Getting out of the semi automatic game....

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Joezilla

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Okay, I gave my son in law my Xdm 9mm pistol. I have a buyer for my Glock 26. Once that transaction is done, I will be auto free except for my P22 Walther which doesn't get shot much.

I still have a bit of 9mm rounds so I am thinking about a Ruger LCR 9mm. Any thoughts on this?

I also want a .22LR revolver for plinking purposes. Would the Ruger LCR .22LR revolver or the Ruger SP101 .22LR revolver be the better purchase?

I don't want to screw this up so am asking for comments.

Joe
 
Why not sell the ammo and have that much more money in your pocket for the guns and ammo you actually want?

For a plinking revolver, I probably wouldn't be looking at the LCR but rather at the Single Six (plink with .22 mag, .22lr, .22 long, .22 short). For a smaller carry gun which it sounds like you are also looking for, maybe a .38spcl or .357mag LCR? Perhaps, better yet, .357 mag 3" SP101 for easy carry and ammo versatility.
 
so my curiosity is peaked, what made you decide to leave behind the bottom feeding brass chuckers? I agree with you, I don't have much love for semi autos, and am always curious what brings others to the same or similar conclusion. (though I do admit to owning a couple 1911's and an all steel 10mm, but compared to the 8 revolvers I own, its plain to see I have a bias)
 
I love revolvers and have a good number including j and k frames I carry. But the G26 is a better carry gun than any small .357 or .38 revolver. It has less felt recoil, is easier to shoot accurately, and holds more rounds, and is as easy to conceal with a good iwb or pocket holster. Keep the G26 save money for a revolver you will regret selling it.
 
All the revolvers you mentioned are double action. At least for plinking purposes, have you considered a single action? I like Rugers, Single-Six and Blackhawks, but there are others. My current favorite is a Single-Six in 32 Magnum.

Don't know if this applies to you but part of the appeal of revolvers for me is how versatile they are for hand loading.

Jeff
 
Out of curiosity, why are you getting totally out of semi autos? I mean revolvers will always be my favorite, but I enjoy semiautos too.

Personally, I think 9mm revolvers are silly. Sell the anmo and live moon clip free.

As far as a 22 goes, I like my SP101 pretty good. It's not perfect, but pretty decent. If I'd had the money, I probably would have gone with a S&W 617 instead.
 
Enough trying to find the brass

I have always had a good mix of revolvers and semi auto pistols. It was fine in the good old days of 3 and 4 years ago, I would have brass all over the range but there was always an excess of existing brass laying around so I came out about even or ahead. Over the years I have used tarps and homemade stops for gathering brass. Now there is never a piece of brass on the range any where. Its frustrating
The .45 9mm and .380 semi autos are all going to be sold along with the ammo. The .45s stay and will go through the Blackhawk.
I actually prefer my revolvers and as they have always been my traditional CC guns, nothing will really change except the lackof frustration I will alleviate trying to recover brass on the range.
 
Dump Semi's - Grab Revolvers ?

I understand my frustration ( but don't completely comprehend yours ), with semi's. The incomplete reliability, distrust of function, and downright frustration with most semi's put us in the same mode (I think).

Most of my non-revolvers (semi's) I'm thinking about retiring . A few, the 1911 is at the top, I do trust.

Regarding wheelguns, and you mentioned .22's, have you thought about a High Standard Sentinel or Double Nine in both DA/SA? In SA, Ruger Single Six or Bear Cat are top of the line, with Heritage Rough Rider as an economical alternative.

Have fun browsing on the web or your local sporting goods store or pawnshop. Friends in a gun club or local range are a good source to help you decide.:)
 
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Okay, I gave my son in law my Xdm 9mm pistol. I have a buyer for my Glock 26. Once that transaction is done, I will be auto free except for my P22 Walther which doesn't get shot much.

I still have a bit of 9mm rounds so I am thinking about a Ruger LCR 9mm. Any thoughts on this?

I also want a .22LR revolver for plinking purposes. Would the Ruger LCR .22LR revolver or the Ruger SP101 .22LR revolver be the better purchase?

I don't want to screw this up so am asking for comments.
Click to expand...

What purpose(s) do you have in mind for the guns?

Have you trained with revolvers at all? Have you attended any defensive handgun courses? This is very important because moving from semi-autos to revolvers requires a quite a bit of change. Finding a good revolver instructor can be a challenge. I recommend Mas Ayoob's MAG-40 class since he knows revolvers and give you all the tips and tricks that are now mostly lost.

You are in luck with the LCR series: you can get it in 22 LR, 38 Special +P and 357 Magnum. Why not get an LCR in 22 LR and 38 Special +P? They offer an LCR with 3" barrel too. Ruger offers a smaller grip for concealed carry (http://shopruger.com/Hogue-LCR-Bantam_Boot-Grip/productinfo/19927/).

Forget the SP101 in 357 Magnum. It's Glock 19 sized and does nothing well. Either get a full sized GP100 or go with the small framed LCR. You will see why after carrying and shooting the SP101 for awhile.

I'm sure the SP101 in 22 Long Rifle is just fine. It has an adjustable rear sight, 4" barrel and fiber optic front sight.

The LCR in 9mm would be a good choice. You'll get a bit more performance over 38 Special +P and it runs on moonclips. (TK Custom can cut your 38 Special LCR cylinder for moonclips). You can still shoot 9mm without moonclips, but you'll need a "tactical pencil" to pop out the cases (as if it were a single action revolver).

Ruger LCR 9mm Review (make sure to watch the video)
http://mousegunaddict.blogspot.com/2014/11/ruger-lcr-9mm-review-pocket-9mm-for.html

If I were going to do what you're doing, I would buy the following:

Ruger LCR in 22 Long Rifle (1.875" barrel)
Ruger LCR in either 38 Special or 9mm (1.875" barrel)
Ruger GP100 in 357 Magnum (4" barrel)

The two centerfire guns would cover most of your defensive needs. You could get the LCR with 3" barrel for better ballistics at the expense of concealability. The reason for the LCR in 22 LR is for cheap practice on the same platform since snubby revolvers require a bit more training.
 
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Congratulations!
Welcome to the light side of the force :)
JK
I would sale or trade the 9mm ammo and get another 642 and some practice ammo. 9mm are not crimped like the 38/357 ammo. Light 115 grn bullets will unseat and spill gunpowder all over in light weight guns like the LCR 9mm.

Alot of good options to choose from.
Now that you have a 38/357 platform you can build your arson el in the years to come, or stick with the GP100 and 642.

Love the single six for a .22 platform-Alot of versatility.
 
Once upon a time I was all hot-and-heavy over the 9mm LCR, but for whatever reason all that lust kind of evaporated once I turned it over in my mind a few times. It didn't help that the 9mm version is built on the .357 Mag frame and is therefore 25% heavier than the .38 Special version. Ultimately I kind of decided to stick with autos for my 9mm needs and keep to the .38 with my wheelguns. Right now though I only have one, a 3" Ruger LCRx. I love it! According to Ruger there will other calibers coming soon, and I won't be a bit surprised if 9mm is among them. If you're considering the 9mm LCR it might be worth waiting to see if they bring it out in the 3" version. JMOHO but the 3" is better in every way except maybe pocketability (is that a word?:p).

I'm not sure if I'd go with the LCR for a .22LR. Not a bad choice but .22LR also I'd wait on the 3". Depends on what you want it for.

I can't imagine ever ditching my HKs and goin' wheelguns-only!:eek: But I am starting to appreciate revolvers more and more as time goes on.
 
Okay, let's discuss this.

I only got rid of the Xdm because the son in law chose it. I loved the Xdm. The Glock and I have never truly bonded. I guess I am just not a Glock guy.

I have currently a very nice GP-100 4" in .38/.357 that is a wonderful gun. I absolutely love it. It is my bedroom drawer gun. I also have a J frame 642 that is a PC gun that is a great carry gun.

I never carried the Glock so getting rid of it is a no brainer. I have about 1000 rounds of 9mm that are in the closet. I was thinking about a 9mm revolver so as to be able to use that ammo.

I like the idea of a S&W 686, but I have that covered with the GP-100.

I am finding that as I become older, I prefer revolvers. I do not think I am an idiot to feel this way. I was asking for opinions on the three revolvers I mentioned in the original post. I am aware of the volatility of the idea of the LCR 9mm. Many of you have no need or want of a 9mm revolver. I understand that, however, that doesn't mean that everybody should feel the same.

With the idea of the .22LR revolvers, I am wanting something besides the P22 I already own. I want something that will shoot all .22 ammo with no problems. The Walther P22 is VERY picky on ammo. It needs the CCI mini mags or other high velocity ammo to cycle reliably. I like the idea of the SP 101 since it can be shot single action as well as double action. That looks like a win win over the single 10, and single 9.


Just my thoughts,
Joe
 
Yep.
The SP101 is one fine revolver for the .22

1,000 rounds of 9mm? That won't last long when shooting it up. But, I am a shooter and not a collector. LCR in 9mm might work. Is the weight of the 9mm 124 grn or above?

Watch Youtube videos on LCR 9mm to see bullets in the 115 grn weights unseat under firing. The Ruger LCR 9mm manual even states to use 124 grn or above bullets.
 
I now only have two 9mm's and two 45's in semiautos (not counting a Ruger .22 that was dad's). I am also down to only one .357, but that is on my permanent do-no-sell list. That revolver is my open-carry piece, a Ruger Police Service Six. Though I'm not a Ruger fan, on my acreage I have settled on that revolver and a Ruger Mini-14 GB state trooper surplus (or a Savage 720 12 ga). I have been slowly simplifying things. The Bushmaster and Rock River are gone, the .40's are gone, the PSL and NDM-86 are gone.

What's left is an LRB M14, a few M1 Carbines, a few really nice Mosins, and a few hunting rifles and that's it on long arms.

I have three revolvers: the Ruger, a Colt Trooper III in .22lr, and a Pietta Remington .44 black powder. One day I'll own a Colt New Service in .45LC.

My semi-autos are whittled down to only reliable ones, but I find every single time I go wandering I am wearing that Ruger .357. It's all comfort, I suppose - not the physical but psychological. I feel better with that Ruger on my belt than with the Springfield P9 in .45 or the AT-84 9mm.

For me, it was not a conscious decision to go revolvers but more a evolution. As I simplified, I could not budge with that Ruger. I don't even really care for Ruger as a company. But, there it is. So, I'm a revolver guy. Must be by nature.
 
The possibility of bullets jumping crimp was one factor that kind of tamped down my enthusiasm for an LCR 9mm. I still think it has a lot of potential but I'm pretty happy with the .38 version. After all it's made to headspace on the rim not the case mouth so it can be crimped pretty good.
 
The SP101 in .22 would be a good shooter.

You owe it to yourself to acquire a Ruger Single Six. IMO it is the ultimate plinker ; so easy to put on target. Something about the rhythm and discipline of single action shooting , loading and unloading is good for the soul.
 
Ruger just released, as one of their distributor specials, a Blackhawk Flattop convertable in .357/ 9mm. This would be a better option than getting an LCR because you "have some 9mm left".
 
For a 22LR revolver plinker, are you committed to the factory sights, or are you considering a red dot or other optic?

In my early 50s, I appreciate the red dot on a 22LR plinker.

Ruger makes a fine single action 22LR plinker, but my preferences in revolvers are for Smith & Wessons.

You can get a new S&W 617 (with internal lock) that is drilled and tapped in the topstrap for a sight mount.

If you don't want to mount an optic, I'd get an older, used S&W 22LR revolver.
 
It comes down to whether or not you want to buy a revolver in 9mm.

Don't buy it because you have the ammo laying around. You can trade that ammo for 38 Special +P and save the cost of a new gun. Don't let that stand in the way of acquiring a new gun! 9x19mm does have a velocity advantage over 38 Special with 124/5 grain bullets.

If you are cash strapped, I think the logical choice is an LCR in 38 Special. However, you already have a gun that fills the same role. I believe in redundancy in carry guns and always have two. One advantage of the LCR over the S&W is the trigger is better out of the box. Add a front night sight and you're done.

The SP101 in 22 LR is a no brainer. The only consideration is whether or not to get a S&W 617 instead.

Just consider the LCR in 22 LR for cheap snubby training.
 
.22 Ammo Powerful Enough to Cycle Semi-Auto ?

I was looking for CCI Mini-Mag .22 LR ammo online, and I believe they stated CCI .22 Match Ammo was suitable for all .22's, including semi-auto? I thought match ammo was not strong enough to cycle some semi's. What's the scoop ?:confused:

Oh, and good luck on finding any .22 ammo. I can shoot all kinds in my revolvers and Marlin Model 60. Just a problem with some pistols.:)
 
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Thanks, I tried ammo/ seek, but didn't like the price, unavailability, or the S&H.

I was mainly interested in the question re: match ammo being able to cycle semi-autos.
Please see above posting # 21.
 
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I have thought long and hard today about all your suggestions. I am now leaning hard towards the 9mm LCR and the SP101 .22LR. BUT, I am also kind of swayed by the selling the 9mm ammo and buying a .38 LCR. If I go this way, I will get the LCR-X, otherwise it will be too similar to the 642 I already own.

Joe
 
Thats the route I would go Joe and get the .38 I too thought about the 9mm LCR for the same reasons you are (lots of 9mm on hand) but ended up going with the .38 LCRx and couldn't be happier. Having to deal with the moon clips was enough to sway me in the end, I understand they are very fast for reloads but I always end up either losing or misplacing them over time.

Like many have said, you can always trade the 9mm for some other ammo, or just hang onto it....just in case :)
 
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