Can you hit the broad side of the barn with a Ruger LCR?

[cc-hangfire]

I'm late to the game on this thread, but I own the 642, LCR, & a Kel Tec P3AT (& have shot a friends LCP alongside my P3AT to compare the two, and I found them almost identical to shoot).

I shoot the P3AT better than either snubbie. These .380acp semi autos have a pre-cocked, long trigger pull of around 5 to 6 pounds, while the snubbies DAO trigger pull is in the 10 pound range. The lighter trigger pull allows better practical accuracy due to better trigger control IMHO. I know the revolvers themselves are accurate; mastering the DAO revolver trigger is not an easy thing.

I too am still practicing to improve my accuracy with my snub nose revolvers, but am accurate enough for self defense/combat distanced.

 

[SeanSw]

Yes, but I shoot much worse with the Bantam boot grips than the larger factory Hogues with finger grooves. I'm approaching a few hundred rounds fired with the boot grips and am about ready to call it quits. They conceal great but the recoil is worse and I simply cannot fire the gun very well with them installed. Both of the LCRs used by us show a preference for hotter/heavier ammunition.

 

[jolly roger]

Got my wife an LCR 9mm and she shoots Hornady 100 grainers and 100 grain Berrys I loaded up and she's quite good with it. I find it quite accurate and the trigger is nice.

 

[BLU]

I find that with practice, (not a lot), I can shoot a snubby, (the LCR .357 & 9mm), well enough to qualify on a 8x14" piece of paper. I have shot the course with longer barreled revolvers but feel quite comfortable doing so with the LCR.

 

[HexHead]

Owned a 22lr. Hated its trigger and couldn't hit anything. Sold it...and don't regret it.

A .22's trigger will be heavier than a .38 to get consistent ignition with a Rimfire cartridge.

 

[Clark]

I have an LCP with laser in my pocket.

I cannot hit a cottontail rabbit that is sitting between my feet.
I emptied the whole magazine.

But I think I will be able to hit larger targets in a self defense situation.

 

[Andy John]

I carry a .38 LCRX quite often. I can hit a man-sized target pretty consistently at 25 meters at a range with single action. When shooting double action, my accuracy goes down quite a bit.

Frankly, a snub-nosed revolver isn't designed for 25 meter head-shots. It's a quick, reliable and simple-to-operate weapon of last resort that you use to engage targets at ranges of less than 10' in high-stress situations.

 

[Milt1]

I have the LCR in .38+P and like 46Slick I can keep most, if not all, of my 5 shots inside a paper plate at 7 yards. That is if I shoot slow and take my time aiming. I recently shot a friend's Ruger SR9C and that is my next purchase for SD. The LCR is very easy to carry and I carry it a lot but I'd rather have the SR9C as I think it would be much better within the 7 yard range and on out to the 50 feet that you mentioned and it has a lot more firepower.

 

[BLB68]

I've rented an LCR in .22 LR, and was very impressed by it. As noted, the trigger is not supposed to be as good on the .22s, mainly due to weight of pull, but it was very smooth. I rented three Ruger .22s that day, the LCR, a 22/45, and a Single Six. I shot the 22/45 the best, of course, but shot the LCR better than the Single Six.

I've heard that the LCR will lock up if you short stroke the trigger. Maybe some owners can comment on the veracity of that claim?

 

[Havok7416]

I wouldn't say it locks up per se, but you can definitely short stroke the trigger

 

[mavracer]

With the laser I can keep all shots on a pie plate at 25 yards (yes yards)
even using the sights I'll still do it out to 15 yards.

 

[ljnowell]

Ranges of 50 feet(17ish yards) might not be considered a threat to life.

However, any wee revolver still has to fit your hand. Those Hogue's may not fit your hand right. Try one on for size first.

Any new firearm will require a trigger job too.

If you opt for the Ruger, buy the model with the adjustable sights.

Any new firearm Will require a trigger job? Pure hogwash. Adjustable sights matter not. Good luck finding a snubby LCR with them.

 

[Schwing]

I wouldn't say it locks up per se, but you can definitely short stroke the trigger

It absolutely locks up if you don't follow through with your trigger pull. You have to pull the trigger all the way in and let it go all the way out to reset. If you don't let it go, it won't reset.

Most DA revolvers will do this if you short stroke it.

 

[Havok7416]

I overcame the issue by retraining my trigger finger. No big deal really.

 

[SeanSw]

The lcr can definitely be short stroked. It may be easier to short stroke the lcr than other double action triggers but imo it's also a better factory trigger than you get from other guns in the same class. The lcr doesn't have an unnecessarily heavy trigger return spring and we have had 100% ignition on all ammo, including factory reloads, in factory condition.

Can anyone really tie up the action during live fire? For me to get reasonable accuracy at "maximum speed" I have to fire at a fairly slow cadence compared to shooting a large semi auto. Recoil and poor grip force me shoot slow enough that short stroking doesn't really enter the equation and I'm pretty sure the action cannot be outrun by most people in live fire.

 

[MICHAEL T]

That gun is even uglier than normal Rugers. No need to shoot. BG will be rolling on floor laughing at the ugly . Till he passes out from laughing and not breathing . Makes a glock look like a beauty queen .

 

[Old Fuff]

You are absolutely right, but if you have to shoot it in a serious confrontation you will find that it is well suited for the intended purpose.

Ugly is in the eye of the beholder, and of relatively little importance in a defensive weapon.

 

[SeanSw]

MICHAEL T - That's a feature, not a bug.

 

[INMY01TA]

This guy doesn't seem to have a problem.

http://youtu.be/N2TftoHRDSM

 

[Steve51]

I recently purchased the .38+P rated LCRx with 1.87" barrel (exposed hammer). The first time I shot it with standard .38 special ammo, I was shooting low left. I thought the gun was way off. I almost always shoot my other revolvers in single action but I wanted to use this one in double action for defensive reasons. I read something once that said if a right handed shooter shoots low left it is the shooters fault and not the gun.

The third range trip with the LCRx was much better. At seven to ten steps back from the target, I was dead on. I just needed some practice time. It is a keeper as far as I am concerned.

 

[Cowhide Cliff]

OK so it sounds like if you put a huge amount of practice in, you can at least partially overcome the shortcomings of the snub nose revolver.

And if you can shoot. Remember Bob Munden popping a balloon at something like 200 yards with a snub nose 38.

The guns are almost always more capable than the shooter.

 

[webrx]

LCRx in .38 is my carry revolver.

It took me about 3 to 4 cylinders to get used to the LCRx and I feel confident in my ability to get on or near POA at SD distances. To be fair, I had an SP101 in .357 I let go a few years ago as I did not like the DAO trigger on that gun, but I was already familiar with shooting Snubbies prior to this purchase

My wife liked it but the recoil was a bit much for her so she bought the LCR in .22 MAG to carry, the trigger ended up being too strong for her to keep the revolver on target consistently, as someone stated above the .22 trigger has a heavier pull due to being a rimfire and this is needed to ensure ignition.

So i have the .22 mag now and I sometimes carry it as a BUG or lighter weight pocket revolver. I do not mind the DAO trigger on the .22mag, it pulls stronger than the LCRX, is smooth, doesnt stack like the SP101, and I can shoot it well enough as SD distances to feel comfortable carrying it.

d

 

[dbmjr1]

I have a LCR9. It took some practice, but I can now regularly hit the 8" steel plates at 25 yards.

Not sure how accurate you require a snubbie to be.

 

[joed]

What the heck! My first short revolver was a S&W 66 with 2.5" barrel, I was very surprised at how well it shot. I expected a lot of misses and that gun never did that unless I wasn't up to par.

I no longer pay attention to the barrel length.