As a young police officer, we were issued Ruger Service Sixes, chambered in .38 Special and used Winchester +P 158gr. lead semi-wadcutter ammo, commonly called the FBI load. With six in the cylinder and two speed loaders, we were limited to 18- total rounds. While the wheelgun is capable of stellar performance, times eventually changed and criminals started carrying high capacity 9mm semi-autos and traveled in large groups.
To combat the superior firepower criminals obtained, police departments also transitioned to high capacity 9mm semi-autos. It was commonplace to carry a pistol capable of having 15+1 rounds and having another 30 rounds on your person in the form of two extra magazines, if needed. Sure, the tactics basically stayed the same, and a well-placed shot is your best defense, but it sure is reassuring to have 46 rounds of ammo, compared to just 18.
Snobs Need Not Apply
Don’t Be A Gun Snob
There’s no need to look down your nose at guns you don’t approve of. Be well
rounded and educate yourself on how to shoot them all.
Nobody likes a snob, especially a gun snob. Sticking their snooty sniffer in the air, looking down on the world, they think they know it all, but are actually ignorant in their assumptions. They think they’re too good for certain guns and ridicule, refuse and reject anything not up to their standards.
Me? I love guns, and chances are, you do too. And not just any single gun, but all guns. The only guns I don’t like are ones that don’t shoot, and heck, even those are fun to buy, fix and nurse back to health, giving them a second chance to digest ammo again. I can honestly say, I’ve never met a gun I didn’t like.
From what some claim are “ugly” polymer-framed, striker-fired semi-autos, to the homeliest of old, battered revolvers that resemble a used boat anchor, to super accurate, break-action single-shots adorning telescopic sights, these guns all serve a purpose. It’s amazing how gorgeous they look when we need them.
Wheelgunner At Heart
I admit, I love my revolvers. While I enjoy the simplicity and ruggedness of single-actions, I also get a kick out of shooting double-action (DA) revolvers the way they were intended, as in using that DA trigger pull. At first, it may be a hinderance, but after a few thousand rounds of practice, such as I had in my “rookie” police academy days, you’ll actually enjoy shooting the DA revolver as it was intended. And you’ll eventually be shooting just as accurate as you would shooting single-action mode.
While wheelguns are usually limited to six rounds, the rounds they are chambered for are usually much more powerful than their semi-auto counterparts. Hot loaded .38 Specials, or better yet, its .357 Magnum big brother are proven manstoppers, where one good shot is often enough to stop any threat.
I love my revolvers, like this Ruger “CarryHawk,” especially when woods bumming,
hunting or just enjoying the outdoors.
Shoot Yeah!
I probably shoot my revolvers two-thirds of the time. I just enjoy them more, don’t like chasing brass and have a habit of shooting large-bore cartridges loaded with my hand-cast bullets. But I still shoot my 9mm’s, .40’s, and .45’s on a regular basis, because I like them, and also want to be proficient with them.
However, while carrying concealed, it’s usually a semi-auto. Having carried one for 22 of my 27 years as a cop has instilled confidence in them, as well as their higher capacity and ease of reloading. I know there are a lot of haters out there who enjoy bashing polymer, striker-fired pistols, but I love them. More importantly, I trust them. But any gun is better than none.
While woods bumming, hunting or just enjoying the outdoors, revolvers usually get the nod. It just feels right to me, and if I have my way, I won’t be bumping into a single soul while doing so.
Variety is the spice of life. Familiarize yourself with different guns and learn how they function and shoot.
Knowledge is Power
I enjoy all handguns. I want to get my hands on as many different makes and models as I can, learn how to shoot, or at the bare minimum, know how they function in case I ever get faced with one. You never know what’s going to happen, and the more you know, the better the outcome is likely to be in your favor. Knowledge is a powerful thing and your brain is your most lethal weapon.
So, instead of bashing a particular gun, learn how to shoot it, or at least know how it works. It might come in handy if you need to unload a gun your child or grandchild stumbled upon and you’re the only adult around, or even another shooter on your local range. From J-frames to Jumbo-frames, derringers to double-action revolvers, .22 RF to .500 Linebaugh, single-actions to 1911s, learn as much as you can about all guns.
Bottom line: let the snooty anti-gunners be the gun snobs while you learn as much as you can. It may just save your life.
