The Value of the Revolver

Many handgun enthusiasts have happily embraced the pistol, especially with its sleek, modern look, compact sizes, and variety. While the pistol remains a tactically sound primary choice as a weapon, there are reasons to consider keeping a revolver in your training regimen. In some cases, you might wish to conisder one as your primary weapon—and many people do.

Here are six reasons to reconsider—or at least not dismiss—the revolver:

• Less jamming. Although modern pistols (especially if properly maintained) do not jam with the frequencies they once did, revolvers rarely jam unless the reason is obvious.


• Easy cleaning. Because the revolver has fewing working parts, they are also easier to clean and maintain.


• Loaded? In an instant, you can tell whether your revolver is loaded by looking at the cylinder. Approaching a pistol (especially one that isn’t yours), you need to make deadly certain.


• Alternative ammunition. Here’s something you can safely do: load .38 special bullets into a .357 revolver. Even a smaller person with less grip strength reports this combination is incredibly easy to fire and control. It may not be the best combination for home protection, but this is great way to introduce someone to shooting without frustrating them.


• Capacity. Many pistol enthusiasts dislike revolvers because they typically hold no more than six rounds, whereas a modern pistol can hold two times that or more. However, outside of law enforcement or the military, there are few civilian situations that require more than two or three bullets to be fired. As one revolver enthusiast put it, “If I can’t stop them with six, I won’t stop them with twenty!”


• Cost. A revolver usually costs less than pistols of the same class, and ammunition can often be considerably cheaper. If you’re looking for a backup weapon, or a secondary weapon for another room or the cabin by the lake, consider saving serious money with a revolver.