Updated 4/12/2023 What do you get when a time-tested platform is combined with the most popular centerfire cartridge for handguns? The 9mm revolver. What are your 9mm revolver options?Ruger LCRSmith & Wesson PC Pro 9886Charter Arms PitbullRock island Armory AL9.0Taurus 905Ah…the revolver. The revolver is a timeless classic that is still highly trusted. Why not? Few firearms can boast more practical testing on the ground, behind the trigger, than the side-byside shotgun. Both the old West gunslinger Wyatt Earp, and the modern day New York policeman Jim Cirillo regularly bet their lives on wheelguns. The revolver is far from outdated. The handgun is still relevant for modern shooters. It has evolved into more convenient and useful forms. The 9mm revolver is gaining popularity, along with lighter alloy frames and hammerless design. Truthfully, this concept is not new. Gun designers have been incorporating 9mm and other semiautomatic pistol cartridges in wheelguns for decades, creating classics. If you want to shoot a revolver in 9mm, get used to these. This wheelgun uses moon clips as the standard. The advent of highly-tuned, geeked-out race revolvers has been a boon to competitive shooters. Smith & Wesson PC Pro 986, Ruger GP100 match champion are two high-octane wheelsguns that spring to mind. Concealed carry is not left out either. There are still options, even if the selection is limited to the two most popular revolver chamberings –.357 Magnum or.38 Special. As the interest in 9mm revolvers grows, they’ve expanded. What’s the current selection? What’s available now? The lightweight 9mm revolver is matte black with a cylinder shape that looks like a wasp’s nest. It also comes in.38 SPC. The lightweight 9mm revolver (also available in.38 Spc. It won’t win any beauty competitions. It doesn’t need to be beautiful, its appeal comes from its reliability, convenience and ease of use, making it one of the most popular defensive wheelguns today. The LCR’s greatest benefit is its concealability. Few revolvers can match this. The gun is not bulky and weighs just a little over 17 ounces unloaded. It also has a 1.8-inch barrel. The aircraft-grade aluminum frame revolver can also be used as a backup gun, with dual-purpose ammo for a semi-auto. Ruger has a great double-action trigger, which is a must for a DAO. The friction-reducing cam system is as smooth as polished marble and doesn’t stack, making the 9-pound weight of the pull much more manageable. Optimized for concealed carry, Ruger eliminated every possible snag point such as an exposed rear sight and hammer (it’s integrated with the frame). The LCR 9mm reloads quickly, once you’ve mastered the system. Full moon clips are used. It is a great 9mm revolver. But if overcoming the platform’s main constraint–firepower–is your concern the handgun’s extra bulk pays you back 10 fold. The 986’s titanium cylinder can hold 7 rounds, which is comparable to the capacity of the micro 9mm pistols, which have become popular in recent years. Its trigger, especially, is tuned for competition. Double-action is smoother and lighter than other production modes. This improves the accuracy of the 986. The revolver is fast from shot to shot, thanks to the overtravel stop, which ensures efficiency. The gun also comes with an adjustable back sight that helps to maximize the accuracy improvements. Yes, it does make for a more accurate shooter. It will take some thought to determine if this fits your carry profile. The 986 is a great 9mm revolver, but it may not be the best choice for your first everyday carry gun. The 986 is an excellent 9mm revolver, but perhaps not for your first every-day carry gun.Smith & Wesson PC Pro 986 SpecsBarrel Length: 2.5 inchesOverall Length: 7.5 inchesWidth: N/AWeight (Unloaded): 31.4 ouncesCapacity: 7Sights: Adjustable target rear, ramp frontCartridge Retention: Moon clipMSRP: $1,259Website: smith-wesson.comCharter Arms PitbullSooner or later, nearly every wheel gunner has an inkling to toy around with a .44 Special. This leads us to one gunmaker: Charter Arms. Its long-standing Bulldog is legendary, if only because it’s the only dedicated.44 rig designed for carry. The company has also shown great skill with 9mm revolvers. Snap a round into the cylinder, and it will stay there until it is ejected. It’s just like a rimmed bullet. Anyone who has dealt with moon clips — especially well-used, warped ones — will appreciate the advantage that ejectors provide. The feature also makes the gun compatible to use strip speedloaders which, while not the fastest, are among the most convenient. The stainless steel finish is matte blasted, the front sight is ramped, and the rear sight is integral. The trigger, however, has a rough surface. The gun’s fit, finish and tight cylinder lockup give it a solid feel and reliable performance. The spur isn’t loud, but it is included in the package. In turn, with a little familiarity, it can be drawn with little worry of getting tangled up.Charter Arms Pitbull SpecsBarrel Length: 2.2 inchesOverall Length: N/AWidth: N/AWeight (Unloaded): 22 ouncesCapacity: 5Sights: Fixed rear, ramp frontCartridge Retention: Spring ejectorsMSRP: $520Website: charterfirearms.comRock Island Armory AL9.0Most think fairly economical 1911 pistols when Rock Island Armory is the topic of discussion, but the gunmaker has proven a more and adept revolver-smith over the years. The gunmaker has added a 9mm revolver to its lineup that is capable of filling a defensive role. The AL9.0 is a great choice for this purpose, as it can hold 6 rounds of Parabellum, and reloads quickly with full moon clips. Rock Island managed to make the revolver both concealable and very easy to handle. This was no small feat. This makes it a gun that most people can conceal comfortably. It’s also a gun that’s easy to shoot, with enough weight to reduce the 9mm’s already mild recoil. This balance results in a revolver that is highly accurate, even when firing rapid-fire. Rock Island has included several features for the AL9.0 to help it stay on target. These include a full rubberized handle, an adjustable target rear sight, and a splash of orange at the front ramp sight. Minor, but it’s nice to have this feature out of the package. The trigger is heavy in double-action (more than 10 pounds), but it doesn’t stack, and is as smooth as one can expect for a piece that hasn’t been customised by a gunsmith. The only thing to note is that the hammer protrudes out of the revolver, which is a big no-no when it comes to concealed carry revolvers. It’s not difficult to use if you are willing to spend the time with the heater. Rock Island Armory Al9.0 SpecsBarrel length: 4 inchesOverall length: 6.75 inchesWidth : 1.50 inchesWeight: 1.5 ouncesCapacity : 6Sights : Fixed rear, Ramp frontCartridge retention: Moon clipMSRP : $899Website : armscor.comTaurus 905It’s no surprise that Taurus The gunmaker makes wheelguns in nearly every caliber. The 905 is a favorite of many and has been for the last decade. It is a very capable defensive gun that can do just about anything you want from a 9mm. Granted, it only holds 5 rounds, but this is standard for most concealed carry revolvers of any caliber. The 905 compensates for this by being lighter (21 ounces) and narrower (1.4-inch width) than other 9mm revolvers. The 905 uses Taurus Stellar Clips, which are a clever engineering solution that makes loading the clips much easier than traditional moon clips. The gun is easy to reload, just like any 9mm revolver that uses clips. The one hitch in the 905’s giddyap is a substantial double-action trigger pull, out of the box flirting with 12 pounds.Taurus 905 SpecsBarrel Length: 2 inchesOverall Length: 6.5 inchesWidth: 1.4 inchesWeight (Unloaded): 21 ouncesCapacity: 5Sights: Fixed rear, ramp frontCartridge Retention: Stellar clipMSRP: $410Website: www.taurususa.comNEXT STEP: Download Your Free Storm Tactical Printable Target Pack62 Printable MOA Targets with DOT Drills – Rifle Range in YARDSThis impressive target pack from our friends at Storm Tactical contains62 printable targetsfor rifle and handgun range use. The target grids and bullseyes are measured in MOA. 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Know the Rules and Course of Fire, and Prepare for Matches.
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