# Popularity of Revolvers vs Pistols



## Hurryin' Hoosier (Jan 8, 2011)

Since there is no "General Revolver" category, I'll post this question here. Why is it, do you suppose, that revolvers are so much more popular in the States and Canada than they are anywhere else in the world (especially Europe)? Or is that not the case?


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## VAMarine (Dec 25, 2008)

There is a general revolver category...


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## Water-Man (Apr 28, 2008)

Simplicity.


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## Hurryin' Hoosier (Jan 8, 2011)

Water-Man said:


> Simplicity.


Maybe I mis-phrased my question. What I was asking was not why some people prefer revolvers to pistols - it was why revolvers are so much more popular in the US and Canada than what they are in - say - Europe. From what I've read, it seems as if we and the Canadians are the only ones who appreciate wheel guns. (Or are you saying that it's because Americans and Canadians are simple? :mrgreen: )


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## Hurryin' Hoosier (Jan 8, 2011)

VAMarine said:


> There is a general revolver category...


Quite right. My bad.


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## VAMarine (Dec 25, 2008)

Well first you have to look at the gun laws of most European countries, in most of them ownership of firearms is very limited except for certain instances, most of which are for competition/sporting (not including hunting) where revolvers don't rule the roost.

As for Canada, are revolvers popular there? Haven't really seen an position supporting that revolvers ARE more popular in Canada than other countries.


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## hideit (Oct 3, 2007)

I guess when I think of revolvers - I MOSTLY think of higher power cartridges
Certainly there are some semiauto loadings that equal the Ft lbs of energy to the magnums but IMO
357 mag 41 mag 44 mag 500 mag are 99.99% revolvers
so 
for competition, general target, HD, SD the semi auto is plenty good enough in Ft lbs energy


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## rgrundy (Jul 16, 2011)

Revolvers really aren't popular anymore anywhere actually. The world shoot in Greece had 1,300 competitors and only 43 shot revolvers. Police departments went to pistols long ago too. It's hard to master a revolver and look good in speedshooting/combat shooting. The semiauto pistol spits out lots of bullets quickly and that just makes folks happy even if they don't hit anything. :anim_lol: Revolvers are predominantly used by hunters now I would surmise.


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## Hurryin' Hoosier (Jan 8, 2011)

rgrundy said:


> Revolvers really aren't popular anymore anywhere actually. The world shoot in Greece had 1,300 competitors and only 43 shot revolvers. Police departments went to pistols long ago too. It's hard to master a revolver and look good in speedshooting/combat shooting. The semiauto pistol spits out lots of bullets quickly and that just makes folks happy even if they don't hit anything. :anim_lol: Revolvers are predominantly used by hunters now I would surmise.


So you think that the popularity of revolvers has declined, even in the States? (Not being argumentative - just asking.)


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## rgrundy (Jul 16, 2011)

I don't think any police force uses them at all anymore and most did 30 years ago. There are very few guys who compete with them either. The semi auto pistols dominate all competitons and are alot more fun to watch. When you are shooting 2 to 3 rounds per second it really looks cool. Most mortals can't do that with a revolver.


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## Hurryin' Hoosier (Jan 8, 2011)

rgrundy said:


> I don't think any police force uses them at all anymore and most did 30 years ago. There are very few guys who compete with them either. The semi auto pistols dominate all competitons and are alot more fun to watch. When you are shooting 2 to 3 rounds per second it really looks cool. Most mortals can't do that with a revolver.


Still, they are fun to shoot. (Of course, my Beretta pistols are, too!)


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## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

i shall bite, i opine that the revolver is/was more popular here for a few reasons, 

first and foremost, the 2nd amendment ensured that we, here in the states, could own guns, even handguns when much of the world was ruled by monarchies, dictatorships or theocracies which feared guns in the hands of the masses. during this time the evolution of the handheld firearm bolted forward from flintlocks to percussion caps, to cap and ball to metallic cartridge and from muzzle load to multiple barrels to revolver. it all happened here because we were free to do it. 

second the revolver was instrumental in taming the wild country as we expanded..... it is the most readily identifiable tool of the settler , the wagon far behind. as such it was featured in every popular tv of the early 50s thru the 70s.... cowboys, cops, spies.... they all had their revolvers. many of us came of age during this time so naturally we purchased what we knew. 

so freedom and culture is my guess, much like a frenchman and opinel


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

TedDeBearFrmHell said:


> ...[F]reedom and culture is my guess, much like a frenchman and opinel


Hmmm...
I'm not French, but I like Opinel knives. They're really good for cutting picnic food, particularly sausage and cheese.


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## hideit (Oct 3, 2007)

in 2009 (the latest data available at shootingindustry.com)
1,868,258 pistols were sold
547,195 revolvers were sold


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I just gotta make a side comment:

I hate calling semi-autos "pistols," and revolvers "revolvers."
Revolvers are also pistols, by definition.

Instead, I prefer dividing the class "pistol" into "semi-autos" and "revolvers."

I suggest this change to you all.


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

I'm a Merriam-Webster type of guy. And they say:

Definition of PISTOL
1: a handgun whose chamber is integral with the barrel; broadly : handgun 

Having said that, for the sake of clarity it is better to call pistols "semi-automatics" (but never "automatic"), and call revolvers, "revolvers".

The reason revolvers are more popular in the USA than elsewhere is simple: Cowboys! We have them, they don't.


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## hideit (Oct 3, 2007)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> I just gotta make a side comment:
> 
> I hate calling semi-autos "pistols," and revolvers "revolvers."
> Revolvers are also pistols, by definition.
> ...


i agree with you - i was just quoting the AFMER data base from the Govt.


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## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> I just gotta make a side comment:
> 
> I hate calling semi-autos "pistols," and revolvers "revolvers."
> Revolvers are also pistols, by definition.
> ...


+1 words mean things and just because a word is commonly misused doesnt make it right


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Packard said:


> I'm a Merriam-Webster type of guy. And they say:
> 
> Definition of PISTOL
> 1: a handgun whose chamber is integral with the barrel; broadly : handgun
> ...


Packard, check-out the _etymology_ of "pistol."
The idea of a short, handy, personal firearm seems first to have become popular around the Italian town of Pistoia, giving rise to the generic term.
Were we to stick to that definition, a _pistol_ would still be a single-shot, wheellock-ignited firearm.
As you pointed out, in the USA we adopted the errant usage of calling a semi-auto a "pistol" because our short, handy, personal firearm was for a very long time the revolver. But it is, none the less, an errant usage.
All modern dictionaries define "ain't" because it is in common usage. But being generally used does not make the use of "ain't" correct. ("Ain't" is the incorrect form of the already-extant contraction "aren't.") The same dictionaries now accept "quality" as meaning "good quality," which is also in widespread popular usage, but nevertheless is incorrect. Just because it's in the dictionary doesn't make its usage correct.
"Pistol," "firearm," and "handgun" are the general terms. "Semi-automatic" and "revolver" define the type of gun to which we refer.


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## hideit (Oct 3, 2007)

[email protected]#$%^&*()?|":><
enough already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

hideit said:


> [email protected]#$%^&*()?|":><
> enough already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Is that a "pistol" or a "revolver".

And of course there is the "pistil" which belongs to the fairer sex.


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## hideit (Oct 3, 2007)

NA
Steve is just blowing my mind into overload


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## MLB (Oct 4, 2006)

Glad to see Steve's comment. Though I've nearly given up trying to change the common vernacular, I think it's pretty clear that "pistols" include both semi-autos and revolvers. People were getting "pistol-whipped" long before the 1930's after all.

Spoken and written language is a dynamic thing though. Trying to pin it down has been unsuccessful for centuries. Doth thou doubt me? "Google" the most common use of "text" today. I'd wager that the verb form sees far more use than the noun.


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## Hurryin' Hoosier (Jan 8, 2011)

I shall most certainly bring that up at the next meeting of the board of directors.


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## kerrycork (Jan 9, 2012)

*Revolvers Autoloaders or Handguns*

My favorite carry gun is a Ruger sp101 3 in. bbl. .327 fed mag. This will work for me. More important than a big heavy bullet is shot placement. I do at times pack my kimber .45 acp. My big problem is I like all my guns big and small.


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