S&W J-Frame .38 Special or Ruger LCR?

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bikemutt

bikemutt

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I'm going to own one of these soon. Went to the range today and rented both. As far as personal fit and shooting comfort, or should I say discomfort, I preferred the LCR by a pretty wide margin. My only trepidation is if I ever wanted laser on the LCR I'd have to give up the stock grip which is what I like most about the gun.

Mechanically the S&W appears superior to my untrained eye, it's price premium no doubt reflects that. The price difference is not enough to make me go one way of the other.

If anyone here has either of these guns and cares to comment I'd appreciate it.
 
From what I've seen, the LCR and comparable S&W 642 are similarly priced. Might pay to shop around a bit.
 
here is the LCR with the stock grip
ruger-lcr-.jpg


here is the LCR with the factory laser
crimson-trace-lasergrips-ruger-lcr-revolver.jpg

They look pretty close to me, but then I don't like lasers on handguns. I'd pick the LCR, based solely on it's superior trigger pull
 
Tough decision- I think the Smith is a proven design, but I think the Ruger has a bit "beefier" grip (at least that is how it seems to me)

The Ruger is newer and we won't have a good indication of long-term durability for a while.

I think its a personal decision all around; tough choice- I think both are good-quality firearms and would serve well
 
i dont think you can go wrong with either. i looked at an LCR a few times and it seemed nice and had a good trigger but still went with the j-frame. personal preference i guess. i like the feel of the smiths better.i also like the j's trigger. many dont but i do. you can always change the grip on either but the factory boot grip on my 442 is perfect for me.
 
Yeah, I saw the kaboom thing. But I've seen information demonstrating longevity too. Either way, for me, this is a gun that will be carried more than shot (it does need to go bang though, not kaboom).

Price wise I don't see much to save on these $400 +/- guns, by the time I'm done with gunboker.com or gunsamerica.com, pay FFL transfer fees etc, I'm better off paying a little more and earn some loyalty points from the range shop where I shoot.
 
Simple decision: Go with your gut reaction to which felt best. I love the "feel" and looks of J frames, but after shooting the LCR with that fantastic grip and decent trigger pull, its now what i carry most. I did put a CT laser on it which improved my accuracy, but as you surmised I lost the better grip. I did the laser for two reasons; one being curiosity as I've never had one, and secondly to see if it would be of use to my wife in her training. If she likes it (weather been to cold to practice..we shoot outdoors), it will become hers and I'll get another for my use, prob without the laser.
 
I'd get both :D


I don't have an LCP (just cuz it's only available in .380)
But as of Feb 1 that'll change.
Ruger is coming out with an LC9

I'd hazard to guess before summer's over I'll have one.
 
Rat Blaster: good idea. I think the manual says it can be snapped without the caps, and I have done that, but being an old timer, it goes against the grain. Gotta find some caps; haven't seen any at the gun shows and it seems a waste to order due to shipping. :)
 
It's settled then, LCR it is.

I'll get it with the Hogue Tamer grip and XS tritium front dot sight.

Thanks for the comments.
 
I carry a 442, my buddy carries a LCR. These are both used as BUGs neither is an EDC. Having shot his LCR I have to say the trigger is amazing and that grip really soaks up recoil. I've never bothered to look up the stats on the two guns but his sure felt lighter. Now, that being said, I shoot both revolvers equally well and I certainly didn't feel compelled to run out and trade in my S&W. If I was doing it over again (the LCR wasn't avaliable when I was shopping) I might have to give it a close look. That trigger is sweet, and the grip very comfortable, but if you're planning to change it out that may not be a selling point for you. I think they're similar enough that if I found a considerably better deal on one or the other, that'd be the one I would go with.
 
The LCR has, IMO, better grips, better sights and a better trigger. It is a bit thinner too. It is perfect for pocket carry in just about any pants or shorts, using an Uncle Mike's #3 holster ($8.00 at Midway). Very accurate. My favorite round in it is the Golden Saber 125 +P. Easy to hit steel plates at 25 yards. Keep a speed strip in another pocket.
 
I've carried my S&W M-642 for 10+ years. It's action has been tuned to a butter smoothness and is so well balanced that the cylinder will will spin forever when it is opened...plus it has won me a bunch of money from folks who didn't believe you could hit stuff at 25 yards with a J-frame.

But after seeing the new J-frames and comparing them to a recent LCR, if I had to start over, the LCR would almost be a no-brainer...and I'm not usually a big Ruger fan
 
i've had a LCR for about 8 months now, and am very pleased with it. Put probably 500 rounds of +P through it and more than that of lead SWC handloads. I got the version with the XS front sight and boot grips. Then I put the CTC grips on it and I love those! In deliberate shooting such as an indoor range, it'll put a blister on my right thumb where the grips rub, in about 100 rounds. I recently took a CCW Tactics class where I shot 150 +p JHP rounds through it an an afternooon and didn't have any hand problems. I love the trigger pull and the overall weight. I can't shoot my son's 638 nearly as accurately. It usually rides in my right front jeans pocket in a Desantis pocket holster.

Some magazine (Concealed Carry Handguns maybe?) did a 5000 round test of it and it fared well. You might look that up. Anyway I'm happy with it, and most importantly, since it's so light I know I'll always have it on me.
 
I agree the j-frame and LCR guns are unpleasant to shoot.

Weight and bulk are important considerations to me for this purpose.

For this purpose I'm trading the trim lines of a semi-auto for the reliability of a revolver, that takes care of bulk.

Now it's all about the weight.

That said, there is a limit as to how much I'm willing to pay for a lightweight revolver. That last ounce comes with a steep price owing to exotic materials, etc.

In this case it seems that 12-13 ounces unloaded weight is the current sweet spot.

Limited to one time at the range, the LCR, with the Hogue Tamer grip, appears to do the best job of mitigating felt recoil from these little pit vipers.
 
Ruger has an amazing product with the LCR, that standard grip is very comfortable, the trigger and sights are good. The only downside is the rattle that seems to be common to the LCR, but it is not a problem in routine concealed carry. My wife carries it every day now and I will never see it again.
First she took my LCP, now my LCR; when will it end!
 
asm19 said:
Ruger has an amazing product with the LCR, that standard grip is very comfortable, the trigger and sights are good. The only downside is the rattle that seems to be common to the LCR, but it is not a problem in routine concealed carry. My wife carries it every day now and I will never see it again.
First she took my LCP, now my LCR; when will it end!
Click to expand...

That rattle is in most rugers, it's the transfer bar on my sp101. But I can deal with the rattle knowing that if I drop it I won't have any issues. My sp101 fell 4ft onto concrete and landed on the barrel, one scratch that buffed out in 15seconds. Most importantly no hole in my garage walls or leg!
 
Last edited:
The other rattle that you'll hear in Rugers is the Ejection Rod. Unlike S&W or Colt, the Ruger ejection rod does not turn with the cylinder...it isn't fixed to the star
 
I have both the LCR and 642, my preference is the LCR. With light loads the LCR is really a pleasure to shoot.
 
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