Revolver reliability. Fact or fiction?

Question

I hear all the time about how revolver owners prefer revolvers to semi-autos because they are more reliable and simple than semi-autos. Then I hear semi-auto lovers say revolvers are more complicated and have more parts. Then they say since the cylinder needs to be lined up so precisely with the barrel that they are less reliable than semi-autos. Can someone please clear this issue up once and for all?

Answer 1

Revolvers are a much simpler design, and inherently more trouble free than a semi auto, (however there are things that can fail or go wrong with them as well). Simpler to operate, they work very well for a person who is not trained to use a semi auto, By trained, I mean trained to maintain it, and to know what types of jams and problems can occur, and how to handle them in an emergency. Also trained on how to properly use the safeties etc. A good quality, well maintained semi auto, in the hands of a trained and  experienced shooter, is every bit as reliable as a revolver. BUT, in the hands of a novice, or poorly maintained, a semi auto can be worthless due to stoppages, and problems. I always encourage new shooters to learn with a revolver, and before they move on to a pistol, I encourage them to seek professional training.

shoot safe

(good question, you get a star)

Answer 2

Fact and fiction.

I own several high quality autos that have never let me down with thousands of rounds down range. It does seem though that a high quality autos costs 2 and sometimes 3 times as much as a good revolver.

I appreciate my revolvers for their easy pointing quality, their longer barrels, huge magnum capacities, and sheer ease of use. If you don't need more than 2 or 3 rounds, why buy something that holds 15; (unless you are a soldier or cop)

So you see its not that one is better than the other, its that one fills a need that the other cannot. Like ever thing in life, you cannot have it all.

Their is always a greater chance for an auto to miss fire, but it is often due to bad ammo. I have experienced problems with primers in my .44 mag from cheap factory reloads. I have also seen people buy really cheap revolvers because they thought all revolvers were reliable , and these things failed.

If you buy a top quality Glock or Sig, and you maintain it, it will work for you for a lifetime. If you need to protect yourself against a bear, a 9mm may not do the trick, but a .44 mag Ruger or Smith will.

I will say that if I could only have one handgun/pistol, I would keep my Ruger .44. Big powerful bullets are more important to me than magazine capacity.

So if you want a good gun for protection, and don't have a lot to spend, a 300 dollar ruger sp101 .357 snub will serve you better than a 300 jennings .9mm. The mith occurs when you compare aples with oranges.

Answer 3

Revolvers typically rarely fail

But when they do they're done

Revolvers have a more intricate and complicated mechanism that autos do

There are many parts inside the gun that can fail

When they fails you have to disassemble the gun and replace these parts

There is also an issue pretty much confined to snub where the recoil of higher powered rounds will work as inertial bullet pullers

The bullet is pulled far enough out of the case that it will jam the gun up tight making it almost impossible to repair in the field

Most auto jams are easily correctable  that with training take mere seconds to clear

I find very little difference in ease of operation or in reliability between the revolver and DA semi

I also believe that due to the intricacy of the revolver's clock work operation an auto's simplicity will allow it to last longer

Answer 4

Revolvers are much less susceptible to jambing period.  Limp wrist, dirt, ammunition failure.  If you have a 'dud' round in a semi-auto, you must rack the slide by hand, before you can fire the next round.  With a wheel gun, you just pull the trigger again.  

They do break.  Mine is broken right now.  It will have to go to the factory to be repaired.  I have over 10,000 rounds through it, and it really wasn't designed to handle the pressures I was reloading.  

My spare is a semi-auto mouse gun, (.22lr w/Aguilla SSS). While I prefer my .357 for obvious reasons, a semi-auto is  fine .

Answer 5

For the less experienced shooter, the semi-auto is more prone to jams.  This is fact, not opinion.  A revolver is not subject to these jams and is, therefore, a more reliable weapon.  There is little that can go wrong with a revolver in an emergency.  If a round were to fail to fire for some reason, all you have to do is to pull the trigger again and a new round will rotate up into the firing position.

Perhaps your friend was speaking from a gunsmith's position when he was talking about the difficulties in getting the timing of the cylinder set correctly.  But once it is done at the factory, it will stay in time barring any unusual event or long time wear.

The bottom line is that from the standpoint of simplicity and reliability of operation, the revolver is the better choice.  The main advantage of the semi-auto over a revolver is in the number of rounds it carries.  The fact is that rarely does an actual gun fight, where you are defending yourself, go much beyond 2 or 3 rounds anyway.  By that time, the bad guy is either on the ground or long gone.  In fact, when  they see a gun, he and his friends will scatter like quail without you even having to fire one shot.

Answer 6

I can count the number of revolver jams I've seen on one hand.

I see autos jam almost every day on the range.

Autos are very "high maintenance".

The cylinder/barrel alignment in a revolver will get sloppy over time and will need repair but it is not something that happens suddenly. It is normal wear on internal parts that causes this and it happens over the course of years. It will not prevent the gun from firing and saving your life, it only affects accuracy.

ALL of my autos have more parts than ALL of my revolvers.

If an internal part breaks it will not be battlefield repairable but normal maintenance will prevent this from happening. Most parts on autos are not battlefield repairable either.

Answer 7

Semi's are more susceptible to jams from inexperienced shooters.

For example, if you "limp-wrist" while firing a semi, a semi can easily jam. Yes, even Glocks jam on a limp wrist. Limp wristing is not keeping your wrist firm and allowing the gun to jerk so the spend casing doesn't eject properly.

Revolvers fire no matter what. A bullet is always in the chamber.  

Answer 8

Revolvers are simpler and by and large more user friendly than semi-autos but they are not infallible. They'll be around for a long time to come because many people still prefer them, they are stronger and available in more powerful calibers for the hunter and they are more forgiving of poor maintenance.  

I own both and both are extremely reliable, albeit the semi-auto requires more attention.  As to aligning the cylinder so precisely to the barrel guess what, that's what a good revolver does!  Tell your friend that most semi-autos depend on a bushing that can wear out to maintain accuracy.  The barrel just kind floats in a semi unless it is of a fixed-barrel design (like the Walther PPK) and that design is considered passé by the gun makers).

So pick what works for you.  I have both.  I prefer my Glock Model 20 10mm but if all I had to defend myself was one of my Colt Python six-shooters I would not consider myself undergunned.

Good luck.

H

Answer 9

The revolver is the most reliable, mechanically sound handgun, that a person could possibly possess for self-defense.*

Answer 10

Revolvers are the best

Answer 11

A new quality revolver like a Ruger will stay in time for many many years unless you shoot it enough to wear something out.  The average shooter will never do so.   I have a Single Six from the  1960s with thousands of rounds through it and I wore out several parts but it never jammed or went out of time.    It has been truly 100% reliability.  

The odds of your semiauto missfiring in a time of stress are higher than having any issues with a revolver.