My friend believes a .38 special wheel gun is superior for self defense over any magazine fed handguns. What do you guys think?
Posted by definitelynotpat6969@reddit | Firearms | View on Reddit | 26 comments
hockeypuck1925@reddit
You stated your opinion in a reasonable and respectful manner. If your friend is comfortable with a .38 wheelie, let 'em ride.
Only gun and caliber that matters, is the one that just saved your life.
definitelynotpat6969@reddit (OP)
He almost never trains, idk if he has even shot his judge yet (owned it for close to a year now). He gets mad at me when I tell him things like, his Taurus isn't the same quality as a Beretta.
I think he has played too much RDR2 and consequently went full Fudd.
Stunning-Reality-874@reddit
I trust my revolver over any semiautomatic I’ve ever shot.
Stunning-Reality-874@reddit
I was the only person in my CCL CLASS that didn’t have my gun jam or have issues. I absolutely love my snubnose hammerless 38. Learn how to shoot it and you don’t need anything else. unless you’re planning a shootout. I trust mine and my aim is better than most people who have a semiautomatic.
Sufficient_Style_934@reddit
Revolvers come into thier own in situations like groundfighting where you are likely to have muzzle contact with your opponent. No risk of coming out of battery, just set them on fire. That said, I'll keep carrying my 1911.
smokeyser@reddit
They also don't throw evidence everywhere if you live in a state where self defense is always murder.
TonersR6@reddit
I fucking HATE the argument of "iF I cAnT sTOp tHeM in FiVE sHoTs"
Shut the fuck up. Just shut up.
1) You're not some super special forces navy seal ranger commando sniper
2) the human body is capable of some pretty crazy shit
3) what if their are multiple attackers?
Sorry. Not directed at you, I just hate hearing people say that kind of shit. You better be training DAILY if you have that mindset.
ImmediateOne275@reddit
Stupid reply to get upvoted this much. What the hell kinda lives are you living where you all masturbate about 19 ninjas jumping you that aren’t afraid of any gun. Probably deserve to not live if that’s your lifestyle
_Felonius@reddit
Ok but what if you can't stop them in 15 shots because there are a dozen attackers? Preparing for one attacker is covering the vast majority of cases and five rounds is plenty. If you want to carry more, that's great. No question that a 15-round magazine increases your odds if sufficiently trained with a semi-auto. But, yeah, realistically you only need a 5-shooter.
TFarrey@reddit
" if i can't drop them in five " ... what about if you have multiple adversaries ?
new_math@reddit
I mean, everything is risked based. The chances of having to face one adversary is pretty slim for the average non law-enforcement civilian. The chances of multiple adversaries is even slimmer. The chances of facing multiple adversaries that don't scatter like roaches once they're getting fired upon is extremely, exceedingly small. I mean, your chances of dying because you are attacked by multiple adversaries and don't have enough ammo to neutralize them all is probably similar to the probability of getting struck by lightning twice or eaten alive by a mountain lion, or catching some weird tropical disease that's too rare to diagnose in time. A regular civilian dying because they ran out of ammo in a self defense situation just doesn't happen except in gravy seal fan fiction.
If people want 15+ rounds that's cool. It's just kind of laughable to be overly worried about being overwhelmed by multiple attackers who keep fighting after being fired upon. Like, you should probably worry about heart disease or skin cancer or your 30 year old truck with no modern safety features because those things are actually going to kill you 100,000 times faster.
TFarrey@reddit
that is a good point but I take it you don't live in meth country .... those damn tweekers are insane lol
ImmediateOne275@reddit
I had one breaking into my building. Pointed an AR at him and he just grinned and walked off. For some reason they are scared of steel….
shaned58@reddit
They're on the right track, but a flintlock pistol is far superior to any wheel gun. Hand loading each shot eliminates any factory defects that come from mass produced ammunition and black powder guns aren't considered firearms so you can carry them anywhere. Besides, who needs 5 shots when you can do the job in 1.
_StraightJacket_@reddit
i always say a good wooden club and bad manners costs nothin
AbhorrentNature@reddit
They're cope texting because they want a revolver.
I'd tell them it's fine if they want a revolver, a lot of people carry them, but they're deluding themselves when they invent reasons for semi automatic modern handguns to be worse.
Police do not use revolvers. The military does not use revolvers. Border patrol does not use revolvers. Nobody uses a revolver for any real reason other than you can put bigger bullets in a revolver, but that's even arguably overkill.
People are going to invent reasons to be for something and part of that requires seeing the bad in everything else to help justify their position. If they want to actually be a smart buyer, they should actually learn about semi automatic handguns and why they're so ubiquitous and at least be an informed buyer. But it sounds like all of their information likely comes from someone else who likes revolvers and all the information they are getting is extremely biased.
I would carry a .38 as readily as a .380 if they can both fit comfortably in my pocket.
_Felonius@reddit
Idk I think people who shame wheel guns are coping because they spent more on a semi-auto. I was a prosecuting attorney for 4 years in the worst crime area of my state. Every burglary I remember was a tweeker looking to steal for their next score. These "band of armed thugs" scenarios aren't realistic. They're the ones moving weight on street corners, not risking their lives for a random break-in. 5 rounds is more than enough for any realistic scenario.
You can prepare for the worst cases, but I don't see how a 15-round mag is gonna do any better if this fantasy scenario of a militia declaring war on your house comes to fruition.
tango2snakes@reddit
I think, in a "fight or flight " situation, the old fashion wheel gun is the way to go. Most people are panicked, scared, and acting purely on instinct. When you jerk that pistol...it needs to go to work. You didn't bring it out for air.. your not trying to look tough...it means that ass is on the line.. Your brains not thinking, "ok safety off, hammer back...check target background..." No. It's thinking "BLAM! BLAM BLAM!" Point and pull the trigger.
definitelynotpat6969@reddit (OP)
I'm sorry, what??
_Felonius@reddit
He's exactly right. Wheel guns are idiot-proof. i don't care how proficient you are, you can't mimic the panic coursing through you during a burglary.
shifterphights@reddit
Show him some of the active self defense videos of people taking 10+ rounds of 9mm and getting up and still coming at the police.
_Felonius@reddit
You'd be just as likely to be struck by lightning than encounter this in real life though.
thebugman10@reddit
If they are comfortable shooting a revolver then it is superior. The best self defense gun is the one you are most capable shooting.
_Felonius@reddit
This is the right answer.
Bigfoot-8991@reddit
Ironically a revolver has more moving parts than a semi auto. And if a revolver jams you can’t just tap & rack and fix the issue, you’re screwed. Good for a backup though if you want.
Granted 5 rounds is more than enough in most cases but you don’t want to end up using all 5 and needing more ammo. If you are up to it, show him some videos and news articles of people needing 8+ rounds to stop their attacker.
_Felonius@reddit
what's the limit though? Short of a grenade, you have to balance maneuvaribility and threat risk. A .38 special is a sound choice for home defense imo