45 auto vs revolver talk

45 auto vs 45 revolver. Pros and cons? Let's hear your thoughts.

Simply put the Auto has a great advantage over the revolver especially in Rapid Fire and somewhat in Timed Fire too. I don't know of anyone winning major matches for the last 30 years using a revolver and probably longer. That includes Camp Perry. I know of only a few shooters that have broke 2600 with a revolver but none that broke 2650.

What about the fact that you're allowed a 2.5# trigger in a 45 revolver? That's gotta give you some sort of edge I would think.

Revolver:Pros. 2.5# trigger, longer sight radius, never have a fail to feed, never have a fail to eject, Never lose your brass, with full moon clips you can have entire match preloaded and they are fun.
Cons: Much less forgiving for poor follow thru, Some have a hard time with timed and rapid fire, without moon clips shooter can hold up entire line, single action shooters change their grip almost every shot (milking), possible skip shots if failure on shooters part to pull hammer all the way back.

Note: I shoot both ways and don't have any difference in scores. I use a 25-2 with dot for revolver and never shoot double action.

Len

I think you will find that the lighter trigger pull will not overcome the auto-loader advantage. The long double action trigger of the revolver is hard to shoot one handed and thumbing the hammer also adds difficulty were as all that's needed in the auto-loader is a slightly harder squeeze. If the revolver were an advantage a lot more shooter would be using them. I started shooting revolver only police matches. Was one of the top shooters at the Police L target matches but when I started to go to NRA Bullseye the revolver was a handicap so I switched to auto-loaders. The few Police L matches that still exist such as the Walt Wise in Harrisburg PA now allow auto-loaders.

Froneck wrote:Simply put the Auto has a great advantage over the revolver especially in Rapid Fire and somewhat in Timed Fire too. I don't know of anyone winning major matches for the last 30 years using a revolver and probably longer. That includes Camp Perry. I know of only a few shooters that have broke 2600 with a revolver but none that broke 2650.

My Dad made Master with a revolver, I do not think he ever broke 2600 and he averaged about 2575 until he retired from Bullseye. He did shoot a 300 NMC 45ACP once but I am not sure if that was with a revolver. 

He always shot a revolver for CF and never used a Dot or Scope, Bomar Ribs is what he used. 

He used load it very light for the short line. Maybe as low as 3.2 gns with Auto Rim Bass. 

A good Model 25-2 can be had for under $1200 and they will hold under 3 inches at 50 yards. My LGS has one , looks like new in a paper box for $1200. 

A model 25 is a N frame so hand size could be an issue. 

If you have a 38 revolver try shooting it CF or try some DR matches before making the decision, if you are dropping 25 to 50 points then you have the answer to your question. 

RT

The late John Hurst of the Los Angeles Police Department broke 2650 using 3 revolvers. I shot with him in the late 80's early 90's. Even as an old man he was phenomenal with those revolvers.
Jon

I am not a good shot but I have not beat my best score with a revolver in 22 caliber but my scores are consistently better with an auto loader 22.  Don't have a 45 revolver but I would imagine it would be the same.

Any .45 is legal. I have some powder puff loads for my 45 colt. They might frown if you show up with a 460 (it's also .45 cal)

Might not need as much work as you think. They are pretty accurate old guns. I took my "other" 45 to the range one day for practice/play. First round knocked all the mags off of the magnet and knocked the dust out of the rafters. Second shot standing on the other side of the box knocked the box over. It would be fun to shoot a Reeves match with it using those powder puff 45 colt loads.

Jon, If you get the model 25 my light load for that is 5.9gr W231 and I use the same 200gr L-SWC that I use in my 1911. Book says it is around 760 fps with RNFP so it probably is real close.

Len

Thank you!  I'll take a close look at the pistol tomorrow or Saturday.