.357 Magnum - Revolver VS 1911

[JEBar]

OK, I've owned 1911's (both 9MM and 45) but I openly admit to having a strong preference for wheelguns .. .. I found the following side-by-side penetration test using the same ammo to be very interesting


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDBKB_2Xp5U

[North Country Gal]

I'd say it's too close to call, on the basis of only one test.

[JEBar]

to us wheelgun fanatics, it was a dominating win ....

[PT7]

Interesting video. A couple of years ago I test shot a Coonan .357 Magnum 1911 at a nearby LGS. Very cool pistol. However, it definitely is particular on the ammo it likes -- and needs to shoot well. Has to be a strong enough .357 round to eject and chamber another round. The "wimpy" .357 rounds I had brought with me didn't cut it. The LGS owner told me what ammo was needed, and gave me some rounds to try. Worked fine with a larger grain ammo, and it is a very accurate 1911.

I remember the difference in recoil between the Coonan and my Ruger SP101 .357 Magnum wheelgun. The Coonan had a noticeably lighter recoil than the SP101. Think that's because the recoil force is coming directly through the revolver frame into the palm of the hand; the slide on the pistol "takes away" part of the recoil.

Anyway, this plate test was pretty close to call a winner. But I'd say with the "lucky 13" plate difference, the wheelgun came out ahead! Yes, I'm one of the wheelgun lovers on the Forum, too!

Thanks for the fun post.
PT7

[Redthies]

I used to shoot pretty much exclusively 1911A1s in .45ACP. Then a friend’s dad came for a visit and brought a few toys including a .41 magnum SA with a 6” barrel. I was blown away by how much more accurate it was than my auto loaders. I was pretty much converted to a wheelgun fan on the spot.

[North Country Gal]

I do love my revolvers, too, but I'll never be without a 1911. Just wouldn't feel right and I do shoot a 1911 as well as my revolvers. Oh, yeah, the 1911 and I get along very well.

[clovishound]

I do love my revolvers, too, but I'll never be without a 1911. Just wouldn't feel right and I do shoot a 1911 as well as my revolvers. Oh, yeah, the 1911 and I get along very well.

I came late to 1911s, but it has to be my favorite weapon.

I still love my wheelguns, lever guns and even bolt actions, but the 1911 has a special place in my heart.

[Conax]

I always liked my .45s and they shot ok for me, but to hit things more than 20 yards away, out came the revolver.
I traded it off, but I did have a 4" Colt King Cobra .357 that was super accurate. My old .44 Blackhawk with the 8 3/8" barrel was my best long range handgun. I took jackrabbits at 200 yards offhand sometimes.
There will always be a couple wheelguns in my safe.

[North Country Gal]

Yeah, revolvers are still the basic handgun for me, even though I own other types of handguns, including specialty pistols. My shooting background has a lot of handgun hunting in it and other than small game hunting, semi-autos have never made much of a dent in that kind of shooting. Pretty much the domain of revolvers and specialty handguns.

[PT7]

I've always enjoyed this on-going, and probably never-ending, voicing of preferences for one or the other handgun type. And especially when it often happens that a person who likes and has both types of handguns, can articulate the good, bad, and the ugly for either one.

As I wrote earlier in this thread, I'm a wheelgun person. The author of this 2015 AR article leans toward my preference for a revolver. https://www.americanrifleman.org/articl ... -wheelgun/ I like it when he calls wheelgun lovers "a quiet, but loyal, following." I'll tag along with that description.

Enjoy the read...PT7

[North Country Gal]

I'm a wheelgun person to the point I even miss the old TV shows and movies where the good guys/gals and bad guys/gals carried revolvers, instead of semi autos. Shows how old I am, I guess.

[BigAl52]

For years I have gone back and forth between the two. Ive tried every kind of tupperware gun that I can think of and not really cared for any of the major brands. I do have Shield in 45 acp that I like real well and carry all the time. But none of the other M&P models live at my house. Im not saying any of those guns I dont care for arent good guns becasue they are in the hands of the people who like them. Just not mine. 1911's are top shelf at my house followed closely by a CZ75b and a CZ P09 when it comes to auto loaders. But revolvers are like fine whiskey and the older I get there even finer. Why? Because I reload. Chasin brass all over the prairie is just a nuisance at times. I need to be in the right mood I guess. Not to mention Im just a better shot with a revolver. It is getting a little easier though because prices of 9mm ammo are where you just about cant spend the time reloading it for what you can buy it for. Same goes for the 40 for you 40 lovers out there if there is any. The ammo and the guns for that matter are reasonable. Just my .02 worth. YMMV

[JEBar]

Chasin brass all over the prairie is just a nuisance at times.

ain't that the truth ..

[North Country Gal]

Good point on the cost of 9mm ammo. I know a lot of shooters who do reload, but don't bother doing so for the 9mm. Don't forget, though, there are revolver options for shooting the 9mm, too. Here's mine.

Holds 8, with the moon clips, almost as fast and easy to feed as a semi auto, but, unlike a semi auto, totally reliable with any factory ammo, even the cheap aluminum case stuff. Needless to say, accurate, too.

[Cofisher]

Great read, thanks PT! While my SP101 357 is not an EDC, I will trust it forever. I remember you having one also. I have more rounds through it then all the semi autos I have ever fired.

[BigAl52]

Good point on the cost of 9mm ammo. I know a lot of shooters who do reload, but don't bother doing so for the 9mm. Don't forget, though, there are revolver options for shooting the 9mm, too. Here's mine.

Holds 8, with the moon clips, almost as fast and easy to feed as a semi auto, but, unlike a semi auto, totally reliable with any factory ammo, even the cheap aluminum case stuff. Needless to say, accurate, too.

NCG
Wait a minute. I could of sworn you told me you didnt like those guns because of the cylinder. I have one of those guns and I love it. Its a great shooting Smith and I would buy one again tomorrow if I didnt have the one I have. I own both of Jerrys guns and they are both shooters.

[PT7]

You're welcome, Cofisher. Yup, agreed that the SP101 is a solid and "trustworthy" handgun. And it would be a heavy-duty weight in the belt holster as an EDC. I did sometimes carry my 4.2" SP101 kit gun in a shoulder rig....but it's definitely like carrying a steel tank!

If I were to ever get another Ruger .357 revolver, it would be this "plain Jane" snubby model. Always wanted one of these.

Ruger GP100 3-inch Model 1715.jpg (18.96 KiB) Viewed 2198 times

Black grip on stainless steel frame is one of my favorite color combos. This one has a six round cylinder capacity, and now Ruger is even building the GP100 with a seven-round capacity. That's about equivalent to a single-stack magazine. They keep on keeping on with always new revolver configs! Again, as far as the article points out, revolvers are definitely the best for me.

PT7

Great read, thanks PT! While my SP101 357 is not an EDC, I will trust it forever. I remember you having one also. I have more rounds through it then all the semi autos I have ever fired.