Just as with long guns, you can spend a lot of time on one of the infamous "caliber discussions" in most forums. Now, these are not always uninteresting, but they are often exhausting because you end up realizing that taste is a matter of debate.

There are many different calibers. However, these calibers can often be grouped into certain groups. These groups usually stand for calibers of a certain size and, along with that, for a certain purpose for which they are suitable.

One of the best known small calibers for handguns is the caliber ".22lfb / .22lr / .22 short". Revolvers of this caliber are wonderfully suited for hunting small game (hares, rabbits, etc.) as well as for trapping predatory game. The ".17 HMR" caliber also serves these purposes. Although it is more common in pistols than in revolvers, it can also be found in the latter. The manufacturer Taurus, for example, produces revolvers in this caliber.

The revolver caliber ".38 Special" originating from the USA is very widespread there and is frequently used in the civilian, but also in the military/police sector. The caliber was developed by Smith&Wesson in 1902 and was even used for infantry weapons of the United States Army during World War II and the Korean War.

Revolvers are also popular with hunters as short-barreled weapons primarily because they can be used to fire very powerful ammunition. This plays a major role especially when used for tracking strong or defensible game. Revolver calibers such as ".357 Magnum", ".44 Magnum" or even the particularly strong ".500 S&W" offer the hunter ideal protection against defensible game and also ensures rapid redemption when used to catch strong game.

If you search online, for example on Gunfinder.de, for used revolvers, you will quickly see that there are thousands of different offers for used revolvers. The prices also vary greatly. This is mainly because there are different models and also the conditions of the weapons are very different.

Whereas you only have to pay a few hundred euros for simple revolver models from manufacturers such as Hermann Weihrauch in the usual calibers, it usually requires at least a four-digit amount to be able to acquire, for example, enthusiast revolvers such as a Colt Python.

How far you can shoot with a revolver depends on various general conditions. In particular, the used laboratory, the firing angle as well as the environment are relevant for the maximum shooting distance.

If you want to cover the longest possible distance with a revolver, you should make sure that you choose a caliber that is as fast as possible, that the environment is as windless as possible, and that you fire the bullet at an angle of 35°.

Whereas in shooting sports people like to shoot at longer distances, the use of revolvers in any context is usually limited to a distance of up to 30-40m. However, such distances are usually also more abroad and primarily when hunting smaller game species overcome by revolvers with target optics.

Many old-style hunters would answer this question with a clear "no". After all, even the forefathers performed their greatest hunting deeds with only a rifle and a bare blade.

But in fact, nowadays there are good reasons for hunters to get a revolver. On the one hand, some hunters like to carry a short-barreled weapon with them in order to be able to defend themselves against defensible game (boar, wolves, etc.) at short range in an emergency, and on the other hand, the revolver is useful for trapping for the purpose of a catch shot.

According to the legal regulations in Germany, the revolver may also only be used on small game (e.g. rabbits, predators) at close range. Especially for trap hunting, the use of a revolver therefore makes sense. In contrast to a shotgun or rifle, there is no great danger of severely damaging the trap or the interceptor basket, and the catch can still be hunted down in a manner that protects the animals.

There are therefore good reasons for hunters to own at least one handgun / revolver and to carry it on the hunting ground.

Whether a hunter carries a revolver or a pistol on the range is ultimately a matter of taste. Both types of handguns are available in a wide variety of calibers for a wide variety of uses.

Only with regard to the various load sizes are there more pronounced differences in terms of usability. While revolvers can hold between 5 and 10 cartridges in the drum magazine, modern pistols with special magazines can hold up to 30 cartridges in the magazine.

There are also small differences in terms of disassembly and cleaning requirements. The pistol can be disassembled better than the revolver, but the latter is somewhat easier to clean, since there are not so many different parts that can get dirty.

Especially for hunters who need a particularly powerful short-barreled rifle, the revolver is a good choice.

Here you can find more information about the topic "pistol or revolver".

In Germany, security officers and police officers, as well as soldiers, primarily carry pistols as handguns. Most models come from the manufacturer Walther and are based on the almost legendary Walther PPK.

Revolvers are only occasionally used by employees of certain security companies and by security guards in the cash-in-transit industry.

In the USA, however, there are still some states that arm their police officers and sheriffs with revolvers. In South America, too, there are security officials and police officers who carry a revolver as a service weapon instead of a pistol.

In Germany, only those who are in possession of an acquisition permit are allowed to purchase weapons. As a rule, only sport shooters, hunters or employees of special security agencies and companies possess such an acquisition authorization.

As a hunter with a valid hunting license, one is entitled to acquire and possess up to two handguns after a pre-registration from the appropriate authority without giving special reasons. There are also hunters who own more than two handguns. These have then received the appropriate clearance from the relevant firearms authority for each additional handgun, stating a special need. Such a reason may be, for example, the need for different calibers due to intensive trapping.

Hunters and also sport shooters who wish to acquire a handgun with such a preliminary entry must be in possession of the Green Weapons Possession Card.

A so-called weapons license, with which one may also acquire, possess and also carry weapons, does exist, but this is only issued to special persons under very specific circumstances.

The normal citizen only has the possibility to carry weapons without a permit outside of his own home, business premises or enclosed property with the help of the small firearms license. But here, too, there are strict regulations as to where these permit-free weapons may or may not be carried.