I found this old thread on another forum. This was advice given from an old experienced LEO guy to a young guy making his first purchase.
I think it aptly fits this thread and I couldn't say it any better.
You are living in the 1930s. Maybe even way before that. Well, okay, the 1970s then.
I say those things because you are totally in the wrong about the semiautomatic pistol and it's "jam"ming.
First off, there are more parts to a revolver than your modern semiauto. The standard revolver has in some cases 72 parts to it. The modern semi auto 32 in some cases. The moving parts to a revolver? Eight in most cases, some more, depending on the design of the action. The semiauto; six, including the slide and barrel. If you take those out, four. Trigger, transfer bar, striker, striker block. The revolver is FAR more complicated than a pistol in so many ways; not just moving parts but exposed chambers and action to dirt and dust, and let's face it; a revolver truly poops where it eats. Because of the exposed chambers, the fouling from its own ammo can cause failures and slow reloads. I know this, I have taken two day classes with revolvers and spent time swabbing out my cylinder between courses of fire to keep it going. Revolvers are good for about three hundred rounds before things go wrong. I know you say "I'll only need six." But this is a prep site; what if you do need more? Or don't have the means to keep the thing cleaned out?
Much of the vaunted reliability of the revolver is a farce, based on the unreliable ammunition of the semiautos of yore. Not even the pistol themselves, but the ammunition that was used. Ammo design has come a very, very, long way since the FBI shootout in Miami (one of the instances that forced law enforcement and ammo manufacturers through pressure by the FBI to look at the way things were being done) and the improvements to ammo have made the semiauto probably a far more reliable piece of machinery than the revolver, also more effective. These days the revolver improvements in ammo have come because of the semiauto, not the other way around. It used to be that semiauto ammo was simply versions of the revolver ammo; until SuperVel came along in the 70s, no one really designed specifically for the semiauto. Then Winchester started developing the Silver Tip line for better accuracy and reliability (the round used by the FBI at the Miami shooting in their SW 669s) and all of a sudden Federal came out with the HydraShok, and the world changed for the semiauto. Super exciting times for defensive shooters in the 80s believe it or not.
I am trying to understand what the reference to the FBI has to do with ammo. I was there at the scene, heard it come down on the radio, responded there, saw all the pics at the crime lab afterwards, and the ammo really had nothing to do with it. A lot or should I say most was the fault of the "FEEBS", FBI. Hell, they did not know where they were!!! Tragedy yes, but ammo fault, I don't see it. :dtect
I think it had more to do with the fact that the good guys had inferior firearms to the bad guys. I dont think the bad guys had better ammo just better guns.
The reference to better ammo was more like.. "ok, so we're replacing revolvers with pistols so we won't be outgunned again. We better make sure the guns don't FTF because of the ammo"
Just my guess as to what the original author meant.
they did have inferior firearms. what hurt them the most was lack of experience dealing with street crime. All their vests were in the trunk. they were holding the vests up in front of them like a shield. 1 or 2 of the guns, fbi's, were damaged by the bad guys rounds hitting them.the most powerful gun they had was a shotgun-very good actually-but they were in the trunk also. I wasn't coming down on you... but that was a very sad day for law enforcement. after that event it seems the communication got a lot better between agencies. Again , not picking on you.
I picked up a sig 239 9mm for gunboy the other day. took it to the range today for a test drive. anybody else wanna give it a try before he comes to get it?
Springfield xd40 subcompact, have one, carry it every day and love it, Very accurate
