Revolver or auto?

When asked that question, my reply is, “what do you want the gun for?”

Let’s talk about only concealed carry for now. I will address other purposes later.

There are so many choices it can be confusing. There are more handguns made today by more manufacturers for concealed carry than ever before.

Let’s talk about revolvers first. Next time I will talk about autos.

Revolvers are extremely simple and easy to operate. Anyone wanting to master a handgun, the revolver is by far the easiest. Push a button, open the cylinder, place cartridges into the cylinder, close the cylinder. Gun is ready to fire. “It’s so simple even a caveman can do it.”

Size and weight are the critical issues. If the gun is too big or too heavy, you won’t carry it. Period.

But, revolvers are also made of a polymer material, or “space age plastic”. Any size and weight is available. They can be very small and lightweight. But small and lightweight makes recoil uncomfortable or even painful.

Barrel length will be two to three inches. The shorter the barrel, the more difficult the gun will be to shoot accurately.

But the handgun is a last resort, self-defense, emergency piece of equipment most likely to be used at very close range. Accuracy is not your most important factor. Concealed carry and reliability are.

Revolvers are as reliable as any man made tool can be. A heavier, all steel one will be more comfortable to shoot.

Grip size will be critical, regardless of the material the gun is made of. I strongly recommend one that has a grip you can get all your fingers on!

How you plan to carry the gun will determine to a large degree the size and weight you are willing to carry. That is another subject for another day.

What caliber? This is the hottest debated subject when it comes to concealed carry and self defense. With revolvers, your choices are limited. But this is not a problem. The ones available are perfect for the job. They are, the .327 Magnum, the .38 Special and the .357 Magnum.

The .327 Magnum is new to the gun world. Don’t let the word “magnum” scare you. This is a great, self defense cartridge and other less powerful cartridges can be safely fired in guns chambered for it.

The .38 Special needs no introduction. Ammunition available today is the best the world has ever seen and the cartridge is totally perfect for the job.

The .357 (my favorite of all pistol cartridges) is a very powerful cartridge. I do not recommend firing the cartridge in small, lightweight guns. But .38 Specials can also be fired in the .357 chambered guns. The full powered .357 cartridge is manageable in all steel, three inch barreled guns. Any of these three will serve you well.

Next column, I’ll talk about autos.