what's more reliable revolvers or semi autos

[Ken star]

I'm debating whether revolvers or semi-autos are more reliable overall. Revolvers seem simpler and less failure-prone, while semi-autos offer capacity and speed. In real use, which platform has proven better?

 

[Loaded_Gun]

Depends on what you mean by "real use" though, right? Are you talking daily carry, home defense, or like apocalypse scenarios? I've had my Glock jam on me more than my old .38, but that extra firepower's hard to ignore, what's driving your decision?

 

[Richie]

Modern semi-autos from quality brands are incredibly reliable nowadays. Revolvers can still jam or malfunction, just differently..for most people, semi-autos win due to capacity, easier reloads, and faster follow-up shots

 

[MajorBiggs]

I had a fella once, swore by his wheelgun, he said, "She never jams! If a round's bad, I just pull the trigger again, and BAM! Next one."Then one day, his cylinder latch gummed up because he hadn't cleaned it since the Reagan administration. He needed six fast shots, and that gun locked up tighter than a bank vault. The truth is a good semi-auto with quality magazines and ammo is just as reliable, holds more, and reloads faster. Revolvers are simple but they fail too and practice is the only real reliability upgrade

 

[Ken star]

Depends on what you mean by "real use" though, right? Are you talking daily carry, home defense, or like apocalypse scenarios? I've had my Glock jam on me more than my old .38, but that extra firepower's hard to ignore, what's driving your decision?

Fair point, I'm thinking mostly daily carry and home defense. That Glock capacity is tempting, but your .38 reliability is what I keep coming back to. Guess it depends on priorities, huh?

 

[Ken star]

I had a fella once, swore by his wheelgun, he said, "She never jams! If a round's bad, I just pull the trigger again, and BAM! Next one."Then one day, his cylinder latch gummed up because he hadn't cleaned it since the Reagan administration. He needed six fast shots, and that gun locked up tighter than a bank vault. The truth is a good semi-auto with quality magazines and ammo is just as reliable, holds more, and reloads faster. Revolvers are simple but they fail too and practice is the only real reliability upgrade

That Reagan-era cleaning schedule is wild. You're right though, maintenance matters regardless of platform and it sounds like practice and upkeep trump everything else, maybe I've been overthinking the revolver mystique a bit here