Two new LCR models by Ruger raise 5-shot snubby bar higher

Ruger's not resting on its laurels since the introduction of its LCR, Light Compact Revolver, which really is a new wrinkle in double-action-only .38 Special+P 5-shot wheel guns.

It's almost heresy for a Smith & Wesson lover like me to say it, but the LCR has a better out-of-the-box trigger and shoots more comfortably with +P loads than any Airweight J-frame Smith currently offers.

According to reviews I've read of the new S&W Bodyguard .38 Special with an integral lasersight, this new Smith will also include a new and improved DAO trigger, but I haven't seen one yet so I'll reserve judgment on whether it measures up to the LCR.

At least for now IMHO, the LCR has raised the bar for snubbies. And the two new LCRs being introduced raise it even higher, a model in .38 Special+P with an XS Tritium Dot front night sight and smaller, slimmer boot grips, and an LCR .357 Magnum.

American Rifleman reports on the two new LCRs.

Ruger has updated the LCR for faster acquisition and better concealment with XS® Sight Systems 24/7 Tritium Standard Dot front sight, and the lighter LCR Boot Grip.

The new front sight increases low-light acquisition and offers users a flash sight picture to increase shot speed in self-defense situations, while the LCR Boot Grip is smaller, lighter (by ½ oz) than the standard grip, and features smooth side panels and a smooth bottom contour, making the grip less likely to snag on clothing. 

The other new LCR is a .357 Magnum version with a lightweight steel frame to handle the heavier loads.

Previously only available in .38 Spl., Ruger has created a .357 Mag. version for shooters desiring more power and versatility in a compact revolver. The double-action LCR-357 weighs only 17.25 ounces and features the same friction-reducing cam and accessories as the original LCR, including optional Crimson Trace grips. 

"The new LCR-357 is perfectly optimized for the .357 Magnum," remarked Joe Zajk, Ruger's Chief Engineer for revolvers. "Its 17-1/4 ounce weight is just heavy enough to make shooting full-house .357 loads manageable, yet it is still small and light enough for discreet carry."

Ruger LCR Revolver tops S&W for shooting comfort and light trigger

Brought a new friend home today, a new-to-me gently used Ruger Light Compact Revolver, or LCR .38 Special+P revolver.

There's a reason the NRA gave the Ruger LCR its Golden Bullseye Award for 2010 as new revolver of the year to "honor excellence and innovation in firearms."

The 13.5 ounce, small frame, 5-shot Ruger LCR has three main components: a polymer fire control housing, an aircraft quality aluminum monolithic frame, and an extensively fluted stainless steel cylinder. The LCR’s lightweight, chemical-resistant polymer fire control housing contains the entire fire control mechanism and provides a reduction in perceived recoil. The fire control housing’s grip peg allows for a variety of grips to be installed, and the LCR’s standard Hogue® Tamer™ grip reduces perceived recoil even further. A joint effort with Hogue, the LCR’s standard grip was designed using US military anthropomorphic data on hand shape, so the LCR can be comfortably held by a broad spectrum of hand sizes. An available Crimson Trace® LaserGrip® model offers the advantages of a laser sighting system.

The LCR’s monolithic frame is an aerospace grade, 7000 series aluminum forging treated with a black synergistic hard coat that is applied after machining. Successfully tested with over 30 different aggressive chemicals, this synergistic hard coat exceeds mil-spec salt spray tests, and offers performance considerably greater than hard coat anodizing. The monolithic frame provides sturdy, rigid support for the cylinder and the barrel. The 1-7/8″ long barrel features a 1:16 twist.
The extensively fluted 400 series stainless steel cylinder is lightweight and compact. Treated to an advanced form of Ruger’s Target Grey® finish, this stainless steel cylinder is strong, durable and designed to handle .38 Special +P loads. The Ruger LCR’s patent pending cylinder front latching system uses titanium components, optimized spring tension, and enhanced lockup geometry to ensure that the LCR’s cylinder stays locked in place during firing.

The LCR’s double-action-only trigger pull is uniquely engineered to minimize friction between the fire control components. This friction-reducing cam fire control system results in a non-stacking, smooth trigger pull. This results in more controllable shooting, even among those with smaller hands or less grip strength who find traditional DAO triggers difficult to operate.

One of the perks of working at a gun shop is getting a shot at almost-new products after somebody buys one and then changes their mind. Thus I acquired my new-to-me LCR after waiting somewhat impatiently for the first used one to come in. I say impatiently, because I already got the chance to fire an LCR and knew exactly what I was getting and why I wanted one.

A customer bought the Ruger LCR Crimson Trace Lasergrip model and for some reason the lasersight was not properly set at the factory. So I volunteered for the job to take care of that, which took an entire box of Hornady Critical Defense .38 Special+P to get the job done right at the firing range.

It was a dirty job but somebody had to do it. And along the way I learned to love the LCR, even with .38 Special+P loads, which is something you really can't say about the former head of the class in lightweight snubby revolvers, the Smith & Wesson Airweights. After about five rounds of +P with an Airweight, you're either close to done for the day or wishing that you were.

And in addition to handling those hot .38+P loads with ease, the LCR also has a better double-action trigger than any S&W out of the box, unless it comes from the S&W Performance Center.

I'm a Smith & Wesson lover, but I gotta say, this LCR tops the Smith Airweights and I'm proud to own one. I could say the LCR is the most significant new development in revolvers since Mr. Smith met Mr. Wesson. But it's not really. It is a great new revolver and it's even about $50 cheaper than any of the new S&W Airweight revolvers. It really hasn't caught on big with our gun shop customers yet and the revolver buying public as a whole, but I predict it will soon. Better trigger and more comfortable shooting for practice and when it counts, what more could you ask from a lightweight compact revolver than the Ruger LCR?

Revolver Day: S&W K-38, Ruger LCR and 2 Charter .327 Magnums

Something new vs. something old. Which one wins? Usually it's the new and improved and supposedly better. But sometimes it ain't.

Case in point is the latest and greatest .38 Special revolver, the Ruger LCR with Crimson Trace Laser Grips, which went to the range with me today along with a pair of Charter Arms .327 Magnums, both equipped with CT Laser Grips. All needed zeroing and it's a dirty job but somebody's got to do it. That would be me.

The pair of Charter .327 Magnums is one owned by me that just got back from some work at the factory and I needed to verify zero hadn't changed. It had not. The other is one owned by a friend of mine who has not zeroed the laser grips yet, so I volunteered to handle that chore.

I really like the .327 Federal Magnum cartridge, the NRA Ammo of the Year. It has ballistics that are almost identical to .357 Magnum, but without the punishing recoil in a lightweight revolver. The Charter .327 is one of the new breed that IMHO is better than a standard .38 snubby. Six shots vs. 5, better ballistics than .38 Special or even .38 +P. What's not to like?

And then there's a new wrinkle in .38 snubbies. The friend with the other Charter also bought a new Ruger LCR, which stands for Lightweight Compact Revolver. The friend, let's call her Annie Oakley, is a great natural shooter who just took my first NRA Basic Pistol Class. She was previously untrained with handguns, but you'd never know it.

So I also volunteered to zero her new Ruger LCR, which she purchased last week at the gun store where I work.

The LCR is the world's first polymer-grip revolver, with an aluminum frame, steel 5-shot cylinder and steel-lined 1.875" barrel. It came from the factory with the Crimson Trace Laser Grips installed, unlike the two Charter magnums, which had their CT grips installed at the gun shop where I work.

So I expected the Ruger lasergrips to be at least close to zero. Wrong.

The first two shots I fired with the LCR laser were almost in the same hole, but several inches and high and a bit left. (First yellow target, two holes high and left.) So I checked the iron sights. Bam, bam, two holes on each side of the bull. (Same yellow target, holes at bull)

Nothing wrong with those iron sights. So I did the zero the easy way, aligning the zero with the iron sights, then firing a group of five. (Orange target.) Not bad. I'm not all that great at firing a double-action trigger, but this one is pretty good. Better than the average Smith & Wesson double-action .38 snubby, which heretofore has been the standard by which other .38 snubbies are measured.

There's a new snubby in town and it has a pretty good trigger, maybe a great one for somebody who actually knows how to shoot a DA snubby, and that ain't me.

I proved that by setting up a 11x17" little redman target at 21 feet and standing on my hind legs the way you're supposed to shoot a snubby. The five holes in the 8 and 9 rings are .38s from the DA snubby Ruger LCR.

That kinda ticked me off, shooting so lousy at Tueller Drill distance.

So I loaded up my S&W 14-3, which back before Smith got stupid and used model numbers to identify their pistols was known as the K-38 Target Masterpiece. Now which says excellence to you, Model 14-3 or K-38 Target Masterpiece? I rest my case.

Anyway, I loaded up the K-38 and fired a dozen double-action rounds or so at the little redman's head. That lovely Target Masterpiece has such a sweet, smooth double-action trigger that even I can shoot it well. Just because something's "new" don't necessarily mean it's improved.

Now I gotta find me an old Smith snubby that ain't "new and improved" and has a great trigger like my K-38.

I also spent a good part of my range time today zeroing the Bomar sight on my K-38. The last set of targets is the K-38 zeroed up at 50 feet, at left, and then a pair of cylinder loads shot at 100 feet, in the target at right.

Lordy, they really don't make 'em like this K-38 Target Masterpiece anymore. It makes an old fart like me look like I can really shoot, double-action or single-action.

CZ P-07 Safeties, Ruger LCR dreams and a Steyr carbine

I had a pleasant surprise with my new CZ P-07 today. The trigger guard isn't as big as it looks. I tried out my holsters to see what would fit and lo and behold, it fits my JMG OWB-4 leather holster that was made for my Steyr MA1s. It also fits perfectly and locks into the Bianchi paddle holster I got for my Sig P229 SAS Generation 2. I love it when a plan comes together. Well actually, I didn't plan it at all but it all came together anyway. The Good Lord helps fools and drunks.

I also upgraded the P-07 from decocker to ambi safeties. I'm a klutz and I know it so I took it back to work and got the young man who runs the gun shop to remove the ambi decocker levers and install the ambi safeties. I'll post some photos later this week. I left my camera at work until tomorrow.

I had a bad case of feeling like the southern end of a northbound mule this weekend so I didn't get a chance to take my new P-07 out for a spin. But next weekend, surely. And I've got another trade under way with a .45 ACP Witness P-Compact that's supposed to arrive tomorrow. If it is as promised, I'll ship out my GKK-45, a Browning Hi-Power 45 from Hungary.

And that will complete my trading and sales. My Sig P226 .357 Sig was sold and turned into a Sig P229 .357 Sig (eventually after a tangenital trip for a Marlin 1894 .44 Magnum lever-action rifle). My Steyr M357-A1 was sold and financed the purchase of the CZ P-07.

And lo and behold, on Sunday my CZ SP-01 Custom was purchased by one of Angus Hobdell's range buddies in Mesa, Arizona, who is adding it to his CZ collection. I will be able to pay off my credit-card debt incurred for the unexpected early arrival of the Sig P229! If you were anywhere on the eastern seaboard Sunday afternoon when I saw the sale on gunbroker, you woulda heard me holler.

And there will be a small surplus left over for my next acquisition, which I expect to be a .38 Super slide to convert the EAA Witness .45 P-Compact.

But I've also got my eyes on the new Ruger Light Compact Revolver. We've got them in the shop and it really is an improvement over the Smith .38s.

The trigger really has to be experienced to believe. It'll make a great backup and is worthy of me breaking my rule about no .38 Specials. It's as light as a Smith & Wesson Airweight but one gun writer reported he fired 500+ rounds of .38 +Ps without a stop and the rubber grip and polymer frame soaked up the recoil so well his hand wasn't even sore after that marathon firing session.

But guess what happened today? Some guy sold the gun shop a Steyr 1895 8x56R straight-pull bolt action that looks to be in perfect condition, very nice wood, even has five boxes of ammo with the stripper clips and a couple of boxes of modern Hornady ammo without the stripper clips. And it's only $175. Damn. There goes my next pistol plan. It looks just like this Steyr Model 1895 Budapest Stutzen carbine at J&G Sales. And they got ammo too.