I was a young cowboy with a fondness for horses, firearms, and pretty girls, in that order. One afore-mentioned pretty girl awaited my arrival across a high mountain pass that guards my Rocky Mountain home, but as my diesel pickup growled its way upward toward the pass I knew I was going to be early for our date. So I geared down and pulled off the highway into a small patch of ponderosa timber. The motor grumbled to a halt and I lifted my most recent crush off the truck seat, it’s long frame svelte and gleaming in the late afternoon light. The action was as smooth as whipped cream sweetened with maple sugar, and I forgot all about my upcoming date. Carrying the curvaceous form a little way from the truck I swung it to eye level and squeezed. A distant twig disappeared with a thunderous crack, and smoke rose in slow spirals from the six-inch barrel of my vintage Colt Python. I was in love.
My infatuation with six-shooters began early at the hands of Louis L’Amour. His books accurately describe many different revolvers used during the heyday of the Wild West, including the early Dragoons, Walkers, Pattersons, and even Walch & Navy 12-shot handguns. Colt Peacemakers played a role in many of his novels, as did Smith & Wesson and Schofield. Revolvers offered the greatest firepower available in a handgun at the time, and many battles were won or lost with them.
Now, most shooters would opine that wheelguns simply can’t compare with semiauto pistols in terms of speed. Tell that to Jerry Miculek. Yes, I know, none of us will ever be able to handle a revolver like Jerry can. But, courtesy of Miculek, no one can ever dispute the fact that a revolver can spout veritable gouts of ammo downrange with blistering speed and accuracy. Are they better than a semi-auto handgun for protection or battle? Well, no. Not usually. However, every once in a while, they do have advantages. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each.
The Colt Peacemaker was one of the most effective and influential handguns of the 19th century.
Revolvers – especially ones like this Colt Python – have panache. They are also typically easier to shoot well.
REVOLVER
The first successful revolver – known as the Colt Patterson – was patented in 1836. It was a .36 caliber five-shot weapon that became an instant success on the battlefield. Revolving pistol design evolved steadily during the rest of the century, with 6-shot, single or double-action models eventually becoming the standard – hence the moniker “six shooter”. There are, however, many notable variations to this standard, such as the small-frame 5-shot .357 Mag. Smith & Wesson Model 60, and the 7-shot .357 Mag. S&W Model 686 Plus. But for the most part six-guns are just that – six-shot guns. That limited capacity can be considered a significant disadvantage when compared with today’s high-capacity semi-auto handguns.
However, some things should be given consideration when comparing six-shooter versus high-capacity semi-auto. First, in the hands of a calm, accurate shooter, six .357 Mag. or .44 Mag. rounds are enough to stop multiple bad-guys in rather authoritative fashion. Secondly, high-capacity firearms tend to promote a spray-and-pray technique, especially during high-stress encounters.
Real Life Encounters
One video I watched of an actual firefight left an indelible impression on me – it shows a policeman hiding behind his squad car door, spraying rounds from his semi-auto at a man who was advancing on his position with a rifle in hand. When the man arrives the cop’s high-capacity handgun is empty, and though he winged the criminal a couple times, it wasn’t enough to stop him. It’s a real video, and as the cop begs the bad-guy not to hurt him the bad-guy shoots him dead at point-blank range. All it would have taken to stop the criminal was one careful, accurate shot. Instead, he wasted 18 rounds and his own life.
This small-frame S&W 5-shot revolver is accurate, smooth, and reliable – the perfect carry gun for a pretty lady or elderly gentleman.
Another advantage a revolver has over a semi-auto is that a revolver has no slide that a shooter must rack before firing. That’s significant for older folks, or folks with weak hands. No one wants to hide in a corner while a marauder roams through his house, trying feverishly to chamber a round in his gun but unable to do so because the slide is too hard to rack. Better to have six shots that will go bang than 17 that won’t. Revolvers are also much less likely to malfunction than semi-auto handguns. Even covered in dust or mud, there’s simply not much to go wrong.
Rugged, superbly accurate, with an action smoother than fine silk – it’s a tragedy that the Colt Python is no longer produced.
One last consideration in favor of double-action wheel-guns is the fact that they are conducive to accurate training and shooting. Many shooters struggle to shoot handguns of any type well, and the problem is usually a two-ton flinch. Those shooters likely aren’t even aware that they possess such an awesome flinch, and so can’t work to eliminate it. But with a revolver you can load a couple rounds in the cylinder and spin it. Then shoot through all the cylinders. You’ll soon know if you’re dealing with a flinch. Furthermore, there’s nothing like the long, smooth pull of a nice double-action revolver to teach a shooter to hold steady on his target and squeeze. Try it sometime.
The downsides to a revolver are simple: significantly less firepower and a thicker profile. The first means that you have fewer bullets to shoot at bad guys, and it takes longer to reload. The second means that they can be harder to conceal. That’s pretty much it.
Cartridge Showdown — which is better 9mm or .45?
Less romance and all business, this high-capacity pistol is a fighting machine.
SEMIAUTO
The first really successful semi-auto handguns were designed during the early years of the 20th century, played a large role in WW1, and changed the temperature of battle and self-defense side arms forever. The US Military adopted them immediately, but US law-enforcement was loath to give up their wheel-guns. In fact, a percentage of officers carried revolvers as late as the early 1990s.
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The S&W Shield is a lightweight, rugged little semi-auto. It’s harder to shoot accurately than the S&W Mod. 60, but less punishing and sports almost double the rounds.
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Nine reasons for a bad-guy to change his mind.
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Today there are a plethora of different semi-auto side arms available. The most popular full-sized models are high-capacity polymer-framed versions capable of stacking 17 or more rounds in the mag, and another in the chamber. They’re a far cry from the old 5-shot Colt Patterson revolvers.
Advantages possessed by semi-auto handguns are many. Most notably, they go bang every time you pull the trigger, without that long, long pull associated with double-action revolvers. They also go bang lots and lots of times. Even the historic, panache-laden 1911 has a capacity of 8 plus 1, giving it a 50 percent advantage in firepower over any six-shooter. Run a like equation with a high-cap pistol and you have fully three times the round count of any six-shooter.
Even if we compare small-frame, concealable revolvers versus compact semi-autos, the results are still in favor of the semi-auto. For instance, a small frame revolver such as S&Ws Mod. 60 carries five .357 Mag. rounds. Compare that to the 9mm S&W M&P Shield with a capacity of 8+1 and the semi-auto boasts almost double the round count. Sure, the .357 Mag. hits harder, but with today’s premium self-defense ammunition that advantage is minimal.
The downsides to semi-auto handguns can be summed up in just a few sentences: They can be harder to operate (racking the slide). If you possess the grey hair and wisdom of years gone by, you might be better served by a revolver. They are more prone to malfunction. If your weapon of choice is a semi-auto you should train until you are adept at clearing your pistol should it jam at the worst possible time. And, make sure that you never spray-and-pray. Drop the spray and keep the pray.
***Check out GunsAmerica for your next Colt Python.***
The Model 60 is easy to load and (aside from recoil) easy to shoot well.
i still like the wheel gun better still have my colt python build in 1980 never been shot in the box but i do carry a m/p 9mm still the wheel gun is much more fun to shoot
I know that criminals will likely have semi autos with up to 17 rounds and we would be out matched with a revolver. Considering I live in New York State where it is illegal to have more than 7 rounds in a magazine and magazines over 10 ( 7 is still the max on the books) it seems a law abiding citizen would be no worse off with a revolver. I KNOW , reloads are faster but as this article states 5 or 6 well placed rounds are better than many of the 10-17 misses or Innocents hit with your rounds.
I have a black Python, much like the one pictured in this article, but in better shape……
And I’m REALLY HAPPY about it!
When I hear someone talk about the best tool for the job, I remember stories about a pool hustler clearing the table with a broom handle!
Purpose, objective, and likely scenario usually dictate the choice of tools one carries. INMHO, most of us civilians are never going to need that tool, and if we do, it will very likely be in a life and death struggle with a crazed attacker who will likely grab at anything appearing to be a weapon of any kind. My recommendation would be a snubnose revolver with a shrouded hammer, and the one I particularly like is the Ruger LCR in .327 Federal Magnum, but there are many others that would work.
On the other hand, if I’m LEO or military, I would likely choose a semiautomatic pistol in .357 SIG with high capacity backup mags!
“I was a young cowboy with a fondness for horses, firearms, and pretty girls, in that order.”
I truly hope that you later got a real life!
When I carry my Glock there is always one up the pipe . Odds are no one is gonna wait for you to rack the slide. It’s that or my Ruger P-89 , both are loaded with Frangible ammunition.
Another thing that recommends wheelguns – arthritis. I carried a Kahr K9 9mm as my BUG when I was an officer. Once I retired, the Kahr became my primary and an Interarms Walther PPK in .380 was my backup. About two years ago, arthritis in both thumbs has rendered me incapable of racking the slides, or loading magazines. I went back to my roots and bought a Ruger SP101. I also pulled a Taurus 85 out of mothballs that I’ve had forever. Now the Ruger is my primary and the Taurus is my BUG. They are loaded with Hornady .38 FTX +Ps and I carry two speed strips of the same. Do I feel undergunned with two five-shot wheelguns? Not really. When you’re talking about firearms strictly for my own protection and that of my loved ones, up close and personal, they’ll do.
I’ve heard this same thing form others about arthritis in the hands. Good to know that the good old wheel gun comes to the rescue. I started out with a S&W 642 wheel gun then moved to a G26. Probably will return to the S&W as time goes by.
Who cares what you carry, just carry! I have both, and use what fits best that day. My wife, who can’t train often carries and S&W 637 with a laser. She doesn’t understand lots of buttons, but knows how to make holes [reliably] in people if the need arises.
AMEN !
I think it really just depends on the needs of the situation. I can envision times when a semi-would be favored and times when a revolver would be favored. It is probably more important that people plan ahead and carefully visualize the scenarios they are likely to encounter and choose weapons that are most like to fit their needs, and if needed, help the person prevail.
I am now 78 & have been shooting handguns since I was 12-13 yrs. old. I am a died in the wool 1911 man!!
My everyday carry gun is a Charter Arms .44 Bulldog with a 3” barrel spurless gammer. & custom grips. I submit the target can’t tell the difference between a .44 special & a.45ACP!
From the reports I read, most civilian confrontations occur at contact distances!! If contact is involved, the wheelguns win hands down.
If you press the gun against an opponent to hard the gun moves out of Battery & you are holding a poor rock!! If it is pressed lightly or is grabed the gun fires once & fails to return to battery.
If you are willing to live with these shortcomings, get a plastic 9mm. Good luck!!
An advantage that semi autos have over revolvers is it is easier to do a partial reload also known as the tactical reload with a semi. A partial reload is when a shooter engages a target or targets and neutralizes them. The shooter than takes cover and reloads to a full magazine even though the original magazine still had rounds remaining. The shooter then places the original or partial loaded magazine in a pocket. The shooter now can engage any other threat that appears with a full magazine. The same procedure with a revolver is much more difficult.The shooter either needs to dump the whole cylinder and reload entirely or carry loose rounds and carefully replace the spent ones and at the same time being careful not to eject the live rounds.
IMO there are advantages and disadvantages to both . And considering 99.9 % of “ citizens “ will never be involved in a “ fire fight “ the advantage of up high capacity firearms is highly unlikely going to be an advantage. Most incidents for civilians will be in close quarters ( under 10 yrds or Less ) .so there are advantages and disadvantages to both . Disadvantages on semi auto now you have to rack your gun . Slot of semis won’t fire if someone grabs a hold of your gun and the slide I’d moved back .and in a scuffle your magazine can be ejected . Now at best you have a one shot firearm . The author didn’t mention hammer less revolvers . Which are basically fool proof . They don’t snag on clothing . Can be fired through clothing ,can still be fired in a struggle most of the time . Even if the assailant has a hold of it . If a round fails ,the revolver will continue on to the next chamber next time the trigger is pulled .and I’d rather have 5 fireable rounds than the one if the situations mentioned above occurs . These are just a few examples of pros and cons of both . And also the author only talked about 44 and 357 . 38 special+p will definatley get the job done st the range most confrontations take plus . Yes would it be better to go to a rock fight with a pocket full of rocks than a hand full . But if you can’t get your hand into your pocket the situation becomes mute . And above all else training training and more training is the key .
You don’t have to rack the slide if you carry 1 in the chamber.
Let me comment on a few things you touched on.
First, that revolvers are easier to operate than automatics, especially for women or the elderly. Not true. You can cherry-pick examples to push that point, but the reality is that the long, often heavy pull of a DA revolver is Much harder for such folks to deal with. Extremely few shooters that I’ve seen can quickly and accurately place shots with a revolver in DA mode. Modern, striker-fired pistols are Simple(eg- Glock). The only external controls are a slide release and a mag release. Also, there are many aftermarket options to make an auto. easier to operate, such as, drop-in trigger groups, lighter recoil springs, larger controls, etc. Revolvers? All you can do is have Expensive work done by a good gunsmith to smooth & lighten the trigger pull, time the action, etc.
Second, is reliability. You say that stoppages are almost irrelevant in revolvers. Again, Not true. Personally, I have experienced bullets “jumping the crimp” and locking-up the cylinder. More commonly, I’ve had serious trouble ejecting the empty cases from the cylinder, necessitating finding something solid to smack the ejector rod with. Also, I’ve had a failure of the cylinder lock to engage in DA mode, resulting in mis-indexing of the round = a stoppage. And that was under ideal range conditions with a clean gun. Consider conditions where that revolver is “covered in dust or mud,” as you say, and forget it!
Contrastingly, the only stoppages I’ve ever had with automatics were due to a damaged magazine, incompatable bullet types, or during the break-in period for a new pistol. That’s it. There’s a reason militaries and police around the world use pistols rather than revolvers, and it’s not just because of increased capacity, though that’s a Big selling point, as you alluded to.
Third issue concerns physical attributes conducive to concealed carry. No contest; the pistols win.
Fourth is price. In an attempt to make revolvers more oriented towards CC, makers have been using stronger, very light exotic materials, like titanium or scandium alloys. This, coupled with limited production runs, have pushed the cost of a quality revolver for CC up. By comparison, one can purchase small pocket pistols quite inexpensively.
I agree….revolvers are simple to use, however I’ve owned a few and have had just as many problems with revolvers. Usually from bad ammo, but I did have a revolver that had one out of spec cylinder hole and ammo kept getting jammed ,thus jamming me up!.. DA triggers are horrible on revolvers as well. I think a good quality semi auto will serve more good to most people.
If you carry with an empty chamber and must rack your slide before firing, you have given yourself a HUGE disadvantage.
You’re out of your mind to carry like that! I’d sooner go for a knife, in that case.
I have a black Python, much like the one pictured in this article……
And I’m DAMNED HAPPY about it!
Rack the slide? Doesn’t anybody besides me carry with one in the pipe? It’s been my SOP for many years without any problem.
However, age is taking it’s toll. Of late, an unpredictable tremor is playing havoc with my target groups. I can still keep ’em on the paper, but the nice, tight groups are no longer. I’m 79.
I liked the article; I shoot both semi autos and revolvers, but only carry the semi auto. I’m partial to CZ, have two 9mm on my permit, The extra weight tames the recoil. I still love going to the range, but I’m wondering if the time has finally come to give it up? Doc says the tremor is age related, not likely to go away…
Yes, but even if you have one in the pipe and it fails to fire, you are left with 2 choices in most cases, rack the slide, or hit them with the weapon..
You can have a failure to fire in both semi and a wheel gun. Always carry with one in the chamber.
For those of you who don’t carry with one in the chamber, do you also leave the first cylinder in a revolver empty for the same purpose?
Yes.
Except for use as a backup ankle gun revolvers have been obsolete since 1911.
Tough decision! As far as I am concerned, it is a 50/50 tossup.
The wheel gun, in DA, is as close to 100% reliable as we will get. I am a fan of semi-autos and carry a .380 compact. However, I have never seen a semi-auto that didn’t fail at least once.
The semi-auto is far easier to conceal. Many times, I just pocket mine. You have to watch out for lint accumulation, but concealment is simple. In addition, the fact that every police force I know of issues semi-autos tells me they have few concerns over reliability. Reloading is also easier and faster than a wheel gun.
That’s my opinion. And the answer is…….?
\”That limited capacity can be considered a significant disadvantage when compared with today’s high-capacity semi-auto handguns.\” There\’s that blankity-blank nonsense that gun writers keep feeding to the reading public.. We are not police… We are not boarder patrol agents.. We are not ICE nor military personnel. For the average lay person who confronts a stand-your-ground situation or a castle-doctrine encounter the good guy may get off a couple of rounds; perhaps three or even four or more likely, one.. Each month in the NRA\’s publications we see the \”Armed Citizen\” post. I cannot recall reading any account of a homeowner blazing away with a full magazine, let alone dumping the exhausted one and resupplying a fresh magazine. It simply does not happen. Indeed – as this story notes – a police officer may do it.. However, you cannot use such a person as an illustration for the rest of us. But that\’s what gun writers do over and over again. They are in love with their own hyperbolic rhetoric. Find a handgun that fits well, is comfortable to shoot, can be worn on the ankle, the belly or alongside a shoulder. Consider those things and think of a revolver or a semi-auto. The very last thing the vast majority of us should ever worry about is a handgun\’s capacity. Ladies and gentlemen, gun writers and gun companies have been selling us a fanciful load of nonsense tale that simply, rarely, even never ever applies to John. Q. and Mary Q. Public
You hit the nail right on the head,After a career in Law enforcement, I became just another regular citizen upon retirement.
I now carry a S&W Mdl. 60 357 magnum.As my primary focus has changed from offensive to a purely defensive role, I do not need a gazillion bullets. I see to many of the “spray and pray” Rambos nowadays.I have shot competitively sense the middle 80’s
and have seen my share o Yahoo’s. I have also seen countless jams,double feeds,etc. The inexperienced shooters have no clue how to get back into the fight. As a young Police Officer,while working plain clothes, I had to use my S&W mdl 36 in a shooting and I was able to hit the suspect. If you want to be proficient with a firearm,especially a hand gun, there is ONLY one way to do so,Practice, Practice,Practice. Do not make the fatal mistake my gun holds 17,so I do not need any practice.
I bought a lot of cool stuff to customize my hand gun so I am not only cool,but a Pistolarlo as well.
I find your comment mostly invalid.
First, I don’t recall Ever reading in “The Armed Citizen” an account of how many rounds were fired. I DO recall reading more than once where a firefight ensued after a home invasion. It would be advantageous to have 15-19 rounds available, rather than 5-6, especially if there were multiple attackers, and Extra especially if it’s a multiple attacker street scenario.
Second, in a stressful, close-up SD street situation, you are likely Not going to have the opportunity to take careful aim. The general rule is: Keep firing until he drops. That is a Much more likely happenstance if one has more rounds at one’s disposal.
Third, suggesting an ankle carry is Really bad advice. Period.
Fourth, concerns your negative comments regarding gun writers. They have their own opinions borne of more experience than most of us average shooters. You can take their comments as you will, but Don’t call them a “fanciful load of nonsense;” because they’re not.
You are absolutely correct, but take it a step further for carry guns: a carry gun should be dependable, light enough and small enough to carry everywhere, every day, all day and accurate enough to hit a refrigerator at 15′ using the point and shoot method. I like semi-autos, but for carry, the revolver is more dependable, period. Take your semi to the range and you may fire thousands of rounds thru it with no problems because there is nothing to obstruct the slide. But should you find it necessary to fire your weapon from inside your jacket pocket because the bad guy is in your face or you have cleared the gun from your pocket but he has his hands on it, your high caliber, high capacity, high dollar protector is now a single shot. If the slide touches anything during the auto-loading process, it will not function properly. Your revolver will fire every time you pull the trigger until you run out of ammo, even from inside a purse or pocket.
Pick any other situation and another weapon might be a better choice, but for CCW, the revolver is best.
That’s my opinion and it’s worth exactly what you paid for it.
i love revolvers, but for carry, there’s a big cylinder that’s uncomfortable, and impossible to hide, unless you have a 5 shot mouse revolver.. my opinion from decades of carry
calling BS on this one ! I have carried S&W K & L frame 4 inch barrel revolvers without any issue in past. I would hardly call either one a mouse. Funny part is that when it has come up in conversation, and people see where it is, they are quite surprised and had no idea… It is what ever you are comfortable with…
I carry a 327PC, really light, really powerful, pretty compact and super reliable. Also holds 8 rounds in its titanium cylinder.
I am with Aram. I thoroughly enjoyed the article and understood not just the points he was making, but I also appreciated the literary style he employed. It was interesting and fun for a change. I relate to his background as I grew up reading Louis by oil lamp light as a Great Basin cowboy in northern Nevada and eastern Idaho when it was still really wild and western. A career as a spec ops soldier, law enforcement and tactical weapons instructor for over forty years has taught me to respect the opinions of other shooters. I am no fan of the Python for technical reasons that exceed this venue, but I am a revolver fan also for sound tactical and technical issues. I have used and carried my 1911s and now stryker fired weapons in operational environments and as an instructor because I am expected to. The tactical tommies that offer their studly, snarky comments demonstrate the weapons intellect of democrats. Like Aram, it was dogs, horses, guns and girls when I grew up in a better time and when we were a better people. He seems like he is the kind of guy I could sit across a campfire from and discuss weapons and horses in a respectful manner. Jeff Cooper offered me a job in the early 80s and invited me up to Gunsight for dinner. I was wearing my S&W Model 19 I had carried as an LAPD officer. He told me that because I carried a revolver that I wasn’t “deadly.” He then asked what I first taught students if a gunfight looked imminent. I replied ” cover”. He told me that he believed in making the enemy seek cover. I had had enough and replied “Mr. Cooper, let’s go out into your backyard and I will take a covered position behind that little building with my nineteen and you stand out in the open with your 1911 and let’s just see who goes in to dinner.” I had nothing but the greatest respect for Mr Cooper as I do for all competent shooters, but a lot of them woukd not be welcome at my fire until they learned some manners.
See to your weapons and stand to your horses,
Stormrider
Keyboard commandos, will it ever end?Find a firearm that fits you.
Stick with it.
Use the largest caliber you can comfortably handle and train with.
Stick with it.
Buy the best quality firearm you can afford.
Stick with it.
Don’t believe half the crap you read online from the wannabe’s that write articles.
Visit your local dealer and then hit the range.
Ain’t that the truth.
What you said…
Last week it was the old which is best, 9mm vs. .45 debate, now this?
Are we out of fresh topics? Raiding the 2001 magazine articles? Not criticizing the writing, but even newbees are more sophisticated today than 10 or 20 years ago, and know that these decisions are personal.
I don’t mind a discussion of strenghts of each, which is what this article seems to really be, but stop with the “bests” in the title, it’s meaningless.
A well written article that misses the whole point. It always comes down to training and then more training. The officer in the videio was ill equipted to be on the street not because he had an auto pistol but because he was untrained. Besides why did he not have at least one more magazine for reloads? Don’t get me wrong my favorite pistols are an old 1970’s S&W Model 10 38 Spl., and a equally old 4″ Blued Colt Python. But they are no longer relavant as everyday carry weapons compared to my Glock 19 gen 2 and two extra magazines. 46 rounds of 9mm +P with deliberate aimed fire is just too overpowering as compared to 18 (6 in the pistol plue two HKS reloaders) rounds of 38 or even 357 mag. Also reloading an auto takes seconds compared to a wheelgun.
…wheels slow to load? Ever watch Jerry Miculek? 😉
In my opinion, this was a good article. I own and have owned several revolvers and semi-autos. I am a fan of 1911’s and carry one most of the time, but I will sometimes carry a revolver. Over 2 years ago I had a motorcycle accident (it wasn’t my fault) and I did not have the strength to rack the slide on most semi-autos, so having a revolver around was very handy. It was about 6 months after I got out of the hospital before I had the strength to rack the slide of a semi-auto (I applaud Walther for making a semi-auto handgun that has a slide that is easy to manipulate. I also acquired a 1911 in 9 mm that the slide is pretty easy to rack.) I believe there will always be a need for revolvers and I think it’s a firearm option that should always be on the table. As I get older (I’ll be 60 this year) a revolver is becoming more of an option due to ease of manipulation and ease of maintenance (but I’m still going to carry a 1911 as long as I can because it’s the semi-auto I’ve almost always been able to shoot accurately.).
This article is long on romance, and short on facts. Both revolvers and semiautomatics will go “bang” every time you pull the trigger. If not, then you have the wrong hardware. I have both grey hair and wisdom, but can rack the slide of any semiautomatic handgun ever made. If a shooter lacks the hand strength, there are plenty of ways to compensate.
The author’s scenario of the law enforcement officer with the semiautomatic is tragic. However, the same result would have occurred if the unfortunate officer had only “wasted” six rounds instead of eighteen. Training, and coolness under fire are independent of weapon platform. If this officer had better and/or different training, things might have turned out differently. Or not. But the handgun wasn’t the decisive factor.
The author advocates .44 magnum as a defensive round. Certainly, this is a round that can settle the argument decisively. However, it’s a poor choice for a defensive round. Given its high velocity and propensity to penetrate, it can overpenetrate the bad guy and represent a threat to bystanders. Any round can do this, but the .44 magnum is more likely than most. Also, given the significant recoil and muzzle flip typical of this round, follow up shots will be delayed, which can result in a gunfight loss. Not to mention the weight and bulk of most .44 magnum revolvers, which make concealed carry less than convenient and comfortable.
I own multiple revolvers, and multiple semiautomatics. I find myself carrying (LTC civilian) a semiautomatic about 100% of the time. Ruger LCP 2 when size is a concern, Glock 30S when it isn’t, S&W 9MM Shield for the times in between. All serve me well. All go “bang” every time on the range. With modern expanding ammo, stopping power is a given. I love my Dan Wesson .357, and my Smith 36, and would not feel ill-equipped carrying either. But modern semiautomatics with modern ammunition just make more sense.
Sensible comment
There is another downside to wheel guns, the cylinder. It doesn’t take much of a knock to bend the crane of most revolvers, including that Python. That puts them in a rotational bind that renders them useless. I have fixed several hundred in the last 35 years and it has always been the bane of revolvers. You can bounce a 1911 or just about any other semi off of a wall and it will still go bang. It isn’t as much of a problem with a SAA design, unless the pin gets bent. Besides the caliber, there are several good reasons no military or police carry them anymore. I do believe I will stick with my 1911.