When I am at the range whether I am firing a rifle, shotgun or handgun I expect it to go boom when I pull the trigger. It is kind’ve freaky when it does not. I have only had a couple of times in my life when the “boom” did not happen and that is not cool! The other day I am firing a 357 magnum revolver and it does not go boom. So I empty the shells and go to new ones and again it does not go boom after firing several times. Literally I am firing it boom, boom then no boom. That is unnerving. Now I mostly fire Glocks so with a Glock you simply do not have this problem. At least not very often. I can attest to this after firing more than five or six thousand rounds through my current one. Hence why people absolutely love Glocks provided they fit your hand. There are a lot of techniques to do when your firearm does not work properly. First and foremost make sure you keep your firearm lubricated.
The following article addresses revolver type malfunctions
the-revolver-malfunction-drill
Last time I shot a handgun it was a 44 Magnum and I can assure you it went BOOM. 🙂
44’s tend to go boom in a big way! 😉
I find it very interesting that your experience is that the revolver was less reliable than a Glock… the consensus in the world is that the revolver is the be all end all of home defense weapons due to its inherent reliability. Fool proof even. I guess the world is wrong. These people tend to ignore the fact that revolvers can and will malfunction. No gun is beyond needing training to use effectively, why not invest that time in a semi-auto instead?
No matter what tool you intend to employ there is no way around training.
Nick,
I would not say that a revolver is less reliable as the revolver is a very reliable tool. I like revolver’s and carry one as a backup and once in awhile as a primary. However, it is technoligically inferior to a semi-automatic. A semi-auto not only has a better recoil and fit in the hand but it also has a higher round capacity because of the magazine design. My Glock 22 has fifteen shots and it takes a second to reload to another fifteen. That is hard to beat! If I had to choose revolver or semi-auto I would choose a semi-auto everyday. That does not mean that a revolver is useless just not as good. As for a home defense weapon my first choise is a moosberg 590A1 shotgun, followed secondly by my Glock. The shotgun is the most effective home defense weapon bar none! Of course every home defense arsenal should have a combination of shotguns, handguns and rifles of multiple varieties and calibers so that you would be prepared for many situations! Thanks for posting here on The Instinctive Edge!
Brian
Oh and Nick I love your blog very cool!
Agreed about choosing a semi-auto. Its not that revolvers aren’t reliable, just that they are not infallible. I think that we agree that given that they can fail and have limited capacity why not invest the training into running the superior semi-auto platform.
Thank you for the kind words!
Thanks for the link to the revolver drill. The last training I had on revolvers and malfunctions was simple: throw the technological rock you now hold in your hand at the guy, and run for cover if you don’t have a back up.
Hey Jim,
I too have heard throw the technological rock you have and run. 😉
If I broke into your home, “Not saying that I would,” and if you pointed a .357 at me I would *&^%. I have to agree though, a shotgun is the preferred home self defense. I personally have a 12 gauge double barrel shotgun and I feel sorry for the one that thought he could get away with home invasion.
Hey Kerry good to have you here! I personally do not want anything pointed my way! 🙂