Pistol vs Revolver as a CCW.

A little bit about myself.I have never concealed carried, but I have open carried a rifle and a pistol for some months when I was in the military.I don’t know when I will start to conceal carry, but I wanted to put my thoughts on paper so that I can later refer to them when it’s time to purchase my first CCW.Below are my thoughts on pistols and revolvers as it pertains to carrying and caring for a concealed weapon.Feedback is obviously welcomed and if you include references that’s a big plus. Enjoy my wall of text.Pistol (Compact/Sub-compact)ProsFaster/easier to reload for the average person. With a little training the average person can reload a pistol blindfolded.Very pocket friendly with the right models (Ruger LCPII, S&W Bodyguard) and virtually invisible.Can be safely cleaned with ultrasonic cleaners.Easier to accessorize, especially with models that have rails (M&P9C).Red dot capable small pistols are more likely to appear compared to revolvers (I’d take a red dot over a laser any day).Lighter trigger pulls on average.Models with and without thumb safety.Most affordable self-defense caliber (9mm. If comparing 380 with 38 special, then they're about the same).Lower weight on average.Ruger LCPII 10.6 oz vs S&W Model 340 PD 11.8 oz.The 340 PD uses titanium and scandium to lower the weight, whereas the LCPII uses “cheap” alloy steel and still manages to win the weight battle.The 340 PD is almost 3 times the price of the LCPII (MSRP).Higher capacity to weight ratio (rounds per ounce).ConsMagazines are not optional and are an additional cost, furthermore they add another source for malfunctions.For some malfunctions tap/rack/bang will not be enough to get back to shooting and the seconds or minutes required to fix the malfunction may turn your gun into a blunt weapon in a dicey situation.Does the trigger mechanism on a striker fired pistol use a spring to make a pistol ready to fire (racking the slide to put one in the chamber)?If so there's a chance the spring may deteriorate over a long period of time resulting in more malfunctions in the future and possibly making a pistol too unreliable/unsafe to carry.I used to carry an M9 and I'm not too familiar with how striker fired pistols work. Can spring compression damage a magazine? (somewhat related to the topic)More susceptible to malfunctions due to insufficient maintenance (sticky/gummed up slide).Cannot be reliably shot from inside a pocket. Concealed Carry, Shooting From your Pocket.Revolver (Small, J-frame)ProsNo tap/rack/bang required when confronted with a malfunction, just pull the trigger again (in most cases).No magazines to buy that may get damaged/lost/stolen.Keeping a round in the chamber won't cause any wear on any spring. Can spring compression damage a magazine?Less susceptible to malfunctions due to insufficient maintenance.Can be reliably shot from inside a pocket. Concealed Carry, Shooting From your Pocket.ConsAlmost always lower capacity than pistols. Capacity anxiety (for some people).Heavier trigger pull on average.AFAIK no thumb safety models.Higher weight on average.Lower capacity to weight ratio (rounds per ounce).If using rimless cartridges with moon clips (9mm, 380 for the Taurus revolver), you may find yourself spending more on moon clips as opposed to if you had bought a pistol with magazines, but you should be able to reload faster with them.Harder to conceal and conceal comfortably due to the shape of the cylinder and you are more likely to "print".Only a few revolvers are capable of being suppressed and they are unicorns.Self defense calibers (38 & 357) for revolvers are generally more expensive than pistol calibers, consider handloading.Prices (including shipping) are in cents-per-round (CPR) from gun-deals.com as of 7/28/20171000 rounds of Freedom Munitions, 9mm Special, 124 grains, HP, 17.5 CPR500 rounds of Freedom Munitions, .380 ACP, 90 grains, HP, 28.1 CPR1000 rounds of Freedom Munitions, .38 Special, 158 grains, HP, 28.9 CPR500 rounds of Freedom Munitions, 357 Magnum, 158 grains, HP, 34.9 CPROnly the barrel can be easily and safely cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner. If you submerge your revolver in cleaning solution you are asking for trouble.Having to remove the internal workings found inside the grip of a revolver just so you can drop the revolver in the ultrasonic cleaner would be too much of a PITA.BUT if the only point of entry for the cleaning solution to the internal workings is where the firing pin protrudes (double action only revolvers ONLY), you could put a piece of tape over it, remove the grip, pray that you're not doing something stupid, and then drop the revolver in the cleaning solution.Worse reloading experience.Comparing the reloading procedures:Pistol:Press magazine release button and let gravity eject the empty magazine.Grab and insert new magazine.Grip your right hand with your left hand and press the slide release button ORrack slide with your left hand (additional step) and then grip your right hand with your left hand.Aim.Bang.5-6 steps.Revolver:reduced situational awareness START. Press crane latch.Push out cylinder with your left index and middle finger and hold the revolver with your left hand.Twist your wrist so that the barrel is facing up at an angle and either use your left thumb to depress the ejector rod OR(additional step) use your right fist to bang on it.Twist your left hand so that the barrel is facing the ground at an angle.Grab a speed loader and insert the rounds into the cylinder while making sure that the rounds are aligned to the holes.Let the rounds drop into the cylinder by twisting the speed loader's release knob.Toss speed loader to the side.Grip revolver with your right hand.Close the cylinder with your left thumb.Grip your right hand with your left hand.Go from low ready to Modified Low Ready. reduced situational awareness STOP.Aim.Bang. 13-14 steps (I did my best to condense the steps).What do I mean by reduced situational awareness? If you watch the video from Jerry Miculek, you should see how he has his head lowered throughout the speed reload. On the other hand you don't need to be a professional to reload a pistol without having to look for your loaded magazine.REVOLVER SPEED RELOAD! 16 rounds in 4 seconds on slow mo! S&W 929 Jerry Miculek (He's using moonclips, but it's still an excellent video showing the reloading steps). via /r/CCW http://ift.tt/2vQDoXJ