Ruger LCR .357 for Home Defense

Yes, noise is a real factor for inside-the-home defense. An idea I like is that a gun should fit its purpose. Inside the home, you don't need concealment as much as you do maneuverability and you can count on shooting indoors (ouch!). Ideally, you'd have a full-sized and suppressed high-capacity pistol or pistol-caliber carbine. Failing suppression, some electronic muffs stored next to your gun isn't a bad idea. You might not have time to grab them but if you do, you'll be glad in any caliber. Failing that, I still like higher capacity in say, a 9mm pistol or carbine. Failing that, a 6-7 round revolver with a 4-6" barrel would be ideal. Both .38 special and .32 H&R magnum can shine here (including when fired from revolvers in .357 and .327 respectively). There was a recent discussion about .32 S&W Long being quieter than the other choices mentioned and still vastly superior to .22 LR. The S&W Long can be fired from a .327 revolver as well.

Of course, we are checking down a list of ideals constrained by reality. The fact is that not everyone will have (or will immediately have) a dedicated gun for every purpose or scenario. Eventually, you might have multiple options and different CCWs for weather and wardrobe, urban vs rural, etc... If that day isn't today or this is a first purchases, you may want to prioritize a balance of home defense and range practice (including "plinking" and fun) for now. If it absolutely has to be a carry gun as well, you might compromise on a 3" revolver or the largest polymer-framed 9mm semi-auto that you can practically carry.
 
If I understand Reddragon504 correctly, he wants the revolver to serve double duty as a home defense and a carry gun. That implies he does not have a large inventory of handguns to choose from. It might also imply less than a vast experience with handguns. If those suppositions are true, I think an LCR357 is a fine choice. It has a simple manual of arms and a good trigger. The steel Sub-frame adds a bit of weight to dampen recoil and definitely adds durability over the long term. A .357 chambering adds a bit of versatility since there are some very good medium to lower velocity and lighter recoiling .357 offerings from several makers in addition to the many good .38 Special offerings. The gun is small and light enough for easy carry and powerful enough to do the job in or out of the home. If he is like many of us, somewhere down the road he will purchase another handgun that might better serve his home defense needs but I think the LCR357 is a fine start.
 
My son has this Airweight. The Ergogrip made a difference according to his wife on felt recoil. After shooting it myself it seems to point well, but man it looks funky.

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Iron Rule is that you practice with it and get totally familiar with it so when the need arises you can react quickly.
For home use I would prefer something larger and heavier. And I think a .357 is wasted in less than a 4" barrel. Skeeter Skelton wrote that he was initially enamored of the 2.5" S&W M-19 but found the muzzle blast and flash objectionable. the terminal ballistics not that great.
 
Skeeter Skelton wrote that he was initially enamored of the 2.5" S&W M-19 but found the muzzle blast and flash objectionable. the terminal ballistics not that great.
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That's why I recommended the FBI Load in a previous post. I've got 3 of those 2.5" gems, and a soft 158gr SWCHP at +P velocity does a heckova job.

Don

Don
 
I'm in the "I hope you like permanent hearing damage"-crowd.
.357 Mag and .38 +P are not something that you will ever want to experience when discharged in a confined space; and will regret if you ever do.

NOTHING is pleasant in a confined space, but there are a few handgun cartridges that are far worse than even rifle cartridges -- absolutely brutal, and tend to cause instant, permanent hearing damage.

I have experienced far too many discharges by other people in confined spaces (whether a structure or a vehicle).
All have contributed to permanent hearing damage.

If I had to pick something to punish myself with as an HD option, it would be .45 Auto, with .44 Special close on its heels.
.357 Mag and .38 +P are not something you should be exposed to without hearing protection - even outdoors.


Plenty of people take the, in my opinion, idiotic approach that a person is, "better deaf than dead."
But, again, I think that is absolutely asinine when a person can do something, at the very beginning, to reduce the amount of potential damage by looking at other cartridges that are just as effective.

Just look at some quick numbers:
.357 Mag sound level: 164 dB
.38 Special sound level: 158 dB
.45 Auto sound level: 152 dB

.45 Auto will likely cause instant, permanent hearing damage if fired in, say, the hallway of your home.
.38 Special (not even +P) is FOUR TIMES louder than .45 Auto.
.357 Mag is FOUR TIMES louder than .38 Special, and SIXTEEN TIMES louder than .45 Auto.
(On the dB scale, an increase of 3dB means twice the sound energy.)
 
...in my opinion. 38 is also an adequate round to defend yourself with. For those that disagree, ask them if they'd like to catch one center mass from a distance of seven yards? If their answer is no, then it's a suitable defensive round. If they say yes you should question their ability to make logical decisions to begin with.
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Worthless "analogy". Ask any sane person if they'd "like" to catch a round from a .22 rf short center mass from a distance of seven yards and all would answer with a resounding "NO"! Would their collective negative answer make the .22 Short a "suitable defensive round"? Well, probably not.

On the other hand, those crazy enough to answer "yes" would likely be candidates for residencies in a rubber room where they couldn't hurt themselves...
 
If you are going to have one pistol for home and carry the LCR 357 loaded with 38 special certainly seems like a solid choice to me.
My first choice would be a 9mm auto, but if I was going with a revolver I don't think there are any that would have a significant advantage over that choice.
 
38 is also an adequate round to defend yourself with. For those that disagree, ask them if they'd like to catch one center mass from a distance of seven yards? If their answer is no, then it's a suitable defensive round.
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How on earth does that follow?
 
I've mentioned this several times before, I've fired the LCR with 158 grain .357 magnum rounds and just will not do that anymore unless some bizarre circumstance would force me into it. (Betting me a beer I wouldn't do it is close but not quite bizarre enough.)

I have and would again shoot 125 grain .357 magnum rounds but not very many.

I still like the revolver and would recommend anyone thinking about getting one to go for the .357 magnum model but as for me the higher power rounds in the little gun are just something I choose not to subject my hands to.
 
Even in my all metal 6" GP100 I shot 80% 38 special level loads. Just really nice to always have the option. No way I would go with the 38 model for 4 ounces and a few bucks.
 
It's very loud and recoil isn't that pleasant with 357 Mag....capacity is terrible and reload speed it so slow as to be considered dangerous. It's not a bad choice and I know this is the revolver subforum, but I'd seriously look at a tiny 9mm like an XDS, Glock 43, Shield or the new SIG P365. Not as good of ballistics (but a short barreled 357 Mag loses a lot of speed), but easier to shoot, not as loud, better capacity and much faster to reload.
 
I like autos just fine, always have. But my favorite home defense handgun is my 3” GP100 loaded with 357mag.
I’m not too concerned about muzzle blast. My dad was in the army prior to WWII for a couple years, and then served in France and Germany in an armored car.

All those years, he was exposed to the muzzle blast of the 37mm cannon and 50cal M2 on his armored car as well as all the other small arms. He also spent some time teaching other units to use German machine guns like MG42 and MG34 in emergencies. All that time, he was lucky if he had a couple cigarette butts in his ears for hearing protection. Yet he seemed to hear fine in his 80’s.
You think a few rounds of 357 are worse than that?
 
I had my Ruger LCR9mm out to the range this am. I have to give myself a pat on the back as I had a terrific day with the gun. Over two years of practice and more practice and training. I was terrible when I first shot this gun.
Like pocket guns etc. they require a certain skill set to shoot well. However it is one very fun adventure. I also bought a LCR22 to train with.
The 9mm is a gun I could shoot all day with no problems. Now shoot about 200 rounds a session each week. I would never come close to that with a 357. Recoil is three to four times as much. And forget shooting it in a house. You would definitely blow out a ear drum. Most likely have short term blindness and unless you are a very good shot, stand a big chance of killing or injuring someone in the next room or house.
I think there are better choices out there for Home Defense. I personally have a 18" shotgun with pistol grip and get plenty of training with it.
 
Yet he seemed to hear fine in his 80’s.
You think a few rounds of 357 are worse than that?
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As with virtually any other sort of injury, some people seem to be more resistant to hearing damage than average.

I can tell you that just one shot of full power .357Mag in a confined space without hearing protection left me with noticeable and permanent hearing damage in one ear. I have an acquaintance (ex-LEO) who was shot at and fired back with a .357Mag indoors and experienced similar damage to mine from those two shots.

Hopefully you inherited whatever protected your dad's hearing--or, better yet, hopefully you'll never have to shoot your home defense load without hearing protection.
 
Bill Jordan that 38 Special is the most powerful round that the average man-most of us-can hope to master. Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Countess Sophie Chotek could testify to the effectiveness of the 32/380 ACP.
Again, for me the 357-4 " barrel, S&W K frame the smallest. YMMV.
 
Reddragon504 said:
Looking at the Ruger LCR .357 for home protection. Any feedback is welcomed.
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Great gun ! But a piss poor choice for home defense, unless they are on top of you. A snubby is a belly gun a.k.a. get off of me. I'm stuck with one myself and hope I never have a home invasion.

Out on my walks it will be great when I get co-cocked and they start to rifle through my pockets looking for some cash. If I'm still conscious then it's game time, but remember we are talking bad breath distance.

If I was younger and in better shape to take care of a dog I'd have me a German Shepard again. They are fearless but not loony good around people and children. And natural protectors.

If I could afford it I'd get me a Mossberg .410.
But I may sell my LCR and just go back to the S&W Governor.
 
Short-barreled anything is not the best weapon for serious combat use.

The Ruger LCR is meant to be the most compact and lightest wheel gun a person can carry. They are not meant as serious defensive weapons, in fact, no handgun can be expected to be a dependable stopper, handgun rounds are too weak in that area.

For home defense, if you can, pack a short shotgun or carbine rifle. Barring that, buy a full-sized handgun of at least .38 Special, 9mm Parabellum, or larger.

But if a Ruger LCR is all you can afford/manage/have room for, then buy it and practice with it. Re-inforce your doors with EZ Armor (door jamb armor) and good dead bolts. You need 3.5 inch door jamb screws. Cover your windows with 3M tape, meant to make shattering impossible. Put in a screen door. Never answer the door without a handgun on you.....expect the unexpected and you'll be much better off.

Assuming your state supports its residents over its thugs (Castle Doctrine), slow the enemy down at the gates, put on some electronic ear muffs, wait for them to come in, and let them have it. *You don't want to go deaf in the process. Call police when you have the time......"aviate, navigate, and communicate" in that order, always.
 
... The Ruger LCR is meant to be the most compact and lightest wheel gun a person can carry. They are not meant as serious defensive weapons, in fact, no handgun can be expected to be a dependable stopper, handgun rounds are too weak in that area ...
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I see sentiments like this or "a handgun is just something to get to your rifle". Yes, it's true that rifles can be much more powerful and can do considerably more damage to a body. Yes, hydrostatic shock becomes more relevant at higher velocities and rifles make velocity more accessible. Many people can be more accurate with a rifle too.

However, most modern handguns will still do "serious" damage. That damage might be less dramatic and the hits might have to be more precise but even lighter calibers like .380 or vanilla .38 special can, have, and do stop threats. Those little guys can often be more effective defensive tools than fists or small melee weapons in a crisis. More powerful choices in calibers like .40 S&W, .357 Sig, .357 magnum, .327 Fed Mag, etc. will do significantly more damage. To see that damage, try handgun hunting, varmint control, or even diverse plinking targets from the back of the pantry. Failing that, you can always watch Paul Harrell compare caliber and ammo against fancy meat targets on YouTube. (Heck, go do that anyway.)

The LCR is absolutely a "serious defensive weapon" and doubly so when you actually have it on your person in the event that you actually need to defend yourself. If you can have something better available, go for it. Just don't say that the LCR isn't a serious defensive weapon, much less that no handgun is.
 
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