Ruger LCR 9mm questions...

Ruger's website says it ships with 3 moon clips but it also looks like you can use it without the clips if you're not concerned with being able to easily eject the empties.

Looks like the .357Mag, .327Mag and 9mm are all on the same steel frame (545X model number) with the same size cylinders. The .38Spl model is on a different frame (5401 model) which is aluminum.

You can probably shoot .380ACP in it if you use the moonclips. Things to keep in mind.

There's a chamber mismatch with the .380ACP being undersize which means the brass will probably take some abuse (bulge) and probably fail early if you try to reuse it--I suppose it could even split in a worst case scenario.

The .380ACP won't fit the 9mm moonclips very well (maybe not at all depending on the ammo and the moonclips) which could cause some issues.

It wouldn't surprise me to find that you might find some .380ACP which didn't work well, even with the moonclips, depending on how everything works.
 
The 9mm ships with three moon clips. Cheap pieces of junk. I buy mine from Speedbeez by the bulk and they last indefinitely. You do not need to use a moon clip, but you want a wooden dowel to punch them out. Most of the time turning the gun unside down and a good hit to your opposite hand will drop them, but not always.

The moon clips are very easy to load and snap in place tightly. This tool below is needed or at least make it easy to remove the spent shells. Very fast too do and the spent shells fall down the tube and then easy to just dump into a container.


EGba9Nb.jpg
 
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From what I read, you don't need the moon clip to hold the round in place for firing, but for ejecting the empty casing after firing. Rim of 9mm is no larger than the diameter of the casing, so the normal ejector that push the empty casing out will not catch the spent casing.

I was seriously considering the LCR, I would stay with either 38Spc +P or 357magnum, you don't need moon clip for sure. 38Spc+P is somewhat close to the power of 9mm but a lot lighter, the later one definitely more powerful than 9mm. far as I concern, if you go with a revolver, why make life harder even if you have plenty of 9mm ammo.

I read about fail to fire using smaller round and depending on moon clip to hold the round to get the head space. You will be at the mercy of the moon clip if you try to fire 380ACP. You really have to put the rounds in, check the head space to make sure the firing pin hit the primmer good and hard. The only safe caliber to switch to lower power rounds is 357 revolver using 38Spc+P. You can just put it in and fire without any bad effect.

Or consider the 325Magnum, definitely more powerful and SIX rounds.
 
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Thank you all for the replies.
I'm going to get 3 or 4 to keep stashed around the house and/or our vehicles.
Probably .38 Special or .325 Magnum.
 
Alan0354 said:
From what I read, you don't need the moon clip to hold the round in place for firing, but for ejecting the empty casing after firing. Rim of 9mm is no larger than the diameter of the casing, so the normal ejector that push the empty casing out will not catch the spent casing.

I was seriously considering the LCR, I would stay with either 38Spc +P or 357magnum, you don't need moon clip for sure. 38Spc+P is somewhat close to the power of 9mm but a lot lighter, the later one definitely more powerful than 9mm. far as I concern, if you go with a revolver, why make life harder even if you have plenty of 9mm ammo.

I read about fail to fire using smaller round and depending on moon clip to hold the round to get the head space. You will be at the mercy of the moon clip if you try to fire 380ACP. You really have to put the rounds in, check the head space to make sure the firing pin hit the primmer good and hard. The only safe caliber to switch to lower power rounds is 357 revolver using 38Spc+P. You can just put it in and fire without any bad effect.

Or consider the 325Magnum, definitely more powerful and SIX rounds.
Click to expand...
Will have to disagree completely. The Ballistics of the LCR9mm are about the same as a subcompact. Shooting a LCR9mm vs 38 Plus P is about the same with the less recoil going to the 9mm. 7.15 vs 6.55 on the standard recoil rating. The LCR9mm is also Steel frame and heavier by a few ounces but I would bet you are going to get a lot more rounds down range. The LCR9mm is not a unpleasant gun to shoot. Recoil this side of going unpleasant. I find the smaller 38Plus P much more snappy.
The 327 is LOUD and a lot of muzzle flash and recoil is still up there. During normal times 9mm is obviously much more available and reasonable in price.
If you are going to get a snubbie, you are going to shoot it alot. Not only fun, but they do require a longer learning curve.
I do carry a Smith 642 because of the lighter weight, but do not put any were near the rounds through it as I do the 9mm. 90% of range time is with the LCR9mm. Much cheaper and always have plenty. Not to mention I love moon clips. As I mentioned, I load about 40 up the night before a range day. Makes life easy.

Check out this review with ballistics.

http://mousegunaddict.blogspot.com/2014/11/ruger-lcr-9mm-review-pocket-9mm-for.html
 
Carl the Floor Walker said:
Will have to disagree completely. The Ballistics of the LCR9mm are about the same as a subcompact. Shooting a LCR9mm vs 38 Plus P is about the same with the less recoil going to the 9mm. 7.15 vs 6.55 on the standard recoil rating. The LCR9mm is also Steel frame and heavier by a few ounces but I would bet you are going to get a lot more rounds down range. The LCR9mm is not a unpleasant gun to shoot. Recoil this side of going unpleasant. I find the smaller 38Plus P much more snappy.
The 327 is LOUD and a lot of muzzle flash and recoil is still up there. During normal times 9mm is obviously much more available and reasonable in price.
If you are going to get a snubbie, you are going to shoot it alot. Not only fun, but they do require a longer learning curve.
I do carry a Smith 642 because of the lighter weight, but do not put any were near the rounds through it as I do the 9mm. 90% of range time is with the LCR9mm. Much cheaper and always have plenty. Not to mention I love moon clips. As I mentioned, I load about 40 up the night before a range day. Makes life easy.

Check out this review with ballistics.

http://mousegunaddict.blogspot.com/2014/11/ruger-lcr-9mm-review-pocket-9mm-for.html
Click to expand...

I am more thinking about buying the 357 and shoot 38Spc+P. I am one of those that kick back really doesn't bother me. You want to talk about recoil, I shot the Freedom Arm mini revolver 22 magnum with 1" barrel. It's hard to hold and strong kick. It really doesn't bother me at all. You get used to it. Don't think about it and just shoot.

The thing about 9mm, you have to use a moon clip for ejecting the empty casing. Also, at least in my days, 38Spc ammo were cheaper than 9mm particular the reloads.
 
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Yes
Yes
IDK

The .380 in the 9mm or .357 revolver is a topic of interest to me and has been for years because even if it's not something I'm going to more than once, I want to know if it can be done in the event we have another pandemic that causes people to panic like the sky is falling and ammo does its disappearing act again.

The issue with 9mm is the case is tapered more than any other pistol cartridge I know of, so the base of it is about .02" larger in diameter than .380 is. This means .380 is going to expand a lot and lose power doing so, thus reducing velocity. The .38 and .357 tho are super straight walled and have no taper and the diameter is only a couple thousandths larger than .380, so if you shot a .380 in them it would expand less and, hopefully, have a bit more velocity.

The difficulty is in the headspacing, you'll need to find a moon clip that can hold .380 and IDK if the 9mm moon clips can hold them. .38/.357 moon clips are too big, you'll have a very hard time getting the .380 to stay put.

If someone who makes moon clips would off them in a .380 version, we'd be in business, but they wouldn't do that because "it's stupid" or "it's not safe."

So, I wouldn't bother pursuing .380 in a 9mm or .357 revolver, it's a pipe dream, one that even the moon clip manufacturers aren't willing to bother with.
 
Other than shooting 38spc in 357, I would not play with any other caliber. It's not worth it.

Still hard to find ammo.
 
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I agree the stock moon clips are junk. I also use Speed Beez. The gun does not need moon clips to fire 9mm. When I carry mine, it is usually without a reload so a moon clip is a good option and not a necessity mist of the time for me.
 
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