Thoughts and Opinions for the Ruger LCR 357

[Hockey_Guns]

I want to pick up the Ruger LCR 357 as an eventual conceal carry weapon. Does anyone have any experience with this new model of LCR. I'm looking for your general opinion about the gun and if you would recommend it for purchase as a conceal carry weapon. If you have experience with both caliber models of the revolver a comparison would be awesome. Thanks.

 

[BE Mike]

I saw one in person a couple of weeks ago at a gun show. My father was looking for a small carry revolver. We looked at the Ruger LCR. Man that is one ugly gun! I just couldn't get myself to get past that. I'm not a big fan of Ruger revolvers anyway. The trigger action and design are not easy for me to actuate. The clearance between the trigger guard and the trigger on the LCR is pretty tight, as well. I once shot a Security Six loose. There was significant movement on the Security Six when I grabbed the barrel and grip and wiggled the gun. All that being said, if you can get past the ugly (beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all) and the LCR fits your hand and you like the action, it would probably make a good CCW or BUG.

My father ended up buying a S&W 642. The S&W did have a very heavy trigger pull. My father is 86 and he doesn't have the strength in his hands and fingers he once had. He couldn't pull the trigger through five times in a row. I think that the trigger weight is much greater on the newer ones than those produced in the recent past. I put a Wolff spring kit in the S&W 642 and my dad is a happy camper.

 

[Jon Craig]

I have shot the LCR in .38spl and the felt recoil is... nasty. There's no frame/structure to the gun to absorb or tame it.

 

[Joe Williams]

I have no use for the .357 in a gun that small. The power gained over a .38 +P is minimal, muzzle flash and blast is significant, and recoil is violent. For a .357, I want at least 3" of barrel, and 25 ounces... at least.

 

[Hockey_Guns]

Furthermore I'm trying to choose CCW and would also appreciate suggestions. I looked at some of the North American Arms weapons and they seem decent however I have no experience with any of their products, anyone care to comment on them.

 

[Hockey_Guns]

I have shot the LCR in .38spl and the felt recoil is... nasty. There's no frame/structure to the gun to absorb or tame it.

Did you like the .38 special? Or recoil just to nasty for it to be a CCW.

 

[Joe Williams]

Did you like the .38 special? Or recoil just to nasty for it to be a CCW.

The recoil from an ultra lightweight .38 +P is something you must learn to handle. It's not pleasant, IMHO, but it can be managed. IMHO, an 18-20 ounce .38 is just not that much harder to carry, and is noticeably more pleasant to shoot, though still snappy, and I even have fun shooting them with wadcutters and standard pressure ammo. A 23 ounce steel .38 is quite decent to shoot, and lots of fun with non +P ammo, while still being no great chore to carry. Any two inch snubby is difficult to shoot well, and demands more practice than a 3-4" revolver, or compact/full size semi-auto. An ultra-lightweight .38 that you refuse to practice with isn't all that much use, IMHO.

I am a very experienced shooter, but I will freely admit to being recoil sensitive. I simply don't enjoy shooting overly snappy or violent guns, and don't ever see myself owning a .38 that weighs less than 18 ounces.

 

[RetDep310]

I have the regular LCR, and love it!!! It is a little snappy with +P loads, but the Hogue Tamer grips help with the recoil. Haven't seen one to the .357's yet, but having shot a S&W MP340 with full magnum loads, I would have to say no thanks. I am a big guy, but that much recoil in a small gun doesn't do it for me.

 

[Gabrielvox1]

I don't see it replacing my Taurus. I shot one a little while back and yeah, those cylinder cut outs are really...strange looking, to say the least. I didn't have a problem with the triggerguard but I don't have very thick fingers either. A nice gun if your into it though. The .38's didnt seem any worse for recoil than in any other lightweight revolver I've shot. .357's though, I don't know, you're going to feel it for sure.

 

[Jon Craig]

Did you like the .38 special? Or recoil just to nasty for it to be a CCW.

The LCR in .38 SPL has too much felt recoil, for me, to enjoy shooting it. And if I don't enjoy shooting it, I'm not going to shoot it, which means I'm not going to be proficient with it, which means I have no use for it.

YMMV.

 

[darngolf]

I have not seen or handled the LCR .357 in person yet but do have the LCR in .38 and an sp101 in .357. I think the LCR .357 will probably be in my future as I have been very happy with the LCR.38. I think the LCR .38 does a much better job taming recoil then the equivalent j frame S & W revolvers and the trigger pull is much better. I think the LCR .357 would be one that most of the time I would carry with .38 + p's but could carry .357 if needed. I think the few ounces of extra weight would make for a mild shooting .38 but still be lighter than the sp101. I could see carrying it in a jacket pocket and the LCR .38 in the pants pocket.

 

[scottka]

The .38 LCR's recoil really is really pretty gentle,IMO, for a pocket revolver. I personally like it better than the J-frame Smiths. The recoil hits me much "better" than the Smiths do, and I also like the trigger better than the Smiths I've fired (admittedly only 2 or 3). I definitely wouldn't hesitate to give it a try. Yeah, its not the recoil of a full-size 9mm, but for its category (J-frameish) the recoil is not any worse than your other options assuming Hogue Tamers on the LCR because I haven't shot one with the CTC.

ETA: If you are recoil sensitive, the LCR .357 loaded with .38+P's may be the ticket for ya. The .357 has a little more weight to it because the upper/forward (whatever you wanna call it) frame is steel IIRC. Also, IMO, the reason the LCR shoots like a heavier gun is because of the low bore axis with the Hogue's and the polymer is able to absorb some of the "sting" of it.

 

[Jon Craig]

The .38 LCR's recoil really is really pretty gentle,IMO, for a pocket revolver.

The key there is "... for a pocket revolver ..."

Seriously, though, I don't get the deal with pocket guns.

 

[woodsie57]

I had the educational experience of a cylinder full of .357's in a SW scandium snubbie. Get yourself a plain,wooden baseball bat and a telephone pole. Using a nice tight grip, smack said telephone pole w/ the baseball bat, hard. Pretty close approximation.

 

[Hockey_Guns]

Right on, I really hadn't considered that I could carry .38+p, if I wanted too, in the .357 bore. Also your statements about the Hogue's, are right in line with everything else I've read so far, "they're nice". I actually have never fired a revolver or a small frame handgun pistol for that matter, I need to get out and rent some for comparison. I'm really not worried about the recoil so much as I agree with the idea that I should practice with my carry weapon, and should enjoy, but some soreness isn't going to turn me off. I would be more worried about over penetration with the .357 mag. The SP101 is sweet and also in consideration.

 

[Hockey_Guns]

Anyone know of any ranges that rent both the LCR and the SP101? I'll look around and post if I find any the have LCR .357.

 

[Jon Craig]

The WIDELY VARYING(!!!) answers you've received illustrate the one true thing about all "is <x> gun good?" questions... The only way to know for sure is to shoot said gun for yourself!

 

[GlenD65]

Seriously, though, I don't get the deal with pocket guns.

I'm kinda new to publicly carrying a firearm. I lived in NJ most of my life and they ain't too keen on regular folk carrying guns. Out of curiosity, do you OC, CC, both or not carry in public? What do you prefer to carry and how do you carry them? Inquiring minds want to know...OK, well maybe my mind just wants to know.

 

[Jon Craig]

I'm kinda new to publicly carrying a firearm. I lived in NJ most of my life and they ain't too keen on regular folk carrying guns. Out of curiosity, do you OC, CC, both or not carry in public? What do you prefer to carry and how do you carry them? Inquiring minds want to know...OK, well maybe my mind just wants to know.

I'll let you know in about 10-14 weeks.

 

[GlenD65]

I'll let you know in about 10-14 weeks.

Are you still waiting for your LTCH or did I offend you? If I did, I did not mean to.