The old wheelgun vs semiauto discussion again.

[txinvestigator]

Ok, I'm willing to learn and to say I was wrong when I am. I am admittedly prejudiced toward my 38 snubbie, but I've spent my life changing various prejudices of one sort or another.

What I hear you saying is 1) quality gun and 2) maintenance are the keys to no malfunctions with a semi. Is that right? My wife shoots a Kahr 9mm which hasn't malfunctioned ever with about 1500 rounds through it. I clean it meticulously after every range session. I just thought her gun was an exception. Have those of you who responded also experienced 1000-2000 rounds in your semiautos with NO malfunctions. Tell me "yes" and I'll be convinced.

Eager to hear from you. Paul G.

I am the training director at a range in Dallas. We see over 200 security and CHL students each month, and too many shooters to count. Seldom do I see semi-auto's malfunction.

I also attend several gun training classes each year. I see even fewer malfunctions at those. In fact, last class a guy with a revolver had the ejection rod come unscrewed, and the cylinder would not turn.

I have been carrying a semi-auto since 1988, and I have yet to have a malfunction.

Pretty good odds to me.

[OverEasy]

I can tell you about 2 revolver failures I had.

1) I was shooting Sellier & Bellot semi jacketed .357 mag ammo in a Charter 2000 'Mag Pug' SS(.357) revolver. The jacket material was comming off the bullets and wedging between the end of the barrel and the cylinder, jamming the cylinder. I bought the S&B .357 mag ammo for $8/50. I returned all of it for a refund.

2) The ejector rod,cylinder axis rod, whatever you want to call it broke in half one day.(same Charter 'Mag Pug') When I swung the cylinder out to eject the empties, it and all the associated cylinder parts fell on the ground.

YES! I got rid of the 'Mag Pug'!!!

I have an old Charter Arms Undercover .38 spl in SS that has been flawless for years.

So it is possible to have problems with a revolver.

Just my .02, OE

[flintknapper]

I can tell you about 2 revolver failures I had.

1) I was shooting Sellier & Bellot semi jacketed .357 mag ammo in a Charter 2000 'Mag Pug' SS(.357) revolver. The jacket material was comming off the bullets and wedging between the end of the barrel and the cylinder, jamming the cylinder. I bought the S&B .357 mag ammo for $8/50. I returned all of it for a refund.

2) The ejector rod,cylinder axis rod, whatever you want to call it broke in half one day.(same Charter 'Mag Pug') When I swung the cylinder out to eject the empties, it and all the associated cylinder parts fell on the ground.

YES! I got rid of the 'Mag Pug'!!!

I have an old Charter Arms Undercover .38 spl in SS that has been flawless for years.

So it is possible to have problems with a revolver.

Just my .02, OE

As you say, wheelguns are not immune to "jams" or failures. Most "failures" are not due to their design though, more often..neglect in one area or another is the culprit.

I've seen jams caused by "high primers" where the cartridge gets pinched between the back of the cylinder and the recoil shroud (usually with reloads).

A poorly "timed" revolver can shave lead (or jackets) because the cylinder doesn't line up properly with the forcing cone. Debris can build up and cause a jam.

"Bullet creep" can cause a jam when the bullet moves forward in its casing resulting in the nose of the bullet sticking out the front of the cylinder.

You can jam a revolver when ejecting spent cases if you don't eject them forcefully. This can allow a case to slip under the ejector star (very bad).

Your revolver can "disassemble itself" (as in ejector rods, screws, etc) if you don't check them occasionally. (very, very bad).

No, they're far from perfect, but..a good quality revolver, with good quality ammo, properly maintained, will be a pretty reliable weapon and simple to operate.

[jbirds1210]

I have to say that the most problems I have ever had out of a gun were two Smith revolvers!!! I have since remedied the problems with a great deal of gunsmithing, but I bought a true lemon 686! I also have a Model 10 that is very very picky about the ammo it will eat.

I can't tell you how many rounds I have put through my autos with minimal or zero problems. My Springfield 1911 is a bit picky about ammo, but the rest of them are amazingly reliable. I hate to say it again, but Glock has me sold for reliability. Take care and best of luck!
Jason

[G.C.Montgomery]

My experience is similar to TXinvestigator's. I work at a range as an instructor on weekends and some evenings. I see dozens of clients a week and I've probably fired about 250,000 rounds through various guns over the last 20 years in training and competition. Much like my experience as a network administrator and help desk guy....most problems I see, start with the operator. But good equipment helps too. Here's my experience with my own stuff.

I've got one Glock pushing 150,000 and a 1911 that's just short of 100,000 rounds. The Glock had 130,000 rounds on it when I got it. Other than a worn magazine catch that was failing to seat the magazine for a couple weeks, it's NEVER had a hiccup. I sitll think the mag catch failure might have been the result of an unusually harsh reload in which I managed to crack the magazine body in five places.

The Kimber could almost say it's had a spotless reliability record but I broke the extractor at 87,000 rounds. That failure marked the first time the gun ever actually experienced a stoppage and went down. I replaced the extractor and was back in business within ten minutes. I also cracked a barrel bushing back around 30,000 rounds but it was noticed during cleaning...Oh and I was going through firing pin stops almost once a week between 10,000 and 15,000 rounds but I was shooting 1200 rounds a week at the time. I eventually went to a high quality aftermarket stop and haven't looked back since.

Now, on revolvers. I can honestly say that MOST of the failure I've had with firearms have been with revolvers. I snapped the trigger pin in my first S&W, a Model 10, after about six months. I bent the extractor rod and poked a hole in my hand on a 686 after about the same amount of time. Then if developed timing issues a couple months after that...actually, the timing was fine but the cylinder stops were wearing out. A friend joked I was shooting to fast and that revolvers shouldn't be keeping up with mini-guns. Oh, I also gave up on a J-Frame that kept having firing-pin's breal or get stuck after six months. I've got a 620 and a Model 28 now...don't shoot them much so I haven't had any problems.

[KBCraig]

Revolvers tend to be either/or: either they work, or they don't. And when they don't, they really don't!

SA stoppages can almost always be cleared quickly, but when a revolver gets sideways, you're done shooting for the day.

Kevin

[HighVelocity]

A semi auto can jamb tight enough that it cannot be cleared by one person or without tools.

I had a round of premium factory ammo jam a Sig so tightly that it took two grown men to clear it and it was not quick.

SA stoppages can almost always be cleared quickly

[longtooth]

Great! Welcome to the world of both guns. You can have complete confidence in quality arms. You have also seen that the revolvers are not completely fool proof either.

[Chris]

on duty, i carry a semi auto and a revolver to back it up. if someone tries to take my gun, i appreciate the somewhat technical knowledge that it takes to operate a semi auto equipped with a safety or two in the very short time that person has to learn to disengage them.

the revolver backs it up because there are no safeties to worry about, pocket lint and general dirt is irrelevant, and should i need to toss it to someone, there are no safeties to learn quickly.

i know of officers, particularly motor officers, who wore semi autos exposed and on range day, the guns would not cycle. the oil, having completely dried and crudded up from the elements, acted like superglue. i've seen more than a few teletypes indicating this as a failure accompanying the notice to inspect for this problem.

out of all the semi autos i've owned, only one was completely unreliable and was immediately sold. i think a revolver is more forgiving, but i don't feel ill equipped with either of the two.