How are the Ruger LCR revolvers? Some are claiming the trigger is better than our J-frames. I find this difficult to believe from a Ruger product. But they appear to be lightweight and popular guns.

Are these reliable? Durable? How are they in general?

I have had almost every version except .22 (but I have had the .22 magnum).
The triggers are excellent, and I think are better than an out of the box j frame. Barrels are straight on every one since they are part of the frame. They are light weight, reliable, and you can pick from multiple calibers and barrel lengths. The sights can be changed out and are better that the fixed j frame blade. Once you get the longish but very smooth trigger down hitting with them is easy. I think the grips, while not as conducive to concealment as the j frame options, are very comfortable for shooting. The biggest downside for those that care (and I kind of do) is they are pretty ugly compared to most j frame models.
I grew up a Smith guy but at present, if I wanted a durable, reliable, light weight pocket\ small revolver for carry, there are some better choices than a Smith out there. The LCR is one of them if you can embrace the looks.
Just my opinion .

The points made by cometpx4 pretty much sums it up in regards to the LCR. Overall, they are a good gun. I have owned the .38 version and would not hesitate to purchase another one.

Agreed. px4 covered all of the salient points save for one:
You also get a longer ejector stroke to get those empties out.
That said, the LCR trigger pulls in .22 are quite heavy compared with J-frames, IDK why.

I have shot a couple ruger LCR;s from a 3" 22mag to a 38 and 357mag version . For the money today I would not buy a ruger lcr and the trigger pulls I did not find to be any good specially for there new retail cost .

After getting to try a new Taurus 856 2" I would buy that over ether the ruger or s&w today and note its a 6 shot 38sp+P rated . None of todays da sa snubby's have a good trigger pull so saying that today I would buiy a taurus 856 if a 38sp +P was wanted and the 3" version I shot comes with hogue rugger grip and weights just over 17oz for the 3" model . That with todays newer federal 130gr micro hst is the load to use but the grips make this a soft shooter . Check out the retail price 3" is $ 449 , 2" is $379 .

My wife bought a s&w 360J 357mag solid cylinder snubby a while back and it was a real bargain price new 4 years old at our gun store as part of a s&w edc kit . It really did need a apex trigger kit to make it a useable reliable shootable for my wife ,, or me . Add hogue mono grip for far better control too .

I have an '90 taurus 85 SS thats so nice I would not sell or trade for a new ruger or s&w today .

I have owned and shot an LCR for many years now. However I don't carry or shoot the LCR often and I have found that you have to stay in practice using the LCR trigger. While the LCR's that I have handled have had nice smooth trigger pulls, they do have one major drawback. LCR triggers have a rather sluggish return/reset and it is quite common to outrun the trigger and get short stoking issues which results in a locked up trigger until you remember to completely release the trigger and slow down.

The LCR I rented had a trigger w/a false reset w/every shot. It is something that range time/training can overcome but I’ve been shooting J Frames for over 50 years so I passed on it.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

I can outrun my j-frame triggers but it’s worse on my LCR. The false reset is a training issue I just haven’t put the time in to overcome. It’s really the “wardens” gun.

When the LCRs were new on the market, our boy called from the LGS and asked if he should buy the 38 or 357.
The LGS was owned by a retired Cop friend who was also the Chief Instructor at one of the Judo clubs that was associated with our club.
He came home with the 357 version and was not smiling.
The 38s were ok, the 38+P were brutal and the 357s...
Never Again.
I gave him $400 for it as it was $425 out the door with a holster.

Loaded up 50 38s and 38+P and 50 hot 375s.
Ran the 100 on a Friday night and on Saturday morning my hand still had a bit of sting.

Liked it but a buddy needed one and a minty '71 DS was available for $600. The LGS manager said it's for sale now but he'll keep it if I don't buy it that day. Had just used up my gun budget for two new S&Walther PPKs pistols, so I sold the LCR to that buddy for $400.
He was happy as the prices had gone up and the LCR looked minty. Great for pocket carry on boats, as he was a young Marine Electronics tech.

My boy is bigger and stronger now and said to never sell the old Sec6 snub or the two PPKs pistols.

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Have Fun/Stay Safe

It will come down to personal preference but I prefer the LCR trigger.

Thank you. I did not know they had a false reset. Sounds like a bad design, I will avoid this.

My fiancé has an LCR with laser and the laser broke. The gun is OK with a decent trigger and sights but I don’t care for it much. I would much rather spend a little more money and get a new no lock Smith 642 or better yet, any older no lock J frame. A $18 wolf or Bullseye spring kit makes the trigger fine.

With that, I would concur. I have zero issue with Plus P, but maggies are a NO-BUENO. Same applies to J-frames, for that matter.

ought one in 22 about 10 or so years ago and it froze up with rapid double action dry firing. Sent it back and Ruger changed out about everything in it. Never trusted it again even though it worked. Sold it. In my opinion, if you want a lightweight .38 snub, I'd fo with an alloy J frame with a proven lockwork. If you want a 357 J frame, I'd go with all steel or an SP101 or Kimber. I just don't trust the new fangled "plastic" revolvers, either S&W or Ruger after my experience...

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Forum consigliere

False resets are a training issue with revolvers and semis. Don't want to get caught out by a false reset? Let the trigger go out all the way on its own.

(Now expecting a hostile visit from the reset Mafia and the split time freaks)

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Release the Kraken

I agree with the above and as a result it is a prime example of either training to release trigger to the point your finger just ever so lightly so it comes off the trigger with whatever you happen to be shooting or you should stick to a particular brand or action for serious use.

I think the Jframe triggers are easier to stage than the LCR triggers. Yes, the LCR trigger is lighter and shorter on a pull through trigger pull but they are tough to stage IMO.....I prefer a Ruger Revolver in most every way to all other brands EXCEPT for the LCR....If Im gonna carry a 5 shot I say J frame for me.... Just my .02

I had one in .327 Fed Mag. It was pleasant with .32 H&R, but downright painful (like full house 158 gr. magnums out of a model 340 painful) with hot loaded .327. The trigger was very smooth with no staging. I think the few .327’s I put through it were it’s downfall because it just locked up on me one day while shooting .32 H&R’s. I got a return label from Ruger and in about a week I had what seemed like a brand new revolver with the same serial number. Never shot it again and eventually traded or sold it, can’t remember. That was about 6 or 7 years ago.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

I have an LCR 327 and have had no trouble with that little spitting dragon.

Shot quite a few 100gr American Eagle 327 rounds thru it.

I love my LCR,the only thing compared to my 36 and 442 it has a weird rattle.

When I think back to the days I carried a snubby as a at work only handguns I never liked the fact of 5 rounds and a slow reload and then the ammo selection you had available . Ammos choices are better today but the down side of the 11 to 15 oz lite weight and recoil is still the same as a pocket carry option . There not the thinest of design out there ether and for best pocket carry the grip do tend to be small . I ended up with a kahr CW9 for at work as a carpenter until I was bumped up to forman and a kahr tp40 was in a iwb . I daughter has my old cw9 and its been reliable for some where around 20 years now . Mag changes are quick and the CW9 being no taller than a LCR is shorter with full grip for most hands makeing +p or even +P+ rounds easier and faster to fire then 38sp +P .

Now today there's a few 10 or 12 shot 9mm pistol to fill a small handgun needs. like a p365 or hellcat and maybe a few more .

If you still want a snubby check out Taurus's current run of snubby's Not past history . If any of you are near the north side of asheville I have one Taurus 85SS that will spoil you for todays production snubby's
My old pocket carry below for comparison
Ruger LCR vs Kahr CW9 size comparison | Handgun Hero

My son carries an LCR .357 with 180 hardcast for bear protection in a hardcore blue collar hammer swinging, shovel digging remote environment. I carry a S&W 638 J frame in a fairly laidback small town environment. He envies my handsome, well used gun, and the amazing action I've coaxed it to. I envy the rugged utilitarian looks and ability to throw .357 mag power his does.

Factory gun to factory gun, his bone stock LCR has a way better action than my S&W. With some springs and polishing at the kitchen table gun goober level, my J frame is mich better. I'm not sure a Ruger could reach that level. Not to say it'll make or break anything, but on a pure geek out level, it is better.

The Ruger does have a better factory grip, while a J frame has infinite options.

Back when I was younger and even dumber, I loaded some awful .357 loads. They were stupid hot. Think a maximum .357 mag charge dumped into a .38 Special case with a bullet not at all intended for that velocity.

My buddies LCR chewed through several cylinders of that stuff flawlessly. For the reloading police, those rounds are long disposed of...like...more than a decade ago.

The LCRs seem much more solid on timing than most any J frame I've ever seen. They shoot prettybon par with a J frame, bearing in mind the biggest issue with either is likely the nut behind the trigger.

When shooting practice loads thru either, I can get right on the verge of locking either of them up. When running defensive loads, it just ain't gunna happen, cause I ain't that good.

I honestly think the LCR is a better overall gun than the J frame, but I also think my S&W is good enough and it's smoother and prettier too.

The LCR is a great work-a-day tool. Kinda like the Craftsman tool to the mechanic with a box of Snap-Ons...

Not a glamour pic of the LCR. Yes, it operates flawlessly with that massive pack of dust bunnies living in it. Yes, I told my son to clean that darn thing...

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I've had a .38 Special LCR for about five years now, it is my "Go To" carry in warm weather. I carry it on my belt in a Bianchi "Venom" holster where it can be concealed with an untucked T-shirt. Sometimes carry in the pocket with an El Paso Saddlery suede pocket holster. I like the LCR and have never had problems with trigger reset. It is very accurate, I shoot it much better than any Smith & Wesson J frame I've owned.

Here is a pic of five shots fired from a standing, two hand hold at ten yards, target is a steel rabbit:

I've had a LCR-38 for a long time and an LCR-22 for not quite so long - sniped Gun Broker auctions during football games to get them at fantastic prices.

They're tools with exactly as much soul as a Third Generation Glock 17. They're skinnier than a J-frame, which is something, I suppose. They certainly have smooth actions, but any light rimfire revolver is going to feel like it has a remarkably heavy double-action pull due to the amount of force needed to whack those primers. The LCRs are functional (if you're willing to run them the way they need to be run) and they're super lightweight. The weird Ruger DA clockwork together with this light weight makes it essential that the trigger be fully released between shots, and if you are used to shooting civilized revolvers this can lead to jammed actions. This necessitates mastery what I've heard referred to as "the Ruger Bounce" - which I've actually done now that I carry and regularly shoot the little S&W CSX which suffers from a similar trigger issue. I have the factory "boot grips" for both of them, but I switch between them and the original stocks depending on the kind of shooting I'm doing with them (and I've modified these stocks for better fit to my paws).

I often will take these on trips by air because they're fungible (if stolen from baggage - let's hope it never happens) and I trust they'll work. I don't really use them much around home, though.

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How God has blessed us!

My wife has a Ruger LCR in .22 Magnum, and she shoots it well. She doesn't have a lot of hand strength, but the trigger pull is not a problem for her. Her only issue is that the front sight is hard to see.

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I bought one in .38 spl. recently, as I really liked the trigger over the S&W J frame triggers. And I easily replaced the front sight with a hi-viz insert.

One of the best things is they are available in 9mm. 9mm out of a snub (depending on ammo) is usually only 75 fps slower than a .357 mag and without the blast. But 300+ fps faster than .38. And compare in velocity to any of the sub combat 9mm's on the market (Sig 365.Glock 43, etc.).

Like all guns, it's really a "buy and try". You may love it or hate it. Everyone is different. If you shoot a J frame well and are really use to the trigger, the LCR may be a training issue to overcome.

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Watch & Pray

The guy I bought it from gave me a box of the 100gr. AE, and they weren’t too bad…about like some 115 gr. lead flat points I loaded over 11.0 grains of H-110 in .32 H&R cases. Then I loaded the same bullets in the .327 cases over 12.5 grains H-110 and some over 6.6 grains of Power Pistol. Now those were some screaming rounds!

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

A couple of posts cite a slow reload w/a revolver and while that may be true when compared to a semi-auto, speedloaders & practice can overcome this. I had to reload my issued Colt Detective Special in a 1974 gunfight w/armed robbery suspects & the speedloader got me back in the fight very quickly.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

I have trouble accepting the polymer and metal combination which doesn’t make sense because I like and own polymer and metal combo semi-auto pistols.


Anyway around 2013 I wanted a 22 Magnum to give to my wife for self-defense as she has problems handling recoil. I looked at the LCR but felt (still feel) Ruger missed the boat by making it with only six round cylinder. It has plenty of steel for eight rounds. (In fact I did buy a eight round Taurus 22 Mag).

I don’t have any real interest in it but might consider one in 327 to be able to shoot 32 Magnum if the price was right. I have no interest at all in any small frame revolvers in .38 Special due to the poor performance of the 38 Special from the 2” barrel.

I think the J-frame Smith and Wesson in .38 Special is the best overall personal protection firearm ever made. I love them, and I own many.

But I carry LCRs in 38 and .22LR. The comparison to Glocks is apt. They’re ugly and soulless…but they just work.

My wife has a .38 with CT grips and a FO front sight.
It's her hiking gun.
I have one in .22 that I take with me when I take my dog out at night to do her business. We've had javelina encounters, and they hate dogs, and my dog's been chased. One came straight at us one night and I killed it with a well placed Mini Mag. Handy little revolvers and good capacity in the .22.

I've got a Hi Viz green FO sight coming for my wife's LCR .22 Magnum, along with a 1/16" roll pin punch and roll pin starter (a couple of tools that I actually don't have!). Should be a quick changeout.

I have a .22 LR with XS big dot sight that buddy bought for his wife. He had gunsmith lighten trigger pull for her which made it unreliable so he sold to me cheap. I put new factory main spring in it and it runs fine. Like the 8 shot cylinder. Trigger pull is fine for me.

Reliable? Durable? yeah



Has over 8k on it in 12 years.. One breakage. The plastic dust cover on the trigger pin. Seen in Photo Here:


[IMG]https://www****gerforum.net/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,onerror=redirect,width=1920,height=1920,fit=scale-down/http://rugerforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=23832&stc=1&d=1459200906[/IMG]





Ruger sent me a new pin and cover free.


I stopped counting at 8K mostly magnum and some 38+P





The trigger out of the box is great however, it has a two stage false reset and it is prone to short stroking under pressure.


Especially if you cut your teeth on smith revolvers which has an absolute solid reset.


I hate the LCR trigger and I have about 8K on my LCR and many more on my smiths


I have posted this before:


This is my choice. Of course I have a Nelson Ford trigger job on it.