Recoil Comparison of S&W Steel Js v Ruger LCR .357

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bowzette

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To those of you who own or have owned or shot both I was wondering the noticeable difference in recoil between the Smith steel J frames and the LCR .357 but shooting .38 +P in each gun? The Smith is 6oz heavier which will help control recoil but the LCR has the polymer frame and Hogue Grip Tamer which should reduce felt recoil as well. For SD carry it doesn't matter to me but for banging away at the range it does. Thanks.
 
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Recoil is an individual specific thing. I think shooting magnum rounds out my LCR at 1200 fps is OK. Some of my friends think I am nuts.

You need to shoot them for yourself. Find a friend who has one or go to a range rental place.

Good luck. In my opinion you can't go wrong with either. Just a preference thing.
 
I have the 9mm LCR which is my carry gun and a steel model 36.

I like shooting the 36 more.

The Hogue Tamer grip does a good job taming the recoil, but the way the gun sits in MY hand, I always end up with a blood blister right on the strong hand thumb knuckle where it joins the hand. It's not a huge deal, and I'm sure it's the way I grip the gun mixed with the way my hand is made. I still can shoot 100-200 rounds through the LCR when I need to, but I usually limit it to 40 rounds when I take it out. I shoot 124gr 9mm HST +P

The boot grip on my 36 is more comfortable for how I shoot. But I don't carry the 36, just shoot it.

Main reason I prefer the LCR is my duty weapon is a 9mm and I get the HST ammo from the department for carry and qual. Beats buying my own .38/.357
 
I know where I can rent a model 60 but haven't located a LCR in .357. I had a LCR in .38 but it was too lite. The recoil was OK with standard velocity but difficult to hold steady due to the weight. I realize these are hardly target guns but I still like to shoot accurately-a relative term.:)
 
dubshooter said:
I have the 9mm LCR which is my carry gun and a steel model 36.

I like shooting the 36 more.

The Hogue Tamer grip does a good job taming the recoil, but the way the gun sits in MY hand, I always end up with a blood blister right on the strong hand thumb knuckle where it joins the hand. It's not a huge deal, and I'm sure it's the way I grip the gun mixed with the way my hand is made. I still can shoot 100-200 rounds through the LCR when I need to, but I usually limit it to 40 rounds when I take it out. I shoot 124gr 9mm HST +P

The boot grip on my 36 is more comfortable for how I shoot. But I don't carry the 36, just shoot it.

Main reason I prefer the LCR is my duty weapon is a 9mm and I get the HST ammo from the department for carry and qual. Beats buying my own .38/.357
Click to expand...

From what I read and seen on Youtube the 9mm is shooting between a .38+P and a .357 mag. I would think the 124+P 9mm you are shooting is closer to the .357-just a guess on my part but I understand shooting "free ammo":D I can buy range 9mm 5-6 cents a round cheaper than .38 but I don't think I want that much recoil for banging at the range. BTW I assume you don't have a problem with the long reset on the LCR causing short stroking? I've been dry firing my LCR in .22lr a lot to try to learn to not short stroke the trigger.
 
bowzette said:
BTW I assume you don't have a problem with the long reset on the LCR causing short stroking? I've been dry firing my LCR in .22lr a lot to try to learn to not short stroke the trigger.
Click to expand...

Every time I read a post like this I remember why I don't even try to ride the reset on the guns I own. They are all too varied to do anything but a full release. I'm not alone, several very successful competition shooters do the same.
 
LVSteve said:
Every time I read a post like this I remember why I don't even try to ride the reset on the guns I own. They are all too varied to do anything but a full release. I'm not alone, several very successful competition shooters do the same.
Click to expand...

I find the LCR trigger really tricky. There is a click and reset feel at almost the end of the trigger release but this is not the reset. You have to let it go a tiny bit further for the full release. So the release is "click,click" with the second click being the trigger fully released. I fully release my 65 without a problem but it doesn't have the "false reset" like the LCR. And then there's my Glock!

But I digress from my recoil question.
 
S&W Steel J has way less recoil than the Polymer Ruger LCR (w/ same loads). And that even includes the Ruger's better grips!
 
I haven't fired an LCR. I've shot a lot of Js in 9/39/357. None of them are going to recoil softly. They're just too small. Grips play a big role in taming recoil. The bigger the better. Bigger is not better in terms of concealment, however. Whatever you decide to get, I recommend a decent dry fire regiment to ensure that you know all the intimate details of sight alignment and the trigger. On my Js, us use Hogue Bantam grips. I prefer larger, but need concealment. My carry 640 38 is a BUG. The texture of the Bantams provide enough grip to control the gun with even stout +Ps.
 
bowzette said:
From what I read and seen on Youtube the 9mm is shooting between a .38+P and a .357 mag. I would think the 124+P 9mm you are shooting is closer to the .357-just a guess on my part but I understand shooting "free ammo":D I can buy range 9mm 5-6 cents a round cheaper than .38 but I don't think I want that much recoil for banging at the range. BTW I assume you don't have a problem with the long reset on the LCR causing short stroking? I've been dry firing my LCR in .22lr a lot to try to learn to not short stroke the trigger.
Click to expand...

Only time I get the short stroke is when I'm dry firing and try go to real quick. But, I can honestly say I don't fire that quick at the range due to getting back on target, so it hasn't been an issue. I would drop it for a S&W 940 though.
 
The LCR .357 is at least tolerable with full powered ammo, pretty amazing for its 17oz weight. My steel J frame hasn't really seen anything especially hot in .38sp, so cant really complain about recoil in the 49.
The LCR is well designed for such a power/weight ratio.

image.jpg
 
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Recoil Comparison of S&W Steel Js v Ruger LCR .357

Well....

My 13.5oz LCR 38 shoots noticeably softer than my 15oz 642. The LCR 357 weighs 17oz or nearly a quarter pound heavier than the LCR 38.
 
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I have an LCR in .357 and have owned several j's. I have found the LCR handles the recoil great. You get a nice high hold on it and the design is excellent. Shooting .38 loads is no problem and the .357 is very tolerable. Great little revolver
 
Looking forward to getting the LCR. Should have it in a few days. I think it will be a good compromise between weight and shootability.
 
There are different levels of power in .357 factory loads. Shooting my M&P 340s is tolerable with 110gr JHP loads or Blazer 158gr JHP mid-level rounds. However, W-W 145gr Silvertips caused these guns with factory grips to buck upwards, forcing me to reacquire my grip. As I pocket-carry them, a larger grip is not an option. You'll have to experiment with different loads to see which ones you can control. The steel-frame J-mags are also a handful but the additional weight can help.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103
 
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