Wheelguns forever

Guns Magazine, Dec, 2008 by Gregory R. Topp

I have always read Mr. Ayoob's articles on defensive handguns, long guns and the many stories of the defensive use of these firearms. His sage advice kept me abreast of these issues while I was a Denver-area police officer in the late 1990s.

His counsel on keeping the revolver "up and running" smoothly has brought back a flood of memories from my days as a Marine Security Guard. We protected our embassies abroad with US Department of State-issued S&W Model 19-4 revolvers. We also carried DoS-issue Federal .38 Special P 125-gain Nyclad hollowpoints as our duty rounds. I never felt as though I was undergunned.

Before going out to post and while training at Quantico, we were constantly trained on speed loading the revolver under stress and putting accurate rounds downrange to make up for the revolver's limited firepower. Our "real" firepower was our issue 14" Remington 870P loaded with buckshot/slugs. (The November 2008 "Reality Check" by Clint Smith is spot on, but I digress.)

Today, I routinely compete with a 1980-vintage Model 15-4 in my local IDPA/IPSC matches. Although I am by nature a 1911 shooter, I like showing the legions of semi-auto pistol shooters the DA revolver is far from dead. Aided by my Safariland Comp III speedloaders, the supposed lack of reloading speed vs. the semi-auto is negligible.

There are more than a few of us who like the revolver. I feel just as confident with a good S&W revolver or custom Colt Trooper MK III as I do with my Les Baer or Wilson 1911. Please keep up the stories about the revolver.

Gregory R. Topp

Chief Warrant Officer, USMC

Cherry Point, North Carolina