Someone asked me for a low recoil recommendation for Ruger LCR 2 inch 38 special. How would the liberty civil defense 50 grain ammo function in LCR 38 special for producing very low recoil? I have only shot that ammo in 9mm and cannot remember how lower recoil it was. Any suggestions would be helpful. It is for someone who is elderly and recoil sensitive. Thank you.

I would look for the .38 wadcutter load. Lowest recoiling .38 load I have used.
Federal AE38SJ1.
Fiocchi also makes a wadcutter load.

many of the "Cowboy" loads for SASS cowboy action shooting are very low recoil.

Federal HST micro 38 special 130 gr.

I ran some Hornady critical defense rounds thru my Smith mod 40, one was 110 the other was 90+ grains (cannot remember the exact weight)

both were accurate, and recoil was not bad,

keep in mind my 40 is an all steel revolver tho

110gr. Silvertip is pleasant to shoot in a lightweight snubbie in my opinion.

.38 wadcutter is my vote as well.

It's a target load after all.

I've shot the Liberty 50gr in my S&W 642 and it was quite light on recoil.

I'd even say difference in Liberty to 125 FMJ was like the difference between .38spl to .357mag out of my Taurus 605

The downside for my S&W642 was that those 50gr Liberty rounds were just not accurate beyond 15ft. I try to use a paper plate for defensive drills, and the Liberty rounds were 3/5 on the plate. No rhyme or reason to how they shot. Used them in a longer barrel and they were better, but just not good out of the snubby.

Perhaps you could find a seasoned handloader, and have them make up some "soft" rounds for you.

If you are looking for range ammo, the best that I have found is a Mag Tech product. It's called a 38 Special Short. It uses a shortened 38special case for improved reliability ( I suppose). If I remember correctly , it's a 125 grain lead that comes out of the barrel at about 600 fps.

I keep some around to introduce any beginners that are interested in revolvers. It is the lowest recoiling 38 special load that I know of. I don't see it on shelves, usually just order from some ammo place.

For giggles....you can load them in a Marlin 357 lever action , one at a time. They won't feed reliably. There is no recoil and they even sound funny....more like a wimpy "pop". Even beginners usually giggle after shooting it.

https://magtechammunition.com/...spl-short-125gr-lrn/

I have no idea if you can find it , at this time.

They used to make plastic cases and "bullets" for indoor use. Propelled only by a primer (and I don't remember if it was small or large pistol). Just the cap going off. I shot them at a stack of old couch cushions (that I stole off the roads on garbage day.) Removed the covers to lessen the damage to the wadcutter shaped bullets.

The classic solution to the problem was to obtain an identical rimfire model revolver. Then shoot shorts or even CB/BB caps.

quote:

Originally posted by Gibb:
I've shot the Liberty 50gr in my S&W 642 and it was quite light on recoil.

I'd even say difference in Liberty to 125 FMJ was like the difference between .38spl to .357mag out of my Taurus 605

The downside for my S&W642 was that those 50gr Liberty rounds were just not accurate beyond 15ft. I try to use a paper plate for defensive drills, and the Liberty rounds were 3/5 on the plate. No rhyme or reason to how they shot. Used them in a longer barrel and they were better, but just not good out of the snubby.

Thank you very much Gibb, your post is exactly the information that I was seeking. I particularly appreciate the way you compare the 50 grain liberty to 125 FMJ as the difference to 38 special versus 357 Magnum. This information gives me a good idea of what to expect and and recommend when shooting a low recoil self-defense around out of a 2 inch nose revolver. Have a great day.

quote:

Originally posted by crash:
.38 wadcutter is my vote as well.

It's a target load after all.

Crash, when I used to see 38 special wadcutter is available back in another century, I tended to see them as lead nose versus jacketed ammo. Is that true with all wadcutter's because of the way they are made? Thank you.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys and gals, it is very helpful and I certainly appreciate it.

quote:

The downside for my S&W642 was that those 50gr Liberty rounds were just not accurate beyond 15ft. I try to use a paper plate for defensive drills, and the Liberty rounds were 3/5 on the plate. No rhyme or reason to how they shot. Used them in a longer barrel and they were better, but just not good out of the snubby.

I must assume that this gun is for personal protection.
WRONG gun for the elderly, recoil sensitive shooter.
If an experienced shooter has a problem getting 3 out of 5 hits on a paper plate at close range your elderly friend will probably do much worse.
Never forget, The shooter is responsible for EVERY round that is shot out of the gun. Spray and pray is no defense for innocent people getting wounded.
I would suggest abandoning an extremely light weight,short barrel, dbl action only revolver for another firearm.
Even a 22mag revolver or semi auto would be a better choice if it provides reliable hits on target.

quote:

Originally posted by SSAreGreat:
when I used to see 38 special wadcutter is available back in another century, I tended to see them as lead nose versus jacketed ammo.

The sharp shoulder of full wadcutter bullets is intended to cut clean holes in target paper. There is no reason for such bullets to be jacketed because their intended velocity is so low that bore leading is not a problem. Jackets would only add to their cost for no reason, and might affect their accuracy.

When my mom couldn’t handle the recoil of a 38special +P round, I moved her to 38 special wadcutters. 125 grain bullet vs the 148 wadcutter...even thought the wadcutter is heavier it’s going much slower and perceived recoil is less.

When she could no longer shoot those due to the arthritis in her hands I gave her a beretta.22 . It has a tip up barrel so she doesn’t have to rack the slide. I tried a buncha different ammo and it works fine with cci mini mags. It is what it is. And is better than harsh words.

I have a S&W model 60 2” stainless 38 and a Taurus ultralight 38 in 2”. The recoil in the Taurus was way better than the heavier Smith due to the grip. When I got a hogue over-mold grip for the smith- it shoots like a dream with little recoil.

I practice with wadcutters and carry Speer gold dots for self defense.

I agree with the wadcutter recommendation. Penetration for small recoil, with penetration the most important factor in this circumstance. That is, if the person in question can shoot. If she's in an appt and doesn't do well at the range, then I'd say no. If she's alone in a house with some separation to other houses or in the country, thay may be a factor, again, if she can shoot.

quote:

Originally posted by armored:

quote:

The downside for my S&W642 was that those 50gr Liberty rounds were just not accurate beyond 15ft. I try to use a paper plate for defensive drills, and the Liberty rounds were 3/5 on the plate. No rhyme or reason to how they shot. Used them in a longer barrel and they were better, but just not good out of the snubby.

I must assume that this gun is for personal protection.
WRONG gun for the elderly, recoil sensitive shooter.
If an experienced shooter has a problem getting 3 out of 5 hits on a paper plate at close range your elderly friend will probably do much worse.
Never forget, The shooter is responsible for EVERY round that is shot out of the gun. Spray and pray is no defense for innocent people getting wounded.
I would suggest abandoning an extremely light weight,short barrel, dbl action only revolver for another firearm.
Even a 22mag revolver or semi auto would be a better choice if it provides reliable hits on target.

Good point armored, especially now there is the SIG 238, Ruger LCR in 22 WMR and Speer does make Gold Dot ammo for it along with Hornady's FTX for 22WMR.

Thanks for the recommendation about Wadcutters, here is a review by Lucky Gunner:

https://www.luckygunner.com/lo...r-ammo-self-defense/