Ruger LCR---No Thanks!

If at 80 yrs old I can take the recoil, you youngsters certainly should be able to handle it.
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What do you mean when you say "take" the recoil, and how much of it do you "take"?

Most "youngsters" can "take" a heavy drinking binge or two, but regular consumption of large amounts of alcohol can cause serious permanent damage.

The same thing is true for smoking; using smokes tobacco; exposure to loud noises without hearing protection; exposure to the sun; repeated blows to the head; and pitching a baseball too much without rest, and certain other repetitive motions.

As it happens, heavy recoil falls into that category, also.

Ask John Taffin.
 
My latest gun purchase is a Ruger LCR in .327 magnum. I bought this gun because I have been carrying a LCR 9mm for a while and wanted the extra round capacity and additional energy of the .327.

I have two other Rugers in .327 magnum, a SP 101 and a N/M Blackhawk. All 3 of my Rugers are more comfortable to shoot with 85 grain American Eagle ammo than with the 100 grain load.

I too am among the over 70 group that have been shooting magnums for over 50 years.

The only magnum that I have found to be a "No Thanks" is my snub nose S&W 460 Magnum.

My below YouTube video shows what this is like (for a then 66 year old).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ10KIdDRwo
 
As a younger man heavy recoil didn't bother me, I had no problems shooting full house hot magnums through my .41 a hundred at a time. As I've aged(just turned 63) I don't mind the recoil for a couple dozen rounds but that's enough. I also don't shoot nearly as accurately due to eyes and the effect of the recoil. My work has been very hard on my hands which I think is also a large part of it. So these days I prefer lighter recoiling loads for more sustained shooting. Crazy thing is, I flinch like crazy but still manage to somehow shoot fairly decent. Due to lighter recoil I've really fallen in love with my .357, even full magnums are pretty pleasant to shoot for me.
 
If at 80 yrs old I can take the recoil, you youngsters certainly should be able to handle it.
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It is not a matter of "taking" the recoil. It is a matter of getting off an effective second shot/double tap. Anyone can "man-up" and "take" a vicious first shot, but defensive revolvers have a cylinder with extra rounds in it for a reason.
 
I also am not a fan of magnum loads in ultralight handguns, and no fan of heavy recoil period. The notion that this makes me uninterested excitement or adventure, or less of a shooting enthusiast is silly.

I have a Houge grip on my LCP. It tames the snap a bit and keeps it anchored better in my hand. This makes it more enjoyable to shoot, and I shoot it better as a result. I like the trigger on an LCR, and don't mind shooting one with lighter loads. I will leave the hotter, heavier loads for better suited guns.
 
It is not a matter of "taking" the recoil. It is a matter of getting off an effective second shot/double tap. Anyone can "man-up" and "take" a vicious first shot, but defensive revolvers have a cylinder with extra rounds in it for a reason.
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Absolutely!

Should the need ever arise to use the firearm for self defense, that would pose a most serious risk.

I was referring to the effects of cumulative permanent injury caused by extensive, repeated exposure to heavy recoil.

Neither appeals to me at all.
 
I'd worry more about my hearing loss with the .357 LCR than my wrists if need be!LOL:D...Oh wait, can I put in my ear plugs first???

And with only 5 rounds, accuracy trumps speed.
 
There are quite a few tests showing that 357 recoil is a detriment to performance, despite the claims of Internet experts:

http://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/357-magnum-recoil-much/

https://korshjafarniamd.com/blog/tag/recoil-hand-injuries/

Women's issues: https://patch.com/virginia/greateralexandria/recreational-shooting-injuries-with-women_0317de7a

Here's a general look at snubby usage:

https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/is-a-pocket-gun-enough/

I note that there is a trend for wadcutters as the defensive load as they have lower recoil and their wound channel might be more effective than some HP from small barrels.

Saying to learn to handle stresses that can cause repetitive hand injuries is as silly as saying learn to handle deafness from repetitive loud bangs without muffs or plugs.
 
And with only 5 rounds, accuracy trumps speed.
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But rapidity of controlled fire is essential to striking one or more crucial but hidden internal body parts of an attacker closing from short range. Hitting them is not a matter of "accuracy".
 
I didn't mean accuracy as in slow fire bullseye!
I meant that sometimes one should slow down and make each shot count.
As in shooting and accessing the situation instead of quickly dumping 5 shots as rapidly as possible and then being out of ammo.
 
I meant that sometimes one should slow down and make each shot count.
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Were I to be attacked by someone at a distance of three to five meters who is moving at five meters per second, I would not expect to be able to "slow sown".

I would, however, strive to make every shot count.

None of that makes the negative immediate effects of excessive recoil any less serious.
 
Just because you can't handle recoil doesn't mean that other people can't.
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I respectfully suggest that very few, if any trained people using a good two handed grip, have any real ability to "handle" heavy recoil, in the sense of materially limiting the movement of the gun and getting it back on target very, very quickly.

Body strength can have some effect, but for a given ammunition, the weight of the gun is the biggest factor, followed by the bore axis and the angle of the grip.


Expecting anyone to be able to shoot a rapid controlled string with a lightweight polymer double action revolver with heavy .357 Magnum ammunition would be ludicrous.

And that's what it would take to hit the target in the time available with a sufficient number of rounds to have some likelihood of damaging something critical.
 
This thread is all about [emoji22]...

Just kidding. People should find out what they can handle and what they can't handle. Find out of the stuff you can handle the one that gives you the best ability, and use that.

For some, it is a full steel Government model 1911. Others, it is a 329PD. Many, it is a single stack, polymer 9mm.There are plenty of guns to go around for everyone. I do know that I've never seriously called someone out for shooting a weaker gun or not shooting something else (busting balls is always fun). Never considered shooting a .44 Magnum through my teens as a badge of anything... but when a recoil discussion comes up, I mention it to put it in perspective that I really don't mind dealing with recoil. I love my 9mm 642-1, and doesn't bother me if someone else doesn't like it or won't shoot it. Unless I'm selling it, which I won't, that is far from my concern.

In regards to the LCR, I did find that the Hogue Tamer grips (gelling in the blackstrap) were the best for recoil. My father tried a few, which I compared when I was looking at a 9mm LCR (had a .357, which is identical in regards to the frame).
 
I note that there is a trend for wadcutters as the defensive load as they have lower recoil and their wound channel might be more effective than some HP from small barrels.
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I would not call something that has been around for half a century or more a "trend". Handloaded reversed hollow base wadcutters have been a home brew defense load for ever!
 
an LCR .327 would be a great choice for a recoil sensitive person or one with weak hands. the trigger pull on the Centerfire LCRs is great, and loaded with regular .32 Long they have six shot revolver with an easy D/A trigger pull.
 
Sissy. That's right I said it (best Mark Levin voice). J/k. Seriously I used to want an LCR 357 then I got a S&W 640 instead. Funny you say you hate the trigger on the LCR, most say it has one of the best double action triggers out there.
 
I would not call something that has been around for half a century or more a "trend". Handloaded reversed hollow base wadcutters have been a home brew defense load for ever!
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No, while the rounds have been round for a long time, it is a recent development that users are moving away from the newer HP loads to the wadcutters. This is due to testing the newer loads vs. the wadcutters.

Also, I have deleted some chest pounding philosophy of life posts. The issues are the guns and not armchair old toot hot air.
 
I shoot my friend's 357 LCR sometimes. The recoil doesn't bother either one of us, but we are both big guys. I liked his so much that I snatched up a used 38 version when my LGS had it. It is four ounces lighter than the 357 version, and I was surprised to find that I had difficulty controlling it. A set of the slightly larger LCRx grips completely solved that problem. It is my favorite warm-weather CC handgun. With a good pocket holster it fits in my cargo shorts just right and is quick to draw. With the larger grips I can shoot it as well as any of my other snubs.

I am in no way judging anyone else. If someone doesn't prefer to shoot or carry an LCR, they certainly don't have to. There are plenty of other great CC handguns out there. Different strokes for different folks. :)
 
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