So I was wondering, most of the early automatic handguns could carry only 7 rounds, as opposed to the 6 rounds of a revolver. Revolver frames, to my knowledge, are generally hardier, and while the cylinder gap causes about a 10-15% decrease in FPS, I'm not sure why various armies would have switched to semi-auto handguns at the turn of the century.

The only thing I can think of is the ability to quickly reload with a magazine vs. a revolver's cylinder.

Anyway, this is just something I've been curious about, if there was any real reason for the switch at that time period.

(Granted, I know the US Phillipine war showed the .38 long colt to be ineffective, but I don't think that really factored in.)

...I'm not sure why various armies would have switched to semi-auto handguns at the turn of the century.

Three names:

 

John

Moses

Browning

Three names:

 

John

Moses

Browning

I'm well aware of John Moses Browning's  contributions to firearms, but that doesn't explain why Germany switched to the P08 Luger, or Russia to the Tokarev.

It is a good question...The reload thing is a big deal...There are many, many, stories of US servicemen using "the 45" (colt 1911) in combat. Among the most famous are Alven York (WW1) and John Basalone (WW2). Interesting though, from the combat stories I've read (many written by vets), they almost always mention the stopping power of the 45, and never the ability to reload quikly. I guess the stopping power is the first thing to come to mind, and the reloading more of an afterthought.

I wonder if cost and ease of assembly was a factor, as it is in most military acquisition decisions.

It is a good question...The reload thing is a big deal...There are many, many, stories of US servicemen using "the 45" (colt 1911) in combat. Among the most famous are Alven York (WW1) and John Basalone (WW2). Interesting though, from the combat stories I've read (many written by vets), they almost always mention the stopping power of the 45, and never the ability to reload quikly. I guess the stopping power is the first thing to come to mind, and the reloading more of an afterthought.

 

I know that they started issuing .45 long colt revolvers to  troops in the Philippines because of the ineffectiveness of the .32. So one could argue that they could have just switched over to a .45 revolver.

I wonder if cost and ease of assembly was a factor, as it is in most military acquisition decisions.

Maybe? I'm not sure what's easier/cheaper, I would assume automatics would be more expensive--basing that only off prices I see, and thus assuming revolvers are cheaper to build.

 

That's why this has been a mystery to me for a while. I mean, modern handguns can carry far more rounds than any revolver, but back in the early 1900s, I'm not sure what the advantages would be.

Revolvers required more care under battlefield conditions to keep dirt out of the action, individual soldiers could not repair revolvers in the field because many parts had to be fitted when replaced, and cylinders became warped due to improper closing and ejector rods were easy to bend...

 

Dave Zawicki

The brits and many Commonwealth nations used revolvers until the BHP caught on post war. The USAF used 38's until the M9.

 

I'd also suspect a 1911 is easier to produce than a 1911.

double action triggers were probably more inaccurate.

Around the turn of the 20th century people were realizing that semis/autos were the future. That started a lot of it. They started being specified "just because" I think. It is true that semi handguns require less care deployed then revolvers, and that they reload quicker. But these are not primary arms, and certainly were not back then. And their were the complaints from the Philippines that made the US look for the next generation of handguns.

 

I think after the push to modernize, what happened was the semi-rimmed and rimless cases. Also, these new auto cartridges were designed for smokeless powder vs. the black powder designs of the revolvers. So they quickly became more powerful at the time vs. most revolvers on average. Then when people started getting hot on subguns the rimmed cases were dead.