Why I choose to carry a revolver...

[BravoOne]

.....You are responsible for each and every round that leaves your weapon. Not the governor, not your wife, not the chief of police, sheriff, your boss or the pope. YOU. Statistics have proven that a person loses at least 25% of their accuracy during stress. So. If you are a consistant 100% shooter on the range, where the paper doesn't shoot, stab or swing back, that means you have instantly dropped down to a 75% shooter. Right? Meaning if you fire 10 rounds at the BG, you might hit him 6 or 7 times. Where are the other 3 or 4 rounds?

With a 5 or 6 shot revolver, you are gonna land more shots on target because of the lower capacity. Right? It's just simple mathematics. If I fire all 5 or 6 shots, 75% of those rounds is gonna be about 4 rounds. Correct? This means that I'll only have 1 or 2 rounds to account for instead of 3 or 4 rounds.....

So by carrying a wheel gun it'll make me more accurate in a high stress situation?!? That's how that reads to me... Because I have 15 rnds in the weapon doesn't mean I'm gonna dump everything I have... And before anyone tries to pull the "you don't know until you're there" card I have been there...If you introduce stress inoculation into your training then you're more likely to control yourself under fire... That's why anyone whom carries should take it upon themselves to train for the worst...

As for reloading after using your weapon in self-defense it's in case there's a threat you didn't see... What if they had more in their group?!? Banking that they're gonna run away is being stupid and narrow minded because not everyone runs from danger... Yes most prey on those weaker than them, but some after seeing their friend shot will go to help them or defend them...

.....And as for a shooting happening at the mall? DO NOT engage the bad guy. Find a safe place and dial 911.

Leave the big fish to the professional anglers.

As for this I do agree to an extent, but how long does it take for police to arrive in this sort of situation?!? And a Mall Cop ain't gonna do crap... (Well unless it's Paul Blart) I'm sorry, but I'm not going to sit around while others are being slaughtered when I may have been able to stop it or thwart their attempt and lessened the loss of innocent lives...

 

[Glock 'em down]

So by carrying a wheel gun it'll make me more accurate in a high stress situation?!? That's how that reads to me... Because I have 15 rnds in the weapon doesn't mean I'm gonna dump everything I have... And before anyone tries to pull the "you don't know until you're there" card I have been there...If you introduce stress inoculation into your training then you're more likely to control yourself under fire... That's why anyone whom carries should take it upon themselves to train for the worst...

As for reloading after using your weapon in self-defense it's in case there's a threat you didn't see... What if they had more in their group?!? Banking that they're gonna run away is being stupid and narrow minded because not everyone runs from danger... Yes most prey on those weaker than them, but some after seeing their friend shot will go to help them or defend them...



As for this I do agree to an extent, but how long does it take for police to arrive in this sort of situation?!? And a Mall Cop ain't gonna do crap... (Well unless it's Paul Blart) I'm sorry, but I'm not going to sit around while others are being slaughtered when I may have been able to stop it or thwart their attempt and lessened the loss of innocent lives...

I agree that proper training is crutial. But to most armed citizens, it just doesn't happen. But when you know that you only have 5 or 6 rounds and not 15, then yes, you are less likely to "spray and pray" (ah...there's that phrase) and conserve your ammo, making every round count. So yeah, I suppose your accuracy level does rise when totin' a wheelgun.

Yes, I carry at least one reload for every weapon I carry. I've been an advocate for that since the git go. The same way I've preached the back up gun. Some see this as a liability when placed in a defense attorney's hands. I see it as merely the "spare tire" theory.

There's a place for vigilance and a place for stupidity. If you are LE that's one thing. If you are Joe Blow, you're setting yourself up for disaster. I know we all want to be heroes and save the ING day. But in a mall shooting where the assailants are obviously out of their minds and shooting everything that moves, you are a bigger hero as a witness instead of a makeshift crime fighter.

Dead heroes make lousy witnesses.

 

[BravoOne]

I agree that proper training is crutial. But to most armed citizens, it just doesn't happen. But when you know that you only have 5 or 6 rounds and not 15, then yes, you are less likely to "spray and pray" (ah...there's that phrase) and conserve your ammo, making every round count. So yeah, I suppose your accuracy level does rise when totin' a wheelgun.

Yes, I carry at least one reload for every weapon I carry. I've been an advocate for that since the git go. The same way I've preached the back up gun. Some see this as a liability when placed in a defense attorney's hands. I see it as merely the "spare tire" theory.

There's a place for vigilance and a place for stupidity. If you are LE that's one thing. If you are Joe Blow, you're setting yourself up for disaster. I know we all want to be heroes and save the ING day. But in a mall shooting where the assailants are obviously out of their minds and shooting everything that moves, you are a bigger hero as a witness instead of a makeshift crime fighter.

Dead heroes make lousy witnesses.

With the proper amount of training it doesn't matter how many rounds are in the weapon you're going to take deliberate shots so having the wheel gun isn't an advantage at all... Nor does it make me more accurate or deliberate in my shooting...
I do unfortunately have to agree that most that carry do not train to meet what may be required of them, but I do not think a wheel gun would matter either way... If you're gonna miss you're gonna miss regardless of the weapons platform... It's a training issue...


As far as being a "hero"... I can not justify standing by while innocent life is lost... It's a judgment call all of us who carry have to make, but I don't carry to be a hero... There's a time to be a witness & a time not to...

 

[Glock 'em down]

With the proper amount of training it doesn't matter how many rounds are in the weapon you're going to take deliberate shots so having the wheel gun isn't an advantage at all... Nor does it make me more accurate or deliberate in my shooting...

This reminds me of the very first time my dad took me bird hunting.

We left the house and walked about 200 yards or so. He had his pump 16 gauge and he let me use his over/under 20 gauge. A covey of quail flew up. I took my first shot and missed. Then, I followed up with my 2nd shot and killed the bird.

I turned and looked at my father with the biggest **** eatin' grin you ever saw. Hell, Clorox couldn't have took that grin off my face.

Just then, dad walked over, picked up the bird, stuck it in his pouch and grabbed the shotgun out of my hands. "C'mon!" he said, and started walking back towards the house.



He walked inside with me, pouting and trailing behind him about 15 yards. He then came back out and handed me a single shot .410 shotgun.

He said, "Now, go bird hunting."

I was taught a helluva lesson that day. Just because you've got the ammo, doesn't mean you hafta throw it out there. Make every shot count.

Aim small...miss small.

 

[okie headhunter]

yea , in any incounter it is the first shot that counts. that's why I like a double action only wheel gun with only 6 shots. I know that I only have 6 shots so I had better use them wisely. and the trigger pull helps me from going into spray and prey mod. I don't want to gun fight a car load of gangbangers I just want to save my life. folks need to learn to draw there gun and phone at the same time put 911 on your speed dial, shoot and run. the object is not to come out the winner it is to come out alive.

 

[Glocktogo]

yea , in any incounter it is the first shot that counts. that's why I like a double action only wheel gun with only 6 shots. I know that I only have 6 shots so I had better use them wisely. and the trigger pull helps me from going into spray and prey mod. I don't want to gun fight a car load of gangbangers I just want to save my life. folks need to learn to draw there gun and phone at the same time put 911 on your speed dial, shoot and run. the object is not to come out the winner it is to come out alive.

Seriously?

 

[grwd]

Should you shoot at his hip too?

 

[adluginb]

I wonder about those guys who say they're gonna blast the BG's ass till he drops and then put one in his head for a little extra "insurance."

Christ! That's not self-defense...that's murder!

While I wouldn't put one in the head for good measure you can bet it will be a double-tap or more until the threat ceases. No shots to the hip for me, center mass only and as many as it takes.

 

[Regina]

Semi-automatics and I are not friends.

I have tried to make friends many times but they do not play fair.

With a revolver, the only burning metal is coming out the business end and it's away from "the girls."

 

[RedTape]

I see your point RedTape, but here's my reasoning.

I'm gettin' on up in years now and I'm not kicking in doors any more. I don't work dope, so I don't hafta look over my shoulder. I stay away from speak-easys and just don't frequent bars and places of that nature. So, a 5 round revolver (usually two of them) is plenty of "firepower" for me.

Furthermore...

If I've said this once, I've said it a thousand times.

You are responsible for each and every round that leaves your weapon. Not the governor, not your wife, not the chief of police, sheriff, your boss or the pope. YOU. Statistics have proven that a person loses at least 25% of their accuracy during stress. So. If you are a consistant 100% shooter on the range, where the paper doesn't shoot, stab or swing back, that means you have instantly dropped down to a 75% shooter. Right? Meaning if you fire 10 rounds at the BG, you might hit him 6 or 7 times. Where are the other 3 or 4 rounds?

With a 5 or 6 shot revolver, you are gonna land more shots on target because of the lower capacity. Right? It's just simple mathematics. If I fire all 5 or 6 shots, 75% of those rounds is gonna be about 4 rounds. Correct? This means that I'll only have 1 or 2 rounds to account for instead of 3 or 4 rounds.

Paul Abel once told me that accuracy with less rounds fired trumps pitiful marksmanship with a lotta rounds fired. Whoever gets a shot on target first almost always wins the gunfight. Whenever you fire your weapon and hit old lady Mabel in the ass, you're gonna be buying her a brand new Cadillac for the rest of her life. Always remember...less is more.

Now we can argue this all day long, hell it's a constant thing with us gun guys...9mm vs. .45, rifle vs shotgun, Ford vs Chevy, yaddida, yaddida, yaddida.

The bottom line is, a wheelgun just fits my hand better than an auto and I like the 5 or 6 rounds for sure, over the 15 rounds maybe.

Now I'm not saying that all hi-cap bottom feeders should be destroyed. Quite the contrary. If I knew for certain I was headed to a shootout, then hell yeah, I'd want all the ammo I could get. But the reality is, it's very unlikely to ever happen to you.

Not saying it won't...just unlikely.

Click on my signature and pay close attention to rules #3 and #25.

Of course, and as always, YMMV.

I think we mostly agree. Like I said, I carry a J-frame on a regular basis and most of the time 5 or 6 rounds will get the average joe out of trouble. That being said, we have a lot of criminals working in groups. When you have three thugs surrounding you in a parking lot late at night and all you've got is a 5-shot with a speed strip....

I don't buy that whole..."I've got fewer rounds so I'm going to be more accurate" argument. Most people have a lot more trouble shooting a DA J-frame than a modern semi-auto. I do anyway. I have to practice a lot and its certainly more difficult to be as fast and accurate. Throw in an amount of stress most people have never experienced and your accuracy is toast. I think that's an argument for more rounds, not fewer.

You certainly should be aware or your shots because you are responsible for them...however, just because you have more rounds doesn't mean you have to shoot them. I'd rather have more and not need them than need them and not have them.

Accuracy with a few round trumps poor marksmanship and lots of ammo. I completely agree. But accuracy with lots of ammo is even better, and with reliable, small autos like sub-compact Glocks, I find it almost impossible to justify carrying a wheelgun....as much as I'd love to slick up a 66.