Why choose an LCR over a J-frame?

9mm. The LCR can be had in 9mm, which would be my choice if I were CC a revolver.

 

Have had both.

MUCH better trigger and recoil management with the LCR.

That means it's more fun to shoot & easier to get hits with. I'll pay extra for that!

Stronger steel frame in the magnum versions. The alluminum framed ones are lighter than an alluminum j-frame.

Easy to change front sight.

No "Hillary Hole".

Oh, 6 .327 Fed. Mag chambers if you want.

Except for size & cost the LCR is superior and it's not close.

Yes, I've "short stroked" it. I've short stroked about every handgun trigger I've trained hard with (Beretta M92. Etc.) It's part of learning how fast you can go.

You won't do it once you're used to it. It doesn't lock the gun up, either.

 

Went shopping for a snubby, had one of the S&W models in mind.
LGS - had both LCR and S&W in the case.
The LCR felt better in my hand and trigger was smoother.
Tried several units of each -at the time, the LCR was a little less expensive and was recently introduced. Whereas, the S&W had a history of concealed action, it was sort of the standard. Went home with the LCR [38 Spl] - that was 2010 - has been a constant companion since.
The LCR has been fully reliable [milk jugs at 8-10 steps have been the primary targets]. Shooting it - Feels as good to me as a small revolver can be - usually shoot +p loads. It is accurate, again at 10 steps - usually hit the label of a gallon jug at 10 steps. Have put a dollop of white nail polish on the front sight - sticks out well enough now to shoot in dim light - and shoots to the sights.
About a month ago at LGS; tried LCR, S&W and Taurus snubbies - still happy with the LCR.

 

I've bought a few j-frames over the years, carried them, shot them a lot, and know them quite well.
I've also made it a point to get expert training on revolvers in the course of which I've heard from those more knowledgeable than myself.
Although I've never owned an LCR, I can attest that they are widely regarded by knowledgeable folks to have a better trigger, and the knowledgeable folks in this thread have similarly testified as much.
The LCR's action is from the double-action (Speed, Security, Service) "-Six" series that preceded the GP-100. Obviously, the frame is different, but the action is based on those -six guns.
While the 340 PD is lighter than any LCR, I do not like the apparent lack of durability I've found on the aluminum and scandium/aluminum j-frames I've had, nor do I like the experience I've had with the titanium cylinder.
A steel j-frame is a much better gun than any of the lightweight jobs.
Even so, current production S&W quality is such that I would not buy one without expecting problems.
I've had to send 3 j-frames back to S&W a total of 6 times. They fixed 2 of them. I would not buy another.
The 640 Pro Series is the best one I've had (after it came back the second time). It's very accurate, tough, durable, and has great sights. It's also small to get two hands around. It doesn't have that much firepower compared to other types of handguns.
I can shoot my all-steel j-frame very well, but for the weight (25 oz), I would rather go ahead and carry a few more ounces and get a much better gun.
I retired my j-frames for L-frames. They are not that much bigger in any practical sense, and they are much, much better (except in quality, where they are the same because they come from the same place). If a person were adamant that L-frames, GP-100 or Pythons were too big, I would suggest to try a K-frame, Colt King Cobra (the new smaller one), or a Kimber before I would go to an LCR, but the LCR has some advantages on the j-frame. J frames will always have the worst trigger. There's nothing to be done about that. Most of them nowadays are aluminum junk, and they all come out of a place that's become notorious for sloppy workmanship. At this point, I would take my chances with Ruger quality versus S&W. I have a couple Rugers. The late-model one had to go back twice. First for a big bur, and then because it came back with a large (2") defect in the (blued) finish. Ruger did fix it all and it's a fine gun now. The other one is from the 50's with nothing wrong of course -- back when people cared.

 

I don't particularly like shooting my 642-1 and I have other carry guns I do like shooting.
But, 9 times out of 10 when I go to walk out of the house it's the 642 I'm going to pick up and put in my pocket. It's small, light and even with the over size grips it fits right in my pocket. No holster needed. Just easy to carry.

 

LCR357 or its brother the 3" LCRx357 loaded with .38Spcl.ARX ammo gets my vote.

 

ruger: single action revolvers.
s&w (or cheaper, semi-clone, taurus): double action revolvers.

my ruger lcr 22lr indeed short-strokes with fast double-taps, which is my preferred way of shooting 22lr for protection. i have put a couple of thousand rounds through it with same result, if shooting faster than deliberate single shots.

s&w is more customizable with a wider variety of aftermarket grips.

 

I went with the LCR for its better trigger and grip. Although the gun is small and light, that outstanding Hogue grip makes it fill the hand well, and the pinky beneath the grip feels like it belongs there. The integrated gel pad where the web of the hand goes really works well to take the sting out of heavier loads.

The trigger is smoother; doesn’t stack. The S&W trigger is smooth, but stacks a lot more.

The only thing I don’t like about the LCR is the short ejector rod. Not fitting a longer one in the LCRx was a poor decision.

I may yet get a J, but it’ll be a steel one. Maybe a 36 and bob the hammer…

 

The ruger Hillary hole is on the grip frame.

 

It's not the same and not visible.

 

Don’t forget the quality of appearance. The Ruger may be more effective as a deterrent given that it’s mere appearance may incapacitate an aggressor…

 

That was removed many years ago or so I thought. I am not taking mine apart to look.

 

There are a lot of guys not letting the trigger reset properly and then blaming the revolver.

If you’re into those tactical fantasies, just buy an auto. Snubby revolvers have a different skill set.

 

respectfully, i’ve been working more intensively with my s&w 642 lately, i.e. 400 rounds in the past 3 weeks: absolutely no short-stroking with double-taps. i honestly cannot say the same about my ruger lcr 22lr, that i have put 2500+ rounds through in the past 8-9 years. i probably wouldn’t fixate on the lcr’s short-stroke if it wasn’t the original snubbie, hammerless, dao model, i.e. built specifically as a rimfire ccw for which a rapid ammo dump to center mass is a preferred method of employment. the newer 3”, hammered, sa/da, lcr-x is designed to be more of a plinker or outdoors kit gun, where i wouldn’t be ammo-dumping as much, with slower shots. just my thoughts, cheers.

 

Some people short stroke the LCR because its pull is lighter & smoother than a S&W and the trigger return is correspondingly weaker, too.

I could see it being a problem switching between the two types of gun.

The revolvers I mainly shoot are the LCR's and a new model Colt King Cobra. The King Cobra has an ever lighter, much smoother trigger pull than the LCR, so I have no trouble going from one to the other.

The auto's I shoot also have weak to mild trigger return springs.

 

I have a long loving relationship with my J Frames, use them and trust them they are second nature to me. That said absolutely nothing wrong with the Ruger. They are nice revolvers, good quality control and yes they sell them in .327. It really is just personal preference.

 

Last LCR I had was junk. It was loose and I did not trust it. I fired a couple of rounds and sold it.
My J frame is golden.

 

Understood.

My point was that part of your ammo-dump-drilling needs to have training to allow the trigger to fully reset, even though it means slightly more time between shots. Consider that to mean there's no practical trigger reset point part-way through the trigger return travel, like there is in many autos.

 

I've noticed that recoil can help get the finger off the trigger for proper trigger reset when firing quick double taps, cylinder dumps, etc. In my experience a quick shooting trigger reset problem can show itself more with a rimfire than with a centerfire firing snappy live ammo.

My ol' Taurus 85UL would show my trigger work weaknesses on occassion when dry firing, but when shooting live ammo the problem never presented itself. A similar problem used to occur with a certain unnamed low recoiling .32 ACP pistol I have as well.

 

It is about personal choice mainly.
I like the J frames better, though the Ruger LCR has a decent trigger. I really don't like the Ruger cylinder release. I would buy a S&W or Taurus over the Ruger or Colt because of the cylinder release design.

 

An excellent point.

I've had this happen with plenty of auto pistols but the most common are the low-recoiling ones. Beretta M950 & M21a .25's, Beretta M81 .32's, and CZ61 .32.

I've trained myself so it rarely happens anymore. Basically when firing like this at very close range you decide how fast you're going to shoot and set a pace. Try to even out your split times.

I use shots per second in my head. (Along with a shot timer) 4 per second is good for a close range burst. 5 doable with a good trigger, low recoiling gun.

 

Yea, man!

I got my wife the "Speed Beez" speed loader & loading block kit so reloading is easy & fun. (Most ladles aren't keen getting their fingers coated in lead)

I think it holds 60 rds IIRC.

I'll load it up at home, guide her shooting / training, load up the block again at the range, and she'll shoot that.

120 (IIRC) rounds of .32 Long and .32 Magnum fired and her trigger finger nor her hand are fatigued.

Instead she got to focus on shooting.

I remind her occasionally that even .32 mag is going to ring her ears so expect it & carry on because it's easy to forget when you train with double ear-pro. (I do too)

THIS!

https://www.speedbeez.com/product/speed-beez-ruger-lcr-327-fed-6-shot-case/

I forget but I may have had to insert spacer blocks for .32 long...I'll have to check...I think i thought about it but didn't need to. It works better with .32 magnums. Maybe that's why I stopped loading .32 Long cases?

.32 S&W Long...fun to reload and so much fun to shoot. I get far more joy out it than a .22 rimfire revolver.

 

Why choose an LCR over a J frame..

The answer: You like it better.

 

S&W looks better (still not pretty like a model 36 though) but the LCR is in my hand more comfortable. Also I think a bit lighter. Both are small enough to fulfill the purpose of a snubnose revolver.