Pistol vs. revolver

[Redhorse]

Ok, it's not that debate but rather a question. I've shot revolvers all my life and I recently acquired a 9mm pistol. I'm finding I have great accuracy with it, same as with my 9mm high point and .32 acp walther. However, sometimes I feel it's even better than with my revolvers when I have way more experience with those. Is it possible to just naturally be able to shoot one type better than the other? I know, sounds silly, but I'm seriously wondering about this or if anyone here has ever noticed that.

 

[ModernGunner]

JMO, but generally speaking, because of the design of each, pistols are easier for most folks to shoot well. Grip, bore axis alignment, etc.

And no, it doesn't 'sound silly'.

 

[shibumiseeker]

It's not silly at all. How a gun fits you has a large bearing on how well you can shoot it. Since veryome is different, a gun I can shoot well may give you fits and vice versa.

 

[Deet]

I shoot revolvers way better than pistols. Don't know why, but I do.

 

[8th SPS USAF]

If you shoot your rev DAO, you will like the DAO type pistols better, more like rev. Sig-DAK, SW DAO-3913, SIG 290 RS, KAHR

 

[n9znd]

I was in the same boat. I shot a revolver very good until I was on the clock and had to shoot very fast and then I could not hit anything and got very frustrated. I ended up selling the revolver and going back to a 9mm that I shoot well in the games that I want to play. I had fun shooting the revolver but I just wasn't fast enough for my taste to shoot the way I wanted to. I think it would of got better with time. "but Nobody got Time for that". Still love shooting my J Frame though. Jim

 

[warthog]

I love revolvers and carried one exclusively until I bought my Shield 40. Always practice with the double action as you won't be pulling the hammer back if someone needs killin'. Now that you're practicing things properly, if you still feel better with a revolver, carry one. Otherwise you may just wind up faster and more accurate with your pistol. I will say this much about your pistol though, I sure wouldn't want to carry a three hundred pound pistol like a Hi-Point but that is up to you. The .32 is a little less gun that I like to have but it is all about placement so if that's you...

Revolvers are more reliable, never jam with quality ammo in them and go bang for sure unless you ran out of the quality ammo last cylinder. I carry two, one is a S&W mdl 632-2 ,327FM and the other one is an SP101 .357 w/2" bbl. I have many years with the SP101 and never felt like I needed more ammo at the ready, that's what speedloaders are for ok? Get good at reloading it too, practice.

Revolvers rock IMO. Best advice I have for you though is carry what you feel good carrying, holstered all day and how well you shoot it. If you find your gun too heavy, you wil leave it home and what good will that do for you in a SD situation...

 

[Birds Away]

I shoot bottom feeders better than revolvers. But I have a lot more experience with them so not really a surprise. I enjoy shooting either.

 

[augdog]

I am with Deet. I shoot A revolvers much better than Autos but I like Auto Pistols just the same!

 

[Redhorse]

I love revolvers and carried one exclusively until I bought my Shield 40. Always practice with the double action as you won't be pulling the hammer back if someone needs killin'. Now that you're practicing things properly, if you still feel better with a revolver, carry one. Otherwise you may just wind up faster and more accurate with your pistol. I will say this much about your pistol though, I sure wouldn't want to carry a three hundred pound pistol like a Hi-Point but that is up to you. The .32 is a little less gun that I like to have but it is all about placement so if that's you...

Revolvers are more reliable, never jam with quality ammo in them and go bang for sure unless you ran out of the quality ammo last cylinder. I carry two, one is a S&W mdl 632-2 ,327FM and the other one is an SP101 .357 w/2" bbl. I have many years with the SP101 and never felt like I needed more ammo at the ready, that's what speedloaders are for ok? Get good at reloading it too, practice.

Revolvers rock IMO. Best advice I have for you though is carry what you feel good carrying, holstered all day and how well you shoot it. If you find your gun too heavy, you wil leave it home and what good will that do for you in a SD situation...

Well I have a ruger p95 I'd carry if I had to, the hi-point is just something to mess. I'm just surprised semi-autos seem easier to shoot since I've always shoot revolvers. Maybe it's just in my head?

 

[seamusalaska]

I think the expression is YMMV (your milage may vary).

 

[ru44mag]

I shoot revolvers better when shooting SA, but revolvers DA, not so much.

 

[PRasko]

I trained with a revolver that had, what seemed like, a 12lb double action pull.

I shoot automatics better, but I believe that is solely based on the fact that I have an iron finger and grip.

Also, I use an 11lb Gripmaster Pro when I'm sitting at home doing nothing. Believe me, they help A LOT!

 

[roadrunner681]

i can shoot ether gun just fine, but i can hold a much better group farther out with a revolver rather its in double action or single i do better with a gun that weighs more( too a point of course) probably in my head but most of the revolvers that i have shot were old rugers and smiths im pretty sure its the trigger there old guns that have been used a lot so there stupid smooth my grandfathers model ten-5 has for example has a stupid nice trigger.

 

[45fan]

It varies for me from gun to gun. A few of my revolvers I am scary accurate with, and some of my auto guns I am on par with my better revolvers. Not every wheel gun amazes me, and not every auto I own is a target pistol. I think it boils down to what gun fits an individual the best, and what ones are the most comfortable to shoot.

 

[Mgderf]

I shoot auto's and revolvers.
I try not to discriminate.

 

[cmamath13]

Lots of good info in this thread. I shot both revolvers and pistols similarly.

Not sure I agree with the comment/s implying revolvers are more reliable than pistols. That is not always the case. I have heard this for a long time, but my newest revolver has not been any where near as reliable as some of my pistols.

 

[throttletony]

Not too weird at all. There are certain guns that individuals shoot well, and others that they don't, regardless of type of handgun
I can shoot very well with my brother's FNP9, better than with any of my own guns.
Then, I don't shoot single-action (vaquero comes to mind) very well, but I do quite well with my gp100.
Just the individual meshing of (software + hardware) + hardware

 

[clbrock18]

Shoot what feels good in your hand, especially if you shoot it well.

 

[Whip_McCord]

Not sure I agree with the comment/s implying revolvers are more reliable than pistols. That is not always the case. I have heard this for a long time, but my newest revolver has not been any where near as reliable as some of my pistols.

You need to elaborate. Unless there is an ammo problem or someone tried to make the hammer spring too light, there are very few reasons a revolver would be unreliable. Parts break, but I have not noticed that happening with any frequency.


For me, when I shoot in our PPC league, I shoot better with a revolver. I tried shooting my S&W 1911PC for 6 weeks and I only averaged 97.2%. I average 98% with my Windmaster (custom PPC 38 special model 10). Of course, those are iron sight guns and the revolver has a longer sight radius. I average over 99% with an open gun, but still shoot open better with a revolver. Even though the pistols have much lighter triggers, I do better with a DA revolver.