Ruger KLCR velocity results with five factory loads

[MCMXI]

I shot five Remington factory loads over a chronograph (CED M2) this evening using my Ruger KLCR (1.875" barrel) with some interesting results. The velocities were measured approximately 8ft from the muzzle and I shot at a steel popper set 33 yards away. I found it fairly easy to make consistent hits on the popper with everything but the UMC 125gr JSP loads. I shot 10 rounds of each load with the exception of the Golden Saber .38 Spl load of which I shot 13 rounds. Remington uses a vented 4" test barrel to determine the advertised velocity for each load and I've included the published velocity after the item number. The VEL LOSS shows the difference between my measured AVG and Remington's published velocity.

1. Remington UMC .357 Mag 125gr JSP (L357M12, 1,450fps)

AVG 1161
MAX 1188
MIN 1126
EV 62
SD 18
VEL LOSS 289 (20%)


2. Remington Express .357 Mag 110gr SJHP (R357M7, 1,295fps)

AVG 1193
MAX 1233
MIN 1145
EV 88
SD 24
VEL LOSS 103 (8%)


3. Remington Golden Saber .357 Mag 125gr BJHP (GS357MA, 1,220fps)

AVG 1102
MAX 1125
MIN 1078
EV 47
SD 16
VEL LOSS 118 (10%)


4. Remington Golden Saber .38 Spl +P 125gr BJHP (GS38SB, 975fps)

AVG 842
MAX 869
MIN 814
EV 55
SD 15
VEL LOSS 133 (14%)


5. Remington Express .38 Spl 158gr LRN (R38S5, 755fps)

AVG 724
MAX 743
MIN 708
EV 35
SD 12
VEL LOSS 31 (4%)


I enjoyed shooting most of the loads but I have to admit that the UMC .357 Mag 125gr JSP isn't much fun to shoot out of the KLCR. Recoil is stout for very little payoff since the Golden Saber 125gr BJHP load is almost as fast and is a lot more pleasant to shoot. The "perfect" load would be somewhere between the .38 Spl +P at 842fps and the .357 Mag Golden Saber at 1,102fps but I'll probably use the .38 Spl load as my CC load since there's less recoil and less muzzle blast. The 158gr LRN load would be a great load for just about anyone including kids and women since recoil is virtually non existent and it's accurate. Bottom line ... this is one heck of a revolver and after shooting close to 100 rounds now, I'm liking it more and more. The XS front sight is a huge improvement over the factory sight.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

Interesting results, especially the comparison between the UMC and Golden Saber. So much extra flash and noise and recoil for so little extra velocity. It's got to be something to do with the powder.

Having fired both Golden Saber loads, I'll stick with the .357 version as I find it quite manageable.

The XS sight looks a little more likely to snag if drawn from a pocket; have you found that to be a real problem or is it just my imagination?

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Thanks for the test results.

 

[farm23]

Interesting, thanks. My wife wants a KLCR but will shoot mostly 38. Did you install the XS sight your self or have someone do it?

 

[bannockburn]

1858

Thanks for the test results. Very interesting, especially with the UMC .357 loading. I saw the XS sight on an LCR a few years ago and thought it was a great idea. Makes the front sight very quick and easy to acquire.

 

[R.W.Dale]

The 125g rem SJHP is one of my favorite 357 mag carry loads.....in a larger gun.

I don't think they'd be any fun in a hyper light snubby for the reasons you noted.

 

[moxie]

Thanks. good info.

I have a .38 Spl. LCR and my favorite load for it is the GS 125+P. Most accurate and not as hateful as the Speer 135 +P SB. That 842 fps is about perfect.

 

[Haywood]

I put a XS Standard Dot on my LCR357. It was easy. I like the 125g. Corbon JHP 357 Ammo for my carry load but, I would not be afraid to carry Corbon 38spl +P DPX or Gold Dot 135g. 38+P.

 

[MCMXI]

Interesting results, especially the comparison between the UMC and Golden Saber. So much extra flash and noise and recoil for so little extra velocity. It's got to be something to do with the powder.

Having fired both Golden Saber loads, I'll stick with the .357 version as I find it quite manageable.

The XS sight looks a little more likely to snag if drawn from a pocket; have you found that to be a real problem or is it just my imagination?

The UMC 125s use a much slower powder (and a lot more of it) compared to the Golden Saber 125s. This helps to explain the significant velocity loss with the UMC 125gr JSP and the significant increase in felt recoil. But as you say, the GS .357 Mag is quite manageable. However irrational it might be, I like the extra velocity over the GS .38 Spl +P but this might change once I've shot some of the .38 Spl +P through heavy clothing.

I've carried the KLCR in a pocket a few times now with the new XS front sight and haven't had any issues with snagging. Issues could arise with loose fitting pants but a good pocket holster would fix that. It certainly isn't an issue with the two ankle holsters I have (Galco and Renegade Cozy Partner).

Did you install the XS sight your self or have someone do it?

I did it myself. The sight comes with a punch to drive out the factory roll pin but I used my own punches. The only tricky part was getting the new roll pin started in the sight. I would suggest using a 1/8" punch and starting it into the sight before placing the sight on the revolver. Overall it was an easy swap and one that I would definitely recommend, particulary if you plan to use the revolver for personal defense.

The 125g rem SJHP is one of my favorite 357 mag carry loads.....in a larger gun.

I don't think they'd be any fun in a hyper light snubby for the reasons you noted.

I like shooting the The UMC .357 Mag JSP and SJHP loads in my SP101, GP100s and Marlin. They're a really good value for what they are but I sure don't plan on putting any more of them through the KLCR! I consider myself to be fairly recoil resistant but I don't believe in punishing myself or the revolver for no good reason.

 

[Stress_Test]

Yup, I've done the UMC magnums in SJHP through the LCR, and it's eye-opening for sure! Huge shock wave. Though I think the federal 158gr (Champion? -red box) was as bad or worse from a recoil standpoint. With the 158s, my support hand often separated from my shooting hand unless I was really squeezing them together.

(lately I've been rolling with the Golden Saber 357s for carry... they seem just about right, and I can fire them one-handed without having the gun fly up too far in recoil)

PS the Critical Defense 357 isn't horrible, but it's still a pretty serious boom from the LCR. Not as much as the UMCs but still I'd sure hate to fire it without ear protection!

 

[MCMXI]

lately I've been rolling with the Golden Saber 357s for carry... they seem just about right

That's what I've decided to do for now mostly because the average velocity of the .357 Magnum 125gr BJHP bullet out of the Ruger (1,102fps) is close to the velocity of a Golden Saber 9mm 124gr BJHP out of a standard 4" barrel (1,125fps).

 

[MCMXI]

I realized that I should calculate the muzzle energy of the loads I tested based on the average velocities of each and compare them to what I'm carrying in my XD-S which is the Barnes .45 Auto 185gr TAC-XPD load. So from highest to lowest including the factor increase of each over the lowest ...

Rem UMC .357 Mag 125gr JSP UMC > 374 ft-lb (2.0X)
Rem Express .357 Mag 110gr SJHP > 347 ft-lb (1.9X)
Rem Golden Saber .357 Mag 125gr BJHP > 337 ft-lb (1.8X)
Rem Golden Saber .38 Spl +P 125gr BJHP > 197 ft-lb (1.1X)
Rem Express .38 Spl 158gr LRN > 184 ft-lb

Compare these results to the Barnes load which averaged 880 fps for ten shots out of my XD-S. The muzzle energy of that load is 318 ft-lb (1.7X).

 

[mdauben]

Thanks for the real world snubbie results, 1858! Very eye opening and informative. I generally use the Rem UMC in my full size .357 but it looks like the Express or GS would be a better choice in the SP101 I was planning on picking up.

 

[MCMXI]

I started a new thread but for the sake of completeness here's a video made yesterday showing the muzzle flash and recoil shooting the five loads shot (by a friend) in the following order.

Remington Express .38 Spl 158gr LRN
Remington Golden Saber .38 Spl +P 125gr BJHP
Remington Express .357 Mag 110gr SJHP
Remington Golden Saber .357 Mag 125gr BJHP
Remington UMC .357 Mag 125gr JSP

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

 

[gamestalker]

Cool tests. Personally I haven't chronograph-ed any factory stuff in a quite a while. But I recently bought some Hornady 125 gr. XTP HP's, which I don't usually shoot a lot of. But anyway, I loaded these with 21.5 grs. of 296 and the chrony results were surprising out of a 2"-ish barrel. I was getting over 1650 fps with most of the rounds, and velocity was very consistent too.

I then ran those loads through a 4" barrel and velocity increased about 50 fps or around the 1700 fps range.

As for accuracy, I couldn't believe just how accurate they were at those velocities, and from such short barrels at 15 yards too. I'm not very good with open iron sights, so I'm sure someone with better vision than mine could probably done better than keeping them on a 6" paper plate.

GS

 

[tomrkba]

So, given these numbers, what does this do that a Glock 26 won't do? I see 1,100 FPS for around 124 grain bullet out of a 26. 50 FPS (in one load) is not much difference and 1,150 FPS is not going to result in any awards (my G19 gets 1150 FPS with Speer Gold Dot 124 grain JHP). The 38 Special performance appears to be poor, though it will certainly work. I'd much rather have a larger bore revolver that shoots a 200+ grain bullet.

 

[moxie]

What the LCR does well is go into the front pocket of almost any pants or shorts, shirt tucked in, complete with pocket holster, without anyone noticing there's a gun there. And so light that you hardly notice it either.

The G26 and the Shield won't quite make it as pocket guns.

And the LCR has, IMO, a good grip, nice sights, as well as a very nice double action trigger. Superior to J-frames in these respects, IMO.

Would I rather carry a bigger gun, sure! But when IWB or OWB is simply NOT an option, a pocket gun is the next best thing, and I think the LCR heads the pack in this role.

 

[MCMXI]

So, given these numbers, what does this do that a Glock 26 won't do?

How about the double strike capability and the fact that it will still function/fire with the muzzle jammed into someone's ribs. Also, you can shoot a wide range of ammunition (bullet weight, velocity) without function issues, it won't have a three-point jam, it won't have a stovepipe and it's a joy to carry IWB, OWB, pocket or in an ankle holster because it's light. But that's just off the top of my head.

 

[Confederate]

I'd love to have one of those Rugers, but I think I'm happier with my SP-101. Why do you suppose Ruger decided to put such a tiny barrel on the KLCR? And why not at least an option for a longer barrel?

I've got a Ruger Security-Six with a 2.75-inch barrel, but that barrel is so thick and heavy (not like my mom's, which is kind of skinny). Heavy barrels and barrels that are overly short are the bane of my existence. I know why the heavy barrels are good, but carrying them is just a bit more difficult.

I'd like a .357 with a barrel like the early S&W Model 10. Just enough steel to say you've got a barrel! I'd like at least a 2.65-inch barrel on the KLCR.

 

[moxie]

Because the LCR is designed to be short and light, perfect for pocket carry. The 101 is too big and heavy even with the shortest barrel.

 

[MCMXI]

I've been carrying the KLCR in an OWB Galco holster for the past week under a t-shirt and I'm completely sold on this revolver. It is SOOOO easy to carry partly because of the weight but also because of the balance. The barrel length isn't an issue for me. I think I've found the perfect carry gun (for me). I'll buy another as soon as my favorite online dealer has one in stock.

I bought 200 rounds of Remington .38 Spl +P 125gr SJHP ammunition yesterday so I'll shoot some over my chronograph this week and add the results to the list. Remington data shows 945 fps out of a 4" vented test barrel which is a bit slower than the Golden Saber .38 Spl +P 125gr BJHP.

 

[R.W.Dale]

In this hot summer heat I too am having a hard time NOT grabbing my LCR when I go out.

It's just such an easy gun to live with day to day.

 

[MCMXI]

Tested two more loads today. The Federal is the clear winner for energy with 406 ft-lb even with an 18% velocity loss compared to the factory MV of 1,400fps. It's not fun to shoot though using the KLCR.

6. Remington UMC .38 Spl 125gr SJHP (L38S2B, 945fps)

AVG 851
MAX 887
MIN 817
EV 70
SD 18
VEL LOSS 31 (10%)
FT-LB 201

7. Federal Premium Vital-Shok 140gr Barnes Expander (P357XB1, 1400fps)

AVG 1144
MAX 1163
MIN 1116
EV 47
SD 18
VEL LOSS 31 (18%)
FT-LB 406

 

[R.W.Dale]

I will add some more numbers to your data set.

38spl ruger LCR
Winchester super -x (old lot white box)
158g SWC (non hp) lead. +p

Five shots 799 fps avg 8' from the muzzle

This is what I've been carrying for awhile now. Even with these modest velocities recoil is definitely attention getting.

 

[MCMXI]

I will add some more numbers to your data set.

Good data .... thanks.