Revolvers today

[ap3572001]

had a revolver talk with the guys this morning before going on duty.

As far as LE , the revolvers are limited to 5 shot back-up two inch models.

At least thats what I see.

How about everyone else? Where do You think revolvers are today?

I am just talking about Your std four inch 38/357 S&W ,Colt or Ruger?

[morrcarr67]

had a revolver talk with the guys this morning before going on duty.

As far as LE , the revolvers are limited to 5 shot back-up two inch models.

At least thats what I see.

How about everyone else? Where do You think revolvers are today?

I am just talking about Your std four inch 38/357 S&W ,Colt or Ruger?

Good question. I haven't seen a LEO with a revolver as a duty weapon in years.

[rabidmonk]

IMHO, revolvers are mainly for recreational/competition shooters or home defense. From a duty perspective, why limit yourself to 6 or at best 7 rounds, when you have options for a handgun of upwards of 15-17 rounds? The likelihood of a LEO to have to use his/her service weapon is greater than a civilian, along w/ the likelihood of engaging more than 1 individual.

That being said, I love my revolvers.

[MudCamper]

I've got this bad-boy in 10-day jail right now:



Loaded with 8 rounds of 357 and equipped with a good weapon light, this revolver is going to be my new bedside defense gun.

[ElvenSoul]

For LE going the way of the dinosaur...for PI and Security still a main go to...you can demonstrate to a judge that you are responsible and carrying a weapon with greater safety & accuracy.

[Andy Taylor]

I agree that, for the most part, the revolver's heyday as the go to LE weapon of choice is gone. It still makes a fine choice as a back-up or off duty weapon in the smaller snubby variants.
As far as the full size duty revolvers many people, myself included, use one for home defense. They also are carried by civilian CCW permit holders quite often. IMHO they are superior to auto-loaders as woods carry weapons where one may be more concearned with 4 legged threats than 2 legged threats due to the fact that a more powerful revolver may be carried in a similar sized (or smaller even) weapon. To get close to magnum power in an auto loader, a Glock 29 10mm is the smallest I can think of. A J frame or SP101 .357 is a much more powerful weapon with the right loads, and is still smaller.
On the target range revolvers are great, especially for those who reload. No need to pick up brass off the ground. Reloaders also have more leeway in developing "pet loads" for revolvers. Revolvers are not dependant on the power of the cartridge to be in a certain range for a given weapon. They can up and down load without concern whether or not the weapon will function. The only concern is how strong a given weapon is and not to load to hot. Same holds true for bullet profile. The round does not have go up a feedramp to ensure proper function, therefore the best bullet profile for the job at hand can be selected without concern for feeding.

[someR1]

IMHO, revolvers are mainly for recreational/competition shooters or home defense. From a duty perspective, why limit yourself to 6 or at best 7 rounds, when you have options for a handgun of upwards of 15-17 rounds? The likelihood of a LEO to have to use his/her service weapon is greater than a civilian, along w/ the likelihood of engaging more than 1 individual.

That being said, I love my revolvers.

^^ +1

[scarville]

If it is really true that the "great majority" of bullets fired by cops don't hit the intended target then revolvers are clearly inadequate for police work.

From Page 12 of Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness.

An issue that must be addressed is the fear of over penetration widely expressed on the part of law enforcement. The concern that a bullet would pass through the body of a subject and injure an innocent bystander is clearly exaggerated. Any review of law enforcement shootings will reveal that the great majority of shots fired by officers do not hit any subjects at all. It should be obvious that the relatively few shots that do hit a subject are not somehow more dangerous to bystanders than the shots that miss the subject entirely. [Emphasis added]

[XDRoX]

Capacity wins nowadays. Especially when a glock is just as reliable as a revolver and holds twice as many rounds. I know one cop who is about to start carrying a g26 as a backup instead of his S&W 38spl.

[BigDogatPlay]

As above the day of the revolver as a principal LE sidearm in the US has passed. I know a few old mossbacks who still sport a wheel, particularly on special occasions, and there are still some agencies out and about that issue them to boots. It's been largely relegated to the role of back up gun in the US for LEOs. One of my last patrol tours a few years back I went out with one of my Model 66s in a Hoyt breakfront. Very old school, and I turned a head or two but I guess my graying hair pre-identified me as a dinosaur.

Overseas, revolvers are still very commonly issued to uniformed and plainclothes police. The street cops in Singapore, for instance and where I was within the past few months, get a Taurus Model 85 as their issue sidearm. Hong Kong very similar, although I read someplace they were using Ruger at some point.

The main uses for the revolver these days is:

** Personal defense in the hands of law abiding citizens and CCW permitees
** Target shooting
** Competition
** Hunting

The hunting area is possibly where revolvers shine most strongly. They are capable of handling much more powerful cartridges than any commonly encountered semi-auto, and with superior accuracy. The Desert Eagles is, perhaps, the only semi that comes anywhere close to handling revolver like rounds but it does so at an huge penalty in weight and size.

[1JimMarch]

Daily carry here in Tucson:

[shooting4life]

All I own now for center fire handguns are revolvers. Bottom feaders have their place in the line of duty. But for the pure enjoyment of shooting I'll take a revolver 11 times out of 10.

[Buddhabelly]

Don't want to take the discussion on a different tangent, but I'd be really skeptical using a .357 magnum or up round as a bed stand HD gun. You'd better not miss the first shot or the bullet is going to end up half a mile up the street, and you're deaf and blind from your own blast at night in close quarters. Hard to do follow up shots when all your eyes see are stars and blinding white spots.

I enjoy shooting my revolvers for fun tremendously. Especially at night just to see said fireball.

[Fjold]

I know a senior officer in Lompoc who carries a 6" S&W as his duty weapon.

[Twinspool]

Folsom prison guards all carry wheelies.