I actually pretty much agree with the author. Something unusual for ASJ.
A good auto is more reliable than a revolver, especially in dirty conditions. Note that I said a (good) auto.
"A good auto is more reliable than a revolver, especially in dirty conditions. Note that I said a (good) auto."
Which is why every military in the world went to semi-autos starting in the early 20th century. Including the author's 1911 which was the year the U.S. Army adopted it to replace their revolvers.
But, what about a gun that isn't going to be used in mud-filled trench. I'd say that a new condition revolver is slightly more reliable than a new condition semi-auto, on average.
Every gun writer advises not using a new semi-auto for concealed carry until you've put a bunch of rounds through, usually a number between 100 and 500.
While it would be prudent to fire a box through a new S&W revolver, I've never heard of one that didn't go BANG! when you pulled the trigger every time when new.
The revolver "problems" he's discussing are what you see in 30 year old revolvers that have a lot of rounds through them, particularly magnum rounds. Yeah, they are machines, and like all other machines they wear out.