442 Vs Ruger LCR 38 first impressions

[buckshotshorty]

I have been searching for a 442 No lock for quite some time and happily found one at a local farm equipment store close by, and it was actually on sale.

Comparing the ergonomics of the LCR with 442, they are nearly identical with the LCR weighing in 2 oz. lighter at only 13 ozs. Both are double action only.

The LCR has a pinned front sight which I replaced with a tritium night sight the 442 has its front sight integral with the barrel.

The LCR has 695 rounds fired while the 442 is brand new but using snap caps I dry fired 200 times and today at the range put 115 rounds down range. Trigger pull using a Lyman digital pull gauge 5 shot average for each was:
LCR 6lbs. 1 oz.
442 9 lbs. 7 oz.
Trigger pull as you can see above is the most notable difference. The 442 trigger is very easily staged because it stacks up and then breaks clean. I didn’t feel any grittiness which is great for a new gun. The LCR trigger was fantastic out of the box; no staging or stacking just a straight through pull with a clean break.

I didn’t think I was effected by heavy triggers, but my groups with the 442 were definitely not as good as those with the LCR. However, the 442 trigger was pretty easy to get used to and by the end of my session I was clustering my groups much tighter.

Bottom line I think the Ruger LCR has more to offer: lighter, ability to change the front sight, and a much better trigger. Comes with Hogue Tamer grips which really help dampen recoil. I really like the 442 but, I will use it as a back up to the LCR which is and will remain my main carry.

 

[Mrnurse]

So, a Weapon that will be used 50 feet or less with a trigger of 9 lbs is a issue.... Hummm...having been in a gun fight I can assure you that you are so pumped with adrenaline its a non issue. 9 lbs, 6 lbs its just not important its not a target pistol sir in that environment. Hitting center mass and Focus of your surrounding is Job 1.

 

[ContinentalOp]

When I was shopping around for a snub, I compared a 642 with a LCR. While the LCR's trigger was lighter, I didn't like the weak reset. For fast DA shooting, I like a solid trigger return. A weak trigger return increases the possibility of short-stroking the trigger, not something I want to have happen if I need to defend myself. So I went with the 642 and have been satisfied with my decision ever since.

However, the LCR is a good gun and works for some people. Just didn't work for me.

 

[Fishinfool]

OP - The same factors that allow you to shoot the Ruger more accurately at the range, and the Smith a little less so, would also be in play during a real confrontation, even though you might not notice it during a stress filled encounter. Both should work fine, but given the choice, all else being equal, I'd take the gun I shot better, with the better trigger.

Larry

 

[buckshotshorty]

So, a Weapon that will be used 50 feet or less with a trigger of 9 lbs is a issue.... Hummm...having been in a gun fight I can assure you that you are so pumped with adrenaline its a non issue. 9 lbs, 6 lbs its just not important its not a target pistol sir in that environment. Hitting center mass and Focus of your surrounding is Job 1.

I don’t doubt for one minute that what you are saying is true, but, if you reread my analysis nowhere did I say the 442 trigger was an issue. I simply stated the facts for each person to make up their own mind what they prefer. I have read any reviews of the 442 that talk about how much they love the Smith trigger.

 

[Mister X]

In a self-defense encounter, you’ll most likely need to put multiple rounds on target quickly. A common complaint about the LCR(even from many well known instructors who specialize in snubs) is that it’s easy to short-stroke it in rapid fire. I found this to be the case on every occasion I’ve tested LCR’s and decided it was a no-go.

 

[Radny97]

I’ve owned 2 LCRs and I presently have a 442 no lock. I agree that out of the box the LCR has a better trigger. I bought some Wolff springs for my 442 and switched them out and it was a great improvement. Probably close to the LCR, but not better even still. Haven’t had any light strikes with a variety of brands of ammo.
But the main reason i prefer the 442 is that it’s easier to conceal. Yes the two guns are the same length and height, but it’s all the other dimensions that are slightly smaller in the 442. Especially the distance between the shrouded hammer and the trigger guard and the width of the grips.
Additionally, once i got the triggers on par, i found the 442 to be more inherently accurate. I bench rest tested them, rather than rapid fire, and the 442 was more accurate. I think that the LCRs shrouded but not tensioned two piece barrel makes it less accurate. But that’s really not very important for what is really a belly gun.


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[photoman]

LCR advantage is the interchangeable front sight. LCR disadvantage is the weak trigger reset that can lead to follow up shot fail. Had it happen more than once. A training issue but I have so much time on J frames I decided to sell the LCR.

 

[malph]

LCR advantage is the interchangeable front sight. LCR disadvantage is the weak trigger reset that can lead to follow up shot fail. Had it happen more than once. A training issue but I have so much time on J frames I decided to sell the LCR.

That's exactly my story. I was initially enamored with the LCR due to the interchangeable front sight and trigger. But, I found myself short stroking the thing too often to be comfortable with it.

Perhaps it was due too all that time behind a J frame but I just couldn't get comfortable with the LCR while shooting at speed.

 

[haywood]

I had a LCR when they first became available. I changed front sights and carried and shot it for Three years. As others have said it was accurate and easy to shoot but, I kept double stroking the trigger. I know I will probably will never be in a gunfight but, after a while it just bothered me. I would practice and do fine and think, OK got it. Next time out I would get to practicing double taps and it would happen again. I guess the LCR is just another good gun that’s not for me. I sold it and went back to my 442s.

 

[uncleted327]

You can buy Js with pinned front sights, but the short stroking on the LCR isn't optional. I will always pick S&W over Ruger, not saying Rugers are bad at all, however.

 

[Rammer Jammer]

I prefer S&W's for anything K frame size or above.

But the LCR is hands down better than any J frame. Lighter weight and a much better trigger. Sure the LCRs are ugly but who cares, it is meant to ride in a pocket anyways.

 

[Lobster Picnic]

I had similar problems with the trigger reset on the LCR-22.

 

[Farmer17]

I guess by Ruger making the gun out of plastic they save some money which can be put into tuning the trigger to a lighter pull. A Bullseye or Wolf spring kit for a J-frame is about $17 bucks and takes a couple minutes to install which helps it a whole bunch so the J-frame triggers are fine for me. Most of the tie I don't even change the springs because if you shoot a J-frame a lot your trigger finger gets more muscular and the weight of pull is a non-issue.

 

[ruddy]

My wife loves her LCR, and I was so impressed with the lightweight concealed hammer pocket revolver concept that I bought a no-lock 442. Wolf springs narrowed the trigger pull gap. Now we're both happy. To each his or own.

 

[crazyphil]

I don't have the 442, but I do have the 642-1 which, I believe, is the same
gun. Just a different color? When I was teaching, and when asked, I
usually suggested 642 or 442. I noticed that quite a few women would
complain about the stiff trigger pull and the recoil. The LCR does have an
easier trigger pull, and the stocks do tame the recoil somewhat. So, when
my great-granddaughter needed a gun, I gave her my LCR. No complaints.

 

[malph]

I guess by Ruger making the gun out of plastic they save some money which can be put into tuning the trigger to a lighter pull. A Bullseye or Wolf spring kit for a J-frame is about $17 bucks and takes a couple minutes to install which helps it a whole bunch so the J-frame triggers are fine for me. Most of the tie I don't even change the springs because if you shoot a J-frame a lot your trigger finger gets more muscular and the weight of pull is a non-issue.

It's the design of the Ruger LCR trigger. I don't think it's due to any hand fitting or polishing. It's a different mechanism.

 

[geeollie]

For pocket carry the Badger grips made a world of difference on the LCR.
The LCR factory grip is difficult to use for this mode of carry.
The Badger allows a higher grip as the cut where it meets the trigger guard is about a high as one could make it. Makes it a very versatile revolver.

 

[ruddy]

The "We the People" 442 I just bought has recoil absorbing stocks (grips) very similar to those on my wife's LCR.

 

[wrangler5]

I have a bunch of J frames that I've been shooting for a long time, and several of them have been my daily carry for at least the last 5 years. (Currently it's a 632 carrying 32H&R 100g Buffalo Bores.) My eyes are of an age where a CT laser grip is a big help.

I recently bought an LCR in 327 Federal (to see if it could be an even more powerful daily carry 6-shooter) and put a CT laser on it. The trigger is indeed very nice out of the box, but I did notice the short stroke issue, even in the little bit of shooting I did with the gun. Turns out the top end 327 Federal loads (Speer and American Eagle) are too much for my hand - they're at low end 357 Magnum energy levels. And the other 327 Fed loads are no more potent than the 32 H&R Buffalo Bores in my J frame. (The LCR in 327 Fed is an all steel gun, so it absorbs recoil a bit more than my J frame, but not enough to tame the full house 327 loads. For me.)

But what completely killed my interest in the LCR is that the CT laser grip is slightly different from the ones for J frames. Such that the hump that houses the laser smacks the first knuckle of my trigger finger on every shot. Even light 32 H&R loads were painful to shoot, making practice impossible with the laser grip on.

One other difference I noticed, although I didn't shoot the LCR enough to fully evaluate it, is that the LCR sits a LOT higher in the hand than a J frame. My 632 with the boot-grip size CT laser sits with the center of the cylinder about at the level of the web of my hand. So about half the cylinder is above my hand. But the LCR, with its stock squishy grip, sits with almost the entire cylinder above my hand. That puts the barrel a lot higher than with a J frame, and I THINK that made for more muzzle flip. Although as I say, I didn't shoot it enough to be sure of this conclusion.