Ruger .357 SP101 or LCR as boot gun?

Which gun as a .357 magnum boot gun: the Ruger SP101 or LCR?

  • Ruger SP101

    Votes: 7 14.9%

  • Ruger LCR

    Votes: 40 85.1%
  • Total voters
    47
Sometimes you can never be too prepared. This is a revolver post so I don't want to get too off topic but I have occasionally ran a 4-gun setup but only one was a revolver , LCR 357 loaded with 38spl in the pocket, hammerless model so I can fire without taking my hand out of the pocket. I still use the LCR for that purpose when pocket carry is desirable.

A lot of cops never fire a shot, for example Scot Peterson comes to mind, although I'm sure you mean the cops who just never have occasion to excitement... That's fair too.

Personally though I'm just not a lucky guy. Bad things seem to happen to me and I swear it's through no fault of my own. Most people I know have never been in a physical altercation but I've had a gun pulled on me twice, and I've been accosted in the street three times (twice I did poorly and was severely beaten)

It seems like when it rains it pours with bad luck like that and so my EDC loadout is pretty intense.
 
Dave T wrote:
When I tried them I found ankle holsters to be very uncomfortable, .....
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Yes, That's my experience too!

Get as light of a gun as possible for ankle carry.
If you want woods carry, go with a waist holster
and you can carry a heavier gun more comfortable.
 
One's ankle is a very bad place for any handgun. Looks cool in movies, but that's all. Getting at the thing in a hurry is next to impossible.
"...buying one for my wife..." Don't. It has to fit her hand, not yours. And she has to like the thing, not you. Better to take her shopping and let her pick what she likes. And she must practice with it regularly.
 
T. O'Heir said:
One's ankle is a very bad place for any handgun. Looks cool in movies, but that's all. Getting at the thing in a hurry is next to impossible.
"...buying one for my wife..." Don't. It has to fit her hand, not yours. And she has to like the thing, not you. Better to take her shopping and let her pick what she likes. And she must practice with it regularly.
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I appreciate this and other advice in this thread. I have never carried in ankle holster but was considering placement of a secondary gun.
 
ATN082268 said:
I appreciate this and other advice in this thread. I have never carried in ankle holster but was considering placement of a secondary gun.
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I think that we all have to learn for ourselves. Buying a gun and an ankle holster is not the end of the world. At worst, the holster doesn't work for you and you carry the gun another way. I am personally looking at the either the NAA Sidewinder or Trooper II (22 Mag) as a secondary gun for more than likely pocket carry. The reality is that it will be primary in most cases as I just don't like to carry more than one gun unless there is cause. I often carry two knives for different cutting scenarios (technically a third if you count the little Leatherman Squirt a knife on my key chain), but they aren't for self defense.
 
Carrying a handgun in an ankle holster can be a useful option when "confined" to a sitting position (say, behind a desk) and can be especially practical if a gun is needed while you're sitting in a car. Cross-draw hoisters are another way of effectively drawing a handgun while seated.
 
Ankle holstered firearm should be a last ditch effort to save your life....not your go to personal defense tool.
 
ATN082268 said:
I appreciate this and other advice in this thread. I have never carried in ankle holster but was considering placement of a secondary gun.
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If the concept is it'll be a backup gun, you don't need it to be a .357 Magnum. My rule of thumb with carrying a backup gun is the caliber has to be either the same chambering (to share ammo) or a smaller caliber as smaller caliber generally means it's a smaller, lighter gun.

If you want to get a sense of what ankle carrying a 20oz gun is like, grab a lead weight, tape it to your leg, and walk around all day; people will think you're a pimp with an old school limp.

That's why I said .38 LCR, but if possible go lighter like an LCP or better yet, the Kel Tec .32 that weighs 8oz loaded.
 
I can tell you this from experience. The LCR carries like a dream versus the SP101. The SP101 has more weight to balance magnum loads. The LCR has much more comfortable grips and a better factory trigger. Either way, I don't love .357 magnum in these guns. I'm much happier with .38 +p or .327 Federal in either gun.
 
When I was going through college (enlisted commissioning program) we had to wear USMC Service C uniforms every Thursday, so carrying my Glock 19 on my right hip was out of the question. I tried ankle carry with a Bianchi holster and a S&W 642 once and was done with it. From then on I either skipped class or put the Glock in a briefcase.

When I did carry a backup (regular clothes) it was the same 642 in my right front pocket (later changed to a really sharp looking S&W 42).
 
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Over the years during various periods I've carried small derringer type firearms in ankle holsters or clip-holstered in my boot. In all honesty, I consider it a sucky way to carry a firearm. Rather slow to get to and somewhat annoying as it relates to comfort.
 
I have the LCR in 38 spl and regret buying it. Your experience may vary but I find the recoil punishing. It would probably be better had I bought the steel framed 357 version and shot only 38's in it but then you have a heavier carry gun not unlike an SP 101. Take your pick.
 
claydoctor said:
I have the LCR in 38 spl and regret buying it. Your experience may vary but I find the recoil punishing. It would probably be better had I bought the steel framed 357 version and shot only 38's in it but then you have a heavier carry gun not unlike an SP 101. Take your pick.
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I find that the LCR mitigates recoil wonderfully for its size and weight. That's the issue though. This is a very small and very light handgun. There is no getting around that. Comparing apples to apples though, those grips do help a lot. The rubber is cushy. They hook in and fill the hand about as well as possible for their small size. There is a padded section for the web of your hand. That goes a long way.

The SP101 has more weight to soak up recoil but I haven't found compact grips anywhere near as comfortable. That shrinks the gap in felt recoil a bit. The stock trigger on the LCR is a lot nicer in my opinion too. So unless that SP101 comes with a trigger job and some nice aftermarket grips, it's hard for me to justify the extra carry weight.

If the LCR 38 has too much recoil, here are two idea. First, try running .38 special in an LCR 357. The LCR 357 is slightly heavier and just a hair bigger. Some people claim that it makes a difference for them. Another idea is to get an LCR 327 and load it with .32 H&R Magnum. It's a six-shooter on the same frame and really, not a bad comparison with .380 acp as a defensive cartridge.
 
LCRx in .38+P isn't meant for cranking out hundreds of rounds at paper targets or otherwise unless of course you have some kind of friggen iron hands or vise grips strapped to your forearms.

Want to shoot .38 hot loads including .357 move on up to K, L or above sized frames.
 
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