Revolver vs Semi automatic

[HighFever]

I am looking to buy the gun I will carry when I actually get my CCW permit and have just recently had my first exposure to shooting. I went to the range with a friend and shot his Glock .40, don\'t know the model. What is the easiest to conceal, a revolver or a semi automatic or does it make any difference? Are there any other issues that would justify one over the other or does it just not make any difference?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Betty]

Wow, you\'re going to get some varying answers on this one. :D

I will carry revolvers and semiautos. I used to CC a Taurus 617 - that\'s a 7-shot .357. The cylinder on that thing is big. You can carry more ammunition in a flatter profile with a semiauto. If you don\'t practice with semiautos much and risk limp-wristing and jamming, a revolver would good for you.

I say carry whatever is most accurate, reliable and concealable for you. Get your hands on as many guns as you can and shoot them. Find you what you like and don\'t like about them, and you can narrow down your options from there.

You may find you don\'t want to deal with a manual safety and go with a semiauto that doesn\'t have one, or you\'ll choose a revolver. You might discover you like cocked n'locked.

Practice shooting with one hand, from retention, and run through some weak hand drills. A semiauto pocket rocket isn\'t going to do you much good if you can\'t control it, and a revolver with a long trigger pull can be the same.

The first CC gun you get will most likely not be your last. I\'ve gone from a Walther PPK/S to a Glock 23, a Kahr K40, a Taurus 617, a Para C6.45, and I carry either a USPc or a S&W 640 as a main gun these days.

Happy hunting! :)

[APachon]

Betty got it right with her post. I will add, that you should get some instruction as well as a class for the CCW exam / practical app. See what is required in terms of shooting and distance and practice that with whatever pistols you can come by. Does the range you go to rent pistols? If so take account of what everyone here carries and see what works best for you. There is a ton of literature out there for carrying concealed. I personally carry semi-auto\'s. Why additional ammo. Simply the reson.

This is a great forum for information and advice. I say practice all you can and buy the best you can as reliability is KEY. See what fits your hand best and go from there.

~A

[Bud White]

betty pretty much hit it ..

Have to carry what fits you and ya like i carry a xd subcompact 9mm and a Hk fullsize have also carryed a Ruger police six.

Would carry my Ruger super redhawk in 454 if i could but at 7 1/2 barrel its a wee bit long

[Kahrman]

Not much I could add to what Betty and APachon said already. Just use what suits you, not what everyone might say you should carry. A good basic pistol course often expose you to many different types of guns, calibers, sizes so I would definitely get that under your belt as quickly as possible.

Other than that, just read everything you can read on the forum. You can definitely benefit from other people\'s experiences.

[APachon]

Brian Enos\' book is a great read. I highly recommend it. I find myself going back to it for pointers and refreshers.

[John R]

For CCW I carry a 5 shot 38 special S&W J frame revolver.

[Bobcat1]

I currently carry a CZ 52. Am about to acquire a S&W Model 10 with 3\" bbl for carry. Although I have had no problems with the CZ, revolvers are never prone to jamming during cycling. A.38 is just fine for my purposes and where I am living.

[steven1281]

S&W 637 .38 +P here for 90% of carrying. Other times I carry a Star BM 9mm. Betty hit the nail square when she said \"...carry whatever is most accurate, reliable and concealable for you. \" :kay: That may vary for different daily activities. Be prepared that one gun and/or holster rig might not suit all your activities. Of course, that\'s a pretty good excuse to buy more stuff, right?? Steven

[randyb]

[quote]Originally posted by Betty
Wow, you\'re going to get some varying answers on this one. :D



I say carry whatever is most accurate, reliable and concealable for you.


Ditto. I\'ve carried/carry some many different guns both semi and revolver. It depends on what works for you and what your comfortable with. What i carry inthe summer is different than in the winter and spring and fall the same. Even the ammo I use changes with the seasons (ok just in my .357 I prefer the heavier stuff in the fall & winter). Some of my favorites include:

1911 in .45 ACP I shoot my Kimber better than any other handgun I own and it gives me warm fuzzy feelings everytime I hold it. :O

Ruger SP101. I also love this one with a 3 inch barrel. The original pocket rocket.

S&W 60. Fits in most of my pants pockets and shoots .38 special. Simple and nice.

Kel-tec .32 (for that matter the .380, but this is the one I own) dependable, accurate and a \'fun gun\'. My wife even thinks its \'cute'and likes to shoot it.

[nighthawk]

Whatever you decide to carry please make sure a) it fits your hand (very important) b) you shoot it before carrying c) you practice with your carry gun at the range. Just my 2 cents

[KC135]

Your mind is much more of a weapon than the gun you carry.

Whatever gun you choose, buy lots of ammo, shoot until you wear it out, then buy a new one.

Get good lethal threat management training. A good start is the book \"In Gravest Extreme\" by Ayoob. Not really a shooting book, but a when to and when not to, and what to do if book.The next book would be \'Stress Fire'by the same author. Been teaching from these two books for almost 20 years. They are a good basis for training.

If possible take a course from Ayoob, Farnam, Givens, etc. All three of these guys do road shows.

[Bumper]

Originally posted by randyb
1911 in .45 ACP I shoot my Kimber better than any other handgun I own and it gives me warm fuzzy feelings everytime I hold it. :O

I feel the same way about both of my Kimbers. I like both of them so well I rotate the one I carry almost every day :kay:

[Rem700]

Not that its the end all but consider caliber. 9mm ammo in a semi auto is probably the most cost effective, Way cheaper then .32 or .380 or .38/.357 in a revolver shoot cheap .38s for practice and .357 for carry. If your going to carry you need to practice on a regular basis and sometimes ammo cost could be a consideration. Just an example Win value pack 9mm 100/$9.95 45acp 100/$19.95
I prefer 45acp myself.

[Euclidean]

I like automatics and I think they have their place. I think it\'s important to own at least one and learn how to use it.

My personal experience has been, with my own gun and many others that I\'ve borrowed and shot, that be it a Glock, Kimber, Ruger, Smith, whatever, if it\'s an auto it WILL jam. You may have to fire 100 rounds before it does, but it can and will.

Now I have come to the conclusion that with proper maintenance and preparation, an automatic pistol of any quality will fire at least one entire magazine before it jams. That has been my experience.

I\'ve never ever seen or had a revolver misfire on me. Not once. I\'ve seen automatics jam up more times than I can count. Most of the time it was cleared in two seconds or less, but I do not think I have the gun skills to deal with such a malfunction in a real altercation.

That\'s one of the reasons I still consider myself a revolver person for the defensive situation where it is absolutely 100% vital that thing goes off.

I WANT to trust the auto better because it\'s better in some important ways, but I can\'t bring myself to believe any auto can be as reliable as a revolver at any given price point.

The strange part is, a DA revolver is, in my mind, for all intents and purposes just as mechanically complicated as an automatic when it comes to number of parts.

I haven\'t completely written off the auto... I want a small carry piece in an automatic someday. I really like my P89... but I just don\'t trust it as much as I trust my 686 yet and I possibly never will.