First Impressions:
Since I first saw this little revolver being marketed I was intrigued as well as repulsed by it. The first thing I thought of was "what the hell...."
Then I started referring to it as "Little Crappy Revolver". I still do, just because I think the name is funny as hell. Ironically the gun is anything
but crappy, but it seems to have stuck given it's initials.
I had mixed feelings about this gun at first... I was like, "bah, its just another wheelgun...except this one has a gimmick to it.... " Then, I tried the trigger on one and I was sold. The plan was then set in motion, and I pinged Carl @ FS and he hooked me up with a brand new LCR at a reasonable price.
The gun comes in white cardboard box with the usual ruger logos and the like, a little gun rug (which I thought was a nice touch) and the typical gigantic ruger rubber coated shackle padlock. (FWIW, the gun also has an integral lock, but it's disabled at the factory... I'll get into that in a minute. )
I didn't even read the manual. This gun is not rocket science, it's a DAO revolver. You load the ammo in it and pull the trigger when you want the gun to go off. Ding, fries are done. Or criminal is dead, or target has holes in it. (provided you do your part) Pick one.
Getting to appearances... Yes, the gun is ugly, but I don't see why people get so hung up on it. They act as though the frame is made out of vomit colored plastic or something. The gun is black, and the cylinder is grey. It's a defensive gun, get over it people. This isn't a gun you show off at barbecues. It sits in its holster unnoticed unless it is called upon. In the looks department it is strictly utilitarian, similar to a Glock, Sig, etc. This gun was not designed to win a beauty contest, and rappers won't be chrome or gold plating them anytime soon talking about bling. It's a firearm, not a fashion statement.
The first thing you notice, when picking up the LCR is its weight, or rather, the lack of it. There's a noticeable difference between a 642/442 and one of these, on the order of a couple of ounces. This is because only the Upper half of the gun is made of some kind of steel or aluminum. They made the “lower” which has the grip stud and hammer spring out of plastic. Internet commandos frequently deride this thing as being a “plastic revolver” but only the bottom end of it really is. The parts that take most of the abuse are still made out of metal.
The sights found on this little beast are a typical gutter and ramp system like what you would find on a 642/442. Simple and easy to use, although I find I have to cock my wrist in order to settle the front down, but I have this same problem with the 642/442 as well, so no real difference here. If you know how to run a j-frame like the aforementioned, you will feel right at home here. The cylinder latch is pretty easy to use, just press the button with your thumb and pop open the cylinder. The gun sports a pair of Hogue "Tamer" grips which slides onto the frame and secures in place with a screw. This screw is easily removed. Under the grip you will find the hammer strut assembly, and there is a "box" here where a key can be inserted to activate the integral lock. The fact that the grip makes the lock inaccessible makes the lock more worthless than it already is, but no bother, the lock is disabled from the factory anyways.![[grin]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/041.gif "Grin [grin]")
The grips are fairly easy to remove and reinstall. This opens up the possibility for numerous kinds of aftermarket grips, etc. The grips on these are definitely fatter than the typical uncle mikes boot grips found on the 642 and friends. Interestingly enough, if you buy the crimson trace laser version of the gun, you will end up with a smaller set of grips. One of these days I would like to shoot a CT equipped version of the gun just to see what the difference in felt recoil is. Another pecularity of this gun is that it seems to have a smaller cylinder than the 442/642, even if the OAL of the gun is slightly larger than the 442/642, it makes up in that in terms of being a little thinner than a 642/442 is.
The large recoil tamer grips, however, were a wise move on Ruger's part, and I'll get to that momentarily…..
Now, I know what you're all waiting for. "Mike, just shoot the friggan thing and tell us how it works, dammit!"![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
Shooting the beast:
It was raining on that Sunday so I didn't get to do much of a test, but what I did was this.... I hooked up a stationary steel plate on a target holder about 30 feet or so away. Then I proceeded to put some Fed AE .38 SPL FMJ into the gun and start blasting away. Hits were easy as long as I did my part in pulling the trigger. As with any snub, "doing your part" is an imperative part of the deal. Even though the Ruger makes running a snub a bit easier, this still is NOT a gun for newbs. Like any other snub, you have to know what you want out of it before diving in.
I did not shoot for groups on paper as it was raining so damned hard it would have been difficult to do so. The gun rags will all have “accuracy” scoops on this thing anyways…. In my estimation, it’s probably “more accurate than the shooter will be”. I have no doubt that if I pulled the trigger properly, I could probably hit a 3” shoot n see target with it at 25 feet with no problem.
The main advantage of the LCRs trigger is it is what I would call an "honest" 10 pounds. The pull is clean and consistent throughout. It seems a LOT easier to get this trigger "started" than it is to do the same thing on a typical SW642/442.
The most interesting thing of all with the LCR is how it handles recoil.
You pick this thing up thinking "oh, this gun is gonna beat the crap out of me". Then, after you fire the first shot, you realize that simply is not the case. The recoil/flip is stout, but the grip does not chew your hand up at all. Even more interesting is that when going to +P ammo (I tested it with the Speer 135 gr +P snub load, which I highly recommend, btw) the pain doesn’t increase, but the muzzle flip does. Don't get me wrong, the gun is still a handful, as most snubs are, but it is not nearly as -abusive- as an S+W 642/442 is with the typical boot grips it comes with. The hogues seem to soak up the initial sharp spike of recoil pretty well, in the sense that your hands don’t really sting while shooting it.
To put it mildy the difference between this guy and a stock 442/642 is night and day WRT felt recoil and hand abuse. I put 65 non-fluff rounds through the thing…. And if I did the same with the stock grips on a 442/642, my hand would be red and sore afterwards. Not so with this little ruger.
I also get the impression this gun is well built and can take abuse. Obviously I’ll see if it stands the Test of time- I have a buttload of bullets and other components on order to start cranking out some homebrew .38 SPL for this thing… and then the REAL testing will start.
"So enough about what you liked about it, what sucked?"
I can't really say anything "sucked." The only thing which is somewhat readily annoying is the size of the trigger guard- I feel it is too large. Maybe Ruger did it this way for some sort of structural reason. This only is a real problem in terms of trying to get the gun to fit into generic pocket holsters and the like. Some would also argue that the factory grips are too large, but you can either get the CT version of the gun, and I’m sure someone else will be coming out with other grip options.
One thing which will annoy some anal retentive folks is there is a little part inside that rattles when you shake the gun. I’m not sure what it is, but the noise appears to be normal.
The Future:
S+W needs to watch out for this one. Ruger has a real winner here, for a change. It’s a serious competitor to the 642/442. Now, having siad that, I doubt it will dethrone either of these two anytime soon, but it certainly is going to cut into their market share.. and it's certainly going to reduce the number of airlite 38s sold.
It’s also a sign that Ruger seems to be getting their head out of their ass from the days of Bill“No honest man needs more than 15 rounds” Ruger Sr.
The most curious part of the future for this gun is seeing what kind of holsters and grip gizmos they come out with it.
-Mike
Since I first saw this little revolver being marketed I was intrigued as well as repulsed by it. The first thing I thought of was "what the hell...."
Then I started referring to it as "Little Crappy Revolver". I still do, just because I think the name is funny as hell. Ironically the gun is anything
but crappy, but it seems to have stuck given it's initials.
I had mixed feelings about this gun at first... I was like, "bah, its just another wheelgun...except this one has a gimmick to it.... " Then, I tried the trigger on one and I was sold. The plan was then set in motion, and I pinged Carl @ FS and he hooked me up with a brand new LCR at a reasonable price.
The gun comes in white cardboard box with the usual ruger logos and the like, a little gun rug (which I thought was a nice touch) and the typical gigantic ruger rubber coated shackle padlock. (FWIW, the gun also has an integral lock, but it's disabled at the factory... I'll get into that in a minute. )
I didn't even read the manual. This gun is not rocket science, it's a DAO revolver. You load the ammo in it and pull the trigger when you want the gun to go off. Ding, fries are done. Or criminal is dead, or target has holes in it. (provided you do your part) Pick one.
Getting to appearances... Yes, the gun is ugly, but I don't see why people get so hung up on it. They act as though the frame is made out of vomit colored plastic or something. The gun is black, and the cylinder is grey. It's a defensive gun, get over it people. This isn't a gun you show off at barbecues. It sits in its holster unnoticed unless it is called upon. In the looks department it is strictly utilitarian, similar to a Glock, Sig, etc. This gun was not designed to win a beauty contest, and rappers won't be chrome or gold plating them anytime soon talking about bling. It's a firearm, not a fashion statement.
The first thing you notice, when picking up the LCR is its weight, or rather, the lack of it. There's a noticeable difference between a 642/442 and one of these, on the order of a couple of ounces. This is because only the Upper half of the gun is made of some kind of steel or aluminum. They made the “lower” which has the grip stud and hammer spring out of plastic. Internet commandos frequently deride this thing as being a “plastic revolver” but only the bottom end of it really is. The parts that take most of the abuse are still made out of metal.
The sights found on this little beast are a typical gutter and ramp system like what you would find on a 642/442. Simple and easy to use, although I find I have to cock my wrist in order to settle the front down, but I have this same problem with the 642/442 as well, so no real difference here. If you know how to run a j-frame like the aforementioned, you will feel right at home here. The cylinder latch is pretty easy to use, just press the button with your thumb and pop open the cylinder. The gun sports a pair of Hogue "Tamer" grips which slides onto the frame and secures in place with a screw. This screw is easily removed. Under the grip you will find the hammer strut assembly, and there is a "box" here where a key can be inserted to activate the integral lock. The fact that the grip makes the lock inaccessible makes the lock more worthless than it already is, but no bother, the lock is disabled from the factory anyways.
The grips are fairly easy to remove and reinstall. This opens up the possibility for numerous kinds of aftermarket grips, etc. The grips on these are definitely fatter than the typical uncle mikes boot grips found on the 642 and friends. Interestingly enough, if you buy the crimson trace laser version of the gun, you will end up with a smaller set of grips. One of these days I would like to shoot a CT equipped version of the gun just to see what the difference in felt recoil is. Another pecularity of this gun is that it seems to have a smaller cylinder than the 442/642, even if the OAL of the gun is slightly larger than the 442/642, it makes up in that in terms of being a little thinner than a 642/442 is. The large recoil tamer grips, however, were a wise move on Ruger's part, and I'll get to that momentarily…..
Now, I know what you're all waiting for. "Mike, just shoot the friggan thing and tell us how it works, dammit!"
Shooting the beast:
It was raining on that Sunday so I didn't get to do much of a test, but what I did was this.... I hooked up a stationary steel plate on a target holder about 30 feet or so away. Then I proceeded to put some Fed AE .38 SPL FMJ into the gun and start blasting away. Hits were easy as long as I did my part in pulling the trigger. As with any snub, "doing your part" is an imperative part of the deal. Even though the Ruger makes running a snub a bit easier, this still is NOT a gun for newbs. Like any other snub, you have to know what you want out of it before diving in.
I did not shoot for groups on paper as it was raining so damned hard it would have been difficult to do so. The gun rags will all have “accuracy” scoops on this thing anyways…. In my estimation, it’s probably “more accurate than the shooter will be”. I have no doubt that if I pulled the trigger properly, I could probably hit a 3” shoot n see target with it at 25 feet with no problem.
The main advantage of the LCRs trigger is it is what I would call an "honest" 10 pounds. The pull is clean and consistent throughout. It seems a LOT easier to get this trigger "started" than it is to do the same thing on a typical SW642/442.
The most interesting thing of all with the LCR is how it handles recoil.
You pick this thing up thinking "oh, this gun is gonna beat the crap out of me". Then, after you fire the first shot, you realize that simply is not the case. The recoil/flip is stout, but the grip does not chew your hand up at all. Even more interesting is that when going to +P ammo (I tested it with the Speer 135 gr +P snub load, which I highly recommend, btw) the pain doesn’t increase, but the muzzle flip does. Don't get me wrong, the gun is still a handful, as most snubs are, but it is not nearly as -abusive- as an S+W 642/442 is with the typical boot grips it comes with. The hogues seem to soak up the initial sharp spike of recoil pretty well, in the sense that your hands don’t really sting while shooting it.
To put it mildy the difference between this guy and a stock 442/642 is night and day WRT felt recoil and hand abuse. I put 65 non-fluff rounds through the thing…. And if I did the same with the stock grips on a 442/642, my hand would be red and sore afterwards. Not so with this little ruger.
I also get the impression this gun is well built and can take abuse. Obviously I’ll see if it stands the Test of time- I have a buttload of bullets and other components on order to start cranking out some homebrew .38 SPL for this thing… and then the REAL testing will start.
"So enough about what you liked about it, what sucked?"
I can't really say anything "sucked." The only thing which is somewhat readily annoying is the size of the trigger guard- I feel it is too large. Maybe Ruger did it this way for some sort of structural reason. This only is a real problem in terms of trying to get the gun to fit into generic pocket holsters and the like. Some would also argue that the factory grips are too large, but you can either get the CT version of the gun, and I’m sure someone else will be coming out with other grip options.
One thing which will annoy some anal retentive folks is there is a little part inside that rattles when you shake the gun. I’m not sure what it is, but the noise appears to be normal.
The Future:
S+W needs to watch out for this one. Ruger has a real winner here, for a change. It’s a serious competitor to the 642/442. Now, having siad that, I doubt it will dethrone either of these two anytime soon, but it certainly is going to cut into their market share.. and it's certainly going to reduce the number of airlite 38s sold.
It’s also a sign that Ruger seems to be getting their head out of their ass from the days of Bill“No honest man needs more than 15 rounds” Ruger Sr.
The most curious part of the future for this gun is seeing what kind of holsters and grip gizmos they come out with it.
-Mike
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![[cheers]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/018.gif "Cheers [cheers]")
![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
. I'm sure someone will come up with a relieved grip or maybe I'll do surgery on these. As for the holsters the DeSantis Nemesis fits fine, the uncle mikes doesn't seem to fit quit right. The trigger guard is too big. As time goes on I'm sure the aftermarket will pick up.
