Looking for the do all pistol.

[MRH]

Of course I would, because I believe it to be TRUE...With that ONE Revolver, I can safely Fire everything from "Bunny Fart" Target Loads that will barely penetrate Cardboard, to the Full-Bore 125-gr. SJHP Loads that are, Statistically speaking, the BEST MANSTOPPERS you can fire out of a reasonably sized Handgun, to 180-gr. Heavyweights that will take anything that walks on this Continent...

It will allow me to do all that while being completely INSENSITIVE to "Limp Wristing" OR the Shape of the Bullets in the Ammo it is fed OR the "Power Level" of the Ammo it is fed vis-a-vis it's reliability...One other thing--I can LOAD IT and LET IT SIT, UNattended, for many years without worrying about it's Striker Spring or Magazine Springs WEAKENING from full or partial COMPRESSION--So yes, make mine a Four-inch Model 686, please!... ....mikey357

All great points. I watched a video a while back and this guy was making a case for why the 686 was perhaps the best all around handgun. He did not have to convince me but he made a solid argument. He preferred the 7 shot model, which I am rather fond of myself. Your points also make a very good case for why a 686, or in my opinion any quality .357 Mag revolver, is not to be denied. I could not agree more about the best man stopping power for a reasonably sized weapon, although my 4" 629 is very modest in size and weight and certainly powerful. Bottom line, choosing a semi auto over a revolver is choosing to sacrifice power, and in my case, accuracy.

 

[zesty]

If you're looking at Glocks, you should at least consider this one. When I was looking for a Glock, I came across the FNH FNS-9. It basically has the grip size of a G17 and the slide size of a G19. That was the best of both worlds for me. Full ambi controls, night sights, rail, three 17rnd mags, and a nice trigger. The only complaint was that the grip texture was too aggressive; quickly fixed for $4 with a bicycle inner-tube sleeve. You can get it without the safety but they've made it small and protected so I think it's the best safety if you want one. Serial numbers start with GK... "Glock Killer".

 

[BangBang]

Ok, so why is everyone picking the 19 over 17. Show your work.

I guess I'm in the minority here, because I have no love for the G19.

It's too big to easily conceal, and too small to get a comfortable grip on.

 

[protective measures]

Of course I would, because I believe it to be TRUE...With that ONE Revolver, I can safely Fire everything from "Bunny Fart" Target Loads that will barely penetrate Cardboard, to the Full-Bore 125-gr. SJHP Loads that are, Statistically speaking, the BEST MANSTOPPERS you can fire out of a reasonably sized Handgun, to 180-gr. Heavyweights that will take anything that walks on this Continent...

It will allow me to do all that while being completely INSENSITIVE to "Limp Wristing" OR the Shape of the Bullets in the Ammo it is fed OR the "Power Level" of the Ammo it is fed vis-a-vis it's reliability...One other thing--I can LOAD IT and LET IT SIT, UNattended, for many years without worrying about it's Striker Spring or Magazine Springs WEAKENING from full or partial COMPRESSION--So yes, make mine a Four-inch Model 686, please!... ....mikey357

I agree the revolver is a great platform. I continually encourage students who are always apologizing to me for some reason for bringing one out not to underestimate its capability. They can still be an excellent choice for self-defense in certain contexts.

However there are many reasons why state, federal, or even most local police depts. no longer use them (not to mention militaries).

In most cases revolvers weigh at least TWICE as much as modern polymer semi-autos but only carry 1/2 to 1/3 of the ammo.
The lightweight versions that are comparable in weight to S/A's are brutal to shoot in .38+p calibers & up.

They are much, much slower to reload & additional ammo is often harder to carry.
The guns themselves are thicker & harder to conceal once you get above the J-frame size.

The double action triggers are often long & heavy which make it harder to be accurate w/ under stress or even during practice for most shooters... especially for those w/ weaker hands.
Yes, that can be overcome by some but not w/o more practice than most people are willing to put in.

Reliability wise some modern semi-autos take a backseat to no other gun. In most cases many of them (Glocks specifically) will feed pretty much whatever you can load in the mags.
As far as spring issues, out of the 25 or so years or so I've been using them (pretty heavily at that) & helping others use them it's never been a problem of any significance relative to the amount of rounds I've seen fired through them.... either the striker spring or mag. springs. Sure those are wearable parts but it's all relative. Have I seen some that went bad? Sure, but usually on range mags. that had been to hell & back.

When you consider the sheer volume of rounds sent downrange (tens or even hundreds of thousands of rounds in many cases) eventually something is going to break or stop working. I've seen quite a few revolvers stop working for various reasons on the range too... w/ not as many rounds downrange either sometimes.

My Ruger GP100 that I was very fond of was replaced by a Glock 23 based not on emotion but simply due to an analytical evaluation.

The 155 grain JHP .40 rounds basically matched the 158 gr.SJHP .357 ammo in a much lighter gun (GP100- 40 oz./ G-23-23 oz.)
13 or 14 rds. vs. 6 rds. in a loaded mag. or cylinder.
Easier trigger (5 or so lbs. vs. 12-14 lbs.), etc.
Virtually every L.E agency in America decided the same thing back in the late 80's after the "Miami Massacre".

And as far as accuracy goes shooting freehand unsupported and/ or under "field" conditions my Gen. 4 Glocks have no problem consistently shooting 2" groups at 25 yds. And they can shoot 1" groups at that distance w/ the certain loads if the shooter can do his part.

I do really like revolvers but as much as I do, I understand the reasons why you don't see them in the holsters of L.E. or military personnel.

Is that relevant in civilian contexts? Maybe, maybe not... thats a personal decision.
But it is good to understand the strengths & weaknesses of each platform & try them both to make the right decision for yourself.

 

[mikey357]

I agree the revolver is a great platform. I continually encourage students who are always apologizing to me for some reason for bringing one out not to underestimate its capability. They can still be an excellent choice for self-defense in certain contexts.

However there are many reasons why state, federal, or even most local police depts. no longer use them (not to mention militaries).

In most cases revolvers weigh at least TWICE as much as modern polymer semi-autos but only carry 1/2 to 1/3 of the ammo.
The lightweight versions that are comparable in weight to S/A's are brutal to shoot in .38+p calibers & up.

They are much, much slower to reload & additional ammo is often harder to carry.
The guns themselves are thicker & harder to conceal once you get above the J-frame size.

The double action triggers are often long & heavy which make it harder to be accurate w/ under stress or even during practice for most shooters... especially for those w/ weaker hands.
Yes, that can be overcome by some but not w/o more practice than most people are willing to put in.

Reliability wise some modern semi-autos take a backseat to no other gun. In most cases many of them (Glocks specifically) will feed pretty much whatever you can load in the mags.
As far as spring issues, out of the 25 or so years or so I've been using them (pretty heavily at that) & helping others use them it's never been a problem of any significance relative to the amount of rounds I've seen fired through them.... either the striker spring or mag. springs. Sure those are wearable parts but it's all relative. Have I seen some that went bad? Sure, but usually on range mags. that had been to hell & back.

When you consider the sheer volume of rounds sent downrange (tens or even hundreds of thousands of rounds in many cases) eventually something is going to break or stop working. I've seen quite a few revolvers stop working for various reasons on the range too... w/ not as many rounds downrange either sometimes.

My Ruger GP100 that I was very fond of was replaced by a Glock 23 based not on emotion but simply due to an analytical evaluation.

The 155 grain JHP .40 rounds basically matched the 158 gr.SJHP .357 ammo in a much lighter gun (GP100- 40 oz./ G-23-23 oz.)
13 or 14 rds. vs. 6 rds. in a loaded mag. or cylinder.
Easier trigger (5 or so lbs. vs. 12-14 lbs.), etc.
Virtually every L.E agency in America decided the same thing back in the late 80's after the "Miami Massacre".

And as far as accuracy goes shooting freehand unsupported and/ or under "field" conditions my Gen. 4 Glocks have no problem consistently shooting 2" groups at 25 yds. And they can shoot 1" groups at that distance w/ the certain loads if the shooter can do his part.

I do really like revolvers but as much as I do, I understand the reasons why you don't see them in the holsters of L.E. or military personnel.

Is that relevant in civilian contexts? Maybe, maybe not... thats a personal decision.
But it is good to understand the strengths & weaknesses of each platform & try them both to make the right decision for yourself.

As always, Monte,your post is well-reasoned and well-presented...Speaking ONLY FOR MYSELF, I just "Trust" Revolvers more than I trust semiautos, and with the exception of a certain Ruger MKII with a KILLER Trigger, I also routinely SHOOT BETTER with "Round Guns" than with the Slab-sided variety...Probably a function of having dedicated almost 40 years to learning how to "Run" one well using the DA Trigger Stroke...YMMV, of course....mikey357

 

[Hasselhoss]

My vote will likely be met with ridicule and scorn yet I carry it daily and am as accurate with it as any handgun I have ever owned. The one pictured below is my EDC East German Makarov PM. It's easy to conceal, low recoil, accurate and is chambered in 9x18. My choice of SD ammo is Buffalo Bore Hardcast 115gr @ 1060FPS. I own 5 of them now and will own many more.

 

[protective measures]

As always, Monte,your post is well-reasoned and well-presented...Speaking ONLY FOR MYSELF, I just "Trust" Revolvers more than I trust semiautos, and with the exception of a certain Ruger MKII with a KILLER Trigger, I also routinely SHOOT BETTER with "Round Guns" than with the Slab-sided variety...Probably a function of having dedicated almost 40 years to learning how to "Run" one well using the DA Trigger Stroke...YMMV, of course....mikey357

Nothing wrong w/ that.

A phenomenon I've witnessed over & over is the reality of the old adage, "Beware of the man w/ one gun... he probably knows how to use it"
Too many "serial swappers" out there who never spend enough time working w/ one gun to become proficient with it.

A "do-all" pistol is only as good as the man running it.

 

[sinac84]

Check out the XDm line in the 3.8 compact. I've been loving the **** out of my 3.8 Compact 45acp.

 

[brad sweet]

for me its the Glock 19, had many others in different platforms,but always come back to it, it just does what it needs to do not perfectly but does everything well ..that's what i look for in a go to pistol...have your others but you might find this is what works!

 

[brad sweet]

Nothing wrong w/ that.

A phenomenon I've witnessed over & over is the reality of the old adage, "Beware of the man w/ one gun... he probably knows how to use it"
Too many "serial swappers" out there who never spend enough time working w/ one gun to become proficient with it.

A "do-all" pistol is only as good as the man running it.

perfect thanks Monti couldn't have said that better.heard that said by many a great operator!