Last Updated on January 29, 2021
Packing heat is always a good idea because you never know what this world is going to throw at you next. Revolvers make an excellent choice as a Concealed Carry Weapon, backup, or self-defense piece. Here are seven reasons why the wheel gun excels.
Dependability
Revolvers have the earned reputation of being dependable under pressure.
A wheel gun can put up with a lot more abuse than an auto-loader. Drop it in the dirt. Roll it around in the mud. It is still going to function. Semi-autos are a lot more finicky about dirt and dust.
Even a cheap revolver is going to shoot a round that fits correctly in a cylinder chamber. New ammo or reloads, it does not matter. You can mix loads too. Load the first one or two out the barrel with a hot JHP to avoid over-penetration. Then, lower power loads behind that like lead ball to fill the rest of the cylinder.
Auto-loaders definitely express preferences in ammo. I once had a 1911 that digested factory JHP and FMJ just fine. Drop some hand-loaded round ball and it jammed every time.
Revolvers do not jam. Auto-loaders can. Misfeeds can be caused by a bent lip that you didn’t notice before slapping a new mag home or a weak mag spring. Auto-loaders are also susceptible to “limp wristing”, a problem that a revolver never has.
Fits your hand better
Revolvers come in all sizes from the diminutive North American Arms .22 and .22 Mag to the behemoth North American Arms BFR in .45-70
Auto-loaders do get small, but not as small as the NAA revolver.
The BFR is not suited for concealed carry, unless you are about 12 feet tall. A lot of people say the NAA revolvers are also not suited for concealed carry. If you must have maximum concealment and minimum size, the NAA offers fit both categories. If the choice is between no gun or an NAA revolver, these pocket powerhouses win every time.
Read More: Top 5 Firearms you need to get your hands on now!
Auto-loaders do not reach the sheer size of the BFR either.
A new generation of auto-loaders with different grips is out. Revolvers have had this for years and the choices are much broader.
A good revolver will also fit in the best hunting backpacks as a backup.
Shooter Friendly
The revolver is more shooter friendly than an auto-loader. Because the revolver does not require recoil or gas to cycle, you can load revolver rounds very light. If you load auto-loader rounds light, you run the risk of a jam. The slide may not come all the way back. It may come back just far enough to begin the ejection of spent brass, but not complete it. There is another jam.
Light loads are the perfect way to get used to shooting a revolver and to teach newbies. Shoot light and carry hot.
Auto-loaders have a slide that comes back to cycle the weapon. More than one person has been pinched by the slide, usually because of limp wristing.
Easier to repair
A revolver has just a few parts. Most revolver parts can be milled in short order by any good metal shop.
Greater Durability
The revolver is older than the auto-loader. What we know from a century of using both firearms is that the revolver lasts longer. Shooting does wear both firearms, but a well-built wheelmen will last longer than all but the most expensive semis.
The move to polymer parts on handguns in the semis is another reason many of these guns will not last as long as a wheelgun. Plastic, call it what it is, won’t hold up the way steel does.
Put another way, revolvers have the least chance of failure of any handgun except single shots and the derringer.
Safer
The revolver does not have a safety by and large. A few, like the Heritage rim-fire, do have a safety, but this is not common. Why no safety? Not needed. To make the revolver fire, the hammer-firing pin has to hit the primer hard enough to effect a detonation.
Double action revolvers do take some strength to pull that trigger to cock the hammer. Single action means you have to manually cock the hammer.
If the hammer is back, you know the gun is ready to fire. In a semi auto, especially with no exposed hammer, you have no idea if the gun is ready to fire.
Easier to Clean
Cleaning a wheelgun means running a patch down the barrel and through the cylinder chambers. Cleaning an auto means field stripping and putting it back together. For experienced shooters, this is not a problem. For someone who is new to guns, it can be daunting.
Law Friendly
Getting a permit to carry a revolver is easier in states that link a carry permit to the type of gun. Even New Jersey is more likely to issue a permit for a wheelgun than an auto. If you live in a state where the permit is keyed to you instead of the gun, a revolver still makes a good choice.
Conceal-ability
Hiding a revolver is easy. Modern holsters hide the profile very well. The holsters also come with features that make the holster snag in your pocket when drawing. You come out with the gun, the leather stays behind.
Revolvers also carry well in a shoulder holster, if that’s your thing.
I carry a Cobra hammerless snub .38 in a Bianchi 152 holster. The pistol is rated for +P ammo. The little holster fits most snubs. This is the second .38 snub I’ve had as a carry piece. The first one was traded to lady who wanted something for her purse and had a rifle I wanted. If I ever trade this one, its replacement will be a .357 snub hammerless or shrouded hammer. That way I can carry .38 Smith & Wesson, .38 Short Colt, .38 Special or .357.
About the author: Short, round, genius with a thing for hunting, fishing, well-aged bourbon and dark beer, Ben Baker is a hunter and fisherman based in South Georgia. He’s traveled North America hunting and fishing. You can read more articles from Ben at https://stayhunting.com.
No argument from me about wheel guns – I have models in three different calibers. Although revolvers (in the right size) are easily concealable, I would only go to one if my semi failed for some reason. If you use good ammo and properly maintain your firearm, there is no reason for a semi-auto to fail. The simple truth is that semi’s provide more rounds in the magazine. Also, revolvers transmit more recoil because the barrel length tends to be pretty short and none of the gas is used to eject the spent cartridge. I will never ditch my semi-auto… Read more »
When it hits the fan my four inch 629 Smith in a .44 mag caliber beats any automatic in any caliber !
Revolvers don’t conceal as well as semi’s because of that which revolves – the cylinder. This makes it thicker than most semi’s and “bulge” more. On the other hand, you can leave a revolver loaded “forever” and not worry about any spring “taking a set” and failing when you really need it. This makes the revolver particularly suited for a defensive weapon which you don’t normally carry, such as a “bedside” gun. Of course, you CAN carry it; it just takes a bit more effort to conceal it well. Revolvers generally hold fewer rounds than a semi and are slower… Read more »
I’ve heard that the magazine spring taking a set is a myth. It’s loading and unloading that kills the spring. In theory, it’s best to just keep the mags loaded all the time.
Well I haven’t experienced a magazine spring set, but that may be because I didn’t use to keep loaded magazines around. I did once have a striker fired 22 automatic which stopped reliably igniting the shells due to the hammer spring taking a set stored under tension.
I haven’t found the cylinder to present a problem with concealment at all, in fact just the opposite – being round, it tends to ‘print’ a lot less than a blocky semi-auto with hard edges. As for the tired old ‘capacity debate’ – please cite documented examples where capacity has been a debilitating factor in armed civilian encounters. If such documented examples exist at all, it is such a statistical anomaly, that you may as well wear a haz-mat suit and carry a lighting rod around with you 24/7 if you are really concerned about such minute probabilities. We tend… Read more »
Awesome article! Thanks for writing. It was a really good read!
A concealable revolver is not as accurate as a good semi of the same size. I’ve had both and like the new semi’s better.
Most new shooters get the opposite result. Due to the length of trigger pull on a striker fired pistol accuracy suffers for those who don’t know how to compensate for it or don’t train with it.
My experience has been just the opposite – a fixed barrel goes a long way toward accuracy over one that ‘floats.’ Can you explain what you are basing that on?
Sorry, no offense intended but where are you getting this from? Some of the most accurate small guns on the market are revolvers, and any small pistol like an LCP or PF9 are going to have rudimentary sights as well as a stiff trigger. Small revolvers like an LCR or S&W 442 are just as accurate as a pistol and less likely to have feed problems.
Don’t get me wrong, I love revolvers. And they are beautifully simple. But this article contains a lot of passion-fueled misinformation. I’m sure I’ll get blasted for this, but here are a few rebuttals … Auto-loaders also come in all shapes and sizes and fit the hand quite well. Auto-loaders are not unreliable. Military and law enforcement carry them almost exclusively because they meet their strict reliability rules. Glock, Sig, Ruger, and many others make totally reliable pieces that will shoot just about anything you shove in them. “Shoot light and carry hot” is terrible advice. The worst. Everyone please… Read more »
I agree with you. I have revolvers. But my auto-loaders are easier to carry and conceal, are just as accurate, are a snap to disassemble for maintenance or repair (although I have not needed any repairs so far), and provide more fire power. I can’t imagine dumping a revolver in mud and/or dirt and expect it to continue to operate dependably, but my Glocks will!
Using a weapon, whether it be a handgun, rifle, shotgun, should always be a defense of last resort. When you send a round of ammo into a persons body, it opens up several scenarios of which none are good. Your personal reaction to what you have just done, law enforcement, medical services for the victim if you have not terminated their life, and other. You need to prepare yourself mentally for all the above prior to any confrontation with a weapon.
All aside, the strength in the shooter’s hand(s) is the deciding factor for me. Simply put, my hands have become weakened by crippling arthritis and has limited me to a revolver. I can no longer pull back a slide, nor can I field strip a semi anymore. I am thankful for the reliable, easy to load/clean revolver. My preferred carry .38 snub nose J-frame is a wee bit bulkier concealed, but still out-of-sight in my jean’s pocket. I have a .22 9-shooter in my EDC bag. My .357 mag, .44 mag, and .45 all loaded and perfect for sitting by… Read more »
This was a great and appreciated article! Thanks for sharing your detailed findings! I’m seriously going to pick up an NAA mini. It sounds like the perfect pocket gun! I had shyed away from them because I didn’t think they’d be reliable or strong. I am happy to find out that’s not the case.
2 revolvers are desirable, a .22lr or .22 mag and a .357mag or .44 mag. the rest just ain’t needed.
x2 – DA – June 13, 2017 at 2:41 am – ‘“Shoot light and carry hot” is terrible advice. The worst. Everyone please erase that from your memory. You need to practice with the same (or similar) round you’ll have under pressure.’ – Find a FMJ or wadcutter practice ammo that both shoots to the same point of aim ECU and CU/MS, & FEELS the same as your defensive or hunting ammo. In defense of revolvers, however, people with problem hands (injury, EOA/EORA, age; safe to shoot and carry but with physical restrictions) CAN routinely get that one bar/pin pushed… Read more »
Revolvers are safer and more accurate for novice shooters the biggest drawback in my opinion is I prefer NATO caliber rounds
You replied to my comment, so I’m going to go ahead and address these two. Every gun is loaded, and should be treated as such until it’s in pieces or has a flag in it. That safety thing … no. Not as a blanket statement, and not with the “you can see the hammer, see” argument from above. Modern revolvers have a bar between them and the hammer, whereas old revolvers didn’t (which is why CAS/SASS shooters follow the old horseback rule of load one, skip one, load four, so revolvers are all sitting on an empty chamber and period… Read more »
You make a great point about special circumstances (which I wasn’t addressing).
There are plenty of semi options that work for the general population. OTOH, if you have a unique condition like arthritic hands then your daily carry needs to fit that condition. The right gun may very well be a revolver so go for it
Revolvers are great. Just not to the detriment of other options.
100% agree on your “right gun” and “other options”. Firearms (and airguns) diversified for a reason. Ammo caliber and heat, firearm weight (comfort, wrist-hand strength, recoil suppressant), double stack vs single stack, carry-profile over exposed hammers, and if or WHERE we plan to carry, on our bodies and our climate-lube pairings (especially for the .22s that get pushed sometimes, and tube mags in rifles that don’t side-hatch load) all affect what gun is right for us. It comes down to comfort in our hands and shoulders and on our belts/ribs. I’ll also say it comes down to comfort in our… Read more »
Really a revolver doesn’t jam and they last longer. These statements alone tells me the author is clueless. They jam my friends, and when they break unlike a Glock you need a trained gunsmith to fix them. There’re people still carrying 1911s, that are over a 100 years old. I challenge you to find someone who carries a revolver that’s over that age, not some pre-1899 replica either. I’ve linked a great article from us concealed carry that addresses the authors misstatements well.
https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/revolvers-dont-jam-firearms-myths/
Great article. This is a great “experience stat”. Reminds me to think twice about daily carry with one mag …
“more than 90 percent of malfunctions in a semi-auto pistol can be remedied by ripping out the existing magazine, running the slide, and inserting a fresh magazine. Short of a serious parts breakage, the most common failures in a semi-automatic pistol are all ammunition or magazine related.”
Revolvers can’t be fired unless already cocked with hammer back if the cylinder can’t rotate… Making them slightly less reliable.. If attacker grabs and holds the uncocked revolver by the cylinder, it can’t rotate to allow chocking and fitting, and it becomes useless for defense. A chamfered but uncocked double action semi auto can be fired with safety off by simply pulling the trigger even if the slide is firmly held by an assailant. Most modern semi autos now have a loaded chamber indicator and manual safety. Many modern revolvers have manual hammer/firing pin block safeties… Which can prevent accidental… Read more »
Also, proper grip is key to reflexive target acquisition. Hold the grip firmly, but not tightly, look at a target, close your eyes focusing on target in your mind, raise the pistol to firing position, look at the sight picture relative to the target: if the sight alignment is on target as you “point” with your hand, the pistol grip is correct for you. If the sight picture the pistol is left, right, down, or up from the correct target acquisition alignment, the grip is a mis-fit for you, so try a different pistol. At ten feet, prior grip fit… Read more »
No. 10: No brass left behind in case you are forced to run to survive.
I know quite few guys that get in altercations who say this. It’s always better to not leave anything behind, if you don’t have to. They also carry steel, instead of aluminum, in case they need to hit somebody with it.
The author got quite a bit wrong. Revolvers sustain abuse better?! Toss your favorite revolver in some mud and see how long it is before you’re able to fire the first shot. Or, hold your revolver sideways and drop it. On concrete. The cylinder will likely lock up, taking it out of action. Now, do those things with a Glock/M&P/XD, etc. Aside from aesthetic scars, the gun(s) will run just fine. Revolvers don’t jam? Those are the words of someone who doesn’t fire revolvers much. Revolvers outlast auto loaders? See above. I like revolvers, but, unlike the author, I’m very… Read more »
I own both types, but my go to is a S&W Airweight Bodyguard J-frame in 38+p. An Ajax spring kit and some light polishing took the double action trigger pull from 13 gravelly pounds to 9lbs and smooth as glass.
If a revolver is what you want then a revolver you shall have, I’ll be over here with my well maintained highly reliable semi auto with more then double the round count and the ability to reload in seconds. I am and will remain proficient at operating, cleaning and maintaining my firearm in perfect condition.
Revolvers still have a place as personal defense weapons, and even as EDC. You just have to learn to work with what you have, and really, a subcompact pistol won’t carry all that many more rounds than a revolver.
The author lost credibility as soon as he said revolvers don’t jam. Makes you wonder just how experienced he is with revolvers…
I have never had one jam. I have never seen one jam, even ones owned by people clueless on how to maintain them. On the other side I had a Browning Auto 22 that never fired right, as well as a compact Sig 9mm Auto that seldom fired the first round and never fired more than two in a row without jamming. BOTH sent back to the manufactures after numerous “experts” attempted repairs, both returned from the manufactures no better than when I sent them. Waste of good money.
A 38s&w caliber won’t fit in the chamber of a 38/357
Listen to this guy and die whimpering! 😀 Unbelievable rubbish.
Concealability is a lie.
NOTHING is more reliable than a centerfire revolver period. Regardless of all the lies and propaganda on the internet the FACT is a revolver is the best at saving your life. And if 5 or 6 rounds isn’t enough for you to end the attack then you are likely in a war and you should have brought your AR. ALL semi autos WILL jam, WILL malfunction, and WILL limp wrist at some point and they are 100% reliant on the ammo being withing the narrow range of bullet weight and pressure in order to properly operate the slide. Revolvers can… Read more »
If you have a bad round, you can just pull the trigger again. I’ve never had a revolver jam. I’ve had many, many autos jam. I’m not saying they can’t, but it’s likely a revolver sitting under a bed for over 10 years will fire what it is loaded with. In a personal defense situation, you need to be getting out of there as fast as you can and only shooting as a last resort. It’s not a Hollywood action movie. I’ve been in situations where I had my revolver, in my hand while in my pocket, and ready to… Read more »
THIS IS THE KIND OF DRIVEL “GUN WRITERS” PUT FORTH AS SOBER EXPERIENCE, BUT IT’S NONSENSE. BEGINNERS IGNORE THIS ARTICLE: Let’s get down to refuting: A wheel gun can put up with a lot more abuse than an auto-loader. Drop it in the dirt. Roll it around in the mud. It is still going to function. Semi-autos are a lot more finicky about dirt and dust. Blarney. A double action revolver is like a clock, when you take off the sideplate. The merest grain of sand in there can lock the whole thing up. Ditto if a grain gets under the ejector star,… Read more »