How Well Are Ruger LCRs Holding Up?

[Confederate]

Just curious. I used to have one and had to send it back to the factory. Ruger said they weren't making them at the moment and asked if they could replace it with another gun. I said, "Okay, do you have any SP-101s?"

So they sent me a 2.5-inch version at no extra charge and it seems to be a well built piece, but a bit heavy.

But what about the LCRs? The .357 ones? I always wondered how they'd hold up. I didn't like the puny 1.82-inch barrels they came out with (can't we hold the minimum at 2-inches?) But what about flame cutting? I never shot a hot 125gr JHP mag out of it, but people who have said it's not pleasant. But I've heard the same for the SP-101.

If you ever had an LCR of either type, did you keep it or dump it? And did I do better switching to the 101?



The SP-101 pictured with my .357 Ruger Speed-Six.




My LCR .357 and my sister's .38+P version.




My Taurus M88 .38spc with the LCR .38+P. I don't know how the
S&W 60 .38 and the Taurus hold up to +P loads. But the Ruger
seems like it was built for it.

.

 

[Radagast]

Current model 60s are built on the J magnum frame, I'm not aware of any issues with them.

 

[MCMXI]

But what about the LCRs? The .357 ones? I always wondered how they'd hold up. I didn't like the puny 1.82-inch barrels they came out with (can't we hold the minimum at 2-inches?) But what about flame cutting? I never shot a hot 125gr JHP mag out of it, but people who have said it's not pleasant. But I've heard the same for the SP-101.

If you ever had an LCR of either type, did you keep it or dump it? And did I do better switching to the 101?

The barrel is 1.875" ... still not 2" but close enough. I bought a KLCR this week and had no problems shooting Remington GS 125gr JHP rounds through it. Recoil was very manageable. I also have an SP101 with a 3.06" barrel and that is a joy to shoot with any Magnum round (I added a Hogue mono grip) but it weighs quite a bit more (59%) than the LCR. You realize that the KLCR has a stainless steel frame right? Gas cutting shouldn't be any more of an issue with the KLCR than it is with the SP101. I bought the KLCR to carry in an ankle holster and there's no way that the SP101 could fill that role being 10oz heavier.

 

[Drail]

Gas cutting is the result of light (110-125) bullets, it doesn't matter what gun you run them in. It will only cut the top strap so deep and then stop as the cut redirects the gases around the top strap instead of hitting it straight on. What WILL also happen is the forcing cone will erode badly and THAT won't stop. I have seen a lot revolvers with ruined barrels from forcing cone erosion. I own one. The gases cut grooves into the cone and the metal becomes carburized and brittle. The only fix is a new barrel. There no good reason to treat a gun that way. My take on the LCR is it is a gun made to be carried a lot and shot a little, just like the Charter Arms revolvers. This is the paradox of flyweight snubs. Run them hard with +P loads and they won't live very long. Running hot light bullet loads in a snub really only gives you lots of flash and blast. Some guys are into that sort of thing. But it won't kill a bad guy any better than a slower heavier bullet properly placed.

 

[RugRev]

Over at the Rugerforum.net there is a post in the DA revolver section of person claiming he has run 2500 rounds through a .357 LCR with no problems.

 

[MCMXI]

Running hot light bullet loads in a snub really only gives you lots of flash and blast. Some guys are into that sort of thing. But it won't kill a bad guy any better than a slower heavier bullet properly placed.

The Golden Saber 125gr JHP isn't a particulary "hot" load and doesn't produce much in the way of flash and blast. The published MV from a 4" vented test barrel is only 1,220 fps. I'm going to shoot some rounds over a chronograph this weekend to see what I get from the LCR. It's easy to make comments on a forum such as "But it won't kill a bad guy any better than a slower heavier bullet properly placed" ... but we have no way of knowing the circumstances with which we'll be faced and there are numerous variables involved with terminal ballistics so such comments are overly simple.

 

[Haywood]

My LCR has at least 2500 357s and 500 38+P. maybe 50 standard 38s. Looks and works just fine. Shows no ware other than normal marks like the turn line.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

Mine doesn't have a lot of rounds through it but so far so good. But I don't shoot 125gr full house loads in it - most potent load it's seen (at least since I bought it, gently used) is Fiocchi's 142gr FMJ-TC. Plenty hot enough for my hand and wrist. I carry 125gr Golden Sabers.

Did you do better by switching to the SP101? It depends on what you use it for. I use the LCR for pocket carry, so the SP101 wouldn't have been a good trade for me.

 

[Bush Pilot]

I've shot probably 2500-3000 rounds thru my .38 LCR without any issues. These were fairly mild loads, not +P.

 

[MCMXI]

It will only cut the top strap so deep and then stop as the cut redirects the gases around the top strap instead of hitting it straight on.

If you look closely at the top strap where it meets the barrel you'll notice a small but significant undercut radius. It looks like Ruger considered gas cutting when designing the frame of the KLCR.

 

[weblance]

I have a KLCR with around 700 158 gr 357s through it. No problems what so ever. Its simply a BEAST. I also have a 2" DAO SP101. The KLCR is easier to carry, the SP101 is easier to shoot. Its a trade off either way. The SP101 MIGHT have an advantage as far as long term durability. By long term, I mean 50 years.

 

[Confederate]

Thanks for all your replies. And no, I don't know what parts of the LCRs are stainless, except their barrels. The gas propelling hot, light bullets leech the carbon out of the forcing cones over time, true, but stainless steel resists it better than so-called carbon steel. I've never understood why Bill Ruger, when he was redesigning DA revolvers, didn't make the barrels easy to remove and fit.

With K-frame Smiths, forcing cone erosion was only a small part of the problem. Frame torquing also was hard on the gun. Bill Ruger was smart enough to give his revolvers solid frames. Years later, when I heard about the introduction of the .357 Maximum, I asked a friend, "I wonder how they solved the erosion problem?" Well, I wasn't the only one in the gun store who wondered that. We all had thought of it. It's just that no one at Ruger had apparently thought of it. Even now, I wonder why modular components can't be developed that would mitigate such problems. Still, if someone has put 2,500 hot magnum rounds through his, that's better than many Smith K-frames could take. (The NRA's Ed Harris said after a couple of thousand rounds of hot magnum ammo, he would need to replace parts to get the gun back in shooting condition. After another couple of thousand rounds, the frame warping was too substantial to repair. He said he wore out two K-frame before he switched to a stainless Security-Six. After that, he had no further problems. He put on an acrylic front sight of his own making and rounded the butt so he could put on Compact Pachmayr grips. His felt so good that I decided to do the same to my 4-inch and 2.75-inch Rugers, and they're great. I wouldn't put them on a 6-incher, though.)

I sometimes I wish I had waited for another LCR, but when I take out that SB-101 and look it over, I'm happy I went with that.

Ruger's an astounding company and it's products are generally outstanding. But their GP-100s aren't anywhere near as good or as well balanced as either the Security-Sixes or the Smith & Wesson 19/66s or the 686. They cut too many corners, took too much steel aft (in the grips) and put it forward in the barrel. The 4-incher looks so much like the Security-Six, but the balance is horrible.

Carrying a GP-100 anyplace would be a pain, but I'm very comfortable carrying a 3-inch Speed-Six or my SB-101 (which I love). One of these days soon I may get an LCR, but for you guys who have them, would you think they'd be good trail or camping guns or are they just too light for such duty? I also remember the gun had a fabulous DA trigger.





Wouldn't it be great if one could just swap barrels and replace forcing cones
as easily as screwing in a screw? I'd love to put this on one of my Speed-Sixes,
but everyone says it would be more trouble and expense than it's worth.




The size, weight, and strength of the LCRs are astounding.

 

[MCMXI]

One of these days soon I may get an LCR, but for you guys who have them, would you think they'd be good trail or camping guns or are they just too light for such duty? I also remember the gun had a fabulous DA trigger.

The trigger is very good and yes, the LCR would make an excellent trail/camping revolver. Almost any firearm is going to be carried more than it's shot but with the LCR or KCLR you don't have to compromise much when it comes to weight over performance.

And no, I don't know what parts of the LCRs are stainless, except their barrels.

The KLCR has a stainless steel cylinder, frame and barrel.

 

[skidder]

If you ever had an LCR of either type, did you keep it or dump it? And did I do better switching to the 101?

The SP101 is a better revolver hands-down.

I sent in my defective LCR to Ruger and they sent me a new one. The replacement was also defective so I asked for an SP101 and they agreed.

I now have two boxes with serial numbers to guns that do not exist anymore.

 

[TexAg]

What was defective?

 

[ares338]

I have had my KLCR about a year now with probably 500 round of 38 and 150 rounds of 357 through it and I am extremely pleased with it now. At first I couldn't shoot the thing worth a diddle. The recoil didn't bother me on this revolver but I still wasn't accurate. To make a long story short I read a lot of material on shooting short barrel revolvers and put a lot of range time in and now I am confident enought to carry this little jewel in my front pocket. I am a large man so it doesn't print at all on me. I wouldn't give it up for anything. it is holding up very well so far.

 

[back40]

skidder, what were the issues with your two LCRs?

i've handled a few and am very pleased with how they feel each time i handle one. the triggers on all have been great too. i may need to pick one up at some point, so it's good to hear they are built to last.

 

[MCMXI]

The SP101 is a better revolver hands-down.

Better for what? I have a KLCR, SP101, two GP100s, two Blackhawks, a Redhawk and a Super Redhawk and they all have their uses. The ONLY one I want to CC is the KLCR.

I now have two boxes with serial numbers to guns that do not exist anymore.

I find it odd that you didn't send the LCRs back in the original boxes.

 

[lloveless]

wow, confederate. I owned a GP-100 with 4 inch barrel. and now have sellers remorse. Concealed carry it wasn't, but I carried it as an LEO openly no problem or in the woods in an uncle mikes shoulder holster. No harder to carry than a 629 or Redhawk. I own the sp-101 and it is great. Depending on use the LCR will accomplish what the sp can't as already mentioned
ll

 

[lloveless]

How does the LCR weigh so little with so much steel? I thought the frame was polymer.
ll

 

[MCMXI]

How does the LCR weigh so little with so much steel? I thought the frame was polymer.

The .22LR. .22WMRF and .38 Spl LCRs have aluminum frames. The .357 Mag KLCR has a stainless steel frame. Ruger reduced weight by "extensively" fluting the cylinder and replacing the steel fire control housing with polymer. If you haven't handled an LCR you'll probably be impressed when you do. I've been carrying my KLCR in an ankle holster for the past few days and wish I'd done this months ago. It's so easy to drop into a pocket too for those late night trips outside with the dogs before they go to bed. It really is a game changer for me. I've even started to think about the possibility of adding a .38 Spl model too. If Hidden Hybrid Holsters decides to offer a version for the LCR I would seriously consider having a KLCR at 4 o'clock and an LCR in an ankle holster. In that scenario I'd probably carry .38 Spl +P in both.

 

[Jaymo]

He probably didn't send them back to Ruger in the original boxes because Ruger tells you not to.

 

[MCMXI]

He probably didn't send them back to Ruger in the original boxes because Ruger tells you not to.

I own nine Ruger products that I've bought over the last 15 years or so and have never had to send one back so I'm not familiar with Ruger's policies on such things. However, Ruger's website states ...

"Older gun boxes may be considered valuable. If so, you should NOT send these boxes to Ruger, as they may be damaged during shipping."

and ...

"DO NOT SEND GUN BOXES OR LITERATURE THAT YOU CONSIDER TO BE COLLECTOR’S ITEMS – THESE ARE INVARIABLY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED IN SHIPMENT."

I don't think the LCR boxes qualify as valuable or collector's items but that's just me.

 

[back40]

i've sent both a handgun and a rifle back to ruger, and both times was told to ship them back in the original box. not really sure what it matters if skidder didn't send them back in the original boxes or not. i can't see keeping useless boxes around though.

 

[Confederate]

wow, confederate. I owned a GP-100 with 4 inch barrel. and now have sellers remorse. Concealed carry it wasn't, but I carried it as an LEO openly no problem or in the woods in an uncle mikes shoulder holster. No harder to carry than a 629 or Redhawk.

I can't argue with you there. The 629 isn't that difficult to carry, but I draw the line there. The Redhawk is just too much gun for anything I'd need and I'd hate to try to haul it anywhere.

Regarding the GP-100, if you ever get the bug for another one, try a Smith 686 first, or go for a mint stainless Security-Six. You might find you like the balance better. If not, the Ruger certainly has its following. I just wish Ruger would have offered shooters a lighter version of the GP-100, perhaps one with a skinny barrel. A heavy barrel is great for a stationary target, but I find lighter barrels are better for moving targets.

I have to say I'm glad I ended up with the SB-101, though I hope I'll be able to track down a .357 KLCR at some point in the not-too-distant future. I have to admit that I've missed mine.