I owned an LCR in .38 Special+P for a bit. It was a pleasure to carry. However, I did not shoot it very well, felt recoil was terrible(for me) and after only 2 cylinders during any of my range sessions, I was ready to quit shooting it. I also was not very accurate with it. Fast forward 2 years, I just bought a good, used S&W 642. It has some wear on it, which I am finding out that this particular finish on the silver colored 642 seems prone to wearing, flaking, scratching, etc. I was a little hesitant to do the deal based on the wear alone, but something inside me said to just do it. I get the gun home then run out to the range to see how she shoots. Since this gun is pretty darn close to the size and weight of the LCR, I had some preconceived notions that it was going to be terrible. I was limited on ammo, so I was only able to pop 20 rounds through it. I was quite surprised at my accuracy with the 642 over the LCR, and was quite pleased that after 20 rounds(compared to 10 rounds with the LCR), I was not ready to quit! My hand did not hurt like it did with the LCR. At this point I am really happy that I picked up this little 642, and actually look forward to getting some more range time with it. No, it's not quite as fun to shoot as my Ruger SP101 .357 magnum, but this 642 is about 10 ounces lighter than the SP101 which makes it better for me to carry the 642 all day IWB. The only bad part about it is that my wife is interested in the 642 as her carry gun, so I may have to give it up. But then again, that only means that I will need to go out and pick up a another one for myself! So, in closing, I myself, after having owned and shot the LCR and the 642, would choose the S&W.
