Ruger LCRX3 38 and Underwood Ammo

Looks normal to me.

Seems like a lot of flame cutting on the strap for 20 rounds. I agree with you don't use that ammo again. That being said I don't own an LCR. I have revolvers with flame cutting but they have many thousands of rounds down the pipe. Seems a little to hot for an alloy frame. You will however get better responses from many of the experts here. I will be interested to hear from them.

It’s a little hard to tell from your pics but that might me leading on the chambers and on the top strap. It would make sense if you were shooting hard casts.

Or, and I think this more likely, it could be that the blackened finish was blasted off the cylinder above each chamber, and there’s flame cutting on the top strap.

Underwood Ammo is known for loading some warm and potent ammo. As already suggested, an alloy framed LCR is probably not the best gun to use it in.

Your gun is probably still fine, but Id use standard pressure 38 Special from a different company. That load is rated at 1250 FPS with a 158 gr bullet. That is chugging along fast for a 38 +p, even from a 6 inch barrel by today’s standards.

I suggest you email some clearer pics to Underwood. This seems a load that should have a clear warning about not using it in alloy framed guns, if the gun is in fact damaged. No idea if they’ll respond but I’m guessing they’d like to know there’s a potential issue.

Yikes...

You're a bad dude to be shootin' that stuff in what, a fifteen ounce gun?

I recently went to just plain ol' target wadcutters in my 642.

Take a toothbrush to the cylinder to get the carbon/lead off. Try a bronze brush on the “flame cutting” around the barrel.

If it is flame cutting, the good news is it should stop. I personally think it’s lead/carbon fouling.

I think it's just lead splatter. It should clean right up. The cylinder for sure is just fine. I wouldn't think the top strap would be that etched from just 20, 158gr rounds even if they were hot which leads me to think it's just lead splatter.

How many rounds have been through this gun up to this point?

Was there any flame cutting of the top strap before this?

Might send a pic to Ruger and see what they say.

1KPerDay said:

Might send a pic to Ruger and see what they say.

Click to expand...

I second this.

And let us know what they say.

gotboostvr said:

I think it's just lead splatter. It should clean right up. The cylinder for sure is just fine. I wouldn't think the top strap would be that etched from just 20, 158gr rounds even if they were hot which leads me to think it's just lead splatter.

Click to expand...

Once you start shooting again, I suggest you try the Buffalo Bore 150grain Self Defense wadcutter loads. They're standard pressure, optimized for short barrels. I think your tolerance for recoil is quite a bit higher than mine, but I shoot these in my SP101, which weighs about 25 ounces, and it's a nice combination. My wife likes it too. To me, the BB's are kinda overbearing in my 642 but I think you might like them. The advantage of them is that they're an effective, penetrating SD load against man or beast because they don't have to get enough velocity to expand, their terminal performance comes from that hardcast, flat meplat making impact.

BTW Underwood makes a similar wadcutter load, if you aren't opposed to buying their stuff again after this experience. I just buy the BB's myself, and shoot one cylinder in my SP at each practice session. They are kinda pricey. You can get them at Midway.

clean the gun and use a pick to get the crud above the forcing cone at the top strap. then show us what it looks like.

gotboostvr said:

@Monster Zero

I don't if you quoted me by mistake, I'm not the OP. I'm a big fan of BB. My 2.5" M19 is stoked with their 158gr JHP "Tactical Short Barrel Lower Recoil Low Flash 357 Magnum" ammo (that's quite a mouthful of a name).

I'm a big fan of their 180gr WLFN load too out of my 4" 686.

Click to expand...

Thanks.

Wtabasco said:

Here is the reply Ruger sent me today;

"The aluminum flame cutting has been sporadic and rare. We have shot a number of them to over 5000 rounds each with 158 grain +P and in every case the flame cutting stops and ends up being only a cosmetic issue. It does not create a strength issue. We would be happy to examine your revolver if you want."

Very quick feedback when I only sent them the info last night, so I'm impressed with their response time. I won't be sending the gun back, but will still stay with standard pressure and factory +P ammo...no sense pushing it any further.

Thanks again for all the help, very happy that I joined this group.

Click to expand...

That was fast! Thanks for posting that. It's always good to hear from the manufacturer because they have tons of experience.

Looks mostly like lead splatter to me with a little flame cutting.

Wtabasco said:

I love Underwood ammo and have used it in my 10mm, traded this for the Kimber 1911 I have now, and 45acp with no issues. Inexpensive and more accurate than anything else I have shoot. I'll keep buying from them and may try their standard pressure offerings. Here is the reply Ruger sent me today;

"The aluminum flame cutting has been sporadic and rare. We have shot a number of them to over 5000 rounds each with 158 grain +P and in every case the flame cutting stops and ends up being only a cosmetic issue. It does not create a strength issue. We would be happy to examine your revolver if you want."

Very quick feedback when I only sent them the info last night, so I'm impressed with their response time. I won't be sending the gun back, but will still stay with standard pressure and factory +P ammo...no sense pushing it any further.

Thanks again for all the help, very happy that I joined this group.

Click to expand...

underwood is good stuff, but you have to mail order enough of it to offset the shipping charges. too bad LGS don't stock it like they do Cor-bon and BB.

Flame cutting is usually a phenomenon in hot low weight .357 mag, not heavy .38 special rounds....

I realize his stuff is loaded hot, but not flame cutting hot in this offering

That's a timing issue when you get lead splatter that bad from a low round count like 20 rounds down the tube.

Had a s&w 586 that would do that when the timing got shot out/worn. Looked the same, cylinders leaded up bad aong with the top strap being coated with a heavy layer of leading. Would send it back to s&w to get rebuilt and it would be good for another 100,000 rounds.

Take that firearm/ammo combo back to the range with a cardboard box with a piece of white paper taped to it. Shoot that revolver next to the box/paper and look at the paper for lead splatter & any holes in the paper from large chunks of lead.

I just looked at the specs for that ammo... Underwood states 1250 fps. IDK what barrel length that is, but I don't know of any +P .38 with a 158 gr bullet that goes that fast, that is basically .357 territory. Sure, it may not be over the SAAMI spec for pressure, but that doesn't mean it won't cut an aluminum top strap.

Underwood doesn't say anything about not using their .38 +P ammo in an aluminum frame revolver, but all the evidence on your revolver says otherwise. I would not hesitate to contact Underwood and ask them about this, they very well may owe you a new gun for failure to inform you of the damage this ammo can cause to aluminum frames.