9mm revolvers

I think it's mostly that a 9mm revolver could also be had in .357. It has more power and the same gun can be used with the less expensive .38 special. I recall the .45acp revolvers required a pair of half moon clips to work with the rimless auto cartridge. The gun would have been worthless if the clips were misplaced.

Another point is fit. A full size govt. model .45 will fit nearly every adult hand out there. A (relatively) small revolver chambered for a similar cartridge is a bit big for many of us.

Now, there was a time when revolvers were considerably more reliable than autos. I expect some argument on that, but it just hasn't been true for a number of years - given handguns of comparable quality, I mean. There is some true junk out there in both types of gun.

Acutally, the 9mm revolver fills such a small niche that I wasn't aware of its existance.

Thanks for that informative reply, roger.

I have been reading some of the online forums about 9mm revolvers, and some people complain about the clips that have to be used because of the rimless cartridge, although someone mentioned a S&W with a trick extractor that eliminates the use of clips. The .357 looks like the better bet though, because of its interchangeability with the .38 special. Ruger and Taurus make some very nice small framed .357's.

Considering that the 9mm cartridge was developed for the German Luger, a clip fed semi-auto, and that revolvers are quintessentially American, it isn't suprising to not see this niche filled.

I have never seen, heard, or read about a 9mm revolver.

I've also never heard of a 9mm revolver, though its been several years since I've been to a gun show. Hope to fix that soon.

Years ago my father told me he picked up a 25 cal revolver during the war in the Pacific, but it was misplaced and lost long before I was born. That's the only time I've ever heard of a revolver chambered for that caliber.

Neither have I. As mentioned, there used to be a 45 ACP revolver. I believe it was the S & W Mod. 25. There were probably logistical reasons for having ammunition common to both the auto and the revolver.

Since I've never seen one either I did a Google search and came across this tidbit:

Several discontinued European revolvers were once offered in 9mm Luger, but both the Astra Police and FN Barracuda are no longer sold. Smith & Wesson also made 9mm wheelguns in both K- and J-frame sizes, but they are gone from the catalog. I also checked the 2002 Ruger catalog in the belief that the 9mm five-shot SP101 or six-shot Blackhawk .357/9mm Convertible might still be available. They are not listed. This situation forces you to the used gun market, which is still pretty good. Ruger Convertibles were produced in the tens of thousands and are your best bet. If you want a smaller, lighter DA revolver, look for a J-frame S&W or the Ruger SP101. Probably the best all-around compromise would be an S&W Model 547 (saw one on gunsandammoauctions.com) or Ruger Speed-Six.

Other 9mm Revolvers
Actually one of the first 9mm revolvers were a bunch of Smith & Wesson Military Police that had been originally chambered for the .38S&W (not Special) Cartridge for the British during the Second World War. Seems that Isreal had a bunch on hand as well as a number of STEN Submachine guns. They found that the two cartridges were similar (9MM Luger and .38 S&W) dimension wise and that the slightly smaller 9mm (.355 Vs ~ .360) diameter bullet would not cause unduely high pressures when fired in the Smith and Wesson.

They used these for quite a number of years til replaced by the Beretta Brigadier in the mid to late '50's.