Replacement for LCR 9mm?

I have the Charter Arms PITBULL in 9mm and at first the double-action trigger was horrible, but after a lot of dry-firing the trigger has improved a lot.

It was never difficult to shoot, even with 124gr NATO which is a little hotter than standard pressure.

I got a chance to handle the LCR, Charter Arms 9mm PITBULL, and the Taurus 905 side by side by side.

There is no doubt that the Ruger LCR had the best DA trigger of the three guns and Taurus had the worst. I'm not sure how much the triggers on the Ruger and Taurus improve with use but the PITBULL has gotten a lot better.

Old fuff is probably right, you may want to try a .357 mag snubby and load it with .38 special. I might buy one of those myself.

I'm considering the .22 magnum version, but I'm nervous about using something that underpowered for concealed carry. I know the reputable companies make self defense ammo in that caliber, but still. I love the design of the LCR and would hate to not have one.

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I purchased a Taurus M-931 for my wife as a c.c. firearm. She didn’t like the trigger pull so before I decided shoot it before I traded it off. The result was 1 3/8” 8 round group at 10 yards with Speer Gold-Dot. So I decided to keep it. It is very useful here on the farm and if I already have it on I carry it when I have to go to town.

I like to compare the 22 magnum from a handgun like a wasp sting. For most of us one wasp sting is a attention getter and painful with some swelling. However for some folks like my Dad a wasp sting can be fatal to him if he doesn’t get medical treatment withina 30 minutes.

Now consider being attacked by a bunch of angry wasps. Now the situation has become very serious and life threatening. Multiple wasp stings can and do kill healthy adults.

One round of 22 magnum may not stop the attacker. However 6 – 8 rounds and things are getting very bad for the attacker.

I can’t comment about Hornady and Winchester ammo as they have been unavailable for two years now.

I like the 22 Magnum. Recoil what recoil? If my Taurus is typical outstanding accuracy. Plus eight rounds of angry wasps. I would buy a Ruger LCR in 22 magnum if I find a used one cheap enough.

p.s. My wife has chosen a Colt Positive Special as her self-defense handgun.

This is the reason why it's important to test fire a gun before you buy it, especially a light revolver.

Have no fear OP, while the 9mm LCRs are nice and cool in some ways (ammo cost), a good .38 LCR is going to be fantastic for defense and with less recoil. They've got some GREAT .38 special +P defense loads out now like the awesome Speer Gold Dot .38 special +P 135 grain Short Barrel (what a mouthful!) ammo that is just the cats meow when fired from a short ~2" snub barrel. It gets about 13" penetration in calibrated FBI ballistics gel test with 4 layers of heavy denim, and typically expands to over .55 caliber. It does all of this with very manageable recoil and very little muzzle flash... I should know, it's my main carry load for my EDC which is a S&W 642 and I've fired quite a bit of it.

.38 special ammo is a bit more expensive than 9mm, but if you shop around (use the internet) you can get really nice deals on good .38 special ammo for not too much more money. Try ammoseek.com.

If using the gun for the defending of the self or the others, today's .38 special +P loads are just everything you could ask for in a small snub revolver. No 9mm, or for that matter .357 magnum, needed. If you think the 9mm recoil is bad, shoot a .357 LCR with warm magnums and get back to us. The great thing about the .38 special snubs are that recoil is manageable with practice, and still effective. The .38 special LCR is also well known to handle recoil very nicely. If I were you, that's what I'd do OP- trade in that 9mm for a .38 special LCR. Your 9mm LCR should sell easily, I'd use Gun Broker or a similar website so you don't get screwed by a pawn shop or LGS. You might also want to actually buy a .357 LCR and just use .38 specials for defense. The LCR .357 is the same weight as your 9mm LCR, and if you stick to .38 special you'll have even less recoil. If you want the lighter LCR .38, I think it should still recoil less than the 9mm LCR though so up to you.

I think you'll find that the .38 LCR is just what you need. Whatever you decide, good luck friend! !

Kristie the 38 special has less recoil because the 9mm runs in the 35,000 ft lb pressure range for standard and 38,500 for +P. That's a whole lot of pressure for a little cartridge. The 38 special runs 17,000 for standard and 18,500 for +P which drops off recoil a bit. I mentioned above the full wadcutter 148 round and you questioned how a heavier bullet is lighter in recoil. It's not! The lighter rounds do produce less recoil in general, but the 148 wadcutter is loaded very light and will give you control and penetration which is more important than a lighter bullet failing to penetrate deep enough. I have owned the LCR 9mm so I know full well what the recoil level is and I can tell you the 38 special LCR is lighter in recoil and lighter in weight and I like it a whole lot better. That 9mm even I the 115 grain is snappier and when you shoot 147 it hard and a hand full. Go shoot a 38 special 38 LCR and try a wadcutter or evne a standard velocity 158 rnl and it's a whole lot lighter. Hornady 110 FTX even the +p is very controllable. I like the Remington 125 Golden Sabre's a bit of a blast but less recoil than a Speer 135 Gold Dot. I hope this helps you make a decision but I would buy the 38 special LCR without a dout and keep those tamer grips on, they are awesome.

My LCR with a padded grip recoils more with standard .38 special than my subcompact 9mm with 147gr +p. The pistol is heavier and semi autos have a lot more going on to help mitigate recoil than a lightweight snub nose revolver.

Recoil is a function of a lot of things and a heavier bullet may not necessarily have more recoil, especially if the velocity is lower. I still find 125gr +p golden sabers to have more recoil than standard pressure 158gr. Wadcutters have less recoil than both. I find the same to be true of 125gr .357 loads compared to heavier 158gr. I don't enjoy shooting either from anything less than a full size steel revolver.

As long as you're sticking with the LCR I don't think you'll see a HUGE difference between 9mm and .38 special. The 9mm version weighs more than the .38 too. I just thought there were more available options for a .38 special than 9mm which has not had a long history of load development for short barrels. This is changing and you may still find an appropriate 9mm load. You will get the best value for your LCR by selling it privately and not trading it in. You can test out a lot of ammo for the price of a new gun!

Yes, proper carry ammo is expensive. It is an investment. The benefit of using a revolver is that you will have to spend much less time testing ammunition for function and reliability than a semi-auto which also needs to be checked for feeding and ejection.

The .38 in a light .38 snub (like a lcr) will probably be stout, which is why some suggest you get a steel framed .357 mag snubby; the extra weight of the heavier frame will help tame recoil.

But the .38 special recoils somewhat less than a 9mm (in general)

Lets say you have a 9mm load pushing a 115 grain bullet at 1,200 FPS.
Lets say you have a .38 Spl pushing a 158 grain bullet at 850 FPS.

The 9mm load has higher muzzle energy by about 100 ft/lb..
Free recoil of the gun will be a little more on the 9mm..

But the 9mm load will be much 'snappier' / 'sharper' feeling because of the higher velocity.

rc

Kristie said:

What's everyone's experience with trading something in? Is it better to trade it for the new gun, or better just to have them buy it if they will? Or take it on consignment? And what's a better place to take it to, a little independent gun shop, a slightly bigger one, or a big box store (I'm guessing not this one)?

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You'll be better off to sell it privately, or even on consignment (or on THR), than trading it in. You would be fortunate to get 70% retail on a trade. Most locally owned gun shops will take trades or buy your gun (at a big discount, of course). Big box stores won't, with the exception of Cabela's (might be a select few others).

More importantly you should, if possible, go to a range where you can rent a few revolvers and try them...everyone perceives recoil differently and great ergonomics for one person might not work at all for another. My wife once wanted a revolver but we quickly found that the popular choices were all either too heavy or had too much recoil. I'm trying to get her to try the Glock 42 now (very mild recoil). Might go LCR in 22mag next if the 42 does not work out.

Don't let anyone talk you into a firearm/caliber you are not 100% comfortable with. A 22mag LCR on your hip is nothing to scoff at IMO.

The 9 recoils more than the .38 special.
The .38 special can still have harsh recoil when shot in a light snubby like a .38 LCR or an air weight model.
So try a .38 special in a .357 snubby made of steel, which will result in less felt recoil compared to the lighter .38 lcr snubby.

Hope that helps.

Kristie said:

Yeah, I know I'd be comfortable with the .22 magnum, but I think there'd always be the worry that it's not sufficient. I might just try renting one, even though it's ridiculously expensive to do so. Hmmmm......more to think about.

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So you'd be comfortable with it, but would be worried about it?

Sounds like you need a .32 H&R magnum snub. Low recoil, much more effective than .22 magnum, Charter Arms makes .32 H&R snubs that should fit the bill. Look at this one:

http://www.charterfirearms.com/products/Charter_Undercoverette_73220.asp

You won't be able to use speedloaders or moon clips, none made for this gun, but you can reload with speed strips:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/75...-9mm-luger-6-round-polymer-package-of-2-black

Try Magtech. It has slain me a few whitetail so I know it expands well, and it's pretty reasonable for defensive ammo.

Kristie let me clarify one more thing for you. "Versatility" the 38 special has many more loads which are tailored to lighter recoil than the 9mm. Why? Because the 9mm has to run at 35,000 lb or more to function an auto pistol properly. The 38 special on the other hand can run on anything and does not need to be hot to function in a revolver. So you can buy lower pressured rounds for practice and the revolver will function just fine. There are not many light recoiling rounds for the 9mm for this reasons I stated. The 38 on the other hand has many lower recoiling rounds available. Just the 38 spec 130 ball rounds function in the 700 range or the wadcutter in the 600 range very light and fully functional. There are many more choices for you to choose from in light recoiling loads in 38 Special. The 9mm in an auto pistol, the recoil is absorbed by the recoil springs, slide weight so it's more controllable. Now I own a Kel tec pf9 you want to talk recoil, OMG my trigger finger hurts when I shoot this gun. It's very difficult to find a load that tames the recoil in this pistol. I shoot Hornady 115 FTX or FTX lite loads for control. These are the lightest factory defense loads I have found in 9mm. Hope this helps.

Kristie,

I'm afraid the over-penetration concern is a bit more complicated than it seems also. First It has NOTHING to do with your misses, instead with the "hits".

A 50 gr. bullet is extremely light for this caliber class and is intentionally being used to create extreme velocity, remember what rcmodel said about recoil-impulse and high velocity rounds? Trust me it is much better for you to find a comfort zone with a tried and true defense round or even the 148 gr. wad-cutters of .38 spl.

You can always experiment with the ragged edge stuff later. You will benefit from KISS (Keep It Simple for Success) in light handgun defense. A lot of chips are on the table.

Regardless best to you in your quest.

The .38 Special version of the LCR, with factory loads of almost any tupe, still is a difficult gun for many of smaller stature or limited physical size to control - small, light weight revolvers are hard on women and small people.

If yer gonna find a 9mm LCR substitute I'm gonna digress and recommend you shoot some auto loaders in .380.

Shooting .38 in a .357 LCR does indeed reduce the recoil...about 10%. Didn't help my Wife and in the end a small. light weight revolver simply does not serve her as well as a Glock 42.

Just a suggestion - don't shoot the messenger.

VooDoo

Kristie,

Suggest you modify your grip to not cross your thumbs. just a thought

murf

The Boot grip is also made by Hogue and has the gel inside like the stock one. I didn't notice a difference in recoil. It is a little slimmer and shorter and less tacky so your clothes don't grip it.

If you want to sell or trade your gun I've had great luck with some of the Illinois Facebook gun sites. Just find one that covers your part of the state.

IllinoisCarry.com if you're not already a member:

http://illinoiscarry.com/forum/index.php?showforum=10

Cooldill said:

So you'd be comfortable with it, but would be worried about it?

Sounds like you need a .32 H&R magnum snub. Low recoil, much more effective than .22 magnum, Charter Arms makes .32 H&R snubs that should fit the bill. Look at this one:

http://www.charterfirearms.com/products/Charter_Undercoverette_73220.asp

You won't be able to use speedloaders or moon clips, none made for this gun, but you can reload with speed strips:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/75...-9mm-luger-6-round-polymer-package-of-2-black

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I have the Charter 32 H&R mag and it is definitely the goldilocks round for my gf. To be honest, I like shooting it better than the 38 too.

Yes, .32 is underrated.