LCR flame cutting after 500 rounds?

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dom1104

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Is this normal?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0h3tz4pAF0

Guy shoots 500 +P 38s out of his LCR, and the aluminum suffers.


Is this the norm? do gun companies expect us not to shoot our guns?

Would this happen on any other aluminum framed snub? I was in the market for a 642, but if this is indicative of the strength of j-frame style revolvers maybe the all steel versions would be better for someone who actually likes to shoot his guns. I dont care for the LCR much on a good day but this writes it right out of my want list for sure.

Or a Sp101 maybe. They look pretty sturdy.

Have you guys experianced this?
 
Interesting.

In the comments section, someone mentions a steel blast shield like the alloy S&W's have. Can any LCR owners confirm this shield on their gun, along with serial number information?
 
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I posted this video before and got caught some flak for apparently spreading bad rumors. Personally I know 3 people who own the LCR and they haven't had these problems.....yet. I like the LCR and hope to own one someday. It might of been something with his particular LCR.
 
As was pointed out just this morning in another LCR thread...endshake...those little guns weren't meant to be used as range beaters or target guns. They're designed to be carried and used in an emergency. 500 rounds is a pretty fanciful amount of shooting for a gun that has a life expectancy of about a thousand rounds.

Smith & Wesson once marketed an airweight version of their Chief's Special. It was a fine little revolver, but it wasn't intended for hard use. The frames could be stretched into unserviceability with 50 or 60 rounds of +P ammunition. That doesn't mean that they were junk. It just means that the buyers were pressing the guns into a role that they were never intended to fill. Same goes for the Ruger LCRs.

The old adage:

"Carried a lot and seldom shot" should be roll-marked on the frames.
 
ok thanks 1911Tuner, that was what I was wondering, I understand if thats the purpose of the guns.

So they really ARE designed not to last.

Thats.. dissapointing, I guess I expected them to last longer.

in that case, I think I will opt for the sp101 and deal with the extra weight.

Am I correct in assuming that the sp101 is more.. robust? Its twice the weight almost and made of steel...
 
1911Tuner I read your other post in that other thread just now.

Dont you think that for those of us new to j frames, that the company should make it more... obvious that this 'class' of gun needs to be treated differently?

I mean, shouldnt S&W say something to the tune of "Do not shoot more than 100 rounds a year out of this gun if you plan on keeping it 10 years."

Seriously. maybe its just me but I am dissapointed in the whole class of firearm if this is really the case. Which I dont doubt you one bit.
 
Dont you think that for those of us new to j frames, that the company should make it more... obvious that this 'class' of gun needs to be treated differently?
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I agree that they should make a clearer distinction between guns with aluminum alloy frames and steel frames, but there is an assumption that they buyers should at least consider the fact that such guns aren't going to be as durable as a similar steel-framed gun.

Back in the day, Smith & Wesson cautioned that the guns should not only be fired a very limited amount with +P and not with +P+ at all...and Colt issued a similar warning with their aluminum D- framed revolvers, which were more robust than Smith's J-frames. Colt even cautioned against +P use in their steel D-Frames.

Even the Steel Smith Model 36 isn't going to handle as much use as their K-frame, which is roughly equivalent to Colt's D-framed Detective Special and .38 Diamondback. These guns were designed and intended to be carried and used in an emergency...period. The layman named'em belly guns, because they were most often used as a last-ditch self-defense effort by literally pressing the muzzle against an attacker's belly and letting rip.

There's nothing wrong with the new age belly guns, other than the fact that they're only a little stronger than their ancestors...if at all. The fill a specific niche, and they do it well. They're not, however, general-purpose shooters. We don't use a surgeon's scalpel to butcher a side of beef. Neither do we use lightly-built belly guns for a Sunday afternoon plinking session.
 
There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.:)

Some people do put a good number of rounds through Airweights, though, without any trouble. I even load up special light loads that are pleasant in a 642.

But I generally use a Model 60 .357 if I want to plink with a snubbie...
 
The fill a specific niche, and they do it well. They're not, however, general-purpose shooters.
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How true.

It never ceases to amaze me how many new gun owners buy something like a Kel-Tec P3AT as a range gun.

Then bitch on KTOG because the gun didn't come with target sights, a 3 pound trigger, and hurts their hand when they shoot 300 rounds in one range session.

Good grief!
Give me a break! :rolleyes:

rc
 
Thanks guys, I do appreciate it. Great answers and really cleared that up for me.

rcmodel I hear ya, and yeah the p3at I have always understood is lightly built.

Its also very low cost and even LOOKS cheaply made. The J-frames on the other hand really do feel well built.

I guess I always assumed that revolvers that can handle 357 class cartridges were more, robust.

I do understand their limitations now and thank you very much gentlemen.
 
Sorry, but I don't find 500 rounds to be an acceptable life period for a gun. The LCR is touted as +P rated; it should be able to withstand this amount of use. 5,000 rounds? Ok, I'll maybe give you that one. But not 10 boxes of ammo.
 
You have to understand that flame-cutting isn't the end of the world for a revolver.

It is pretty much self-limiting after the initial cosmetic blemish happens.

For instance, I have never seen flame-cutting continue to cut clear through the top strap like an acetylene cutting torch.

rc
 
I have one and I like it for what it IS....A concealable firearm for protection. If I shoot it at the range it's gonna be for "re-familiarization" and not as a plinker.

When I bought it I noticed the shake in the cylinder, but took into account that it's not a precision weapon like say.......a 686. It serves it's purpose and I'm confident It will last more than 500 rounds.
 
Its also very low cost
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It is? Around here, the price difference between an LCR and a J-frame isn't large enough to influence my purchasing decision.

rcmodel, while that may be true, if S&W takes serious heat for it, then so should Ruger.

When I bought it I noticed the shake in the cylinder, but took into account that it's not a precision weapon like say.......a 686.
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Seriously, though, my 642 has the same level of fit and finish, accuracy and precision as my 686. For the money, so should the Ruger. People talk about the Ruger like it's a $250 gun. Maybe it should be, but it's not. A $430 gun should act like one.
 
Boggle. My 642 (which cost me 400$, i might add, and could be bought brand new, locally, for 449$ today) has eaten 3-4000 rounds at this point, about 2000-2500 of them +P rated, including 300 or so double tap +P 125gr. Granted, the finish on the gun is all beat to hell by now, but no rust and it locks up tight and has no signs of flame cutting.

I don't understand why ANYONE would consider a several hundred dollar firearm with a 1000 round lifespan an acceptable purchase, and that is exactly why companies aren't telling us their guns have a 1000 round lifespan. That would be ridiculous.
 
I fully agree with Headless. Again, the Ruger isn't $250.

For all intents and purposes, it costs the same as a J-frame Airweight. It should meet the same standards.
 
People talk about the Ruger like it's a $250 gun. Maybe it should be, but it's not. A $430 gun should act like one.
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I'm usually Ruger's biggest shill. I go on and on about the wonders of their guns. But I have to agree with you on this one. I'm VERY disappointed to hear about this. I mean, Ruger's big selling point has always been that they build rock solid guns that will last through several generations of the worst abuse imaginable and still work like new.

So what gives here? I've also never heard people speaking about 1000 round limits on guns like S&W's 642, the direct competition to the LCR.
If it's true that a gun like the LCR is going to shoot 1000 rounds and then die, it's just not worth it when one could easily get a 642.
 
Target wadcutter ammunition is an ideal practice round for the little aluminum-framed guns. I haven't seen any of that commercially available in years, so it may be a handload proposition. A 148-grain DEWC and 2.7 grains of Bullseye is about right.

Flame cutting isn;t the end-game, but it does weaken the topstrap, which accelerates stretching. Be aware of that.

The LCR is touted as +P rated; it should be able to withstand this amount of use
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Rated for +P only means that it was proofed at some pressure above the SAAMI industry standard for .38 +P...once. That's one round fired and the gun didn't come unwrapped, and the headspace held. That's all it means.

Sorry, but I don't find 500 rounds to be an acceptable life period for a gun
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Neither does "Life Expectancy" mean that the gun is goind to suddenly stop working at that round count. It means that you may need to think about sending the gun in for a checkup and a tuneup as you approach that level of use. Firing a gun is pretty abusive...no matter how you cut it. The higher the presure levels and recoil impulse...the more abusive it gets. A maintained Honda Civic will go 200,000 miles if driven normally. Try holding the engine at redline for a 500 mile road trip, and you probably won't get there. That's not the sort of thing that a Honda Civic is designed for.

It never ceases to amaze me how many new gun owners buy something like a Kel-Tec P3AT as a range gun.
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Amen!

FWIW, I got my hands on one for the first time yesterday, and I liked it very much. For what it was intended to do, it's a great little revolver. It does have its limitations, though.
 
I personally do not believe the LCR was made to be a range revolver. It is polymer and aluminum.

I just recently purchased an LCP and seriously doubt I will put 500 rounds through it as long as I own it. Just a CCW pistol.

The LCR is meant to be a CCW type revolver lightweight and easily concealable. If the user wanted a range .38 revolver then the GP100 in all stainless would have been a far better choice. I doubt you could break the GP100 unless you took a hammer to it.

That being said if he calls Ruger they will fix or replace the revolver. Since his local gun shop gave him his money back no problem either. I do agree that the lifespan should be far more than 1000 rounds. I would figure that the lifespan of the LCR should be about 5-7000 rounds.
 
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Am I correct in assuming that the sp101 is more.. robust? Its twice the weight almost

The SP101 was built for a steady diet of .357s. Even the S&W 66 I used to have wasn't really built for that. Now I have a 686 that is. I have a CZ75 Compact on consignment or trade for a SP101. Just biding my time till I get a bite or even a nibble. Even if I don't shoot or carry .357s all the time, it's good to know it's tough enough to do so.
 
I would figure that the lifespan of the LCR should be about 5-7000 rounds.
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And you could very well get that much use out of one...but I wouldn't bet on it. I've got a 681 Smith that has probably seen less than 3,000 rounds. Most of it has been nearly full power reloads with cast bullets. The L-frames were designed to digest a steady diet of honest-to-Elmer Keith .357 ammo...but even that one has started to loosen up a little. It's still completely serviceable, but it's not quite the same gun that it was 10 years ago. Nature of the beast. Shoot'em hard and they'll loosen up. No gettin' around that.
 
Tuner

" a gun that has a life expectancy of about a thousand rounds."

Please tell me where you got this information. I am very interested in your source. Thanks.
 
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