. Edit: I just got done reading the comments. You have been crushed on this topic, but I still love you.
Revolver hands done more reliable
Sorry but true
Haha I was a cop who carried a revolver. A S&W that NEVER misfired. I have NEVER had a revolver misfire. Then again, my S&P Shield .40 has never misfired, either. I always carry one or the other (or both) depending on where I'm going and what I'm doing. Also, my enclosed hammer J frame is easier to conceal appendix carry than my M&P, so, I think that's just subjective, brother. I do shoot a little more accurately with my S&P.
I'm old and grew up with revolvers and I've never personally known one to malfunction. Hard to believe that three or four out of eighteen had serious problems. Did these folks bring grandpa's gun that had been stored in the barn 50 years?
I own and shoot both kinds of guns, so I'm not anti semi-auto at all. I keep one loaded at home, along with a revolver, for HD. I've just never known revolvers to be so unreliable. I think that range session John discusses had to be a fluke.
As for the other pros and cons, there are pros and cons for both types and I like both types and consider them reliable.
My revolvers (Model 19 and 642) have never had a malfunction. My semi autos? Many, many. Including several top brands, including the HK VP9 and Glock 19. User errors are common with semi auto and finicky with some ammo.. Yes, I agree semiautos make sense and I carry them most of the time. But I know my SW 642 is going to fire all 5 shots, absolutely. First shots on target make the difference. Revolver could be the weapon for certain folks.
Same. And I agree wholeheartedly.
Man my new gen 5 Glock 19 has 1500 rounds thru it, not a single malfunction. Kimber micro 9 and Springfield XDm, can’t say the same.
@@AString95 funny how different guns have very different results for people. My G19 finally settled in after about 700 rounds. I trust it now. The VP9 I gave up on and traded it in.
@@2Timone7 So do I.
I agree, Jeff, and I'll add this as a recent example: Last week I went to the indoor range with a male relative. We shot his 9mm semi, my 9mm semi, my .380 semi, a .38 spl revolver, and a .357 revolver which of course can, and did, also shoot .38 spl. (100-200 rounds for each caliber, except fewer of the .357 magnum). One 9mm semi had one malfunction with Am Eagle FMJ (with me, an older female with small weaker hands--the first this gun has ever had), and the .380 had one malfunction with Speer Lawman TMJ (its first), with the younger, strong male shooter during rapid fire. Both were failures to extract or eject the spent case and chamber the next round, and they may or may not have been user-caused and were cleared by a rack of the slide. Regardless, a malfunction is a malfunction, whether user-caused or not. Neither revolver had any issues of any kind, ever.
These are only the second and third malfunctions I've experienced/personally seen since I've been shooting semi-autos (occasionally over several years), but I've occasionally shot revolvers all my adult life (decades), and I have never had one to malfunction in my presence, nor heard of anyone that I know that had one. I know it can happen, but very rarely in good quality firearms.
The failure rate John mentions in this video is NOT the norm; not even close. I still don't know what on earth could've been going on there. I seldom disagree with him, but (as many other experienced shooters have said) he's way off base in this video.
I own and shoot both types of handguns, and I believe they all have good reliability. Each type has its pros and cons. But revolvers are much less prone to user-caused (poor grip, "limp wristing," riding the slide stop button, contacting the slide, etc.) and ammo-based malfunctions than semi-autos are. That is just a fact. They may also be a little more prone to inherent mechanical malfunctions as well, but I won't go that far. Semis have other important advantages (usually higher capacity, faster reloads), but reliability is not one of them. This from my own, and those with whom I've shot, experiences over 50 years, not just something I read.
John just over here poking a hornet's nest for fun.
As a police officer who trained and carried a S&W K frame and Ruger Service Six I never had a revolver fail to go bang when I pulled the trigger! I was a LE Firearms instructor and armorer and aside from occasionally running into a cylinder timing issue or end shake problem revolvers were uber reliable.. I also used various semi auto's at the mid point of my career and had complete confidence in there reliability (Glock19, S&W 59series Sig P226). Nowadays I'm strictly a semi auto hi cap magazine type of guy!
Yeah they CAN do great. I am not saying revolvers are UNRELIABLE. I am just saying that their mythical "never can fail" reliability is just that: mythical.
@@ASPextra John I concur, just last week I went for my HR218 annual qual and a retired cop who was shooting a S&W M36 Chief 38 Special broke his trigger rebound return spring. I'd say his M36 was made in the late 70's. It's my understanding that the newer model revolvers from S&W and Ruger seem to have more problems than the older ones.
Failure to feed + failure to eject + magazine failures in the middle of a fight are what people generally think of when they choose revolver over semiautomatic pistols. I would like to see the per-round and per-defensive use failure stats for revolvers and pistols to compare them.
Yes. The problems for an auto come in real life fights, especially those that involve grappling. The shooter may grab the pistol with a poor grip (as bad as hand behind the slide). He may bump the magazine eject button while grabbing the pistol. The pistol may get bumped out of battery. And if the front of the slide is pushed into the bad guy most autos will go out of battery. Limp writing in a grappling situation is also likely, and that only effects autos.
If you can engage a target at range (like you do at the range) autos are great.
But if you maintain your revolver you are more likely to get off all 5 or 6 rounds, at any range.
In the real world predators like to surprise people at short ranges. It's illegal to engage someone at range just because they look suspicious or even brandishing a pistol in a borderline threatening situation. In theory there are ways to hold your pistol in one hand while keeping the opponent away with the other arm, but don't try practicing that at most shooting ranges.
@@JimTemplemanexactly. Every defensive counter I have EVER been in was inside or about 4 yards and that's the truth! I want a revolver everytime for distances like that! Most baddies will rush you fast so a revolve is a way better choice.
Source: me
Supporting data: multiple (over a dozen) street confrontations, 2 home invasions.
@@taasch2505 Whoa, sounds like you live in a rough neighborhood!
Stay safe & have a great New Year.
At 70 yrs. old, using revolvers exclusively since I was 14, I have Never had any problem with any revolver I have owned unless it was ammo related. but then again, I never owned anything but proven and well made revolvers. Last time at a range (before I built my own range), I fired over 150 rounds without any problem while those using pistols on either side of me had numerous malfunctions. Much of it was due to ammo, but way too many was due to the firearm itself. Granted, none required a gunsmith to fix, but all required 'tinkering" which could cause one to end up dead. I will stick to my revolvers.
Hell yeah! My twin brother got himself a 1917 Army 45. acp. I would prefer a good revolver over a semi automatic pistol any day!
We all knew you old dudes would be saying this. Your family jewels don't even work anymore. You were almost 20 when Bonanza started playing on television do of course you choose revolvers
@@johnnylewis7437 My jewels are in good condition, taken care of, and in reliable. I can't remember ever having a failure. Bonanza, great show and I have seen every episode.
@@johnnylewis7437 most semi auto's will hit the trash heap long before most Revolvers will. Revolvers are hand made, now that being said, A Ruger security 9 or a Taurus G3C would be great guns to carry without breaking the bank. a good and well made revolver cost a lot. I do love revolvers, but most of them are just to big to conceal and carry. not to mention a semi auto's gets off a lot more shots, and fire much faster.
But for fun factor, I do love Revolvers. a 22 rough rider would be a great gun for shooting cans. or just a great cheap gun to shoot cheap ammo. all guns are great when they're working good, or not breaking the bank. no need to insult anyone. everyone has a right to disagree. Peace..
Good to know. What is the best brand in your opinion for a female first time gun buyer, small light defense revolver?
Wow! I have never claimed revolvers are more reliable than slide pistols. However, I have never know anyone who has ever had to fix their revolver for anything. While in the Marines, I spent about 3 years on embassy duty and at the time we were issue the same Model 19 and I fell in love with it. Between the school and serving two embassies, each Marine probably put 10,000 to 15,000 rounds of Federal Hydrashock .357 magnum 125 gr. rounds through them. And that cycle was continuous over who knows how many decades. They were 100% more reliable than owing taxes or death. Many embassies are in really terrible countries so if a revolver went down, we were just short a firearm because no gunsmiths at all and to get a new firearm to the Sahara takes a very long time. So I carried daily a revolver that could have had well over 100,000 rounds through them or more and they never failed. And again, no gunsmith or spare parts so they never had anything replaced on them either. Cannot wait to get a vintage model 19 for home use!
Having served in Federal law enforcement 15 years and shooting a lot, I do not remember revolvers ever failing. Presently, the technology of 9mm guns now is so impressive, that they do not fail often either, in contrast to 40 years ago. I tend to agree with the post below, go with the gun you shoot most accurately. If you are in law enforcement, you must carry a large capacity pistol because of the firepower carried by bad guys. This is not necessarily the case for citizens and home defense.
Wow, after 35 years of carrying a handgun on me every day of my life and after having shot literally many thousands of rounds, in both revolver and pistol (SA and DA) -and owning both, I have never had a revolver jam and/or fail. However, every single semi-auto I have owned and or own, be they"high quality" and expensive or "affordable," ALL jammed and/or failed at one time or another. The problems that can happen with a semi-auto are legion -Limp-wristing, hitting the magazine release inadvertently, impeding the slide from properly functioning and jamming the pistol by inappropriately using cover, having a spent shell casing bouncing off of a wall or car (as you're using cover) and jamming your pistol, leaving the safety on, improperly racking a round, etc. That's not to mention your "run of the mill" problems like stove pipe jams (failure to eject), failure to feed (damaged magazines, weak magazine springs, damaged or faulty cartridges, dirt and/or grease accumulation in or around the chamber and magazines not seated properly), failure to extract, failure to fire, etc. Any of these problems can happen while you're under the adrenaline dump of combat, when fine motor skills go out the window and when your visual perception and cognitive abilities are hampered by the stress of combat. If you are a law enforcement officer or military, you usually control the initiation of combat and usually can approach a situation "ready (or more ready)." Most of the time when civilians have to defend themselves they have no warning and no time to get "ready." They can go from feeling happy, while they are sharing a meal with their family at a restaurant, to having to switch to lethal self-defense mode as they are experiencing the adrenaline dump and combat stress. Fine motor skills are not as necessary with revolvers. I know, I know, the Glock has no safety and a great performance record. However, it is still subject to all of the problems of a semi-auto. Remember. "no plan survives contact with the enemy." Theory will only get you so far. Combat/fighting is nasty business. it is completely unpredictable and you can only get so "ready." Thus, never forget the axiom, "less is more."
I think you have confirmation bias issues here.
@@ASPextra Ditto.
@@ASPextra Pot. Kettle. Black.
Imagine telling someone "my gun jammed because it was full of belly button hair".
Dude, I have seen people show up to class with guns they have carried for a long while without shooting, and seeing how gunked up they were made me sick!
Active Self Protection Extra That's no fault of the firearm really...just the clod who carries it.
I know what was that all about?
Imagine saying that to someone else in heaven
Revolvers are like semi-autos... but for men!
@Ganga Din BRING MORE BRASS
For me it's all theory, because nobody carries guns where I live. I do believe that the first two shots are (or should be) much more important than the rest you potentially have. The biggest question for me would be: Which gun would help me get both of those shots on target before the other guy can shoot me? Perhaps an easy shooting semi-auto? I am listening to John here about the trigger issue. On the other hand, they say that a firm and predictable trigger helps you to confirm your target before you shoot. I'm lucky it's not really my dilemma.
stay with your semi auto! i put my life in my ruger!
Revolvers for self defense vs. semi autos. EDC. Hands down for me is a revolver. More reliable, more accurate, less incidents of jamming. They don’t stove ever. Yes 17 is better then 6. But if you practice, practice, practice you should be find. As a 20 year armed alarm response guard I’ve carried revolvers for 5 of those 20’s years. I carried the sig, the s&w and glock semis. By much farther the revolver performed with the less problems. Additions to accuracy and reliability the revolver in .357 magnum is the most versatile in a munitions. You can use .38 special, .38 special+P, .38 special +P+, .357 magnum, .357+P, and of course glazer rounds. Sorry John I I disagree on all of your points. Live your active self protection lessons, keep them going and thank you.
Wrong. Chances are you will be fighting someone high on drugs and can take 10+ rounds and still keep coming.
I'll take auto-loader all day long over an outdated revolver.
The threats have evolved, more drug users out of their minds than old days. You are still fighting outdated battles whereas the threats have changed.
Why hobble your life with old technology?
@@frankc.2869 however, would you agree revolvers make a better bug? Most people who carry a bug rarely practice with it, and it's usually a j frame or subcompact, so would you agree that 5 shots of .357 mag with better reliability is better than 8 of .380 for a backup? Also a bug allows you the option to arm a 2nd person, and just about anyone can fire a revolver.
@@frankc.2869 6 rounds of 357 magnum is equivalent to a whole magazine of 9mm lmao. I deal with people on drugs daily. Put 3-5 rounds in the chest or one in the head and they’re done. You’ll be ok. I promise.
@@gunlover5564 I like 357 for the ranch but follow up shots are quicker with a semi auto. And depending on who you you train with, my training was two to the thoracic cavity ie the chest. If they are ineffective then one to the head. We know that all handgun rounds are underpowered. Hence the two rounds.
FWIW, I am one of those old farts who started in the business when we all shot revolvers. I cannot think of a single time during training or quals where we were ever allowed, let alone encouraged to clean our guns halfway through the course of fire. In the academy we would shoot 100-150 rounds in a training session and we were not cleaning in between strings or boxes of ammo. I am aware, from having shot PPC, that competitors might swab a barrel or wipe down a cylinder periodically but for the most part we didn't. Usually by the time I was done with a practice session the gun had so much carbon on it it was sticky to the touch and it still shot fine. While unburned powder grains under the ejector star can over time cause an issue, a cylinder full or even ten isn't going to put enough unburned powder under the star to tie it up.
Greetings, I am also a member of the O.F.C...I started my LE career with revolvers. Many, many years later we transitioned to semi-autos with the arrival of the ruthless Jamaican drug dealers. I carried 3 different caliber revolvers at one time or another and never had any problems. We never cleaned our revolver until the qual was over. Having said that, when we switched to semi-autos I never looked back. My personal favorite is the DA/SA semi-auto.
@@1oldbluesheepdog When we made the change it was to S&W DA/SA guns, 59xx and later 45xx. Eventually went to Sig P220/P226 and, FWIW I still shoot those Sigs better and more naturally than any other semi-auto. But I don't shoot any of them quite so well as I can a revolver. :)
Rocky Groth I carried a j-frame for many years and each time I went to the range to shoot anything I always loosed off 20 to 150 on my carry revolver. I never cleaned it at the range, I’ve never had any malfunction either and I’ve put the cheapest to expensive ammo through it. Also, it looks nasty from being in my pocket and I have no idea what finish S&W put on it but it looks like it’s diseased on the outside. Still fires and inside normal home distances to a cross the street distances I can always print a good group.
Adam R
Yes. I think guy in video is full of shit. I’ve experienced the same as you and the others in comments. And never seen an issue with wheel guns.
Revolvers are good, but modern day striker fired guns are better. If your good with a revolver you can be even better with a striker fired. Doesn't make sense to carry a revolver today, maybe as a backup gun, but that's it.
When I went through my CCL class I put 40 rounds through my Taurus 856UL, and the gun was working as well on the last shot as it did on the first. I didn't need to stop halfway through and clean it.
But let everyone carry what he is most comfortable with. There is no best gun for all persons and situations.
I mean I’ve run 500 rounds through my glock without cleaning it before so
I do agree semi automatic is more efficient and more rounds is a comfort. I have full respect for John, however reliability about revolvers are top notch. I’ve sometimes put like 500 rounds in a Ruger DP100 without cleaning it and didn’t have a single malfunction.
The good old Ruger Double Penatration 100 my favorite.
@@hatchetwound666 actually is a GP100
Hmmm. Done a whole lot a shooting of both over many years.... I’ve yet to ever even see an issue with a revolver..... can’t say the same for semis.... usually see more than one per range trip. My own have each malfunctioned more than once each. So yea. Maybe that’s just me. But I stick with my snubby for ccw for the reasons I’ve experienced.
That has also been my experience, my husband's, and everyone with whom I've personally shot both types of handguns. No revolver malfunctions; the occasional semi malfunction even with good name-brand factory ammo.
And I agree, hmmm.... That video is definitely not the norm; not sure what was going on there.
I have two revolvers and never a problem ...I will be sticking with my revolver 😎
Was talking the other day to a Glock technician. Told him my Glock failed to fire occasionly. He said my problem was "limp wristing" and that I needed to use better quality ammo. I told him that my S&W model 19 has fired thousands of wad cutters, semi-wad cutters, reloads, shotshells, cheap ammo and good ammo without a single failure to fire. He said "Yeah, that's because it's a revolver". I rest my case.
My rookie year was 1968 and over the next 30 years I was forced to use my issued revolver three times (reloaded under fire in one fight) to defend my life or the life of someone else. In all that time of qualifying w/my gun I never saw anyone have to stop and clean a revolver in the midst of a qual course. We transitioned to the Glock 23 during my last 10 years and those guns never failed either. A well maintained handgun will run reliably but I don’t see the need to clean a revolver weekly unless it’s been shot. If I was still on the job a semi auto would be my first choice, especially given ammo capacity & reload speed.
Man, you seriously had a revolver reload in a real gunfight!?! That's amazing. Glad you made it through that.
Active Self Protection Extra Yes, reloaded my department issued Colt DS w/a speedloader and emptied it a second time before ending the threat. In the aftermath we had one officer shot (he recovered), one suspect dead and two others under arrest. This was 1974 when we all carried revolvers. You can get the details from a Fall 2016 edition of American Handgunner, author Mass Ayoob.
@@oldcop18respect bro
Which gun has people shot themselves with the most, misfires or drawing. I would say the semi-auto by far.
The Ringmaster I'd say you're correct
well duh bc most people carry a semi-auto
Lol then you shouldnt own a gun, revolver doesnt fix stupid
a revolver doesnt fix that dude... ppl are stupid simple as that
Actually i think more idiots have cranked that hammer back and shot themselves or someone else because they were to stupid to know how light a single action trigger is
Which is best for you? It depends on the individual, carry what you shoot best with. It’s as simple as that, no need to be a tactical ninja. Most important thing is that you carry everyday.
5-8 rounds vs 15-17 rounds.
Semi-auto all day!
Venom GT72 given that John carries his HK... I think we know where he stands lol.
I would rather have six rounds of .454 Casull than 17 rounds of .22 lr.
TreeWizard648: Most people would not use .22 for self defense.
@@nandor8639 I am just saying capacity means nothing without reference to caliber.
Better use riffle 30 rounds
Man I don't know, I've had my semi auto 9 give me more problems then my 44 mag revolver. However to each their own.
@James Wadsworth very well said. My thoughts exactly
Who are u talking about
@@robinfood74 I was simply making a statement about my preferred firearm. If you're talking about my comment to James, he deleted it and I don't remember the context.
Sounds like either you have a big disparity in the amount of rounds through each where you have a very low quality 9mm. Or poor ammo. If you're 9 mm was made before approximately year 2000 it's likely a whole other generation of reliability from modern stuff. Whether you're talking cars or pistols a lot of improvements and reliability happen between 1970 or 1980 and 2021.
I know you didn't say which type and for all I know you do have something modern. But if you really are having a lot of problems with it there's something wrong with that specific gun or your ammo. Having a brand name that rhymes with block doesn't make you any more immune to this fact than having six chambers that rotate does. Bad Glocks exist. Messed up revolvers exist.
@@GunFunZS You definitely are on the money. Ammo and models can make a significant difference, as well as age and maintenance. Now me personally, I've had more issues with my 9. I've had varied success with switching ammunition, sometimes I'll get a couple dozen clean runs through with a certain brand, then I'll go back a day later and run into the same issues. I don't think I've ever had a huge hang-up with my revolver aside from the time I couldn't get the cylinder to rotate because of my improper placement of a few parts. But yeah it really all comes down to preference.
I carry a revolver on a regular basis. They’re a lot like 1911s. Get one from a reputable manufacturer and stay on top of maintenance on it and it should run.
Should.
Retired LEO here.....I love my six-shooters...I have a pair of S&W model 65s (3" and 4" barrels) and never had any problem with them in the past 40 years despite the fact that I'm lazy and don't clean them very often. BTW, the triggers came from the factory with 9 Lbs. of pressure for double action, not 11. And FYI, with speedloaders I can reload just as fast as a semi-auto. Now I will concede capacity but the revolver fits my hand better with Hogue custom rubber grips and so I am more accurate with it. I have watched too many modern cops in these videos doing a "spray and pray" rather than aiming and putting just one or two rounds on target and while I don't have the stats, I'm sure collateral damage is much higher since high-capacity autos took over. I also have watched too many videos where cops have their semi-autos jam and fail to clear the round while under stress but never seen that happen with a revolver. And as far as your statement, "having to clean a revolver midway through a qualification course"....NO, that's nonsense....I have literally watched hundreds of officers qualify over the years and NO ONE ever had to do that even one time. OK, I admit it, I'm old and probably set in my ways, but I do know some things about revolvers that you young whippersnappers don't.
Revolvers tolerate neglect very well!
Pick what your most comfortable with and most accurate with and most confident with whether a semi or wheel gun.
Conceal carrying not included? Lol i dont know a single person more comfortable carrying a wheel gun with only 6 bullets. I dont care how good of a shot you are, its just bad planning.
@Christopher Marlowe They do make wheel guns that carry 8 rounds.. And I think that's plenty for even the most aggressive shoot out.. I personally can't stand semi autos because their a bitch to handle.. I don't trust the clip springs or the side shell ejection mechanisms.. But hey it's just my opinion..
Never had a revolver fail even once. Can’t say the same for my pistols.
Revolver is less likely to experience a user induced malfunction than a semi. Mechanical reliability is a totally different animal. Pretty hard to beat the mechanical reliability of a Glock double stack or an HK.
I hear yea. I'll trade the capacity for not have to worry about limp wristing, out of battery malfunctions, having to train for malfunction drills.
True statement
Exactly!
@@brandanb9735 You sir wouldnt win in a gunfight against 1 person with a semi auto and 15 or 30 round mag. You really want to bet on their gun malfunctioning to win? Come on 😂 thats literally your arguement reverse engineered. You're going to squeeze off 3 rounds while you piss your pants and then you're going to realize you only have 3 or 4 bullets left and your heart is gonna drop because whoever your in a gunfight with knows that as well. Its not even close to practical in 2020. Research the Alien pistol, you can shoot it with your non dominant hand better than a revolver based on how it is built. This is such a dumb arguement to make 😂
@@DCfreerunner Doesn't the Alien pistol cost like 2000 dollars?
There are hundreds of scenarios where you need a lot less than 6 rounds.
People: * arguing about semi autos vs revolvers *
Me, an intellectual: "bruh just use a flintlock"
I love your comment. Good humor. If I may add... Intellectuals can be so stupid :)
LOL
I am curious to know if the malfunctioning revolvers in your class were new guns, and if the malfunctioning guns tended to be from the same manufacturer. Typically if a new revolver is defective it will be discovered in the first 500 or so rounds. After that, mechanical issues are rarely seen until parts start to wear out.
They were all good quality revolvers and none brand new. All vetted prior to class and in the hands of master firearms instructors.
it was their cheap range ammo, not the guns themselves. Never ever buy cheap ammo for self defense.
I have both and would trust both. But I’ve had my Glock jam at the range one too many times (with underpowered range ammo, never with good stuff) to trust it 100% as much a Revolver. If something happened, I’d probably reach for the 357 magnum revolver first.
The 357 magnum is my all time favorite, I'll buy one when I turn 21
Lol and yet mines never had a problem. I like 8 shot 357s
Have numer of both and carry either/both depending on the situation and what I'm wearing.
I've experienced a couple stovepipes, one bad mag out of the box, three mag spring issues, and various ammo related ftf and fte.
I've had one cylinder lock up that cleared by working the cylinder back and forth while doing the same with the hammer.
My preferred carries are my S&W 649 .357 and my S&W 638 .38 spc. as they are shrouded hammer that can still be cocked for single action, but be fired repeatedly inside a pocket without getting jammed by the pocket material. I sleep with one as well for the same reason- can be fired from under the sheets without getting jammed.
Братан, не опасаешься ли ты за свои яйца)))
A semi stands up better to abuse; a revolver tolerates neglect better.
I like revolvers. I shoot revolvers. I carry revolvers.
Revolvers grips and shapes are easy to change.
A lot of this is just video is based on biased opinions.
I agree with your first sentence.
I prefer revolver because it does not leave the cartridges for ballistics tests.
Cases aren’t involved in ballistic tests.
@@ASPextra Digital in the cartridges yes.
6:55..."you may get through 1 wheel or 2 wheels without any problems" All revolver guys are now laughing at you. What a load of B.S. Look, you can have your preferences but it looks like you are exaggerating. I don't know you personally so your level of character is unknown to me but that quote of yours I started with is SO FAR from reality I have to wonder if you are really just that wrong, or, exaggerating to help convince others of your bias.
I like both platforms and have no dog in the fight since I use both equally. I can say that out of the thousands of rounds I have shot, only my revolvers had NEVER had a problem and I rarely clean them. My semis, all quality brands, have had a few FTF's but mostly ammo related. Personally with today's well made semis I think both are about equal in terms of reliability but for you to make such a wrong...and I mean wrong by a LONG shot....is just irresponsible by someone who is a voice in the gun world.
I know right I mean I admit revolvers have issues like capacity trigger pull and so on but the way he talks about them you would think they are highpoint guns. I have lost alot of respect for this channel over this video.
@@catcowboy6376 I agree. I'm appalled.
@@catcowboy6376 His video is based off his experience as a trainer and someone who frequently trains. If you lose respect for someone because they base their opinions on their experiences and the experience of those they train with, then you didn't have much respect to begin with. Honestly, I wouldn't want the "respect" of someone who can't respect other's opinions, regardless of their respect for those who state them, because that "respect" means nothing at that point.
@@zagorith14 My opinion is, he is full of it. So respect it.
I normally shoot Atleast 100 rounds at the range with my wheelguns, and I've Never had any of that shit happen.....guess I'm the Luckiest guy on the planet, or I'm calling BS....you be the judge, to quote Paul Harrell....
You clearly didn't listen to a thing I said.
@@ASPextra I think I understood pretty well. I'm sick of the "gun community" telling people who carry revolvers they're basically idiots, and that you should carry a shitass small, lightweight, compact Hard to shoot 9mm. I shoot revolvers WELL , and that's what I'm going to carry. I've shot and owned revolvers for over FOUR DECADES and never had ANY of the issues cited in this video with mine...and I shoot them ALOT.
It’s clear I have hurt your feelings. Merry Christmas.
@@ASPextra I don't get hurt feelings, I just don't like shills that prey on peoples fear and ignorance, to turn it into a multibillion dollar industry, then act like they're doing the public some kind of Favor.
Well thankfully I won't be at your gunfight to muck it up for you. I did not shill a single thing. If you want to carry an 1811, that's on you. Be my guest. But they're demonstrably inferior.
I disagree with your assessment, but you are welcome to your opinion.
Note that the majority of the commenters seem to disagree with you as well.
I have hundreds of thousands of rounds through various revolvers in my life, and I have NEVER, not ONCE had a revolver fail in ANY way. Not ONCE. Now, don't make the mistake of thinking I'm some revolver fanboi, my daily carry has been Glock 19 for years, and recently switched to an MP Shield plus. So this isn't just some case of an old man preferring revolvers, and trying to justify that preference.
lol the angry revolver dudes commenting don't represent the general public or most actual users.
Hundreds of thousands of rounds...I am just going to come right out and say that you're a liar.
@@ASPextra and your a click bait artist!
You make it sound the revolver will jam at you all the time. I carry a 357 and it’s just fine.
Lol man you’re doggin the wheel gun.
I've been watching your channel for a while now and while I don't always agree with what you say, for the most part you are laying down some substantial information. However, this one is a real stinker. I was an Air Force Small Arms Instructor back when we still carried S&W Model 15's and were pushing a +P+ round out of it, (ballistics were closer to a .357 magnum). Due to that round, that was by civilian standards a dangerously over powered load for that gun, I'll admit that we had issues with the ejector rod coming loose during firing as well as rear sights coming loose and the thumb piece coming loose. But we never had a problem with powder under the extractor because we cleaned the guns after each day on the range. As for lint causing problems, both the Cops and us fired our daily issued revolvers at the range and we never once experienced any issues due to the guns being dirty.
Another fact you seem to miss here is that some people, my wife was one of these, can't handle semi-autos. Jo had the feeling that the thing was coming apart in her hands every time she pulled the trigger. This led to problems with anticipation and jerking the trigger... It also made training for her, no fun and so she didn't want to train. However, after moving her to a revolver, she was far more accurate and enjoyed it enough that she looked forward to training. Some others have problems with strength and grip when trying to work the slides of semi-autos. Thankfully, S&W has come out with their EZ pistols which really helps, but wheel guns are still a viable defensive tool for these people as well.
I wasn't there when you experienced the major malfunctions with the revolvers that day. All I can say to that is that I have run thousands of people through revolver training through the 1980's and 90's and in all that time I never once had a problem with a revolver that required pulling it off the line and these were guns with hundreds of thousands of rounds through them.
I think that the guns that Smith was making in the 80s were a different breed than what they make today, honestly.
I simply don’t believe his story about 3 revolvers going down. Notice, we didn’t receive any information on what the problem was, what make and model they were. I had a loaded revolver in a safe for a little over 5 years and simply used others and simply forgot about it. When I rediscovered it, out of curiosity, I took it to the range. It was a S&W Model 15 and the ammo was just 238 gr soft lead. It fired fine and was accurate.
I’m not arguing about reliability of one over another, but simply saying that it’s amazing that I have never seen multiple revolvers fail like he said happened in his class. If a revolver has a problem, you will know it immediately. The idea that a bunch went down is beyond belief.
Well, disbelieve all you want. All 20 instructors there can verify it.
Wish he would have told us the brand of the revolvers that had malfunctions. How much do you want to bet it was a cheap-o discount brand revolver or something that was modified to be more tacti-cool.
Nope. Every one either a S&W or Ruger. No race guns, all defensive revolvers made by companies known for quality.
3 out of 18 revolvers going down in that class is absolutely the exception and NOT the rule. Revolvers aren't perfect but in the past they were more reliable than semi autos. These days a lot of semi autos are up to that reliability or close, but not all semi autos are that good.. Both can have failures while shooting, and both can go down HARD, DONE, DONE, DONE. That is not unique to revolvers at all.
Revolvers are simpler to operate. Not everyone is tacticool. Some people need or want something simple that you point and go bang.
Revolvers can be put in a drawer and left untouched for years and still fire if needed. Not so with the semi auto.
Most civilian shootings are resolved in 2-4 rounds fired. So the semi auto capacity advantage is almost never an issue. It's a psychological comfort. There are revolvers with 7-8 round capacity too.
You can get revolvers in more powerful calibers than the upper end of semi autos.
You are obviously a semi auto guy and that's fine. But you are really exaggerating the potential problems with revolvers. You make them out to be prone to failure and that isn't true at all. If you are going to comp
are, be objective. That being said, folks should carry what they are comfortable with.
One advantage revolvers have always had and will always have. No semi auto will ever be as cool as a revolver
I disagree that revolvers are simpler to operate.
Revolvers DO tolerate neglect well.
Where do you get that statistic? Because it's a lie.
The caliber wars are not useful and that's been proven.
John, that was an interesting rant. Since I'm well into my senior years, I trained with revolvers then with a 1911A1, which was not fine example of an American pistol. As an armed citizen, I did not trust the semis that were available from the sixties through the eighties. Today, I do have confidence in many modern pistols and own quite a few. I carry them more than I carry revolvers, these days but I refuse to carry small pistols. It's all a matter of choice. Buy a quality firearm, keep it clean and know how to use it. Remain alert and stay out of trouble.
John I have to respectfully dis agree with you about the reliability of wheel guns. As a retired C.O. I had to qualify once a year for 22 yrs. I can only remember 2 times where a weapon quit working and had to be replaced. The first time was when the firing pin on the hammer broke. The second time the cylinder locked up. We used S&W mod 64. We shot 50 practice rounds and 50 rounds to qualify, no cleaning until we were finished shooting. Just wanted to share that. Thanks for all your videos.
Nope cant say I agree. Have both semi and revolver and my revolvers any of them Never ever ever EVER had a malfunction. I dont do anything you just described in cleaning after 25 or even 100s if not way more than that. Semi yes failures on occasion. Ftf fte. Etc. My H&K vp9 sub has been perfect so far but only 500 rounds so far. So not much. No Myth but Fact in regards to all my guns and my personal experience.
But yes I would prefer semi all day long but I just dont agree about semi more reliable. Not in my experience for sure and it's not even close lol.
If you've never had a malfunction, you haven't shot very much.
@@bradrohdenburg3736 Not according to many replies here!
I have a handgun safe and a couple of revolvers. I can lock them up...come back in 30 years (the safe has no electronics) open the safe and fire the revolver. It will work. Can't say the same for semi's.
It doesn’t matter which you like better. Revolver or semiautomatic. A revolver is inherently more reliable than a semiautomatic. Case closed.
Is that your experience or do you have some data to back that up? If it’s your experience I’m open to hearing it, what revolvers have you used vs the pistols you’ve used? If you are siting a study please share.
@@ASPextra Physics.
Garage Door
@@ASPextra Butthurt
I have carried Model 19 Smith & Wessons for over 40 years without any issues whatsoever. I fact the Model 19 is my weapon of preference. With all of my firearms revolver or pistol I am thorough in the cleaning & lube. I do own semi auto pistols! In general they are quite reliable as well. Though rare I have had several stovepipe issues with semi autos through the years. I have never had a Model 19 fail to run ammo ever. Even my 19-3 from 1975. I bought it in 1980 and it still works like new after all these years. I have a 19-4 and a 19-5 and they have been totally reliable as well.
See 4:45. But John, I thought the only ammunition that goes through your guns is Magtech? :-)
Difference between range ammo and defensive ammo. Also, in the case of this class, it was a problem because I flew to it (it was in OK) and could only take so much ammo on the airplane. I have to order Magtech by the case, naturally, and we ran 300 revolver rounds...so I ended up buying ammo from the range for the revolver portion, as did many of the other students who flew. It had primer issues for sure.
@@ASPextraNo worries! Just teasing you John! You can tell I watch your ads too! 🙂
That's like asking whether I like blondes or redheads better. They're both awesome. Why do I have to choose?
Haha!
Because if you don't chose, they'll chose for you. ☺
I purchased a VP9 15 months ago because of you, now because of this video I going to sell it and purchase a N frame, 8 shot, 5", 357... not kidding.
So...you do you boo, but I certainly wouldn't go that route.
I'll buy it. Lol. Just picked one up myself and love it so far
I have been shooting revolvers and semi-autos for over 30 years as a police officer, soldier, or a private citizen. I have received pistol training from Tom Givens, Gunsite, and others. As Clint Smith noted all weapons have some sort of limitation. I agree with most of the points made but I never remember having to clean my revolvers during qualifications or for that matter during training. We cleaned them when finished shooting for the day. I have had revolvers bind up because unburned powder got underneath the extractor star but that gets back to the issue of quality ammunition. I am surprised the retired cops didn't mention the biggest advantage of revolvers which you didn't discuss. IF ENGAGED IN A FIGHT TO THE DEATH AT BAD BREATH RANGE, THEY CAN FIRED IN AWKWARD POSITIONS WHERE THE MUZZLE IS PRESSED AGAINST A BODY OR IT HAS TO BE FIRED WITH A LIMP WRIST. Semi-autos will not function if the slide is pressed out of battery when the muzzle is pressed against something and will often malfunction after the first round if firing with a limp wrist. Disarming someone with a snub nosed revolver is also very difficult since there isn't a lot of places to grab onto one. Here is a link showing a retired deputy who was working as a security guard at a bank having a semi-auto malfunction when firing from an awkward position with a limp wrist. ruclips.net/video/C0mlfAm5VXs/видео.html Fortunately the suspect was fleeing the bank and wasn't shooting back at the guard when the malfunction occurred. The A answer for many is to carry a semi-auto backed up by a snubby revolver if things go deadly at bad breath distance.
Lol you have to clean your revolver every 25 rds lol
As a veteran and subsequently years of LE experience, every body with years of experience with both pistols & revolvers knows that a revolver has less moving parts and more reliable. If you think this is a “myth”, take a new revolver & pistol off the shelf and be told your life is at stake. Which one would you choose? And of course in civilian self defense situations where a citizen is attacked in public such as a gas station or parking lot statistics show that 1 to 3 shots are fired. I personally carry a Beretta with 15 in the mag. Why, because my mind set from my LE days stays with you the rest of your life. Some things John does not ‘get’ because of his absence of LE experience. There is usually a big difference between gun channels with LE veterans and ones that don’t have that perspective & real world experience.
Huh? That's just an error of fact. There are 59 parts in a K-frame S&W Model 19, and 37 in a Glock. www.brownells.com/schematics/smith-wesson-/k-frame-19-sid595.aspx
And your statistic that 1-3 shots are fired is totally unsubstantiated.
I bet you were running Magtech in your class which I have found to suck for my revolvers. My gunsmith told me they use hard rifle primers, not pistol primers.
Sights on a concealed carry gun?
Wait till it gets stuck in your shirt 🤣
A fun myth.
He doesn’t know what he is talking about, I have both and my daily use is a semiautomatic pistol but revolver are any day 100% more reliable!!!
That’s it plain and simple
Lol okay.
686 Plus - Thousand of rounds and ZERO problems, including zero ammo issues.
I like the revolver just cause it has a lot of utility. I can take a heavier load hiking and camping, and most likely none of us are gonna have 20 terrorists rush us so 6 rounds and being trained to use a speed loader should be fine. Plus if you buy an expensive one it makes a good memento to pass down to your family.
I don't think you'll ever, in a million years, get a reload of a revolver into a fight.
Unfortunately, I think the likelihood of 20+ attackers rushing has gone up lately...the world sucks.
I teach hundreds of students a year and have thousands come through the range I work at and from my experience revolvers and semi autos are equal for total failures proportional to their numbers (around 5% ish). All the revolvers I have seen fail are relatively new air weights that seemed to be properly maintained or total pieces of crap that were rusty. 1911s are the top semi auto I see fail followed closely by Sig Sauer guns, particularly newly made ones (P365s, P320s and even the classic steel ones like P226s made recently...I think their quality control went down as the demand for the government contracts went up).
@@ASPextra you reload with another revolver lol.
It doesnt have to be 20 people. I think too many people assume a bad guy is going down with one round. I'm not saying you're going to have a dozen attackers. But let's say theres 2. 2 attackers is certainly not uncommon. Not by any stretch. Most carry revolvers hold 5 shots but even if you have a 6 shot. That's 3 rounds a piece. Let's say you fire the gun empty and they're still trying to kill you. Now what?
Now for the record. In general I'm of the belief that for most applications revolvers are fine so long as you take care of them. That being said. With as far as semi autos have come, I dont see much advantage to wheels guns any more. Maybe in the days when autos were hit and miss for reliability. But now? No not really. Even if we overlook the difference in capacity, which semi autos often hold at least twice as many rounds, if not more, they are much easier to reload especially under pressure, etc.
@@ASPextra For any/all incident statistics, I wonder what the mean/mode number of rounds fired are. I.E. How many times were more than 15 rounds needed? Or 6 rounds? So most CCWs are carrying extra magazines? Even the other way, how many CCW revolver carriers out there CC speed loaders?
"One serving of badguy" LOL. "And an appetizer." MOAR LOL
It depends on the model, given reliable ammo. My Ruger SP101 and Ruger LCR have never failed to fire. However, I bought two Pietta 1873's and both keep breaking the transfer bars. I've given up on them. So I'm waiting for the govt. buyback program to sell the broken Pietta's and use the money to buy another Ruger.
Meanwhile I fire 150-200 rounds out of a .38 special all the time and have never had a single issue, even with more than 1 revolver.
I’ve had more issues with my Glocks, smith semi autos, and sigs than my revolvers. The only issues I have had are with very cheap revolvers or ammo with a coating/steel case.
Lol what kind of shit revolvers were failing at the range... I put 100 rounds of mixed JHP, FJFP, and 305 grain flat point bear load through my Dan Wesson 44 magnum in about 30-40 minutes with absolutely no issues... If anyone has confirmation bias it may be you on this one John. Cheers
Dirty Harrys revolver never jammed
That's fair!
He was also shooting blanks 15 degrees off axis, with a 10 foot minimum for the person he was shooting. In between his coffee breaks from craft services.
Dirty harry cleaned his revolver with a toothbrush once a week.
Revolver is my primary carry with an automoader as my backup. Ill take any gun, even single shots. But I love revolvers most
The fact is, there is a higher % of a malfunction with a semiauto, even newer ones that are maintained. There's a reason alot of training for semi-autos is for clearing malfunctions. Everyone knows what tap and rack is, its literally part of the beginning of training. John knows the importance of the first shot on target. Sorry, I'd rather that be a 357 magnum with a slightly higher % of working. Real world encounters are 2-4 shots, and there are carry 8 shot revolvers now that have superior ballistics to any 9mm. Even experts goof up a draw and place their hand on the slide You mess up or have a malfunction against a decent 357 shooter at the FBI ranges for encounters and you probably won't get to rack that slide ever again. You cannot simulate bullets flying at you at the range, so you haven't trained for real stressors. A gun that is easier to use compensates for all the things(while unlikely) that have a higher chance of happening with a semiauto and you get better ballistics as a nice bonus. There are countless videos of cops unloading 9mms into a dude's chest and they keep going. Never heard of that in all the years when cops were running 6 shot 357s. I'll take 2 more shots in a cylinder than those cops, better ballistics than they ever dreamed of, and a speedloader in case I'm in one of those west wild shootouts that semiauto lovers think happens. The smart ones actually know it just takes a lot more 9mm to stop someone.
I think that's just wrong. Full stop.
@@ASPextra you also doubted that 410 buckshot out of a handgun until you actually tried it and you had the biggest surprised face I'd ever seen looking at that gel. I would be curious what you think is wrong. I've never heard any experienced firearm person say semiautos and revolvers are essentially the same in terms of reliability. Never said semiautos are terrible or anything just to be clear.
No, I said it patterned decently. You're really a mess here.
@@ASPextra I literally just watched you shooting it in gel today. You shot the Governor with 4 000 buckshot with a single trigger pull. Some of them went completely through the first block of gel. You said it patterned well and met FBI standards in gel. I would rather get shot with your hot 9mm round over that any day of the week.
ruclips.net/video/B7KcgdRcIo0/видео.html&ab_channel=ActiveSelfProtectionExtra I've shot alot of 9mm, 32s, and 38s that don't hit that penetration threshold btw
Hi there, I’m Dennis and I’m a very proud owner of a new .44mag Ruger Super Red Hawk Hunter edition 7 1/2” barrel. I just bought it last month from collecting Bass Pro Shop gift cards over the years from family and friends. As a big gift From my wife this Christmas, she gave me a plain gift card and said I can pay for the remaining balance with cash. My gun cost me a whopping $1,019! I have shot over a 150 rounds already and I love it. I really enjoy hearing the different reviews by other owners. Your review was great. Thank you
BIG gun! Congrats for saving up and getting something you love, Dennis. That's awesome. :)
Hey!!! I Clean my belly button fuzz out,🤣🤣🤣
😀
Gary S 🤣🤣🤣
I am a hand loader and because of the lack of supplies in my area I learned to make my own gun powder. Recently I loaded some of that powder in .38 cases and took it to my range. It works quit well even though it does not produce as much power as smokeless. I do have to say if I had used it in say my 9mm I would have only been able to fire a few rounds before the firearm would have been to fouled to function. Not so with the wheel gun. It got dirty and it stunk but it never failed to fire. Once the smoke cleared I found it to be quite accurate.
It's hard to argue your points. 90% of the times I carry it's a revolver though and I trust my semi-autos
Soooo you trust your semi autos but you conceal carry a wheel gun with 6 or 7 bullets? That seems logical....
I've never seen anybody bash revolvers reliability so much in one sitting. I don't really care. I've got both, and when I pocket carry in the winter a hammerless revolver is perfect for the jacket pocket. I can put my hand on it and shoot through the jacket. Can't do that with a pistol. However I have pistols Galore and I conceal carry those as well. I keep them cleaned and adjust. I don't worry about it.
You actually CAN do that with a pistol, and I think that "shooting a revolver through a pocket" is another myth that I am just going to have to bust on camera.
@@ASPextra Mr. Paul Harrel did a video. The semi auto pistols got one or two shots off in pocket before it jammed. Myth busted?
Paul goes on, uses different jacket and revolver gets 5 rounds off twice no misfire. Watching other YT videos either platform can jam, but pistols are far more likely.
Type of jacket or pocket lining is a factor. Other videos on RUclips about shooting from inside the pocket are fairly consistant, but did see pistol get all 6 shots off. Revolver pocket fired with no misfires was common. Pistols are prone to jam especially with lined pockets.
One safety concern is a pocket gun should be holstered. The idea is un holstering in the pocket and have it ready. The Kydex or soft pocket holster are easy to push off gun by thumb. However why not go ahead and draw? Idea is stage it and have it ready but canceled if you perceive threat but don't want to show. Alternative is put hand on gun ready to draw.
I need to practice this dry and buy some used jackets and practice live fire. If you see me walking around with Goodwill Jacket and hand in pocket watch out... ha ha..
The idea of shooting a revolver through a pocket is simply a bad idea in every capacity in every way. And Paul can make any video on it he wants to, but he is wrong to recommend that technique.
@@ASPextra Paul doesn't recommend it, just shows pistol vs revolver. The topic was if you do shoot out pocket or purse revolver is less likely to jam. I agree it's not desirable either way after further thought.
I love John's channel, but I have to agree. To say that revolvers have to be cleaned that often or they won't work is insane (as many far more experienced revolver shooters than I have posted). And yes, there are videos that show revolvers can shoot from within a pocket or from under bed covers. Not that you'd want to do that unless you had to, but I can envision scenarios where it might be necessary.
I understand the advantages that semiautos have over revolvers, but revolvers have some advantages over semis, too. I own and shoot both types, and they both have excellent reliability. To claim that reliability is a significant issue just goes against common experience. smh
Out of all the training and range visits I've had, almost all malfunctions were due to ammunition. That being said, I've never had a semi auto pistol get so jammed up that it couldn't be cleared or rectified by doing a magazine change (I usually always have a 2nd mag on me). That fact alone is why I choose to carry and recommend semi auto pistols to everyone. One day we decided to take a few revolvers out to the range for some fun and out of 5 revolvers, we had two show stopping failures that would have been bad in a gun fight. Again the issue wasn't the actual revolver but the ammo. The primer on one of the rounds backed out enough to lock up the cylinder. We literally had to beat the cylinders open on both to get the bad casing out. Again if this would have been a SD situation, it would have been bad news. For the most part you are depending on the lottery that you have good ammunition in your carry weapon and that you will not have any failures. Failures will and do happen, so please practice and train to protect yourself and others if the need arises.
I know, I am two years late to the party here but HAVE to say something anyway.
I have been carrying for 36 years. I have trained a metric crap ton in those 36 years. While I tend to carry a semiautomatic these days, I still train with my revolvers and over that 36 years of carrying, I have carried a revolver for far more time than semiautomatics and still carry one at times.
In 36 years and tens of thousands of rounds I have had exactly ONE malfunction with my revolvers. ONE! That one was a squib that jammed a round in the barrel. It took about a minute to fix.
Now, if you want to talk round count vs round stopping power that is a different story but reliability? I wonder what kind of crap guns you had in that line of 18.
Oh, and on reliability, get your front site as I guarantee that red dot will fail at some point.
First day i took my Ruger GP100 357 magnum out, i shot about 75 rounds through that thing
Alot of fun
Whoever watches your channel knows that several people got killed in the fight using revolvers running out of ammo. I am a revolver lover. However in my life I had to use the warranty to repair 4 guns in total, they were all revolvers sadly. Whoever says that a revolver doesn't jam never shoots different revolvers. They are indeed problematic. Carry a Glock 21 everyday and that my friend is a reliable gun. Gotta love the 45 automatic colt pistol!
I do carry my semi a lot more because of his videos and those who ran out of bullets in their revolver. That said, I feel more comfortable with the revolver, so I do carry it as well based on where I'm going and what I'm doing.
I wonder how many of those revolver people were killed in the US? Few I suspect. We've seen a lot of semi-auto defenders killed because their draw was too slow, though admittedly most of them drew against the drop. It seems that readiness is a much bigger issue than capacity.
I can already hear the yankee Marshall screaming 🙄🙄🙄
Who?
sorry never heard of her....is she on RUclips?
Which one do you shoot the best and which one are you most comfortable with. My Wife doesn't feel comfortable with semi-autos because of having to work the slide to check to see if the gun is loaded or not. She also has some arthritis in her hands so semis are harder for her to use. She like revolvers because for her they're simpler, easy to load and unload and she's just more comfortable with them. I shoot my revolvers and 1911s better than my poly fame "wonder 9s" so for me they're also a better choice. Also far from being a "Swiss Watch" a Smith and Wesson revolver has very simple internals. A hammer, trigger, bolt(locks the cylinder in place) hand(rotates the cylinder) and a couple springs. I've pulled a lot of em' apart to smooth up the action and install Wolff Spring kits.
I really enjoy your videos regarding active self defense. However, this was more of an anti revolver video than it was a versus by a long shot. The title is definitely misleading. Maybe you need 34 rounds of ammunition in your every day dealings but most people will be served well with 5 or 6. For those have arthritis, can't rack a round well or wont want to carry a round in the chamber, a revolver may be a best solution and they should feel safe having that rather than nothing. And the fact is, you don't need to clean your gun every week if you carry a revolver under normal circumstances. I understand you had a bad day at the range with revolvers, but is it possible these were just not maintained well? Additionally, could you have picked a better revolver? Maybe you could have gotten your hand on a Smith and Wesson 500? Seriously, most people are conceal carrying a snub nose 2" barrel and those are considerably smaller than what is presented here.
Watching the main channel, 5 or 6 OFTEN isn't enough.
@@ASPextra wish there was some stats for this.
@@rukkit8705 Depending upon which source one chooses to study, the average number of rounds fired in a deadly encounter is between two and four. So the guy who likes to bet his life on averages would say that he is good to go with a five-shot, snub-nose revolver with no extra reload. I carry my Glock 26 and my Canik tp9sf most of the time but if I carry a revolver it’s usually my judge and most of the time as a backup.
@@789qazify IMO. I like the simplicity factor of revolvers. I don’t trust myself to do a “tap and rack” whenever my gun doesn’t fire in a HIGH stress situation, my instinct would be to press the trigger again. So there’s pros and cons for both types of guns.
You must be kidding. Have never cleaned or oiled my revolver after less then 200 rounds. Some times no cleaning for months. Never had a failure.
Your green screen works great. Looks like you're actually in a hot garage.
"Pew, Pew, Pew!" John, you're crackin' me up. Thank you.
I love my 642. I love my Glock 17. Both have their place. If I could get away with it, I'd have the 17 at all times, but small revolvers, in my experience, prove themselves as much better deep concealment options than a comparably-sized auto. Their organic shape and weight balance behind and below the belt cater to this role incredibly well.
When it comes to a service-sized handgun for general carry, though? Autoloader all day. There is so much more to be gained in having a large pistol with all of the bullets in it.
If you don't have the skillset and tools to do minor gunsmithing on a semi-regular basis (vise, good screwdrivers, assorted other small tools), I really don't recommend revolvers for you. They require a different level of technical intimacy than an autoloader. And for the love of God, get good ammo. Federal has never done me wrong. Don't follow the Paul Harrell School of Derp and use Remington as your carry loads--I've had magnum bullets separate from their cases and lock the cylinder multiple times.
Organic shape? Deep concealment? Where are you putting it LOL
@@DavidDost damm almost snorted pepsi reading that LMAO
John, your credibility just took a big nosedive. Instead of wasting 17 minutes of everybody's time, just say I don't like revolvers. I have a Ruger SP101 and a Ruger LCR with thousands of rounds through them and never once had a failure to fire from either weapon. Go back to the time when all 42,000 NYPD officers carried revolvers and try to find just one officer involved shooting report where there was a misfire attributed to the officer's weapon.
Lord have mercy. I literally said I don't mind revolvers. Listen better.
Huh, I never thought about this before, just believed in a myth, thanks
I think it's a myth if anyone thinks a revolver CANNOT malfunction, because any mechanical device can. I've just never personally known one to do so. The 4/18 has to be a fluke. Many people have posted their experiences which are the same as mine.
@@abc-wv4in I've seen revolvers fail too, and it's not like they're infallible or even anything close to that. In a typical firefight scenario neither a revolver nor a semi auto handgun is likely to fail, though it is more typical to see beginners causing semi auto malfunctions due to their incompetence (limp wristing, riding the slide stop, etc)
While I do own a couple of Glocks I definitely prefer carrying my 686 plus or GP 100 357 magnums over any semi auto ,