WHEN I LIVED IN THE DENVER AREA several years ago, I frequented a large, well-stocked gunshop run by my buddy, Bob. Many a time, a potential customer would saunter in, look around as if shopping, and then ask, “Hey, Bob, what’s the best 9mm semiauto for concealed carry?” Bob would pause, smile slyly, and say, “A good .38-caliber revolver.” Aghast, the potential customer, who thought he had it all figured out, would stammer, “What?” “A revolver,” Bob would repeat.
Then Bob would detail the virtues of a wheelgun for the citizen, stating, “A revolver is darn near idiot-proof and is simple to operate—just squeeze the trigger. If it doesn’t go off, squeeze the trigger again. A .357 Magnum revolver is chambered for a powerful yet controllable cartridge, it is relatively…
