Revolvers Are Great: Revolver vs. Autoloader for CCW (Part 3)

Differences. It's all about the differences.

Will You Carry It?

It's all about size, weight, ease of concealment, and feeling comfortable with the damn thing. All of the above could be a deal breaker. Two people could buy the same 16 ounce revolver and have two different outcomes as far as being willing to carry the gun. Different modes of carry affect how it prints and feels. People are shaped differently. 

There are so many factors, but different holsters can mitigate any issues. So I believe that choosing between a revolver and a semiauto will depend on other factors more than exact comfort. I could be wrong, especially when someone that wears more form fitting clothes has to make a choice, which means more concern about comfort and printing. 

Training Up

Revolvers seem to provide more of an "easy entry" path to conceal carry. Checking to see if a gun is loaded and basic functions seem so obvious and intuitive with a revolver. That's why gun-store clerks seem to naturally try to put snubnose revolvers in the hands of women. Small revolvers can be a handle to shoot, but so can the lightweight .380s. 

Of course, the modern "troupe" is that you can getting anyway hitting the target, if you hand them a Glock G19. But I am not so sure that they wont' be shooting themselves in the thigh, if they take such an easy-to-shoot gun as their CCW gat.

So a revolver seems to be harder to shoot accurately. That probably is mitigated, because most non-LEO legal carriers will have to defend themselves at close range. But again, the semiauto has another advantage, mostly. Because of the long double-action trigger of revolvers, a person with an autoloader can most likely get their shots on target quicker. But then again, that is probably not needed.

For a more in-depth look at the differences between proficiency with an autoloader and a revolver, here is a video by Caleb Gidding:  

Ammo Cost

Ammo cost doesn't seem to a big deal, if you're just going to get a gun and not shoot it until you need it. But that doesn't seem very responsible. My wife wants to learn about handguns, get her CCW permit, and shoot regularly. And I want to shoot more. I'm of the opinion that you should shoot with your carry gun with carry ammo (at least analog, which ammo companies are capitalizing on) - NOT .22s or easier-to-shoot larger guns - at least when you are practicing for carrying.

So, practice costs money for range time and ammo.

(brass-cased FMJ 50 round box - 12/13/21 on LuckyGunner.com)

9mm        $23.50

.380        $37.00 (57% more)

.38 Special    $38.00 (62% more)

9mm wins this category on a round by round basis. But how many rounds would you put through a CCW gun at all - or in each caliber?

A Gun Is A Gun

Eventually, you have to make a choice. The conventional wisdom is that autoloaders have won the fight, but revolvers can ease an entry into CCW. And if one can handle the trigger pull and recoil - and make hits on target at typical non-LEO civilian ranges - then a revolver is good enough. So be it.

The 9mm Revolver Predicament, Part 1

My first service-caliber handgun was a revolver. I went with advice, probably from a Guns & Ammo article, that if you are treating a handgun as a fire extinguisher (student of the gun take on this) that you should probably go with a revolver. Though everyone is now screaming Glock, striker fired, and long double action, back then a semi auto still meant levers etc. At the time, I was planning to carry the gun on my hip.

I finally did end up with a semi auto, but with double action and manual safety/decocker. Not surprising, since my first autoloader had all that stuff, too. But I have become enamored with pocket carry, and my current service-caliber semi auto is too big for pocket carry, though I have done that before. If I were to jump feet first I would have just sprung for a Glock G26 and called it a day, and especially after an article in a handgun annual that stated that compact 9mms beat snubnose .357s in the muzzle energy department.

But then the "buts:"
But (1) semi autos don't like pocket lint (And revolvers do?).
But (2) I'd like a long double-action trigger to make drawing from a pocket safer (OK.).
But (3) a G26 is a chunk of a gun to stick in your pocket - weight and size wise (I can fit my Ruger P95 in most of my front pockets - really).
But (4) does muzzle energy really matter that much? Am I splitting hairs?
I think that's enough.

To Be Continued ...