So, there is nothing to choose in stopping power, accuracy or weight of weapon but the automatic has a greater rate of fire owing to the larger magazine and quicker magazine change while the revolver is not capable of jamming. While the higher rate of fire may sound attractive, the time you really need your pistol you will only need to fire a couple of rounds and you will certainly die if your weapon jams. I know several professionals who still carry revolvers when covert so the choice is not so clear as it may seem. On balance, and because of the work I do, I have come to prefer the automatic owing to the reliability of modern automatics and the higher rate of fire. But then I use a pistol regularly and I don’t get very excited.
The revolver
The revolver carries its ammunition in a cylinder magazine holding only five or six rounds and the cylinder rotates before each shot to bring the next round into line with the barrel. To reload the cylinder swings out of line with the barrel allowing access to the rear where the rounds are inserted. There are little gadgets available which allow all the rounds to be slipped in at once for speed.
Revolvers come in two kinds: single action and double action. Single action is the old-fashioned type where the hammer above the trigger has to be pulled back by hand to cock the weapon and bring the next round and chamber into line for firing. The cowboy-era pistols were of this kind hence gunfighters employing the technique of ‘fanning’ to achieve a higher rate of fire. Fanning is where the trigger is held depressed, or mechanically fixed so, and the hammer is repeatedly and quickly pulled back and released with the heal of the palm on the free hand.
Double-action revolvers use the energy from squeezing the trigger to bring the hammer back and turn the chamber to bring the next round into line. Effectively, therefore, the first part of pulling the trigger back cocks the weapon and the next bit of travel fires it. The advantage of double action is that the weapon can be fired quickly with one hand. The disadvantage is that the pressure required to cock the weapon with the trigger finger tends to pull the aim off to the side and leads to inaccuracy. All double action revolvers can be used like a single action – cock and fire. The best way to take advantage of the double action revolver is to cock with the thumb of the shooting hand when you have time before the first shot. There is a knack to this but it takes practice.
The automatic pistol
The so-called automatic carries up to c.13 rimless rounds in a spring-loaded vertical magazine, usually in the hand grip, and the whole top slide of the weapon is driven back on firing to extract the empty shell case and compress a spring. Then the slide comes forward under spring pressure to pick up a round from the magazine and feed it into the chamber ready to be fired on the next squeeze of the trigger. When the magazine is empty the top slide stays back and reminds you to change magazines – which can be a help to a busy mind.
The automatic pistol has to be cocked by, usually, pulling back the top slide and releasing it to feed the first round into the chamber. Thereafter each time the trigger is pressed the pistol fires and the recoil pushes back the top slide to pick up another round from the magazine in the handle and feeds it into the chamber ready for the next shot. So in reality it is a semiautomatic weapon. I will continue to call them automatics because everyone else does.
The main advantage of the automatic is that it has a higher rate of fire than a revolver and can hold more rounds in the magazine. Also the barrel is not pulled off aim before each shot by the trigger pressure required to turn the cylinder. The magazine capacity is limited by the size of the hand-grip and the size of the rounds. There are 9mm automatics such as the Berretta and the Heckler & Koch which will hold 13 rounds while the Colt 45 will only hold seven rounds because they are so fat.
The original .45 automatic was designed for the US Army around 1911. The specification they asked for was a reliable pistol which would stop a charging horse at close range. Later variants are still in use today with the US Army because of their reliability. The only downside to the .45, within the limitations of it being a pistol, is that it is bulky to hide and very heavy.
Common pistol calibres
Though all handguns have names and numbers, much like cars, they are often referred to by the calibre of the round they fire as this is what really counts. As with all firearms, you don’t kill someone with a pistol. You kill them with a bullet. The calibre and velocity of the bullet determines its hitting power and also the cartridge which propels it. These two together form the round which determines the whole weapon’s size, weight and utility. Just like with a rifle as we saw earlier. So, if we look at the rounds, the part doing the job, it will tell you most of what you need to know when making a choice amongst the thousands of types of handgun available.
I think the best way to get the range of calibres across to you is for me to go through the most common calibres of pistol round available in order of stopping power with an outline of the characteristics of the weapons which fire them. Then you can weigh up the pros and cons and make your own choice.
The .22in round for a pistol is very much lacking in power but it can be fired from a small light discrete weapon such as the Walther PPK automatic and it is quiet for a pistol too. There are many revolvers and pistols which fire .22 rounds so it is not difficult to obtain one and the ammo is common and cheap in the civilian market. To be sure of a kill with a .22 you need to go for a head shot so aim for the centre of the face. The main advantage of the .22 round is that the weapon which fires it is tiny and so easy to hide. Such a weapon is often carried by well-trained assassins and these may favour a hollow-point poisoned bullet.
The .38in round is normally fired from a revolver and is rather underpowered. Much better than the old .38, which is now no longer used very often, is the .38 Special which is the same calibre with a larger propellant charge in a longer cartridge case. It is actually half way between a .38 and .357 Magnum in terms of power. This is probably the ideal law enforcement revolver being light and convenient with adequate stopping power at close range.
The 9mm round is the favourite of the European armies for pistols and sub-machine guns and the Americans are beginning to use it too now that more powerful and effective ammunition has been developed. The 9mm needs a much bigger weapon than the .22 but is far more powerful. Like most things, it is a case of swings and roundabouts. In the past the 9mm did get a reputation for being a little underpowered but what I suggest is that you practice with the standard issue rounds and when you come to action buy yourself the Belgian Specials which have an armour piercing capability. 9mm pistols such as the Browning and the Star are cheap and common while the ammunition is easily available in most theatres. While you won’t use much pistol ammunition in combat you will use lots in practice if you have any sense at all.
The .45in rimless is best known as the ammunition for the .45 Colt automatic mentioned above. You only get seven shots but the re-load is quick and if you can hit them they will go down. The only downside is that if you are on foot it is bulky and a lot of weight to carry. There are lots of old revolvers around which fire .45 rimmed ammunition but they too are too big and heavy to interest us here.
The .357in is well known as one of the ‘Magnum’ rounds. It is usually fired from a revolver although there are automatics available. Yes, it is quite powerful, being a sort of supercharged .38 Special, and will stop anything that walks but the weapon that fires this round is ridiculously heavy as it has to be to handle the mechanics of firing the round and steadying the recoil. I used to carry a long barrelled ‘Blackhawk’ .357in Magnum as my reserve weapon in a shoulder holster until I had to use it. My excuse is that I was young and wanted to ‘look the part’. There is actually a .44in Magnum round but the cannon which fires it is too big to hide or carry very far.