I suddenly have a strong hankering again for a little .38 wheelgun. I had a S&W 442 around 10 years ago and sold/traded it and have fired the Ruger LCR .38 several times and was really wowed by the smooth trigger and just how well put together it was.

Does anyone have a LCR they carry? What are your thoughts on it?

From a S&W junkie who carried a 637 for many years - the LCR is an improvement.
No reservations about them.

I had one for a while. Like you have mentioned, great trigger (also from someone who has owned many different snubbies over the years). A snappy gun, my practice session with it were only 25 rounds or so at a time.

I ended up selling it and I now have a S&W Model 38 Bodyguard (no-lock).

A nice little gun with a nice trigger. We bought it for my wife in .38 Special and it was just a little too snappy for her so we got her something different and sold the LCR. But it would make a great carry gun for someone that didn't mind how it shoots.

I don't have a .38 LCR but I've had a .22 version for several years. It's been 100% reliable - which is saying something for a .22. I have a couple of 442's but I actually like the trigger on the LCR better (and I think the .22 version has a stiffer trigger than the .38's). It's a small point, but I like the fact that Ruger reinforces the frame in the recoil shield area with a steel insert.

quote:

Originally posted by dusty3030:
From a S&W junkie who carried a 637 for many years - the LCR is an improvement.
No reservations about them.

I agree 100% with dusty. I never liked the trigger on my Smith, but the LCR is a huge improvement, and it is lighter as well.

LCR = GTG

5 Star makes excellent speedloaders for them.

Affordable too.

When out in the countryside, I keep one loaded mostly with snakeshot for dealing with poisonous snakes. It is snappy with +P loads, but with standard pressure rounds, it shoots better for me. I agree that the trigger on the LCR is smooth and easy to pull.

Is the LCR as pocketable as the Smith j frames?

I've used one as my BUG since the .357 came out. While I use .38+P loads, I like the slightly larger .357. The Hogue Tamer grips suck up recoil pretty well for any standard pressure or +P load, and magnum loads are reasonable up to 125gr. Full house 158gr magnum loads are too much recoil to be practical, IMO.

The front sight is pinned in place and easy to replace with just a punch and mallet. Swapping on a high visibility front sight helps with faster sight acquisition.

The trigger is smooth and doesn't have excessive stacking. The cam'd design pays off in this regard.

As far as accuracy, I have no problems holding 5 shots in a 2" circle at 7y.

I don't know what sort of longevity you can expect, but I've got several thousand rounds through mine, but less than 100 were .357 magnum. About 200 .38+P and then thousands of my own .38 wadcutter practice loads.

I've only had to use it outside of practice once. A pitbull announced it's presence by biting my strong side forearm. I was able to access my LCR and shoot it in the chest with a 130gr PDX-1, which worked as advertised and kept me from being further injured.

quote:

Originally posted by geebo:
A nice little gun with a nice trigger. We bought it for my wife in .38 Special and it was just a little too snappy for her so we got her something different and sold the LCR. But it would make a great carry gun for someone that didn't mind how it shoots.

Have you considered the LCR-22 for her? I know it's "just a 22", but it's 8 rds in a gun she'd be comfortable shooting.

I have the 357 LCR and carry it quite often. Yes,it's a handful with most 357 ammo and about once a year I put a few rounds of full house 357 thru it just to remind me why I keep it loaded with 38 +P stuff. For me at least, it conceals and shoots better than some of the J frames I've had.
Very pleased with this revolver.

I have one. I prefer shooting it over a J-frame. For me the felt recoil is not nearly as sharp and snappy as the alloy S&W. Only downside is that it's slightly larger in size...and it's kinda homely. But I carry a Glock so I'm used to it.

I bought one for my wife. She does fine with standard pressure 38 SPC. Excellent trigger!

RMD

Have 1 in 22LR first handgun and CCW, and 2 in 22 WMR. I carry the 22 WMR as a BUG. Medical issues prevent me from carrying the 38 Spec. I have shot the .38 Special. Snappy as expected with such a light gun but nice to carry and reliable. Great aesthetics also.

They are nice but larger than a S&W J-frame with boot grips.

Nice trigger, usable for IWB carry but not really pocket or ankle carry for me (which is all I use a J-frame for).

Wife likes hers for the trigger and the simple revolver manual of arms.

I recently got into a “revolver phase”, bought several Smith J frames, the new Colt Cobra and an LCR in 327 Federal Magnum. I bought the 327 rather than 38 or 357 because in LCR version it holds 6 rounds versus 5. At the range the 327 Federal Magnum in 85gr Federal and 100gr Speer proved too hot for me to handle. Subsequently I learned that theLCR would also chamber 32 H&R Magnum and 38 S&w Long. Federal actually makes two loads in 32 H&R Magnum. I tried both and while a little stout it was manageable, like a 38 +P. The 32 S&W Long in wadcutter form is a great practice round, like shooting a .22
As for the LCR itself, I concur with everything already said. Very comfortable IWB but I have a S&W 442 for pocket carry. I know some may pocket carry the LCR but I find the Smith is better for that.

I agree that the .327 is the way to go. 6 rounds, options from zero recoil rounds to stout 100 gr. Buffalo Bore JHP. Not that there is a problem with the .38 +P.

quote:

Originally posted by K9346:
Is the LCR as pocketable as the Smith j frames?

I pocket carry my LCR 357 even with a fat Pachmayr Diamond Pro grip and it fits most of my "docker" style pants, cargo pants, and some jeans. I mostly shoot 38 and 38+p. Actually I think it has a grand total of two 357 rounds out of over 1000 total.

A few people have mentioned, in this thread, that the LCR is a bit "snappy" in .38 SPL.

My wife opted for the .357 version of the LCR and shoots .38 SPL with it. The snappiness (is that a word?) os toned down a bit with the heavier frame of the .357

I'm waiting for my wife to decide that she doesn't like her revolver, so I can adopt it. Probably won't happen, she likes it.

I did replace the front sight with a fiber-optic sight. Big improvement!