Revolvers tend to be more reliable in function, and often less recoil for the absence of the slide slamming back with each round.I’m probably gonna hurt some butts, but I’ll never understand recommendations for a revolver for anything other than novelty and range play. ESPECIALLY for new shooters. To each his own, but there are many reasons to avoid a (any) revolver for serious personal defense.
The only reason I can kinda agree to using a revolver is failure to fire/dud round; yeah you can just pull the trigger again. However, the likelihood of that scenario is very slim, especially compared to the likelihood you’ll need more than 6-8 rounds on tap. How fast can you reload a revolver if you’re in a stressful situation? Simplicity under stress is paramount in a defensive situation, and the last thing I wanna be doing is fiddling with empty shells and speed loaders. Unless you’re Jerry Miculek, you’re better off with a very simple to use and reliable polymer framed pistol like a Glock or comparable.
I’d also recommend against a 1911 or similar for personal defense unless you’re highly trained. They’re like race cars; sure they can be run fast and are very accurate, but require more maintenance and skill to operate proficiently. And, I feel like safeties are liabilities on defense pistols; again, the fewer switches and buttons required for use, the better.
For defense, you want simple, reliable, and something you’re comfortable with. Really hard to beat a Glock or s&w m&p AND (very important) hours and hours of safe practice. The muscle memory programming required to run one of those well vs the other options is considerably less.
Every person and circumstance is different, but generally, simple is better.
Proficiency with a speed-loader can make up for the reduced number of cartridges.
And the simplicity, especially for someone who's not accustomed to a more complicated firearm.
Specifically why my wife and daughter both prefer their revolvers.
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