Why I Recommend Revolvers to Preppers On A Budget
I recommend revolvers to new preppers for many reasons but in this post we’re going to quickly talk about one in particular - budget. Many new preppers are on a tight budget (as are most Americans) and revolvers are a more affordable option for them, both the actual gun and more importantly what you need to buy afterward. Look at the above picture
The revolver in the pic is a H&R 732 “Guardsman” revolver in .32 S&W Long. I picked it up from Cabela’s (used) for $150. The ammo there is FMJ and some semi-jacked hollowpoints. Both boxes I bought a while ago when .32 was cheap so I stocked up - at he time let’s call it $20 a piece for a box of 50. They’re attached to something called Tuffstrips which are a kind of ammo holder/loader for revolvers. They’re usually available for about $10 for two, I have four there - so call that $20.
So that whole set up is a little over $200. The gun fits in holsters I already have but I tend to keep it in a gun rug I already had in the car. It’s a “kit gun” for me and would be a decent choice for a get home bag, woodsrunning etc.
It’s pictured with the first shipment of accessories for my new 1911 (which is still being shipped to me) which are things I require. This shipment included:
2 magazines from different companies. One was about $25 bucks the other about $15
4 different brands and makes of ammo. 2 were $20 each, one was $32 and the other was also around $30
The holster - a DeSantis Wild Hog because it matches on I have for my Big Iron. I was on sale for $40
So far just the accessories for my semi-auto is around $180, that’s on top of the $300 I spent for the Black Friday sale 1911, which would have been $600 if I hadn’t of had the deal. But I have more coming.
Unlike revolvers semi-auto pistols can be sensitive to ammo and magazines. Some guns don’t like some types of bullets or brands of ammo. Some magazines won’t work with some types of ammo. Some magazines will work fine in a one 1911 but not in another. You have to literally test out all these things.
So I have more magazines coming and another type of ammo. I will take these magazines and one or two boxes of ammo and run them through to see if it jams. If I encounter a jam I try a different type of ammo in the magazine that jammed. If it still jams another and so on until I’m sure the mag is bad. Then I toss it and try another.
In other words I’m looking at hundreds of dollars worth of testing to make sure I have the right combo in my gun. Then when I find the mag I want I will try to have at least ten in the house. Ten $20 magazines is $200 - I could buy a second revolver set up like the one above for that. I could buy a second revolver for what I spent on the accessories in the pic above.
Revolvers are simple and economical in this respect. You buy the gun, you get whatever ammo you can afford and a holster and you’re done. Speedloaders or Tuffstrips can add to expensive but they’re cheaper than most mags.
ALL semi-autos should be tested with multiple brands of magazines and ammo. You need to know what will and won’t run you’re pistol. .22 LR pistols are notoriously picky about ammo and even how you load the mags. Some rifle mags are in fact garbage, or maybe damaged if you buy surplus mags. You must test all your mags and be ready to buy different mags until you find the right fit. Then you buy more.
The point is that semi-autos take more effort and time - and money. A revolver is a great gun for a new prepper who doesn’t know much about guns and just wants something for emergencies. Once you buy it you just need range time, maybe some training if you can afford it. But they are simple and effective in every way, including economically.
That’s my thought process. If you’re into guns then all this is something you’d do anyway. But if you’re not - you want to work in a reasonable budget.