OK, decision time - need a little advice.

G

groverdill

New member
I'm about to buy my first handgun (oh jeez, another one of these posts :rolleyes: ), and I'd like some experienced folks to weigh in on what I've got it narrowed down to. I'm getting a Ruger LCR. That decision's already been made. I've done the research, and that's the best fit for my needs. All 3 of these are available, right now, at my LGS and within my budget:

1. .357 magnum, no laser, hammerless
2. .38+p with Lasermax, hammerless
3. .38+p with hammer, no laser (LCRx)

Here is what I originally decided I wanted. LCR in .38+p with Crimson Trace grips. Due to the price, I wanted to hold off on the CT grips until later and just get the plain ol' LCR, which would also give me time to learn to shoot with the standard sights. Now, with the 3 guns mentioned above available, here are my questions:

With only a $10 price difference between gun #1 and gun #2, which is the better bargain? Any advantages to the .357 if I never intend to shoot .357's? LGS says better resale value and will be slightly more accurate with less recoil (shooting .38's) due to weight. Is that true? And I don't like the Lasermax on gun #2 so I would take that off, thus giving me the .38 I wanted, but paying extra for the laser. But for the same price, which one?

Concerning gun #3, how important is it to have a hammerless for concealed carry? Does the option of single action make it worthwhile? Would the option of single action level the playing field with guns #1 and #2? By the way, gun #3 is about $80 cheaper.

Or maybe I should just wait and keep searching for the plain ol' LCR hammerless. Hmmm.

Bottom line - for a first handgun intended for concealed carry, home defense (for now, until I can afford a dedicated HD gun), and some range time to learn with it (I know snubnoses aren't good range guns), if all 3 guns are close in price, which would be your recommendations for the needs I've described? Thanks for your time.

Mike
 
I would agree with LGS about the .357 and give you more flexibility. Hammerless revolvers are a little less likely to get hung up when drawing from concealed, but not much IMO. I personally prefer revolvers with hammers in DA/SA. I would get gun #1 in a version with a hammer, but that's just me.If you're only going to shoot 38 spl, then #3 gets my recommendation. You'll have to make decision on what's best for you.
 
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I was looking hard at those too and was thinking about getting a LCRx. That would be my pick because of the weight, hammer, and looks. The .38 loaded would weigh less than the .357 unloaded, figuring 3 oz for five rounds.

I think the .357 LCR would have an advantage if you planned on selling it later.
 
Item 1 and stoke that lil' guy full of Remington Golden Saber High Performance Jacket (HPJ) 125 grain .38 special +Ps.

If this is your first handgun, you can do yourself a right favor and avoid .357 magnums till you are comfortable and accurate firing .38 specials. Besides that, if you don't already know. .357 magnum can be a real handful out of such light guns as these. There are a number of good and effective .38 special +P loads that will offer much less recoil and muzzle blast.

I recommend getting the .357 version because in an emergency you CAN fire .357 maggies, not so with the .38 only versions. Also the slight increase in weight will only help in controlling .38 special +P (which can be snappy unto itself) more.

For these types of guns a hammer is neither needed or wanted. You want to practice in double-action as this is how you will actually be shooting in a real defensive scenario. With practice you can learn to control the trigger to be nearly as accurate as single-action fire. You also don't have to worry about a hammer getting snagged as you try and draw the revolver out of your pocket.

I think you've made a good choice on a gun, but let me tell you that you need to practice with it often. Small snub nosed revolvers aren't the easiest guns to master. For defensive use, the obvious low ammo capacity and rather slow reload time means you need to learn to make every shot count, and that means putting in range time.

Also if you don't already know about these, look up "Bianchi Speed Strips". They are a little rubber strip that holds extra ammunition for your revolver that are super flat and light. No reason to not carry one of these with your gun (if you can legally carry that is). They work by placing two rounds at once into the cylinder and breaking the rounds off the strip, then rotating the cylinder and load the rest of the rounds. Discard the strip and close the cylinder to get back in the fight. Not as fast as a speedloader but certainly better than having loose rounds in your pocket, and much easier to carry than a speedloader too.

Whatever you decide good luck with your purchase! :)
 
The biggest benefit to a 357 chambered revolver is the additional ounces of weight (13.5oz vs 17.1oz; a 25% increase). The added weight provides a great benefit when shooting hotter 38 rounds. While it may not feel like a lot of difference when you carry the gun, it will absorb some of the recoil before it shocks your hand.

I also think, for CC, a hammerless revolver is a smarter pick. Hammers on a small revolver make a gun more likely to snag on clothing while drawing, harder to pocket carry, and may jab into your side while carrying IWB.
 
Jimmy, you are exactly right as I mention in my previous post. .38 special +P is just fine for self defense with good shot placement.
 
I did a similar thing. I'm glad you have narrowed the thread topic a bit!

In your case, I view hammer less as a must, a laser as a total waste of money, and 357 mag as a nice option. I would get #1 and shoot 38' out of it until you can put 5 in the center of of mass no greater than 8" at 7 yds, the try +p and so on. I can do this with 357's from my snubbie, but I have never met anyone else who can. (I know many can, but it is a learned skill.

Although, if I had to buy a do it all, I would seriously consider XDM9, XDM40, G19, G23 in that order. Sorry for going off topic, but I worry about a guy with 5 shots and a slow reload as his only choice.
 
Hammerless revolvers make for great pocket carry. Personally I like the option of the 357/38. To me best of both worlds. Again thats a personal opinion and choice. Since I have been competing in ICORE which is all revolver I never use single action shooting. All my revolvers have the hammer spurs removed with 1 exception my Python which I refuse to alter its original condition. If I do shoot the Python in a match I never give a thought to single action shots. My opinion is to learn and get confident and proficient at double action shooting with a revolver. Again just my opinion for DA for anyone who is going to carry a revolver for self defense.
 
Done! I just got back from the gun shop. I bought the .357. Actually I put it on layaway. That way, if something better comes along in the next 60 days I can still change my mind. Thanks for the opinions folks. I appreciate the guidance these forums provide for a new shooter from people with experience. I'll let ya know how it goes when I take it to the range for the first time.

Mike
 
Good choice. Even if you don't see yourself shooting .357, you may walk in to buy ammo one day and see no .38, but a new shipment of .357. Having the option is good.
 
Just a suggestion, take a variety of ammunition (hopefully you can find some) with you when you take your .357 magnum LCR to the range.

I've mentioned this before, I shot an LCR with .357 magnum 158 grain bullets and I won't do that again. (Your recoil resistance could easily be better than mine so try it, you won't know till you do.) All .38 special ammo including 158 grain stuff was fine with me and 125 grain .357 was a handful but okay.

I found the LCR to be a solid well made gun which I liked and I'd get the .357 too, I just wouldn't feed it .357 158 grain ammo unless I absolutely had no choice.

Looking forward to your range report.
 
While I wouldn't suggest a short barrel pocket type revolver for a first gun... of the three I'd go with the .357 just because it'll be a little more pleasant with the 38 specials you're likely to be practicing with.

Small double action only revolvers are tricky to learn to shoot well, and aren't particularly forgiving of hiccups in technique.

I'd recommend learning the basics on something with a longer sight radius, and more weight to absorb recoil. When you get good with that THEN work your way up to the DOA snub.

Just remember that everything that makes that little snub nice to carry, makes it difficult to shoot accurately. It can be done, but it takes lots of practice. Not a great first handgun IMO.
 
"Just remember that everything that makes that little snub nice to carry, makes it difficult to shoot accurately. It can be done, but it takes lots of practice."

Yeah, I know. I'm hoping that by doing it backwards, meaning starting off with something that's difficult to be accurate with, that everything else will seem easy afterwards. If I can get good with the snubbie, everything else will be a piece of cake! We'll see. I'm already shopping (in my head) for handgun #2.:D
 
The 357 will be heavier if you don't mind the extra weight it will be nicer to shoot 38+p out of. I don't shoot 357 out of my 2" Ruger SP101. I see no sense in burning up a lot of gun powder long after the bullet has gone.
http://ballisticsbytheinch.com/357mag.html shows a chart that indicates the 357mag has a lot of powder to burn long after the first 2" of barrel.
 
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