Revolver vs Semiauto...

[AJMD429]

.
Tim Suttles - "I'd cry if a revolver were stolen out of my truck, but not a Glock..."

https://youtube.com/shorts/PuDHbskMf3Y

This is how many of us feel I think....!

Personally though - my Beretta Centurion has replaced my Tried-and-True TAURUS PT-92, merely due to my old eyes needing better sights than 'Patridge irons' or the new-fangled 'Red dot Optics'. The Taurus replaced a 14-shot 'double-stack' 45 ACP Para Ordnance P-14 (which I picked NOT due to the higher capacity, but just due to the subtle 3/16" increase in grip that was rounder instead of flat and fit my hand better). I had a chance to compare a 9 mm vs 45 ACP 1911 and realized that I can shoot way faster and still hit the target with a 9 mm, so decided to switch to 9 mm. Having small children lurking around at the time, it seemed to me slightly safer if they encountered the Taurus PT 92 versus the para ordnance P14, so I switched.

Now the Centurion Semiauto has the sights I need to actually shoot well ...

I have had ghost ring sights on a couple single action revolvers including my Redhawk 45 Colt/ACP, but the Marbles Bullseye is even better for old eyes...!

viewtopic.php?t=93097

Revolver-wise, it has been a long time since the original 1911 replaced the Charter Arms Bulldog in 44 Special, which replaced the Ruger Speed Six in 357 Magnum.

However, drawing a handgun from a holster in a vehicle could be problematic, so the Bulldog is in a wrinkled McDonald's bag along with a crumpled up soft drink can in the dashboard pocket below the radio. I can grab that if need be quickly instead of my TRexArms-holstered Semiauto, plus if I forget to slip my Semiauto in the holster in the morning (it HAS happened... ) I am still prepared.

(Of course my Get-Home-Bag does have a Glock and an AR and six loaded mags for each along with extra shoes, socks, water, raincoat, flashlight, and energy bars, in case I had to make a grid-down 30-mile walk some night to get home. )

[piller]

Working in Ennis, it is pretty unlikely that I will need to walk. I guess it could happen.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I think it makes sense to think this through in a practical sense.

I wouldn’t want any of my nice revolvers to be stolen out of my truck so everything is locked up while the truck is parked.

But the truth is that unless I am carrying a gun on my person I may not have time to go back and get it.

So, I carry a revolver on my person at all times. It’s not a valuable revolver, but it shoots well and to the sights.

[JimT]

I am with Scott on this. I want all my tools with me. My knife is in my pocket. So is my wallet. My gun is on me. If you are gonna leave it someplace it ain't gonna do you any good the moment you need it. Often the situation is over before you can do much. I was working with a guy, cleaning up a place. About the same time he yelled I saw the snake, just a few feet from us. My gun was halfway out of my pocket when he chopped it with the hoe he had in his hand. I did not think of pulling the gun. It was just a reaction. He already had the hoe in his hand and reacted when he yelled.

I felt good about my reaction, even if it wasn't needed.

[Scott Tschirhart]

If you treat it like the tool it is, it will be in your hand when you need it.

Sitting in the truck this morning here is the contents of my pockets.

[Walt]

I once had a discussion with an old friend about the wisdom of carrying the most easily replaceable handgun on my person in case of a social encounter. I argued that I wouldn't want to lose one of my prized guns and he replied that I should carry the absolutely must trustworthy, reliable gun that I own regardless of what the gun cost me. Coming in second place in an encounter of the worst kind because of an unreliable gun would be far more costly than replacing the most expensive gun.

[piller]

I have 1 revolver which is unreliable. It is a Chiappa in .17 HMR, and it occasionally locks up and must have the cylinder pin pushed forward.
PillHer has a RIA .38 Special which is basically a Colt design with a Ruger style firing pin and a Transfer bar. Not quite as smooth as the hammer mounted firing pin Colts, but still nice. It was inexpensive, and has been perfect for more than 1,000 rounds so far. If you are comfortable with a .38 Special, it is reliable and inexpensive. For most interpersonal crisis situations, the bad guy is not going to be wearing body armor. The .38 Special might not do the damage that a few more powerful rounds are capable of, but history shows plenty of times it was enough. OK, I don't plan on shooting through car doors with it.

[AJMD429]

.
I pretty much have always managed to find a revolver or a semi auto that I completely trust (I made sure my Para Ordnance P14 was reliable by firing over 1000 Golden Saber JHP self defense loads through with zero malfunctions it before I trusted it for CCW). I wouldn't want to carry an 'irreplaceable' gun for CCW unless I had no alternative, but 100% reliable guns aren't really that expensive (think used Ruger SP101 or Speed Six, or a Glock), and your life or the lives of your loved ones you might need to protect are worth more than your entire gun collection ten-fold.

The first time I seriously started CCW was when working night shifts in pharmacies as a pharmacy intern, and at that point I only owned a Ruger Mk1 target pistol in 22LR, and a Ruger Super Blackhawk in 44 Magnum, so I didn't have a whole lot of choice; I used Winchester Silver Tip 44 Special 180 gr ammo and a Bianchi X-15 shoulder holster under my cute little pharmacist coat. With my limited means at the time I suppose both of those guns would have been considered 'irreplaceable'.

Before long I acquired more handguns and went through a Charter Arms Bulldog as a more compact way to use the 180 gr Silvertips, then a brief stint with a 1911 that wasn't too reliable, then a Ruger Speed Six, then a Taurus PT92, then back to the Bulldog, then a Para Ordnance P-14, the a P-12, then back to the Taurus PT92 for a long time, then recently to a Beretta Centurion (so similar to the Taurus but I couldn't adapt the Taurus sights to my old eyes, whereas I could the Beretta).

Never did I consider carrying anything other than the 'optimum' Handgun for CCW, even though a lot of times I vacillated about what optimum was. I also never considered carrying something I considered inferior merely for comfort reasons. If the gun was heavy or uncomfortable I just dealt with it, and if it was hard to conceal I just wore more clothing.

I do like to have a spare of anything I find important in my life (other than the wife - haven't tried finding a 'spare' for her yet... ), And although I don't always get the exact same thing, when I was carrying the Bulldog, I knew that if were lost or stolen the Speed Six was a good substitute, and vice versa. Same for the Taurus 92, which I has another one of with the rail so my 'nightstand' gun could be the same but have a light. I had the two Para Ordnances (P14 and P12) as well.

Interestingly, I will probably get a duplicate for the Centurion, although the next gun on my wish list was actually a good double action 22 revolver.
Even though I still have two of the Taurus PT92s and they are similar, the safety IS different, and the magazines do NOT interchange between Beretta and Taurus (they are extremely close but the latch cut is about 3 mm different, and trying to cut either type to make a 'universal' one seems risky in that it might not seat right or retain fully). For now, the Taurus' are 'backups' but I think their role will either be to sell both, and the couple-dozen magazines for them, as a package to someone wanting a good CCW system, or to pack them up well with their magazines and have them in one of my emergency-bags. But I definitely don't want to be sitting there with a mix of magazines, or a bunch that don't fit whatever gun I have on hand.

[JB]

I once had a discussion with an old friend about the wisdom of carrying the most easily replaceable handgun on my person in case of a social encounter. I argued that I wouldn't want to lose one of my prized guns and he replied that I should carry the absolutely must trustworthy, reliable gun that I own regardless of what the gun cost me. Coming in second place in an encounter of the worst kind because of an unreliable gun would be far more costly than replacing the most expensive gun.

I agree. I never understood the concern about the police taking your gun. My concern is my life first, next would be any potential criminal charges, civil suits, retaliations by gang members, family, etc. The loss of an expensive gun is way down the list.

[Lastmohecken]

Tim Suttles - "I'd cry if a revolver were stolen out of my truck, but not a Glock..."

I feel pretty much the same way that Tim does regarding truck guns.
A good part of my life, it just wasn't legal or practical, to carry a gun on my person. Even a very small gun was pretty much out of the question, so if I wanted a gun to be available at all, it had to remain in your truck. So, I still practice that habit today, even though, I will also have or probably have a gun on my person also. Cost is of no concern to me, for the gun I carry on my person. But on the truck gun, like Tim, I would hate to get a find possibly expensive revolver stolen, but a Glock, is pretty much just a Glock, usually easily replaced if it came to that, and Glocks make great Truck guns, my personal choice is either a full sized 40 caliber model 22 or a 9mm 19X. A high capacity Glock is just pretty hard to beat, anyway, for a truck gun. But in my opinion and experience, I live in the land of the truck gun, nearly everyone I know, keeps a truck gun, regardless of whether they are packing one on their belt or not.

[piller]

The Glock 22 is pretty good. I would not cry if I a glock were impounded while the investigation went on.

[wvfarrier]

I own/carry quite a few high end 1911s....none cost less than 4 grand....losing one to the cops would be a painful experience but I would bet my families safety on any of them. Plus, they are what I train with 99% of the time

[Scott Tschirhart]

I wonder why people think their gun is lost when it goes into evidence?

I’ve been involved in several such cases and I’ve never been without my pistol for more than a few days.

These were police related but I don’t think there’s any reason for the PD to hold onto the pistol after they confirm that it was the one used in the incident.

[Lastmohecken]

Getting a gun used in a case of self-defense confiscated by the police, would be expected, until the hearing, trial, whatever was over with, but assuming no criminal conviction, one should get the gun back. Either way, the loss of the gun would probably be the least of my concerns, at least in the beginning of the process.

Getting a truck gun stolen out of the truck, is probably a more likely scenario. And if it happens, then you have probably lost it for good. I have never lost one, but I know it happens, probably quite often, in the wrong areas. So, one takes a chance, if habits and lifestyle dictate it, but in that case, something like a Glock is disposable, and easily replaced, the price of admission.

[AJMD429]

I wonder why people think their gun is lost when it goes into evidence?

I’ve been involved in several such cases and I’ve never been without my pistol for more than a few days.

These were police related but I don’t think there’s any reason for the PD to hold onto the pistol after they confirm that it was the one used in the incident.

It just takes a few bad apples to ruin the basket - and a few bad cops to ruin their reputation too.

My wife had my nice blued Ruger Speed Six in the glove box of her car, kind of a 'safe queen' because the 'carry' guns we both had were stainless, but her 'carry' gun (an SP101) was in my workshop getting Crimson Trace grips fit (they needed some Dremel work), so the Speed Six was there. She got a speeding ticket and when they asked for her vehicle registration, she opened the glove box and the Speed Six actually fell out (it was in a little thumb-snap holster at least). The deputy asked if it was hers, and she said it was her husband's and for whatever reason he convinced her that since it "wasn't the gun on her carry permit" (this was long ago before legislative reform and way before Constitutional Carry), he needed to take possession of it to "check it out to be sure it wasn't stolen". She told the deputy I'd bought it at Galyan's just a couple months ago, so could he just call them to confirm, and he said "it's more complicated than that". She didn't argue with him (unsure if it would have done anything but irritate him and escalate the ticket), so he took it and told her "We'll have it at the police station, and if everything checks out ok, your husband can pick it up tomorrow".

I wasn't able to get there until the day after 'tomorrow', and they said they didn't have any such gun, under my name or hers...! They promised to "check into it" and so I stopped back by in about 4 days. This time they said they did have it, but "can't release it yet, as it hadn't been checked to be sure it wasn't stolen". This was pre-internet, but I knew they could still check it out without it taking a week, particularly since they had been told the retail seller of the new gun so it should clearly be 'registered' to me. I reiterated where I'd bought it, and they were open right now so could they just call. They said "come back tomorrow". That was a Sunday, and of course whoever the deputy was who "checked guns out" wasn't in that day, so it was next Wednesday I got there again. That time they did produce my Single Six, and had the balls to say "there will be no charge".

I didn't know if they meant "charge" as in some kind of 'fee' to have done all that work to check it out, or "charge" as in some legal violation, but I was just glad there was NO 'charge'. The gun was zip-tied into a very heavy but clear plastic 'evidence bag' of some sort, so I just took it to the car and before I drove home I cut it open to check out the gun. It was back in the little nylon holster, but there were only three of the six 357 Mag Silvertip cartridges in the bag loose, so I checked to see if the other three were in the gun. Nope (never found them). However when I removed the gun from the holster, the cylinder had a bright silver ring around it where the cylinder bolt had dragged on it; this was a near-new gun I'd probably fired about 18 shots through, and had been mostly bought as an investment/spare, as I was carrying a stainless version of the same gun. Upon closer inspection, I could see peening of the cylinder bolt cuts as well. Someone had been playing 'cowboy' with that gun. The gun was otherwise ok, and since it was a Ruger, and one of their tougher designs, all else seemed ok, but overall it had been a couple weeks they had kept it, at first acting as if they didn't even have it (probably disorganization versus intentional deception, I think), then they kept delaying, then I find they did MORE than 'check it out' - clearly they played with it and maybe even shot it.

I contacted a police officer I knew there (a FFL who I actually would later on buy firearms from), and he pretty much said if I wanted to pursue it, I could, but there wouldn't be anything I could prove, and it would just irritate "the wrong people - you don't want irritated if you live in this town", so I never pursued it.

So even if MOST guns are released promptly, having this kind of delay when there wasn't even a firearm-involved 'crime' committed, certainly left me distrusting the LEO bureaucracy, even if I still do trust MOST of the rural LEOs (I'd not trust most big 'blue-city' police though, given experiences I've heard).

[AJMD429]

.
Thinking of the long guns - "back in the day" between myself and my kids we had several Mini 14s but only a couple AR 15s, as back in the 90s at early 2000s, ARs were not that common and were at least twice the cost of a Mini 14. So at that time on the rare occasion that I would leave a long gun in a vehicle it would probably be a Mini 14.

Nowadays with the AR's costing $400 or less for a basic generic but functional one, and Mini-14's either being old 'classic' ones or new 'improved' ones, the Mini-14's are the ones I would be less happy to have stolen, so in the rare occasion I leave a long-gun in a vehicle, it will more likely be an AR-15 in one of the basic PSA configurations. They DO work reliably, even though for 'serious' use as a home-defense firearm, I use other brands or replace many of the critical innards.

But I agree with the consensus here - even if a gun used in a defense situation were confiscated for a long time, damaged while being 'checked', or never returned, the fact that you had to USE the gun for self defense means you needed it to work, and work perfectly, or you would be in the morgue instead of the courtroom, so be GLAD if your fancy CCW gun (or urban defense rifle) was the one you had. If you have a duplicate that's ideal, and certainly if you have two equally-functional defensive firearms, it makes sense to have the more-replaceable one be the one vulnerable to 'confiscation'. Maybe use the more precious one as the in-home firearms, where likely defensive use will be more clear-cut, and less likely prolonged legal ordeals, and theft is less likely than with a vehicle.