Semi-auto or "wheelgun" for casual shooting?

[Adam Helmer]

My bias is for old Smith & Wesson revolvers and Old Colt M1911 and 1911A1 autos. I do own a few 9mm Lugers and P-38s and a former duty Glock M19 9mm and a pair of Ruger .22 semi-auto pistols; I shoot them all.

I am talking just "blasting" be it paper targets, or tin cans for plinking recreation. Do you folks prefer a semi-auto or wheelgun? I really like shooting a nice old M27 S&W .357, or a M28 S&W with wadcutter handloads in the backyard. I shoot a lot of 200 grain cast SWC loads in my .45 autos. Wheelguns are old technology, but they have an aura about their function. Semis are fun guns to shoot because of their function.

Ok, so who prefers which and why?

Adam

[Dan Morris]

Funny, we both like the 28's and 1911's. I usually use both when
I'm not shooting rifles at the range. 45...cause I carried one for a few years...just like it.28 because it will take stiff loads forever.
I use the 45 for a ccw item and always carry the 357 when up in the hills.
Dan

[wrenchman]

casual shooting is my ruger gp100 357 even though my cary gun is a auto.

[Jack]

For me, most of the time I use a 1911 for casual target shooting. I just like it- no particular reason.
I also have a 28, but I confess I don't shoot it a lot.
If I don't shoot the 1911, it's likely I'll choose a 22lr, a Browning Challenger II.
I bet I shoot 10 45 cartridges for every 1 of the others, tho.

[gd357]

Both! LOL! It's darn hard to just get one out when you're plinking.

gd

[BILLY D.]

depends on which firearm case gets opened first. could be 1911's in 9mm, 38 super, a22marvel conversion on a 1911 frame or one of a few 45acps.

for wheel guns dan wesson 357mag, model 27 s@w 357 mag, ruger security six, one each in snubie, 6" barrel stainless and one in blue, 357 mags, two ruger b/h 45lc, one old model b/h 41 mag and an old model single six.

then we can get into the contenders, 22>44 mag. the best in my opinion, 357 rem max and 260 remington. i have one i invented called a 7mm bench rest lenghtened demensionally. or brld. it uses a shortened 243, 260, or 308 case. i reamed out a 7tcu barrrel to make it. just cleaned it out with the reamer. shoots like a house on fire. i shot a lot of ihmsa rounds with that barrel. the brld is about half way between the 7br rem and 7mm-08. nice cartridge.

my xp-100 in 221fb is a winner also. to get all this stuff to the range at one time i have to put overload springs on the truck.

[kt]

for me its mostly an issue of paper or metal, if i am just punching holes in a center of mass bad guy target i love a compact or full size nine like the xd or g19 ( in a perfect world i prefer a .45) if its small sillouettes or cans, how can you go wrong with a 357 dan wesson or the oh so affordable .22
i had to laugh though , last year my grandfather had some plain old lead handloads for his .357 he blew up a bunch of baloons he wanted to pop and tacked them up. on the first shot he hit the iron frame of the target board and the lead splattered and popped them all.

[Catfish]

I`m a wheel gun fan. I`ve got afew .22 rimfire semi-autos, but no center fire semi-autos. As for wheel guns I`ve got 1- .38 sp, 2- .357`s, 3- .44 mag., 2- .454`s, 2- .500 S&W`s, plus afew .22 rim fires. For just punching holes in paper I like the single shot hand cannon`s too, you can punch holes close togrther at some fairly long distances.

[8X56MS]

when I go afield, I take a revolver. When I go to the range, I take both revolvers, as well as semi autos. If I am 'packing', its usually, but not always, a semi auto.

[buckhunter]

When just blasting away at can or the like its usually a M18-3 .22. When hiking or in the woos without a rifle or SG I norallly carry a M66 357. I also use the M66 with 38's when can shooting some but prefer the .22. Have a number of semi's but the only one I shoot somewhat is a old HiStandard 22 Military Model.

[Catfish]

Buckhunter,
Those old HD`s are hard to beat. I`ve got a real nice one but rarely shoot it because I don`t want to put any more wear on it, it`s abt. 95 %.

[Brant Buster]

Comparing apples to bananas!


For a self-defense or combat piece I prefer an auto, but in a stouter harder-hitting round I want a wheelgun.

Different applications require different types of weapons!

To just move lots of lead down range, either go with a semiauto .22 or 9mm. Otherwise, per-fekt your skills with each type. For self defense I prefer a G23 Glock in .40 S&W.

[Adam Helmer]

Brant Buster,

Perhaps you need to reread the title of this thread and see "casual shooting" was the theme. I take both types of guns to my backyard range for some trigger time just about every day, weather permitting. A handgunner needs to be proficient with both wheel gun and auto.

I agree that different applications require different arms. Wheelguns are my first choice for personal defense. I used to be a Glock fan and carried one for 7 years on duty, but after the third trip back to Smyrna, GA for my Glock 19 for refit, I have put the old Colt M1911A1 or M686 S&W on my front burner for personal defense. Glocks are fine when they function, but happily mine quit on the range when I was the division firearms instructor. Give me a Colt M1911, if I am limited to an auto. In a "hot corner" give me an OLD S&W wheelgun.

Adam

[Brant Buster]

So your Glock quit on you? Your's is the first I've EVER heard that happening.


As for "casual," if you're that casual, why don't you just throw rocks!? And call it good!

[Adam Helmer]

Brant Buster,

So you never heard of a Glock quitting. If you are a law enforcement officer, then you might have heard. In my old Division, we had 350 people carrying Glock M17 and M19s, the folks qualified twice a year and we fired about 100,000 rounds every year. I put about 5 or 6 thousand rounds through my M19 every year. I do not have the records at hand, but we did have Glocks quit. Maybe you just need to shoot your Glock more or be around more Glocks. LOL.

As for plinking recreation, I prefer to use handguns, but you can be casual and use rocks, if you deem it necessary. Be well.

Adam