Revolver vs Pistol: Knowing the Key Differences
Most gun enthusiasts are familiar with semi-automatics, but the historical path of the birth of semi-automatic handguns leads us back to 1836 when Samuel Colt invented the Colt Paterson, introducing the idea of having multiple rounds loaded at one time and ability to fire quickly, reducing the “reload” time of the older flintlock and caplock handguns. Revolvers paved the way to the modern semi-automatic handgun, and still are viable handguns for ownership, recreational shooting and even self-defense. Let’s take a deeper dive into understanding what makes a revolver different from a semi-automatic handgun.
Are revolvers that different from semi-automatics?
Yes and no. Before we compare the differences, let’s look at how the revolver and semi-automatics are similar. At a glance they both look similar with a barrel, grip and both are ultimately fired by pressing a trigger. Revolvers are almost exclusively hammer fired handguns meaning that there is a hammer that is cocked (we will talk more about the cocking process further into the article) and released. The forward motion of the hammer engages a firing pin to impact the primer of the cartridge. That hammer may or may not be visible and may be able to be manually cocked or not. The technical term for a hidden hammer on a revolver is called a hammerless revolver, even though there is a hammer, it is not seen. There are many semi-automatics that are hammer fired in a similar fashion and that might have exposed or hidden hammers.
So what is truly different with a revolver?
Capacity - Cylinder vs Magazine and Chamber
One of the most noticeable differences between a revolver and a semi-automatic is the cylinder of a revolver vs the chamber of a semi-automatic. The revolver cylinder contains multiple chambers, for common self-defense revolvers, that could be 5 or 6 chambers. In the smaller calibers, like a .22LR, there can be as many as 10 chambers within the cylinder.
This is very different from the semi-automatic which most commonly has a magazine that is inserted into the grip of the pistol. The capacity of the semi-automatic is determined by the magazine capacity plus the opportunity to have one in the chamber. This is why you will see many semi-automatics designate their full capacity as a number plus one (10+1, 17+1). Many semi-automatics will come with multiple magazines, some of which have different capacities.
A revolver’s capacity is strictly determined by the number of chambers in the cylinder and is generally lower than most compact semi-automatic pistols which is one of the key differences where someone may choose a semi-automatic pistol over a revolver.
Loading and Unloading
The cylinder vs magazine variation leads into a difference of loading and unloading a revolver versus a semi-automatic pistol. To load most revolvers, you would press the cylinder release button located on the side of the revolver to open the cylinder, exposing all chambers. To load, you would place a round in each of the chambers and close the cylinder. This would deem the revolver loaded.The semi-automatic loading process involves loading the magazine with rounds, and then firmly inserting the magazine into the grip of the gun. Then the final step in loading the semi-automatic is releasing the slide forward (either manually racking the slide or pressing the slide lock lever) to load a round from the magazine into the chamber.
Unloading is different as well. To unload a revolver, whether all rounds have been shot or not, involves pressing the cylinder release to open the cylinder. Then the revolver should be tilted upward, and then you press the ejector rod to “push” out the empty casings or unfired rounds from the cylinder. For a semi-automatic, when the magazine is emptied the slide will typically lock back (slide lock). Then to unload just requires you to press the magazine release button or lever (depending on the pistol) to release the magazine. If the semi-automatic pistol was not emptied or the slide was not locked back, first you would remove the magazine, then manually pull the slide and manually set the slide lock lever to keep the slide open.
Some revolvers have a fixed cylinder and are loaded and unloaded one chamber at a time through a loading gate and you have to move the cylinder for each chamber to expose it in the loading gate.
In both cases, checking a revolver and a semi-automatic to designate the handgun as being cleared or empty involves visually and physically inspecting all chambers within the revolver’s cylinder to ensure there are no rounds present. On a semi-automatic, there needs to be visual and physical inspection of the single chamber, but also a visual and physical inspection of the magazine well to ensure there is no magazine or rounds present in the chamber.
Hammer Fired vs Striker Fired
We spoke about that nearly all revolvers are hammer fired whether the hammer is exposed or not, and there are semi-automatics on the market that are also hammer fired (exposed or not), but the majority of semi-automatic pistols sold today are striker fired. This means that there is no hammer to be cocked either by the trigger or the back and forth movement of the slide during a shot. Instead the striker mechanism involves compressing a spring during the slide movement backwards and that spring is released when the trigger is pressed, pushing the firing pin into the primer.
Double Action vs Single Action and Trigger Weight
If you’ve ever shot a revolver, one of the major differences you would find is the amount of pressure needed to press the trigger. This brings us to talk about single action trigger press vs double action trigger press. Many times you will see them designated by their initials only SA and DA.First, let’s define those terms. A single action trigger does one (single) action with the trigger press, it releases the cocked hammer. It’s important to note that if you are shooting a single action only (SAO) revolver, that you must cock or lock back the hammer prior to each trigger press, otherwise the revolver will not fire. If you’ve ever watched an old western, many times those revolvers were single action only. A double action trigger does two (double) actions during the trigger press, first the trigger press cocks the hammer, and then once the hammer is fully cocked, it releases the hammer to fire the shot.
It is imperative that you know what type of action any revolver is that you may be handling/shooting. If it’s a single action only revolver, you must cock the hammer before each shot. If it’s a double action only revolver, then the trigger press is the only way to cock the hammer and fire the shot.
So back to the pressure needed to press the trigger. That is explained in terms of trigger weight or pounds of force to exert on the trigger to get the handgun to fire. A single action trigger is going to have a much lighter trigger press, typically 2.5 lbs to 5 lbs. A double action trigger is going to have a much heavier trigger press, typically 10 lbs to 14 lbs. As with many firearm related parts, gunsmiths and trigger replacements can help lower the weight of traditional factory double action triggers.
Many revolvers (as well as some semi-automatics) are DA/SA, meaning that the handgun is always ready to fire with the trigger press in double action, but you can also cock the hammer to put the handgun in single action mode for that next shot and that trigger press is going to be much lighter. Once that shot is taken, the revolver is back in double action mode. On a semi-automatic, once the shot is taken, the motion of the slide reciprocating will cock the hammer for the next shot and the semi-automatic remains in single action mode.
Many people find it difficult to keep their sights where they want them during a double action trigger press because of the added pressure to the trigger. This can be overcome with practice! Using the Mantis X systems in dry fire or live fire can help identify points of correction and look for trends to help keep the sights on target even with the double action trigger press. Most revolvers do not have a picatinny rail to mount the Mantis X unit on, so don’t forget you may need to grab a bore insert adapter.
Revolver Grip
This could lead to another difference that could exist between revolvers and semi-automatics, how you grip the handgun. There’s a lot of debate on the “best” grip to use on a revolver, which mostly revolves around the location of the support hand thumb. Don’t look at different revolver grip styles as one is better than another overall. Look at all grip styles as options and work through practice trying the different grip configurations on a revolver to see what works best for you and your revolver.
Different, but yet the same
We hope this article helps clarify the major differences between a revolver versus a semi-automatic handgun, but also maybe help see the similarities and consider when a revolver might be a good choice for a handgun purchase. Never shot a revolver? Consider trying one out. Many people are fond of revolvers and the connection to history they bring and technology that they brought to the firearms world.
Cara Conry
Author