You’ve finally decided the police can’t protect you. Even if you live in a red state where the police are allowed to do their job, when seconds count, they’re minutes away at best. It’s time to exercise your God-given right to self-defense, so what kind of handgun should you buy?  Perhaps a revolver?

Revolvers predate semiautomatic pistols. “Revolvers” because cartridges are loaded into a steel cylinder, which revolves to align each cartridge with the barrel. Cocking the hammer or pulling the trigger mechanically revolves the cylinder. The cartridge aligned with the barrel at rest will not be the cartridge fired. Some manufacturer’s cylinders rotate clockwise, others counterclockwise.

There are two primary types of revolvers: single action—like western movie six guns—and the more modern double action. Medium and standard-sized revolvers commonly hold only six rounds.

Graphic: Ruger Vaquero, $1079.00.

Single Action: these revolvers must be cocked by pulling the hammer fully back, which sets the trigger, allowing a short, light pull to fire the weapon. While experts can do amazing things with these more than a century old designs, they’re a poor choice for personal protection. They’re large and heavy, have five inch or longer barrels, are slow to load, and reload as each cartridge must be individually removed, and each cartridge individually replaced. Traditional six guns do not have adjustable sights, though more modern models often do. Modern single action revolvers will not fire unless the hammer is fully cocked.

Graphic: S&W Model 686, 40.3 ox. unloaded, $979.00.

Double Action: these more modern revolvers are designed to be fired by pulling the trigger alone. The drawback with this design is a long, heavy, and often gritty trigger pull, because not only is the trigger activating linkage that rotates the cylinder, it also cocks and releases the hammer. Long, heavy trigger pulls are thought to be an inherent safety feature, but the longer and heavier the trigger pull, the harder it is to shoot accurately. Models with exposed hammers may also be fired single action by manually cocking the hammer, which produces, as with single action revolvers, a much shorter, lighter trigger pull. However, owners of double action weapons should always practice firing double action. It’s ridiculously easy to accidently fire a round in single action, particularly when under stress.

Another drawback of double action revolvers is they’re big, heavy and difficult to conceal. They can be reloaded more quickly because their cylinders swing outward from the frame and eject all six fired cases simultaneously, and with speedloaders—plastic devices that hold six cartridges in alignment with an empty cylinder making it possible to charge the entire cylinder at once—they’re reasonably fast to reload. Full-sized duty revolvers like the Smith & Wesson 686 are very large and expensive. 

Graphic: S&W Model 19, 37.4 oz. unloaded, $989.00.

Medium sized revolvers Like the Smith & Wesson Model 19 are an attempt to fit smaller people and hands, and with two inch or so barrels and smaller grips, to make them more concealable.

A real issue with revolvers like the 686 or model 19 in .357 Magnum is recoil and muzzle blast. There are two types of recoil: intrinsic and perceived (AKA “felt”). Intrinsic recoil is the recoil inherent in a given handgun firing a given type of ammunition. Perceived recoil adds the shooter to the equation. Simply put, large, strong people will perceive less recoil than small, less strong people (think women). Excessive recoil makes a gun potentially painful to shoot and makes follow up shots difficult. The shorter the barrel and more powerful the cartridge, the greater the muzzle blast—unburned powder.

Graphic: Ruger LCR, 13.5 oz. $739.00.

In an attempt to make revolvers more concealable, and marketable to more people, particularly women, manufacturers make small revolvers, commonly called “snubbies,” for their small grips and short—usually two inch—barrels. Most are chambered in .38 Special. Because they are smaller and lighter than medium or large framed revolvers, they’re more easily concealed, but they normally hold only five cartridges, and few have adjustable sights. The Ruger LCR series are state of the art, using substantial polymer in the frame.

The problem with little revolvers is their poor sights, short barrels and light weight produce more felt recoil and muzzle blast.  Most cannot be fired single action, and their double action trigger pulls, while better than in the past, are still long and heavy. They’re hard to fire accurately, particularly at longer distances, and they’re much more expensive than most semiautomatic pistols.  They really are expert’s guns, but are marketed for new shooters.

Does this mean no one should buy revolvers? Certainly not. It’s just important to be well-informed. For a more complete exposition on every facet of revolvers, go here.

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.