Smallest/lightest 9mm revolver

The LCR has a better trigger by most people’s reckoning, mine included. It’s even better than a tuned j frame trigger. The LCR with a bantam boot grip is about 16.5 oz if I remember correctly, as the stock grip is a touch heavier. At that point you are only looking at about an ounce difference between an airweight.

There were two legit prototypes 942 s made. One went to Wiley Clapp for testing. Evidentially It was no good and never made production.

You're asking for a tall order there cvicisso.

silvermane_1 said:

You're asking for a tall order there cvicisso.

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I love the LCR9mm with a Bantam boot Grip, can shoot it all day, however you are asking too much. No it will not shoot all ammo due to crimp jump. There is plenty of good ammo available, but still it will jump crimp on some cheap junk. I shoot ARX Plus P which makes the gun lighter and less recoil, although recoil does not affect me much on any ammo. Stout, well built, sturdy revolver. Smooth trigger.

Here is a great review of the LCR9mm tested with different ammo.

http://mousegunaddict.blogspot.com/search?q=lcr+9mm

You can also do you own research here: https://www.genitron.com/Compare-Handguns

Jeb Stuart said:

I love the LCR9mm with a Bantam boot Grip, can shoot it all day, however you are asking too much. No it will not shoot all ammo due to crimp jump. There is plenty of good ammo available, but still it will jump crimp on some cheap junk. I shoot ARX Plus P which makes the gun lighter and less recoil, although recoil does not affect me much on any ammo. Stout, well built, sturdy revolver. Smooth trigger.

Here is a great review of the LCR9mm tested with different ammo.

http://mousegunaddict.blogspot.com/search?q=lcr+9mm

You can also do you own research here: https://www.genitron.com/Compare-Handguns

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Yep on the crimp jump issue there Jeb, cvivisso should understand that some "craptastic" brands of 9mm should never be used in a 9mm wheelgun.

Just thought I would mention when my daughter in law purchased a small revolver she chose an Airweight for it's size and weight. The recoil with the stock grip was a little more than she wanted so they installed a DeltaGrip that was recommended by the gun store. As funny as it looks it points very well and I thought it had much less felt recoil.

cvicisso said:

Ok, now THIS is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. The 642 frame is an "Airweight" right? So, you are shooting 9mm out of an aluminum .38 Special frame. I like it. A few questions:

1. Disregarding recoil (which I don't care about), do/would you feel safe shooting +P loads, yep, it shoots 125gr +p very well it is a real handful though
2. I'm not sure if the >125 gr warning is on the non-Scandium frames, but either way - is it safe to shoot lighter bullets with your setup? I typically shot 125gr JHPs or 115gr LRN.
3. What about the cylinder/frame(?) 'window?' I read you had to make sure to get the right size cylinder - the dashes in the model have something to do with it I think. Yes, the 940 has to match up with the right frame dash but they are not he same, look in the S&W reference book for help
4. Did you have to do any machining, trimming, polishing, or shimming or anything other than simply swapping the cylinder? I had it fitted by Pinnacle gun works near Allentown PA
5. What's the new non-loaded weight with the 9mm cylinder? I do not know, I do not think it is any different from a regular 642.
6. Where did you get the 9mm cylinder, and roughly how much $ should I expect to pay? I got it from S&W
7. Do you think this would also work on a 638 frame (shrouded SA/DA hammer, aluminum, .38 Spl) Sure.

Thanks!!

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Regarding the difference between a 9mm/.355 bullet and a .38 spec/.358 is negligible and makes no difference in the accuracy of the gun.
This cylinder also fits in a 60-4 that I have making for a wonderful gun, 3" barrel, adjustable sights, round butt, moonclips, and really, really accurate.

FAS1 said:

Just thought I would mention when my daughter in law purchased a small revolver she chose an Airweight for it's size and weight. The recoil with the stock grip was a little more than she wanted so they installed a DeltaGrip that was recommended by the gun store. As funny as it looks it points very well and I thought it had much less felt recoil.

View attachment 873814

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Interesting. I tried most of the Grips for the LCR and settled on the Bantam. And yes, it was easier to mangage which I did not think it would be. I have not tried the Delta Grip, but will order one to try. I also have a LCR22 that I train with very frequently.

FYI, I shoot the LCR9mm on a regular basis, and train a lot with the LCR22 which has done wonders. A lot of rounds with no problem. I was in a conversation with a Revolver Tech rep. and he asked my what ammo I used in the LCR9mm. I told him a lot of Fiocchi. He then said that is what they use at Ruger to test the LCR. I also shoot a lot of Federal American Eagle. I do not use Ruger Moon Clips. The Steel ones do much better and last indefinitely. I typically load up about 40 moon clips the night before a range day. Makes for fast reloading.

Pinnacle Gunworks converts j frames over to nine millimeter.

There's a bud I work with I get into shooting and reloading conversations with on a regular basis and he owns the LCR 9mm. He did indeed mention problems with some ammo including his own reloads jumping crimp. If I remember correctly he increased his crimp tension and used heavier bullets to eliminate the problem. I'm a huge fan of .45 ACP revolvers but have never owned a 9mm version. You just about can't get a faster reload than popping a loaded moon clip in the cylinder. If I owned a lightweight 9mm wheel I would probably go with either a heavy taper crimp or a roll crimp on suitable 124-147 grain bullets.

cvicisso said:

Thanks Tallball. Why (specifically) do you prefer the LCR to the J-frame? Right now, really the only things holding me back from the LCR are the looks and the slight size/weight increase over the Airweight J-frame (assuming a 9mm Airweight conversion is even possible).

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If you're going to shoot 9mm out of a pocket gun you'll learn to appreciate a little extra mass... In time...

I owned the LCR 9mm for a short while. The recoil wasn’t too bad and I tested several hollow points with no signs of crimp jump. Unfortunately I don’t recall what loads I tested, but I suspect at least one was a gold dot in either 115 or 124 grain, standard pressure.

Brian Williams said:

Here is a picture of my "942" a 642 with a 940 cylinder.
View attachment 873512

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You

GEM said:

There were two legit prototypes 942 s made. One went to Wiley Clapp for testing. Evidentially It was no good and never made production.

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Way too much pressure for the alum. frame.

I have a j-frame Model 642. It has a nice trigger and I shoot it pretty well. I like it.

I like my LCR even better. It feels a little lighter maybe? which is NBD. The main thing is that the trigger is so good. It's the best DA trigger I have ever felt on a snubby. Also, the previous owner was kind enough to install a fiber optic front sight.

I carry my LCR more frequently than any other handgun.

cvicisso -

It seems you're handcuffing the possible options.
So you want a revolver that fires 9mm ammo?
And you want to pocket carry it without a holster.

Let's start with the pocket carry...
A pocket holster is designed to always have the gun in the same position.
How are you to draw if you can't find the grip?
Masad Ayoob, one of the foremost experts of our time, came up with that question/idea.

While there are some quality 9mm revolvers, if you adjust your criteria, it opens up a whole catalog of possibilities.
I can't think of one I'd recommend.
IMHO they're either too heavy, or not reliable.

Just my 2¢. YMMV

cvicisso said:

Thanks. The Ruger is 17 oz - which isn't bad, but... was hoping there existed a smaller/lighter "Airweight" J-frame. I know I'm splitting hairs - just trying to make a purchase I won't regret.

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The S&W Airweight weighs 15oz. plus the additional weight of the M940 cylinder would put it very close in weight to the Ruger so you are not saving weight. It would however make a really nice revolver.

ArchAngelCD said:

The S&W Airweight weighs 15oz. plus the additional weight of the M940 cylinder would put it very close in weight to the Ruger so you are not saving weight. It would however make a really nice revolver.

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The 9mm cylinder should weigh about the same as the .38 Special cylinder that it replaced.

SteadyD said:

I owned the LCR 9mm for a short while. The recoil wasn’t too bad and I tested several hollow points with no signs of crimp jump. Unfortunately I don’t recall what loads I tested, but I suspect at least one was a gold dot in either 115 or 124 grain, standard pressure.

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In my 9mm LCR, I’ve short hornady critical defense, federal hst (regular and micro), and gold dot, with no discernible crimp jump. Any quality sd ammo seems to hold up in it so far.

I quickly learned not to shoot blazer brass though.

I think there’s no alternative to the lcr 9mm in the mass market that fits the op’s qualifications.

And the trigger is just awesome.

You know...this whole topic brings up some great points, and some great questions.

Personally, I have a Charter Pitbull in 9mm. According to my scale, it weighs in at 20oz. The thing is a bit of a handful, especially with NATO or +P rounds (we're talking about chamber PSI of 35-38K here...WAY more than 38 spcl and +P) . I did a lot of testing with various rounds and did find that with most, there really is a notable amount of "crimp" jump. The round being hotter didn't make the difference, the brand did. I also findthe revolver to be snappy, even given it's weight.

Either way, I'll say that to be 100% honest, I'm not convinced that 9mm in a small revolver is a good thing. I really need to do some testing on this to see how it performs vs 38 special in a short barrel revolver...the gains may be small enough that it simple is not worth the effort it take to shoot 9mm in a revolver. I'm having difficulty finding much online considering 9mm revolver ballistics...I may have to do my own testing.

There is this write up:
https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/review-ruger-lcr-9mm/

I kind of mirrors my thoughts, they are snappy little guns.