When the double action, swing-out cylinder revolver began to take shape in the late 1800s, it seemed like the designers had already used up all their energy by the time they got to the back end. The grip frames on these guns were universally small, and the grips (or “stocks,” in S&W parlance) almost looked like they were afterthoughts.
Author: Mike
Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Mike Wood is a bonafide revolver nut, a certified law enforcement instructor in handgun, shotgun, patrol rifle, less-lethal, and diversionary device disciplines, and the author of Newhall Shooting: A Tactical Analysis, the definitive study of the infamous, 1970 California Highway Patrol shootout in Newhall, California. Mike wrote the "Tactical Analysis" column at Police1.com for 8 years, and enjoys teaching both armed citizens and law enforcement officers.
How To Safely Unload a Double Action Revolver
One of the most celebrated qualities of the double action revolver is its simplicity. The mechanism is easy to understand and operate, and having everything “out there in the open” makes their operation pretty transparent, even for the greenest of newbies. Any instructor who has seen an unfamiliar student get confused by the collection of buttons and levers and switches on the side of a semiauto pistol can appreciate how the revolver’s minimalist nature simplifies teaching the manual of arms.
Continue reading “How To Safely Unload a Double Action Revolver”
RG305: The One-Handed Revolver Reload
Of all the skills that a serious student of defense needs to consider, an emergency reload using only a single hand is probably the least important. Since training time is always limited, it’s important to prioritize and spend our time on the things that give us the best return on investment. For most of us, that includes more “pedestrian” things like the basics of weapon presentation and marksmanship, and doesn’t include preparing for the remote possibility that we might need to conduct a one-handed revolver reload.
The Kimber K6s: From a Blank Sheet of Paper
I admit it. I’m a gun nut. It doesn’t matter if they revolve or cycle, or if they load from the front, the back, or the bottom. It doesn’t matter if they hold a single cartridge or half a box full. It doesn’t matter if they’re made of blue steel and wood, or Tenifered steel and plastic. If they go “bang,” I love them.
Continue reading “The Kimber K6s: From a Blank Sheet of Paper”
RG101: The StressFire Revolver Reload
Justin’s excellent article on the Universal Revolver Reload (URR) raised a question from a RevolverGuy seeking suggestions for how he could avoid burning himself on the forcing cone of his revolver when executing the reload. He’s not the first to encounter this difficulty, and fortunately, there’s an alternative technique that can help: the StressFire Revolver Reload.
Continue reading “RG101: The StressFire Revolver Reload”
RG Reference: Hammers and Triggers
Back when the revolver was King, wheelgun shooters and manufacturers paid attention to details that are sometimes overlooked today. A great example of this, is the host of trigger and hammer options that were available back when sixguns still filled most of the duty holsters and won most of the matches.
Continue reading “RG Reference: Hammers and Triggers”
The Guns of Copperhead Road
One of the things about being a gun . . . enthusiast, shall we say . . . is that your mind easily drifts into thoughts about guns when you have a little idle time on your hands. And when you’re really a nut . . . um . . . enthusiast, well you pretty much think about guns all the time.
A Not-So-Serious Look at Reloading The Wheelgun
In the beginning, there was the percussion revolver, and it was good. But reloading those things took half a day, a picnic table, a pouch full of tools, and way too much patience, so we made sure to keep a good saber, knife, or hatchet nearby too. These also came in handy when we returned home to an angry wife, who was tired of cleaning the grease and blackpowder soot from our shirt and pants after a busy day on the battlefield. Continue reading “A Not-So-Serious Look at Reloading The Wheelgun”
Gun(s) That Got Away Part II: Mike
If you’re a RevolverGuy, you’ve got one. A story, that is, about “the one that got away.” Actually, if you’re like me, you probably have several, but there’s one that just nags at you more than the rest, and which probably says more about you and your tastes than all the others. As I sit here thinking about it, there’s a handful of lost ballistic opportunities that still sting. Some of them were mine for the asking, others were just long shots, but all of them make me wonder, “what if?”
A RevolverGuy’s Guide To Gun Belts
RevolverGuys are usually pretty savvy, and do a good job of selecting their equipment, but there’s one gear issue that tends to raise its head with frequency amongst handgunners, and it seems that RevolverGuys are not immune to it. That issue is selecting an appropriate belt for carrying a handgun.