They were the overwhelming choice of American police. 38 Special revolvers with 2-inch barrels. In fact, for decades, the two most popular - the S&W Chief’s Special and Colt Detective Special - were.
That area is small, concealable revolvers meant for personal defense.įor most of the 20th century, the term “concealable handgun” was usually synonymous with. In fact, it has actually seen a resurgence. But there’s one area in which the popularity of revolvers has not diminished. Provided that the shooter’s trigger finger functions, chances are the revolver will, too.Īdmittedly, semi-autos have replaced revolvers in the holsters of most police officers and in the pockets and nightstands of many civilian shooters. It has 100-percent ammunition tolerance with the proper caliber. And finally, we can’t forget about reliability: A revolver’s functioning is not influenced by variables in ammunition, magazine designs, the shooter’s grip or recoil. Is it loaded? Open the cylinder and find out. To make a double-action revolver “safe,” you simply take your finger out of the triggerguard. If it doesn’t go bang, all you need to do is pull the trigger again. Its operation is also simple and straightforward: Lift the revolver, aim, pull the trigger. First, few handguns handle better than a quality double-action revolver. The Reason for Concealable RevolversĪnd at the danger of repeating myself (again), let me state the reasons for my admiration. I cut my handgunning teeth on self-cocking wheelguns and developed an admiration for the breed. Readers familiar with my scribblings know that when it comes to handguns, despite my admiration for semi-auto pistols, deep down I have always been-and will always be-an unabashed fan of double-action revolvers. Understanding Exactly How Today’s Revolvers and Semi-Auto Pistols Work