YES! ANY gun can fail.

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18DAI

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I did not want to derail BatteryOaksBillys excellent thread on the 1911 reliability bet.

But I noticed a couple of things there I wished to comment on. I noticed a few times how folks pointed out that "Revolvers can fail!". I have heard that a few times over my 49 years with handguns. Mostly from fans of the 1911 pistol. ;)

And YES ANY gun can fail. In fact, some models/types have a reputation for doing so. I avoid those guns. And so should you - for serious purpose. Any gun can be a good, fun range gun. A carry gun is a different matter.

Reliability is non negotiable. And I am not talking about going bang everytime at the local one way range, using a two hand hold. You should practice with your carry gun using your weak hand, with a poor or less than optimal hold on the gun, firing it quickly - as studies show that folks tend to rapidly empty their guns under stress - and you should move and shoot with it too.

The "perfectly reliable gun" sometimes isn't when it is drawn or fired under less than optimal conditions or with a less than optimal hold.

And a word on maintenance. You would not jump in your car everyday without checking the tires, or fuel guage or at least making sure all the big parts were there amd secure. ;) Do you check your carry gun? Everyday? Do you revolver guys check the tightness of the ejector rod, carry ammo for high primers and make sure the screws and grips are tight?

Are the semi auto carriers sure their guns magazine is firmly seated, gun is sufficiently lubed and the rounds are properly seated in the magazines?

See where I am going with this? Yes, any gun can fail, but there are things you can do to reduce the liklihood of it happening. Good maintenance and a clean carry gun loaded with quality factory ammunition is all cheap insurance to assure proper function.

And so is avoiding guns that already have a reputation for being "finicky" "maintenance intensive" or "an enthusiasts pistol".

That Glock or Ruger or old S&W may not be a highly desireable piece or tacticool or start a conversation at the local range, but if it goes bang EVERYTIME you want it to, especially when its raining or dark or you have adrenaline coming out your ears or sweat/blood running in your eyes with wet/injured hands - it is priceless. My 0.02 Regards 18DAI
 
Agree with this 100%. especially this part:


You should practice with your carry gun using your weak hand, with a poor or less than optimal hold on the gun, firing it quickly

If your carry gun has to be dripping wet with oil and/or gripped just so in order to function...you just can't trust a snake like that.

The gun should work. Sparkling clean or filthy as a dirt road. Dripping wet or dry as a popcorn fart. Crushing grip or limp wristed. Upside down or sideways...it has to function. If it doesn't function in the worst of conditions, make it so or find one that does. More years ago than I care to think about, I acquired a local reputation by taking delinquent 1911 pistols and making them trustworthy. Reliability with that platform has been the focus of about 95% of my work with them. Reliability takes precedence over all else...even accuracy runs a distant second.

One important point that many tend to overlook is that the gun fits your hand...that it feels good when you pick it up...that it feels "natural" for lack of a better term. If it doesn't, you won't do your best work with it when you hoist Baker. This is my only issue with the Glocks. They're good solid pistols, but I can't get my hand to wrap around one to save me, and believe me, I've tried. Others don't have this particular problem, so I'm probably the odd man out. I do well with them on a square range when nothing important is at stake, but when I reach for one in a rush, I find that I often have to adjust my grip on the fly, which can cause a grip-induced malfunction...not to mention a miss...when the game turns serious. Just something to consider when chasing absolute reliability.
 
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Thank you for the kind word my friend, but I am no expert. I have just been shooting and observing and learning for a fairly long time. A significant number of years of that time was government employment. And 19 of those years with a unit where handgun skills were required and non negotiable. The State passing score of 70 during qualifications was not adhered to. Under a 98 was a fail. 100 was the expectation and "qualifying" was only one part of the training component that the OIC for 10 years put us through.

I started with revolvers at a very young age. And once legally able to carried them for decades. On the job as well, till they took them away from us around 2005.........2006? Other than dud rounds, I NEVER experienced a failure with a revolver. BUT I also adhered to what I posted above. EVERY time I put one in my holster. And my all time favorite, for serious purpose as well as in competition, was a 66-2. Pre lock of course. ;) Still is my favorite sixgun.

Then I went to S&W 3rd gen 45s. The TDA models. All of them. :) And for off duty/court days, the excellent 39XX series guns. There was also a 4 year period where we were issued HK USP 40s, followed by two years with the HK USP 45. Excellent pistols. Reliable and accurate. All of them. To date my HK USP 45 is the only plastic gun I own. Or will own.

And as Mr Travis pointed out, the gun fitting your hand is a primary consideration. I try to show folks that at my part time job in the LGS. Folks come in with preconcieved ideas about what they want in a handgun. A lot of it is erroneous information. Mostly gathered from the internet.

If they are not looking for a gun to carry, we show them what they ask for. If they state the primary purpose of the gun is defensive use, we take more time. And they get to handle a lot of different guns. And then we try to send them down the street to fire examples of those guns BEFORE they spend their hard earned money on them. What works for you, or me, or Joe Citizen, may not work for Suzy Homemaker. ;)

These days folks want the smallest lightest gun......in 50 cal.......with a 100 round capacity....and low recoil.....for $200. And they don't want to shoot it first.......or clean it or read the manual. Those folks need a Mossy. In 20 guage. ;)

When I worked at the local range, during the reign of Comrade Zero, we had so many new shooters come in and request a small light 380 - who had never even fired a handgun - that the owner started opening cartons of 380 ball and directed the instructors to have the customer fire 3 rounds through whatever pistol they chose, before renting them one and charging them for it. After two rounds the vast majority would exclaim "No way!" and hand the 380 pistol back to us. We then went and got a 22 revolver and taught them how to shoot. ;) Crawl, walk run.

Anyways, reliability follows whether the gun fits your hand. HKs, Glocks, CZ, revolvers with the exception of Taurus (not bashing, I've just seen way too many fail right out of the box) and older Rugers and 3rd gen S&Ws are all generally very reliable guns. Provided you do your due diligence and test them prior to carry (200 rounds of ball and 50 of your chosen carry round will suffice) and keep them cleaned and maintained. I change recoil springs on my full size and compactsxat around 3000 rounds. On my sub compacts every 1500. Mag springs every 3 years on my carry mags. Range mags are marked and only get new followers and springs when they begin to fail at the range.

Thats what works for me. You may have different needs and requirements. And that why there is chocolate and vanilla. AND YMMV. ;) Regards 18DAI
 
Jeppo, being you have purchased modern s&w products, I thought you would be use to disappointment. ;) :) Regards 18DAI
Never.
The only thing you get used to is return labels. Somebody I know, who’s not actually an expert, says Smith should include them in the box with each new gun. :D
 
Yep, Glock "perfection" is overated. I have seen Gen 3 and some Gen 4 G22s fail, with some regularity, during night quals when you hang a light on them.

And my LAPD friends experienced many failures to go bang with new G21s - but only when the trigger was pulled slowly. Glock denied the problem, till LAPD prohibited the use of G21s.

Then Glock admitted there was a problem and sent a large team of armorers out to L.A. and installed new trigger bars (two dimples on the trigger bar) in all the G21s.

Supposedly, this cured the issue. But many of my friends there dumped their G21s and went to either the 4506-1 or Colt 1911s - which were worked over by the LAPD Armory.

And YES! ANY gun can fail. And once it does, it is extremely difficult to regain confidence in that gun. Regards 18DAI
 
I've seen Glocks, AKs and Mauser 98s fail. Anything mechanical can fail. And add in the human element and they create more failures due to lack of attention, operator error and maintenance.


CD
CD has hit the nail squarely on the head.
I’ve heard, and said more than once, if it wears a skirt, has wheels or goes bang, sooner or later you are going to have a problem wit it.
FWIW.
 
@18DAI
In your posts, you mentioned .380’s and regaining confidence in a problem gun. A couple years ago, I bought an M&P Bodyguard 380 thinking I could throw it in my pocket whenever I didn’t need a “real” gun (a walk to the mailbox, for example). It was nothing but trouble and after the third trip home, they confirmed it couldn’t be fixed; offering to replace it. I reflected long and hard on their offer and eventually wrote back...

I explained that particular model gun serves only one purpose, given that it’s no fun to shoot. With the problems, I had never once been able to carry the gun and, honestly, would never be willing to trust my life to ANY example of that model. I was able to convince them to replace it with an entirely different model.

As usual, YMMV.
 
Reliability is non negotiable.
Reliability takes precedence over all else...even accuracy runs a distant second.
ther than dud rounds, I NEVER experienced a failure with a revolver.
These days folks want the smallest lightest gun......in 50 cal.......with a 100 round capacity....and low recoil.....for $200. And they don't want to shoot it first.......or clean it or read the manual.
. We then went and got a 22 revolver and taught them how to shoot.
Taurus (not bashing, I've just seen way too many fail right out of the box)
And YES! ANY gun can fail. And once it does, it is extremely difficult to regain confidence in that gun.
While I know this info, I never get tired of seeing it. Read and remind or read and learn.
 
Jeppo wise choice to replace a BG380 with something else. Actually, anything else. Including a sharp stick.

We have three examples left in inventory. And there won't be any more if we manage to get rid of them.

The place to throw a BG380 is NOT in your pocket, but into the nearest trash receptacle . ;) Regards 18DAI
 
@18DAI
In your posts, you mentioned .380’s and regaining confidence in a problem gun. A couple years ago, I bought an M&P Bodyguard 380 thinking I could throw it in my pocket whenever I didn’t need a “real” gun (a walk to the mailbox, for example). It was nothing but trouble and after the third trip home, they confirmed it couldn’t be fixed; offering to replace it. I reflected long and hard on their offer and eventually wrote back...

I explained that particular model gun serves only one purpose, given that it’s no fun to shoot. With the problems, I had never once been able to carry the gun and, honestly, would never be willing to trust my life to ANY example of that model. I was able to convince them to replace it with an entirely different model.

As usual, YMMV.
So this explains all of those magazines that you have for sale.
 
BatteryOaksBilly I am presently retired from Investigations and working as a Criminal Magistrate. Here is a short "war story" involving a BG380. One rainy foggy night last year, two officers in my jurisdiction responded to a "shots fired" call.

Upon arrival at the location, they saw nothing. Nobody around, fairly dark location - and it was quite foggy. Then one of the officers observed a laser beam eminating from a ditch beside the road, visible in the fog.

They walked over and found the suspect laying in the ditch. Hiding. Alongside his BG380, which was laser equipped (I guess so you could try and blind your opponent when it fails to go bang ;) ).

Homey was taken into custody with outstanding warrants and a variety of new charges. One of the new charges was Possession of a firearm by Felon. The two officers and I had a had a humorous conversation as to whether or not a BG380 constituted a "firearm" ;) :) Regards 18DAI
 
The Tulsa PD guy on Live PD says, “We don’t catch the smart ones”. :D
 
Since we're tellin' stories, here's one of mine.

A friend bought an unfired/NIB Norinco 1911 on a whim and almost immediately had buyer's remorse for laying down 300 bucks for "Cheap Chinese junk."

So, after a teardown and inspection...during which I replaced the springs and knocked a couple warts off the disconnect where the sear spring rides...and bought it from him. All the springs in the Norincos are trash. Replacing them is SOP for me.

The trigger broke clean at a tic under six pounds, which is just about perfect in my world.

I said to him:

"Let's go find out if it's junk."

I have 72 Metalform 7 round range magazines. I loaded them all with PMC ball and we headed for PHA with a five gallon bucket of water.

Firing fairly rapidly the gun quickly started to get hot, so every 18 magazines...126 rounds...I dunked it to cool it off...slung it a few times to get the excess water out...and carried on.

When magazine #72 locked the slide, I'd have one failure to lock on empty, which I later determined to be a bad follower that was jumping the slidestop lug. I tweaked it and have had no further trouble with it.

He was a little mystified that the cheap Chinese junk had fared so well in that short torture test, and he began to have seller's remorse...but it was too late. During another trip, I shot the gun at the falling plates from 25 yards to see if it was accurate enough to meet my personal requirements....which it did...and now it's one of the three 1911s in my carry rotation.
 
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we had so many new shooters come in and request a small light 380 - who had never even fired a handgun -
This is still a problem.
I see it all the time here, and in the real world too.

At least 4 times a year, a guy comes on and asks what gun to get for his wife/girlfriend. She's never owned a gun before.
So you get the guys opining on what they got their lady friend, or what they steered her towards. And most often it's some kind of tiny 380 or little revolver like a Ruger LCR. "Well she's got tiny hands and and weak arms and struggles racking the slide."
And here I am screaming at the monitor...NO! Don't do that!

Little guns suck! They're purpose built and have a very limited purpose. They're loud, hard to grip, hard to control, hard to aim, and recoil is stupid. A terrible first choice for a new shooter. It can't just be a 22 or even 22 mag either..it's gotta have stopping power! so I got her the 38/327/357!
And just as often, future feedback is that she hates it and it's for sale.

So here I go again with my recommendation that I've been using for decades. Get her a S&W Model 10 with a 4" barrel.
Once past the .22 stage of getting used to the idea, this is the only gun that no matter who I let try it, they liked it. From grizzled old vets to young ladies to grandma..they all liked it..shot it well, controlled it well, and understood it well. Ammo is available from mild to wild, the gun does not make mistakes, and if you can conceal a 2" barrel you can conceal a 4" barrel too.

Not to mention..this is what a new shooter had in mind when they pictured themselves shooting a gun for the first time so it's not a surprise. Or you can hand them a G41 or LCP and see the look on their face...:confused:

Ok so lets talk reliable. When I hear folks tell me that Glock makes the most reliable handgun ever made, I quickly point out that no they do not. That honor goes to the S&W Model 10, and it's had 6 million made and 100 years to prove it. No-one has ever been able to argue the point either, not even the 1911 guys.
I'll go on record again; The S&W Model 10 is the most reliable handgun ever made.
 
I always heard that the Norinco 1911s were great base guns for customization. My old gunsmith, Brian at Greensboro Gunworks did quite a few builds based on Norinco frames and slides.

Its funny, to me, how certain guns get a bad reputation. And in most cases the bad rap against them isn't entirely deserved. One of my favorite carry guns is the S&W 4516. I own or have owned every iteration of that model. To include an LE Special order made after the official end of production for the public.

Over the years, with the invention of the internet and gun boards ;) I started reading about how unreliable the 4516 was. Especially the 4516 no dash, or original variant. This was contrary to my observations and experience. So, several years back, I picked up a LNIB 4516 no dash and ran my own unscientific long term test on the gun. Not one of those gunrag torture tests. But rather a test of how the gun performed being used as any everyday individual would employ it. Range use, target practice, training ect. I posted my results in the thread over on the Smith board during a 3 year period. And the gun ran just fine. No problems other than an instance where I mistakenly used a known problem mag in it.

And interestingly, I recieved a private message on that board from a guy who "was somebody" back in the day at S&W. And he told me an interesting story. It seems that the alleged "problems" with the 4516 began with the engineering department. Evidently a couple of guys who wore pocket protectors - not holsters - watched a bunch of high speed cine film of 4516 no dash models firing. And they opined that the brass was not clearing the ejection port - to their satisfaction. And recommended a redesign.

The fellow who was somebody disagreed and took a dozen new production 4516 no dash guns, two assistants, a "flat" of 45 ball.....in excess of 5000 rounds IIRC and a pail of water. They proceeded to run each 4516 till it was too hot to touch, then dunked it into the pail, allowed it to cool while firing another example. He reports they shot the entire flat of ammo in all the pistols with no failures. None.

And he wrote a report detailing same. And was overuled by the pencil pushers. So after 5000 some odd examples, the 4516 no dash was discontinued. And later replaced with the thicker, heavier 4516-1. Which is itself a fine gun. But the thin light weight, bet your life reliable 4516 no dash remains my favorite 4516. Regards 18DAI
 
I have been shooting revolvers since the early 1960's and have had only a very few failures with any of them. I did have some failures with a used revolver that had been messed up by a shadetree gunsmith. The other failures have been ammo related such as high primers or shot cups creeping forward due to recoil. Those failures were not the fault of the revolvers. I have been shooting autoloaders for about the same amount of time starting with a Luger and then going to 1911's and others. I have had failures with them on numerous occasions. Most failures have been related to ammo and magazines, and I have been able to get almost all of the pistols working to my satisfaction.

One thing I have noticed is that a revolver is generally harder to get back into action as quickly as is an autoloader. Even though it does not happen often, when a revolver locks up it is harder to get it unlocked than it is to clear an autoloader.
 
I did not want to derail BatteryOaksBillys excellent thread on the 1911 reliability bet.

But I noticed a couple of things there I wished to comment on. I noticed a few times how folks pointed out that "Revolvers can fail!". I have heard that a few times over my 49 years with handguns. Mostly from fans of the 1911 pistol. ;)

And YES ANY gun can fail. In fact, some models/types have a reputation for doing so. I avoid those guns. And so should you - for serious purpose. Any gun can be a good, fun range gun. A carry gun is a different matter.

Reliability is non negotiable. And I am not talking about going bang everytime at the local one way range, using a two hand hold. You should practice with your carry gun using your weak hand, with a poor or less than optimal hold on the gun, firing it quickly - as studies show that folks tend to rapidly empty their guns under stress - and you should move and shoot with it too.

The "perfectly reliable gun" sometimes isn't when it is drawn or fired under less than optimal conditions or with a less than optimal hold.

And a word on maintenance. You would not jump in your car everyday without checking the tires, or fuel guage or at least making sure all the big parts were there amd secure. ;) Do you check your carry gun? Everyday? Do you revolver guys check the tightness of the ejector rod, carry ammo for high primers and make sure the screws and grips are tight?

Are the semi auto carriers sure their guns magazine is firmly seated, gun is sufficiently lubed and the rounds are properly seated in the magazines?

See where I am going with this? Yes, any gun can fail, but there are things you can do to reduce the liklihood of it happening. Good maintenance and a clean carry gun loaded with quality factory ammunition is all cheap insurance to assure proper function.

And so is avoiding guns that already have a reputation for being "finicky" "maintenance intensive" or "an enthusiasts pistol".

That Glock or Ruger or old S&W may not be a highly desireable piece or tacticool or start a conversation at the local range, but if it goes bang EVERYTIME you want it to, especially when its raining or dark or you have adrenaline coming out your ears or sweat/blood running in your eyes with wet/injured hands - it is priceless. My 0.02 Regards 18DAI

I would add pre Cohen P series Sigs to that list. The P228, P226, P220 even the P 229 and P239 were all very good reliable platforms pre -Cohen. I am also partial to the Browning Hi Power but mainly because it fits my hand perfectly and I when tuned up a little bit are great shooters in my avg hands. When I think about what gun to carry I only consider guns that fit my hand well. That point naturally for me. I have guns that I have to sort of shoe horn myself into but they remain range toys for that reason. The only exception to that are Glock 19s. They are not a perfect fit but they are a good fit. Call it 90% ish and they are used in get home bags as a secondary weapon to the one I am already carrying. I love 1911s but I don't carry them anymore. These days it is a Wilson EDC X9, BHP or Sphinx SDP Sub-compact.

I agree with a lot of what is being said in this post. I am just an average shooter who happens to carry a gun pretty much everywhere I am legally allowed to so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I do not have years of "professional" experience like a lot of other people on this and other forums but I do shoot early and often. Shooting "THE GUN" you carry is important. You need to know how to run and maintain that gun. It is the one that you have chosen to defend yourself with. I see way too many people who buy a carry gun. Shoot a couple boxes and maybe some hollowpoint and then call it good. They throw the thing in a holster and carry it around. When you ask them how often they shoot their carry gun they tell you almost never. If they remove it from the holster you can tell because it is covered in lint inside that holster. At that point I always recommend shooting it more. Again I am just an avg shooter who carries a gun but like to talk about them so never loose sight of how my you paid for my 2 cents.

Since we're tellin' stories, here's one of mine.

A friend bought an unfired/NIB Norinco 1911 on a whim and almost immediately had buyer's remorse for laying down 300 bucks for "Cheap Chinese junk."

So, after a teardown and inspection...during which I replaced the springs and knocked a couple warts off the disconnect where the sear spring rides...and bought it from him. All the springs in the Norincos are trash. Replacing them is SOP for me.

The trigger broke clean at a tic under six pounds, which is just about perfect in my world.

I said to him:

"Let's go find out if it's junk."

I have 72 Metalform 7 round range magazines. I loaded them all with PMC ball and we headed for PHA with a five gallon bucket of water.

Firing fairly rapidly the gun quickly started to get hot, so every 18 magazines...126 rounds...I dunked it to cool it off...slung it a few times to get the excess water out...and carried on.

When magazine #72 locked the slide, I'd have one failure to lock on empty, which I later determined to be a bad follower that was jumping the slidestop lug. I tweaked it and have had no further trouble with it.

He was a little mystified that the cheap Chinese junk had fared so well in that short torture test, and he began to have seller's remorse...but it was too late. During another trip, I shot the gun at the falling plates from 25 yards to see if it was accurate enough to meet my personal requirements....which it did...and now it's one of the three 1911s in my carry rotation.


I have always like Norincos. I have had a few over the years. I always understood that they were very good basic clones. IIRC there was a time or a run where the locking lugs were out of spec and the pistol would beat itself to death. I always looked closely at those when purchasing one. I always bought them to use as a base gun but never did the build.
 
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Since we're tellin' stories, here's one of mine.

A friend bought an unfired/NIB Norinco 1911 on a whim and almost immediately had buyer's remorse for laying down 300 bucks for "Cheap Chinese junk."

So, after a teardown and inspection...during which I replaced the springs and knocked a couple warts off the disconnect where the sear spring rides...and bought it from him. All the springs in the Norincos are trash. Replacing them is SOP for me.

The trigger broke clean at a tic under six pounds, which is just about perfect in my world.

I said to him:

"Let's go find out if it's junk."

I have 72 Metalform 7 round range magazines. I loaded them all with PMC ball and we headed for PHA with a five gallon bucket of water.

Firing fairly rapidly the gun quickly started to get hot, so every 18 magazines...126 rounds...I dunked it to cool it off...slung it a few times to get the excess water out...and carried on.

When magazine #72 locked the slide, I'd have one failure to lock on empty, which I later determined to be a bad follower that was jumping the slidestop lug. I tweaked it and have had no further trouble with it.

He was a little mystified that the cheap Chinese junk had fared so well in that short torture test, and he began to have seller's remorse...but it was too late. During another trip, I shot the gun at the falling plates from 25 yards to see if it was accurate enough to meet my personal requirements....which it did...and now it's one of the three 1911s in my carry rotation.
There is one on here now for sale. I wish somebody would hurry and buy it.
 
Here is 2 cents from someone who knows a lot more than I do.

 
wvsig you underate yourself. I have been reading your writing on many boards, for many years. I appreciate it and I respect and adhere to your advice and opinions. Many of which I share. ;) Best regards, 18DAI
 
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wvsig you underate yourself. I have been reading your writing on many boards, for many years. I appreciate it and I repect and adhere to your advice and opinions. Many of which I share. ;) Best regards, 18DAI

You are too kind without guys like you I would still have lint in my carry gun. ;)
 
Ok so lets talk reliable. When I hear folks tell me that Glock makes the most reliable handgun ever made, I quickly point out that no they do not. That honor goes to the S&W Model 10, and it's had 6 million made and 100 years to prove it. No-one has ever been able to argue the point either, not even the 1911 guys.
I'll go on record again; The S&W Model 10 is the most reliable handgun ever made.

This is true but the shooting world works against itself when it comes to revolvers. In the age of autoloaders capacity has become king. It seems to dominate the design considerations of so many guns these days. Look at the P365. Lets cram 10+1 9mm rounds into a a gun with a 6" overall length and that weights less than 18 ozs. That is what people want or at least that is what they have told us that we want/need. In so many boards, forums and gun shops people tell new shooters and old shooters capacity is king. Carry the most rounds in the smallest package in a caliber 380 auto or above. People want subcompacts that hold 15+1. They want extended mags so that when they shoot the gun to slide lock, which statistics tell us they will if they are involved in a gun fight, they have a 19 round stick to get back into the fight with. That has become ingrained in peoples minds.

So when you tell someone you should carry a 6 shot revolver they look at you like you are out of your mind. How are they going to fight off a gang of hoodie wearing attackers in a dark alley on the bad side of town. They most likely have never considered a revolver and if they did they are thinking airweight snubnose because they can't rack the slide on a bottom feeder. Every gun magazine and all the marketing is working against your statement. It is unfortunately for most people not a consideration. When people ask me about what they should get for a carry gun the first question I always ask is how often do you shoot? Someones dedication and commitment to maintaining the platform should be a huge consideration when making this choice. The less one is going to shoot the more I lean towards a revolver or a larger pistol because of reliability and shoot-ability.
 
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My Chief use to tell all of us; "If I open my newspaper in the morning and see one of y'alls names, it had better be an article about you being involved in a shooting. NOT a gunfight." Wise counsel. ;) Regards 18DAI
 
So here I go again with my recommendation that I've been using for decades. Get her a S&W Model 10 with a 4" barrel.

Amen, and thank you! Glad I'm not alone. I've pushed more than as few novices toward the Model 10 since the 70s. I prefer the tapered barrel and the original Magna stocks myself, but a lady may want the heavy barrel and soft stocks to help dampen recoil. One resides in my nightstand. The ammunition is standard pressure SuperX 158 LSWC and I don't feel at all disadvantaged.

So when you tell someone you should carry a 6 shot revolver they look at you like you are out of your mind.

I'm carrying one now. A bone stock 3-inch, round butt Model 13 stoked with handloads consisting of Speer's LSWC HP and enough Unique to break an honest thousand fps from it. Yeah, I know. It's a way bad thang to carry handloads, but like I said...I'm a fanatic for reliability and I trust my own more than any commercially loaded round. I'll take my chances.
 
Trust me, two way rifle ranges aren't fun. Lost a Sergeant Major last night cause of that. I've been in jurisdictions where I could only rely on my 1851 .36 cap and ball (non firearm). I learned how to use it effectively and keep it reliable.

CD
 
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Amen, and thank you! Glad I'm not alone. I've pushed more than as few novices toward the Model 10 since the 70s. I prefer the tapered barrel and the original Magna stocks myself, but a lady may want the heavy barrel and soft stocks to help dampen recoil. One resides in my nightstand. The ammunition is standard pressure SuperX 158 LSWC and I don't feel at all disadvantaged.



I'm carrying one now. A bone stock 3-inch, round butt Model 13 stoked with handloads consisting of Speer's LSWC HP and enough Unique to break an honest thousand fps from it. Yeah, I know. It's a way bad thang to carry handloads, but like I said...I'm a fanatic for reliability and I trust my own more than any commercially loaded round. I'll take my chances.

I like the 13 in 3"

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In the age of autoloaders capacity has become king.
Agreed. I'm guilty of it myself. The argument for capacity is highly compelling.
I've noticed that with the newbies, after some time with the revolver, the inquisitive nature about the semi auto's starts to appear.
"What's that one?"
That's a Walther PPQ. Pick it up see what ya think.
"ooooh... that feels good!"
Lol now I got em. The first step to auto-land...'that feels good'.

If they were extra-proficient with the revolver, I may go straight to the PPQ (or whatever) after a brief on the operation of a semi-auto. But usually I make them start out with the SR22.
But at the end of the day and we're packing up, I'll ask ok...which one did you like best?
They always point to the K Frame.
 
A 3 inch 13-3 was the last revolver I qualified with and carried on the job. Worked over by my gunsmith. Rendered DAO with a polished spurless hammer. One slick, reliable, accurate sixgun. I still have it.

357 Magnum is still my favorite self defense round. I just don't carry revolvers anymore. The threat has changed and so did I. Single stack 45s are what I use these days.

But I recall back in the day smoking and joking with a coroner who was waiting to testify on a homicide case. He had a shiny new baby ME with him who he was training.

The Doc was telling me how much he liked his S&W 457, purchased by him on my recommendation and stoked with our duty round, at the time, Winchester 230 RA45T. He used that round after seeing its effects on his day job. ;)

At one point the baby ME spoke up and opined, using the old saw; "....all handgun rounds are basically the same...". The senior ME shot him a look. Yes, THAT look. And told him; "Obviously you have never done or been present on an autopsy involving 357 Magnum or 45 acp GSWs. And you evidently have a poor understanding of physics as well." OUCH! :) Regards 18DAI
 
In the age of autoloaders capacity has become king.

I am reminded of a TV show about preppers that was on a while ago. Each prepper was preparing for a certain rather specific scenario. Their preparations were designed to help them survive that threat but may not be very good for some other threat for which they did not prepare.

I suppose we also arm ourselves against a specific scenario at times. A large capacity autoloader would be better against a mob of attackers that would a 5 or 6 shot revolver. The ability to load another magazine quickly would certainly be an advantage if you can not break contact and must engage in an extended gun fight. A mouse pistol that is easily concealed would probably do just fine against a single maggot at 3 feet.

We do not know what scenario will actually occur (hopefully none ever will) and generally try to pick a carry weapon that will be acceptable, although perhaps not perfect, in as many situations as reasonable. The choice can change depending on what situation you are more likely to encounter when you leave home.
 
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