The Single Action Revolver Today

Irony!

Despite my thoughts on the single action revolver, my relationship with the double-action revolver is something else entirely: I learned to shoot on a Smith & Wesson model 627 and very soon bought a S&W 586 of my own, followed by more Colts, Rugers and other wheelguns than any person reasonably needs. The DA revolver feels like a natural extension of my arm and I shoot them better than any of my semi-autos.

Now, however, I can say I’ve lived long enough to witness Gen-Z shooters regard even what I would call the modern DA revolver as an archaic “cowboy gun.” Even autos with visible hammers are suspect to them in an era where just about everything is polymer-framed and striker-fired. As a dude who feels well-armed with an S&W Model 15 as a home defense gun — a model with no rails or red dots, mind you! — my tastes are drifting farther and farther away from what the kids like.
I suppose there are two lessons. The first is that no matter what we find comforting or comfortable in terms of tools to get a job done, someone will eventually engineer something younger generations will unanimously consider “better.” Today’s whiz-bang striker-fired wondernine will undoubtedly become old hat, if its proponents only live long enough to see it happen.

Secondly, and just as importantly: We’d learn quite a bit if we were to give a full appraisal of how previous generations were able to adapt, quite capably, with the tools at their disposal. Again, I’ll admit to not loving the single action revolver. However, having shot a few thousand rounds through them, I can say somewhat begrudgingly I like them, and they can absolutely put rounds on target.

Colt’s original patents on the Model of 1873 have long since expired, making the Single Action Army — like the 1911 — essentially an “open source” firearm. As such, it’s a design destined to remain in continuous production, always findable, ever shootable, connecting shooters across generations. Sure, I shoot other guns better, and Colt’s “Peacemaker” was never really part of my boyhood dreams. Nevertheless, the single action revolver has taught even a skeptic like me that fun and simplicity will never be obsolete.

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