Asymmetric Military

The beginning of my blog coincided with the purchase of a Springfield Arms 1911 Loaded, and that 1911 had the honor, therefore, of being the subject of my first post. Well, the 1911 is no more, traded in for a Ruger GP100 revolver with a four inch barrel. I liked the 1911 except for the fact that one batch of re-manufactured ammo gave it fits, but my wife had trouble with the slide so I sought-out an easier-to-use weapon. When I saw a used Lady Smith and Wesson 357 with a three inch barrel, I purchased it immediately. It was the perfect gun for my wife-medium sized and relatively easy to handle (the gun, not my wife). "This is so much easier. Why would anybody want the other kind?" she asked after comparing the two guns.

"Well," I began to explain and then I couldn't think of anything to say, "I don't know."

At first I thought about keeping the 1911 for myself, but I felt two guns were overkill at the time and I chose, instead, to give it to my father. Alas, my father also had trouble working the slide. I finally decided to sell the 1911 back to the store and purchase my dad a revolver, the GP100 you see below. My father was much happier and he too asked, "Why use an automatic?"

Here's the point of this story: I'm not a super-expert on guns, but I've come to the conclusion that in almost every instance, it's better to have a revolver than an automatic. Here's my take:

1. Revolvers are easier to use. An automatic pistol needs to be loaded and cocked before use. You just pick up a revolver and squeeze the trigger. To an experienced user, an automatic isn't a big deal, but as I pointed out above, for some, that one action causes great frustration.

2. Ammunition use and storage is easier with revolvers. If you keep the rounds in an automatic's clip for a great length of time, the clip's spring begins to deteriorate. The clip may also become damaged if you drop it or bang it against something hard. For a revolver, you just keep the rounds in the gun or on a speed loader and you're all set. In addition, it's much easier to slide the bullets into a revolver's wheel than into an automatic's clip.

3. Revolvers are easier to maintain. After practicing with an automatic I don't look forward to taking it apart, wiping it down, lubricating it, and then putting it back together. I'd rather spend that hour doing something else. In contrast, after using a revolver, you usually only have to clean the barrel and grease the moving parts.

4. Revolvers are more reliable. Revolvers have only one sensitive part, the wheel, and as long as that works, you're in good shape. An automatic, on the other hand, can malfunction with certain ammunition even if you do your best to maintain it.

So why do automatics exist? In combat situations, automatics are easier to reload and, because they're thinner, easier to conceal, but I don't anticipate reloading in a self-defense scenario, and I live in California where concealed weapons permits are nearly impossible to get.

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