Every gun magazine I pick up lately has articles on revolvers and their rediscovery. Companies are offering an ever-increasing number of revolvers, ammunition advances are improving the effectiveness of revolver ammo, and more companies than ever are providing accessories for wheel guns. But for some reason, especially with newer shooters, revolvers are something many never consider. It might be time to consider or rethink, again, the revolver. In the old days you didn't have a lot of choices when it came to selecting a revolver. Today you can get one to fit any need. Companies like Ruger are offering new models that are lightweight and don't need a lot of modifications to carry or fight with. Their recent releases include the LCR "snubbie" chambered for 9mm, and one of my favorites, a three-inch barrel version of the LCR. Smith & Wesson has standard offerings in a variety of styles, the "Classic" series – old blued wheel guns – and their "Champion" and "Pro" series, which are enhanced revolvers. They also offering a variety of services to modify S&W's, and have "Performance Center" guns, which are custom built at the factory. Ammunition companies haven't ignored revolver cartridges. The performance of these rounds is good, especially the .357 Magnum. Yep, the .357 has a lot of recoil, but you can practice with .38 Special, or carry +P .38's, which kind of falls in the middle of the .38 and .357. When it comes to the .38/.357 you can select the ammo with as much power as possible or with recoil you can handle. With handguns, it usually takes more than one shot to stop the threat. The ability to handle recoil, recovering from it efficiently, is essential to putting additional and accurate hits on target. Revolvers allow you to use a round that "fits" without having to worry about the energy required to cycle a slide, ejecting and loading a fresh cartridge. "But," you say, "if I have to shoot a lot don't I need a high capacity weapon?" Remember, we're talking about self-defense. It ain't gonna to be the O.K. Corral; the average is about three, maybe four shots. Plus, there are revolvers that carry seven or eight rounds chambered for the .357. That's a lot of hard-hitting rounds, and in some cases more than your smaller semi-autos hold. There are more accessories today for revolvers than ever before. You can equip your wheel gun with a laser/light. The ability to "point" shoot using a laser could come in handy during the middle of the night when you're awakened from a deep sleep a threat in the bedroom and having a weapon mounted light for home defense if never a bad idea. XS Sights offers their tritium front sights in Big and Standard size for wheel guns. They even have versions for "fixed" sight revolvers. (I used to go through a lot of hassle to machine and mount one of their shotgun sights on my revolvers. With these new models if you take care you can actually do it with hand tools.) Holsters? No problem. Revolvers are small, easy to carry and conceal, and holsters are available for any type carry mode you choose. Revolvers are easy to shoot, however, as Grant Cunningham has said, they are "the most difficult to shoot well." As with any weapon, training and practice are required. Even if you don't decide to carry a revolver you should be familiar with how they operate. There are a lot of them out there, and there's no golden rule that says you'll always be fighting with your pistol. For defensive purposes you should seek out what works best for you and your situation. Just make sure to explore all options, including revolvers, until you have what suits your needs. Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, located in northern Alabama. He is the author of "The Book of Two Guns" - http://shootrite.org/book/book.html writes for several firearms/tactical publications, and is featured on GunTalk's DVD, "Fighting With The 1911 - http://shootrite.org/dvd/dvd.html Website: www.shootrite.org http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shootrite-Firearms-Academy/156608611038230?ref=ts