Revolver Versus Semi-automatic
There are many people on both sides of the argument--each defending their preference for pistols, either self-loading guns or wheel guns. And both have their distinct advantages and disadvantages in different situations. And I figure I'll go through the pros and cons of each.
Revolver Pros.
Generally speaking, revolvers are more reliable. They have less moving parts, meaning for a lower percent chance of something happening to one. You can also shoot anything in them that fits. In a .357 Magnum you can fire .357 Magnum bullets, .38 Special bullets, and 9mm bullets in moon clips. In .45 Long Colt chambered revolvers you can use .45 LC, .410 shotgun shells, and .45 ACP bullets in moon clips. This is because you manually cycle the chambers. In a semi-automatic you need a certain amount of force in the casing to operate the slide and reliably chamber the next round.
Revolver are also generally more simple. There's a hammer, a trigger, and a cylinder release button. No grip safeties, no slide releases. You can tell absolutely if it's unloaded--just release the cylinder and it becomes plainly obvious if there's a bullet in it or not. And generally speaking you can make more powerful revolvers than semi-automatics at a cheaper cost. For instance the Smith and Wesson 500 offers similar firepower to the Desert Eagle in .50 AE, but is cheaper.
Revolver Cons.
Revolvers carry fewer bullets than semi-automatics in most cases. And they are slower to reload for most people. Of course because of Jerry Miculek you can't call revolvers slow, but they are slower.
Semi-automatic Pros.
Semi-automatics are well known for being able to hold many bullets in magazines--anywhere from ten to seventeen or even more with longer magazines. Their single-action trigger pulls are usually lighter than revolvers as well, sometimes meaning better accuracy, but not always. Semi-automatics can be lighter than revolvers of the same size because of the use of hard plastic polymers in place of steel but are still very durable. The Glock and Springfield XD have both gone through torture tests like being frozen in blocks of ice, run over, filled with sand, and then being cleaned and working without problem. And although revolvers are more simple, semi-automatics are not at all difficult to operate.
Semi-automatics are sometimes considered safer than revolvers, but that's a little unmeritted. They simply have more things you have to do to make them fire. Which could either be a good or bad thing depending on the situation. They do give the user more of a margin of error, though. Still, they operate on the principle that you shouldn't pull the trigger unless you want the gun to fire.
Semi-automatic Cons.
Semi-automatics are generally less powerful than revolvers. Though the .40 S&W and .45 ACP are both reputable man-stoppers, the .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .45 Long Colt do better performance-wise. And if you ever have a fail-to-fire (FTF) in a semi-automatic where the striker or hammer fails to fire a bullet, you have to cycle the dud out by hand. With a revolver you simply pull the trigger again and line a new bullet up with the barrel.
Overall, though, they're about equal--each better than the other in different ways. Which one is "better" overall really depends on who is holding it. Still many people look down on the revolver because it's old and not as technologically advanced as more modern semi-automatic pistols. But at the same time, snubnose revolvers are one of the most popular choices used as self-defense tools because they can be comfortable to have on you without sacrificing decent firepower and reliability is a common selling point. People like not having a lot of controls on something--like a mouse you just point and click.
~S
Revolver Pros.
Generally speaking, revolvers are more reliable. They have less moving parts, meaning for a lower percent chance of something happening to one. You can also shoot anything in them that fits. In a .357 Magnum you can fire .357 Magnum bullets, .38 Special bullets, and 9mm bullets in moon clips. In .45 Long Colt chambered revolvers you can use .45 LC, .410 shotgun shells, and .45 ACP bullets in moon clips. This is because you manually cycle the chambers. In a semi-automatic you need a certain amount of force in the casing to operate the slide and reliably chamber the next round.
Revolver are also generally more simple. There's a hammer, a trigger, and a cylinder release button. No grip safeties, no slide releases. You can tell absolutely if it's unloaded--just release the cylinder and it becomes plainly obvious if there's a bullet in it or not. And generally speaking you can make more powerful revolvers than semi-automatics at a cheaper cost. For instance the Smith and Wesson 500 offers similar firepower to the Desert Eagle in .50 AE, but is cheaper.
Revolver Cons.
Revolvers carry fewer bullets than semi-automatics in most cases. And they are slower to reload for most people. Of course because of Jerry Miculek you can't call revolvers slow, but they are slower.
Semi-automatic Pros.
Semi-automatics are well known for being able to hold many bullets in magazines--anywhere from ten to seventeen or even more with longer magazines. Their single-action trigger pulls are usually lighter than revolvers as well, sometimes meaning better accuracy, but not always. Semi-automatics can be lighter than revolvers of the same size because of the use of hard plastic polymers in place of steel but are still very durable. The Glock and Springfield XD have both gone through torture tests like being frozen in blocks of ice, run over, filled with sand, and then being cleaned and working without problem. And although revolvers are more simple, semi-automatics are not at all difficult to operate.
Semi-automatics are sometimes considered safer than revolvers, but that's a little unmeritted. They simply have more things you have to do to make them fire. Which could either be a good or bad thing depending on the situation. They do give the user more of a margin of error, though. Still, they operate on the principle that you shouldn't pull the trigger unless you want the gun to fire.
Semi-automatic Cons.
Semi-automatics are generally less powerful than revolvers. Though the .40 S&W and .45 ACP are both reputable man-stoppers, the .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .45 Long Colt do better performance-wise. And if you ever have a fail-to-fire (FTF) in a semi-automatic where the striker or hammer fails to fire a bullet, you have to cycle the dud out by hand. With a revolver you simply pull the trigger again and line a new bullet up with the barrel.
Overall, though, they're about equal--each better than the other in different ways. Which one is "better" overall really depends on who is holding it. Still many people look down on the revolver because it's old and not as technologically advanced as more modern semi-automatic pistols. But at the same time, snubnose revolvers are one of the most popular choices used as self-defense tools because they can be comfortable to have on you without sacrificing decent firepower and reliability is a common selling point. People like not having a lot of controls on something--like a mouse you just point and click.
~S
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