Who caries the LCR over their S&W?

B

blackamos

New member
I found that my 638 stays home more days then my Ruger LCR 38. I like both guns but seem to grab the LCR more often when going out. I'm I alone? I love the 638 and have advised others to buy them if they want a great pocket 38 but I also like the LCR.
 
I carried my 640 for a few years then got an LCR (also in 357) . The Weight made the LCR easier to carry but I found I practiced more with the 640 because its heavier so it recoils less (357 magnum). I decided to go back to the gun I was familiar with and enjoyed practicing with. The LCR was put to good use though. My father now carried it with 38 specials.

In my opinion the LCR has a better trigger and is lighter weight but I prefer the look of stainless and the weight does not seem to be an issue to me when pocket carry. As I said the J-frame is more fun to practice with.

I can understand how I may be in the minority though :)
 
Me. The LCR is in that sweet spot that just works. I think 99.9% of the objections to the LCR are for its goofy looks, not its performance.
 
I have not had a J frame for about three decades. A couple of years ago my wife got a LCR (a present from me) and she likes it a lot. I wanted to get her a small revolver such as a J frame to replace her semi-auto CCW. I compared the LCR side by side to a 642 at my local gun store, dry-firing both, and I preferred the LCR's trigger, the grips, and the lighter weight.

When my wife got her CCW many years ago I gave her my back-up gun (Walther PPK/S) as it was the only non full-size handgun we had. She carried it as a CCW for years, but the slide stiffness and the thin hard grip was becoming an issue for her hands as she got older. She wanted something else, and at first was against a revolver. I got the LCR and let her try it, saying that if she did not like it I would keep it for myself and get her another semi-auto. She really likes to shoot it. Since getting the LCR she has stated that she really prefers a revolver now over a small semi-auto.

I'm about to get another small size CCW for myself because I too don't like the thin hard grip of the PPK/S. My biggest complaint about the PPK/S however is its heavy weight compared to the LCR. I've had that PPK/S since about 1990 and probably will never get rid of it, but it is heavy compared to today's offering of small guns and as I get older (over fifty) I want an everyday carry that is comfortable.

Although I am again looking hard at a S&W 642 TALO, I am still leaning toward getting another LCR because of the lighter weight and the trigger. The purist in me says "J frame"....but that LCR is a nice gun, and so easy to carry. I bet the LCR will win out when I finally make a purchase in mid-year.

P.S. I should have never sold the "Chief Special" I had many, many years ago but the semi-auto bug of the eighties caused me to sell it and a 686 that was my first duty gun. My PPK/S and my 92FS replaced those two as my duty and backup pair. Bad thing about the chief was the open hammer. I don't think any small "pocket" revolver should have an exposed hammer.

Ruger now does offer the LCR with an exposed hammer, but it is not for me. I believe they have come out with it as a "test bed" to possibly transition this LCR trigger group into their full size revolver line. I suspect that soon their 101 will have it's current trigger group replaced with their new technology LCR trigger group and it will be a full size revolver with an exposed hammer/LCR trigger.
 
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I HAD a 357 LCR - it was a nice handgun for sure and a nice lightweight carry. It was a good shooter - no complaints at all with it. I carry OTB and for my purposes, I like my Smith Model 36 much better - but that's just me. I'm comfortable with 38s and both the 36 and LCR carry 5. In a way, I hated to part with it as it was a nice revolver but my problem is that I have too many :D and there wasn't much use in keeping it if it never got used.

I am enjoying the comments on the trigger that some of you have made. When the LCR first came out, all I saw was the complaints on the trigger - which I thought was a bunch of hooey. My LCR had a decent DA trigger and was perfect for SD carry. I had no trouble adapting to the length of pull or the feel of it. I'm not one to "tinker" with triggers. I have over a half dozen revolvers and they all have different trigger pulls and feel. To me, it's all about "learning" the gun and getting used to it.

So yea, I went to a Smith J frame from a LCR but I will never bad mouth the LCR - and I've recommended it to many. A great little hand gun.

twobit - I agree with you on the exposed hammer model (even though I carry an exposed hammer). I have to wonder it this isn't a little marketing test for what is "to come" out of Ruger. We shall see as time passes. I have 4 Rugers - SA and semi - love them all.
 
I've pocket carried a Model 36 for many years and just recently got the LCR in .357 Mag. Since I fired about 50 rounds through the LCR it has been in my pocket ever since. Same size but with .357 power and a much better trigger. I'm lovin it.
 
I didn't choose the LCR over a Smith J-frame per se because I never owned J frame. What happened when I was shopping for my concealed carry revolver I compared the LCR with a nice stainless steel S&W 38spl snubby. They both felt equally good in my hand and were about the same price but the trigger pull was much better on the Ruger LCR. That sealed it for me.
I also don't quite understand the bad rap the LCR gets for being ugly or goofy looking. I think it is a pretty good looking handgun, a little different but still has nice lines.
 
The only thing that I don't like about the lcr is that the trigger guard is to low which makes it not fit in most jframe holsters. If the trigger guard was not shaped this way it would have been nice cause j frame holsters are everyware. This is less of a problem now but it was a pain to find a holster when I first got mine.

As for what's better; I let logic decide which to buy. I own both j's and lcr's
 
I eventually sold my Airweights--just too painful to practice with much. Replaced with an LCR .357, which rides almost as well and doesn't hurt to practice with at all.
 
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