A high-quality revolver (Colt, S&W, or Ruger) will be pretty much the most reliable, lowest maintenance, and easiest to use handgun you can find. You know that it's going to fire each time you pull the trigger (unless there's an ammo problem). And if it doesn't fire, all you do is pull the trigger again to "clear" the problem. No safeties or anything to get in the way.
Since you're not relying on recoil to cycle the action, a revolver will work with any ammo you put in it: from lightest target loads to the heaviest hunting loads. A full wadcutter, semi-wadcutter, or hollow-point will "feed" just as reliably as a round-nose. And a good revolver will generally have better accuracy than a similar semi-auto, unless you're comparing it to something like a custom 1911 bullseye pistol (big $$$).
Having said that, even a revolver can "jam" under certain circumstances. If it takes a big hit on the side of the cylinder, it might not rotate. Some gunk under the extractor can cause the whole mechanism to seize up. Basically, a revolver is much less likely to jam. But if it does jam, you might need a gunsmith to get it running again.
That's it' really. I'm a long-time revolver shooter. I prefer S&W 586/686 and have a couple of nice ones that I use for PPC, pin shooting, and target work.
Since you're not relying on recoil to cycle the action, a revolver will work with any ammo you put in it: from lightest target loads to the heaviest hunting loads. A full wadcutter, semi-wadcutter, or hollow-point will "feed" just as reliably as a round-nose. And a good revolver will generally have better accuracy than a similar semi-auto, unless you're comparing it to something like a custom 1911 bullseye pistol (big $$$).
Having said that, even a revolver can "jam" under certain circumstances. If it takes a big hit on the side of the cylinder, it might not rotate. Some gunk under the extractor can cause the whole mechanism to seize up. Basically, a revolver is much less likely to jam. But if it does jam, you might need a gunsmith to get it running again.
- Capacity is low compared to a modern semi-auto.
- Reloads not only take longer, but require two hands (even with speedloaders or full-moon clips).
- Carrying a pair of speedloaders is bulkier than carrying a spare magazine.
- Most revolvers are bigger and heavier than a comparable semi-auto, which makes them tricky to carry concealed.
- Revolvers can be dirty to shoot as lots of gas and debris escapes from the gap between the cylinder and the forcing cone.
- Revolvers are a PITA to clean. I find it's much quicker and easier to take apart and clean a semi-auto.
That's it' really. I'm a long-time revolver shooter. I prefer S&W 586/686 and have a couple of nice ones that I use for PPC, pin shooting, and target work.
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