Ruger LCR

[Skpotamus]

Hello all. I've been a big fan of glocks for many years, and carry one pretty much all the time. However, there are times when I simply go with a small 38spl in the pocket, usually when in a hurry or when clothing makes it difficult to conceal my glock.

For years I've owned a carried a Taurus 85 Titanium, ported 38spl. Great gun. When I do my dry firing regularly, I can hit the local 40 yard steel target regularly. The gun was very light and easy to carry. I did have some things I didn't like about the taurus though. I wanted a shrouded or concealed hammer, and I didn't like the porting much. Firing from a close retention position resulted in me getting a face full of hot gas and some powder residue.

I had some cash and decided it was time to upgrade to a hammerless, non ported 38. I was thinking of either getting another Taurus, or a S&W. During my research though, I read up on the LCR. Liking my Ruger GP100, i kept my eyes open for one. Well, I finally got to feel and dry fire one a couple of weeks ago. The gun is light! The hogue grips feel great in the hand and the trigger is absolutely the best I have ever felt on a factory gun. The trigger doesn't stack during travel, making a constant pull which is easy to keep steady. The lack of a hammer makes it easy to draw from a pocket holster without snagging on anything.

I picked mine up for $419 sticker price at my local gun shop, trading in my taurus for it. Off to the range with 300 rounds of 38spl to put it through it's paces. The recoil is about the same as my ported Taurus, which is lighter than a normal J frame. Accuracy is much better than I can shoot, but I kept my first five shots on the 40 yard 18" steel target. Rapid fire, I can keep all 5 shots in the head of a B27 silhouette target at 10 yards. The smooth trigger pull makes it easy to shoot.

I'm very happy with my new gun and highly recommend the Ruger LCR for anyone looking for a light revolver to carry.

 

[KenpoTex]

Thanks for your feedback. I've heard both good and bad about these (though more good than bad from people whose opinions I value). I haven't had a chance to handle one yet but I do like the concept.

 

[Skpotamus]

The weight was a big turn on, being made in America also helped.

What really sold me was the trigger though. I've honestly never felt a factory trigger as good as the LCR (on a revolver), in fact, I've felt some guns that had been slicked up for competition not feel as good as the LCR. Pick one up in a gun shop and dry fire it a few times.... you'll probably walk out a few hundred $$$ lighter


I think a lot of people will hate it for two reasons:
1) it's not a smith and wesson - a company that really had a stranglehold on the small revolver market for years with their j frames
2) it's freakin plastic!!!!! I know some guys that won't even own an alloy gun because they feel that if it's not steel, it's just a toy......

 

[Deaf Smith]

Well Skpotamus,

I've got Glocks, and they have alot of polymer (not plastic, but nylon based polymer).

Stil, a polymer revolver sounds kind of weird to me.

I'm sure you wheelgun will make a fine carry gun. I use a 642 very often in the summer due to the Texas heat and me wearing shorts.

Now of Ruger would only make that little gun in stainless steel. It gets so hot here you will sweat on the gun an awful lot.

Deaf

 

[Grenadier]

I'm pleasantly surprised at the LCR as well. This is their first true pocket revolver that can compete with the S&W Airweights, since the only other compact revolver is their all-steel SP101, which is NOT a lightweight. The trigger isn't what I had expected from your typical Ruger, that it was quite a bit less gritty than most factory Ruger triggers.

Of course, it's still an aluminum framed revolver, and that the cylinder is still steel. The only polymer parts are the fire control housing. Still, they did it right, by keeping the weight under 14 ounces, and I may end up buying one for myself, after having a chance to test one.

Kudos to Ruger for ditching Bill Ruger's (Bill Sr.) antiquated way of thinking. I never forgave the elder Ruger for selling his soul in order to screw over his competition. I can remember his smug look, when he proclaimed that he would never sell 20 round Mini14 magazines to civilians, asserting that "no honest man needs more than 10 rounds," in addition to his claims that lightweight compact revolvers weren't for law abiding folks.

His son, Bill Ruger Jr., has listened to the customers, and really worked hard to give them what they want. Ruger firearms now sells the LCR, the LCP (subcompact polymer semiauto), readily has 20 round Mini14 magazines for civilians, and even has a really good AR-type rifle available. They've been winning back the customers that they essentially gave the cold shoulder to, back in the 90's, and it warms my heart to see this.

 

[Deaf Smith]

The son is way ahead of his father. I just saw today Ruger made 30 round mags, in Ruger 'bubble wrap' plastic, for sale. Not for some LEO but for all us folk here in Texas.

Now if only the Mini-14 'GB' tactical was made in 6.8mm! I like it's 16 inch barrle and flash hider, but well I have enough 5.56mm rifles. Hope he reads this (which I doubt.)

And the LCR.... why can't they make it with a stainless slide? It gets HOT here in Texas and we do sweat! The LCR is a real good belly gun/hideout and well, again we do sweat down here!!!

Deaf

 

[Frostbite]

And the LCR.... why can't they make it with a stainless slide? It gets HOT here in Texas and we do sweat! The LCR is a real good belly gun/hideout and well, again we do sweat down here!!!

Deaf

You're thinking of the LCP.

 

[Grenadier]

And the LCR.... why can't they make it with a stainless slide? It gets HOT here in Texas and we do sweat! The LCR is a real good belly gun/hideout and well, again we do sweat down here!!!

Have you ever thought about getting a hard chrome finish on it? Hard chrome is pretty much impervious to even the worst of the sweat samples.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Have you ever thought about getting a hard chrome finish on it? Hard chrome is pretty much impervious to even the worst of the sweat samples.

True, but if it's made in stainless, it's that way all the way down.

If not stainless, Tennifer (i.e. a Glock finish!)

And add a polygon rifled barrel!

You're thinking of the LCP.

Ops... that I am.. but then, why not a stainless LCR to!

Deaf

 

[Skpotamus]

Ops... that I am.. but then, why not a stainless LCR to!

Deaf

The metal portions are the cylinder (stainless already) and the barrel/upper portion of revolver (aluminum), so it's not gonna rust on you, making it stainless would add to the weight quite a bit.

 

[Grenadier]

The metal portions are the cylinder (stainless already) and the barrel/upper portion of revolver (aluminum), so it's not gonna rust on you, making it stainless would add to the weight quite a bit.

Yup. Probably increase the weight from 14 ounces, to about 25 (the same as a S&W 60 or 640). Heck, that's approaching Ruger SP101 territory (27 ounces).

Even stainless steel can rust. I know it sounds odd, but under continued exposure to saline conditions, even the most corrosion-resistant stainless steel alloys will corrode. If I recall correctly, Sig-Sauer had a specific lot of stainless P-series pistols whose slides were rusting, despite having the stainless K-Kote.

Also, in my research building, our autoclave is used to sterilize various liquids and solids. Once in a while, some inexperienced person will try to sterilize saline solutions in the autoclave, but will overfill the bottle, resulting in the solution boiling out of the bottle. Sometimes these people forget to put containers around the bottles, and end up spilling saline solution all over the stainles steel interior of the autoclave.

One of these new folks came up to me and started yelling "I thought you said the autoclave interior was stainess steel?!? Yet I see rust here!"

It took me about 20 minutes to break through his rather thick skull (not physically) that even stainless steel can rust, with enough abuse.