S&W 442 Vs Ruger LCR

[ranger7]

I carry a one of the 2 Colt Cobras I own in holster or a 442 or a 60 in my pocket. The LCR would be at best a lateral move. Can you readily get different style grips for the LCR? I thought the grip frame design was similar to the SP101.

Because of the newness of the LCR there aren't many grips available. The factory Hogue Tamer and the Crimson Trace are the only ones I know of right now. (The grip frame design is similar to the SP101 but since I don't own an SP101, I have no way to try them.)

Holsters are also somewhat "iffy". The LCR won't fit in tightly molded J frame holsters as the trigger guard is bigger. I asked Don Hume about availability and all they said was none available right now. Some of the smaller holster makers have begun to make some models available. (I modified a Don Hume IWB and a Galco IWB to work for me, so I'm satisfied.)

 

[Burley]

The LCR at the shop where I saw it was 25 bucks more than a 642 and they came down another 20. SOLD on the 642 baby! To me, the 642 is the real deal and the LCR is a wanna be.

 

[45Raven]

You can get very good holsters for the LCR from both "Simply Rugged" and "Blade Tech". Also, DeSantis makes an inside the pocket holster holster called the "Nemesis" model that fits the LCR. I have one of each for my LCR. The Blade Tech "Sting Ray" is my favorite (I have six of these holsters for six different models of pistols and frevolvers), but the Simply Rugged holster really does a great job of concealing the LCR. The DeSantis holster allows you to never go unarmed, as it makes it really easy to grab that holster and the LCR, along with a Bianchi speed strip of spare ammo, and you can drop everything into jeans, shorts, or slacks pockets quite easily.

Also, I agree completely with your assessment of the LCR trigger. Far superior to any J frame S&W (out of the box) that I have ever shot. (Although a good gunsmith can make the S&W trigger very, very nice).

 

[LH2]

Wouldn't expect to find a bunch of guys jumping for joy over the Ruger here on the S&W forum.

I carry a 340 M&P and like J-frames in general, but I believe the Ruger is going to take a bite out of J-frame sales.

I've seen these for $399, which is less than I see new X42's going for, and the LCR is lighter. It's close to a Sc Air Lite weight-wise.

Everybody who has tried one and posted a review on various forums (except one guy in this thread) says the LCR trigger is MUCH better than the new J-frame trigger out of the box. Also, word is that side-by-side with the same ammo, the LCR shoots softer than a X42 Airweight S&W.

I'm not ready to give up my 340. Afterall, I like the night sight and .357 capability. But I'm looking forward to trying a LCR.

 

[Match10]

I am kind of an all-metal kind of guy. I have one polymer handgun, the LCP. It is a true pocket pistol. I prefer the metal to the plastic. S&W 642 is my preffered carry,a nd that of my wife.

 

[n4zov]

I have only handeled the Ruger at a shop and never shot one yet. But I dont think I am ready for a polymer frame wheelgun just yet.

I am going to predict that the LCR isn't the last polymer framed revolver we see! If you look at S&W's auto line, polymer frames are quickly replacing metal framed guns, and it just seems reasonable that an S&W polymer framed revolver cannot be far off! I was once told by a Glock employee who was in a position to know, that it cost about $15 to produce a Glock frame, and that kind of cost reduction has to be tempting to any manufacturer of autos or revolvers.

 

[Electraclyde]

I own both the 442 and an LCR, which I have only had for a week and have only fired about 35 rounds thru it. I also have a 340 M&P.
I do not perceive recoil to be any different between 442 and LCR. The trigger pull on the LCR is about 2 to 3lbs lighter, BUT!! the reset is much more "fussy" on the LCR. If you do not allow the trigger to return completely forward, it will not fire again and will "skip" to the next round. I do not have this problem with my S&W's (even with lighter rebound springs in them) Having shot both guns side by side with several types of ammo, I will say the LCR is a little more accurate when slow fired. When fast (speed) shooting the aforementioned reset problem will keep the LCR out of my holster and in the safe.
The 442 is the better gun.

 

[sipowicz]

The Ruger is ugly, get the Smith....yeah, I know it shouldn't matter but if it didn't, we wouldn't have thousands of threads with people showing off pics of their Smiths.

 

[eaglebeaver]

I vote for the Smith

The 442 is a proven design and gets my vote.

Eaglebeaver