Ruger LCR .357 Magnum

[rugerman07]

I'm considering buying a .357 lcr. I've never shot one, but I've handled it, checked it out at gun shows. I like the way it feels in my hand, it's light weight and it's super lite, smooth DA trigger pull. On the downside I've heard it's recoil can be somewhat brutal shooting .357 loads. I've heard you'd be better off using .38 Special +P loads. I'd appreciate some feedback on this, what do you think? What is your opinion of the best .38 Special +P load for self defense?

 

[Buckeye63]

I have one ... great carry option .. the polymer frame not only makes the revolver lighter , but also helps tame the recoil.. I have a smaller boot grip to aid in concealability .. I have fired a few 357 mag loads in it .. its a bit lively.. I have found it is a excellent
38spl +P revolver

 

[Spats McGee]

I've had one for a few years. As noted above, "lively" is a good word for the recoil. I've also used the term "brisk," and several other terms not suitable for a family-friendly site like THR. That said, recoil with .38s is pretty tame, so that's what I carry in mine. It's a great little gun, though.

 

[WheelGunMan]

I have one also. I concur with the above regarding recoil with .357 loads. The heavier frame of the .357 does help mitigate recoil with dicier rounds. I carry mine loaded with .38 Spcl 77 grain ARX ammo...

 

[paul105]

I have one ... great carry option .. the polymer frame not only makes the revolver lighter , but also helps tame the recoil.. I have a smaller boot grip to aid in concealability .. I have fired a few 357 mag loads in it .. its a bit lively.. I have found it is a excellent
38spl +P revolver
View attachment 961677

What grip is that?

Thanks,

Paul

 

[Buckeye63]

Boot grip .. I picked up on Amazon

 

[Kleanbore]

Between this:

I have one ... great carry option .. the polymer frame not only makes the revolver lighter , but also helps tame the recoil..

And this:

recoil with .38s is pretty tame, so that's what I carry in mine.

And the excellent trigger....

I have considered getting one for backup in a weak hand jacket holster.

The blast and sound pressure of .357 Magnum loads are another reason for using .38 Specials in it.

 

[Timeless]

My wife's 640 Pro is no fun to shoot .357 even with thicker grips...so I would imagine that one is not either. .38 is not bad. She keeps .38+P defensive rounds in it.

 

[Kleanbore]

My wife's 640 Pro is no fun to shoot .357 even with thicker grips...so I would imagine that one is not either. .38 is not bad. She keeps .38+P defensive rounds in it.

I keep Specials in my Model 60 3", SP101 3", and K6s revolvers.

I would not shoot a magnum load indoors without hearing protection. Not even once.

 

[gonoles_1980]

It's my carry gun, I do carry +P's for self defense, but at the range I shoot my handloaded 357's. I don't like shooting factory 357's out of it, if you do go for 158gr bullets. I'd be fine using my handloaded 357's for carry when I run out of the 10 38+P's I have left.

 

[beag_nut]

One of my BIL's has a S&W Airweight, also in .357, and light weight. He has put less than 50 rounds through it because of the brutal recoil. He now carries a Kimber 9mm semi. I shot the revolver through one cylinder's worth, and never again.

 

[Dave T]

With the universal carry of 38 Specials in these guns I have to wonder...why buy the 357 Magnum in the first place? The old argument of versatility seems lame with comments like, "...and never again."

Dave

PS: I'm not trying to give anyone a hard time about it. This is a legit question.

 

[SeanSw]

I rented the .357 version, fired one cylinder of Federal 125gr .357, and put the rest away. It shook me for the rest of the range trip. I still liked the platform enough to buy the .38 +p version and have packed it often.

The .357 version weighs more and will further absorb the recoil of .38 special but you do lose some of the charm of having a very lightweight revolver. The .38 +p model weighs 21% less than the .357. Nitpicking? You be the judge. I only mention this because once you reach the 17 ounce territory you have more options to consider. I don't think S&W has anything lighter than the LCR .38 except a Scandium model, which may run you about double the cost, and I don't think you gain anything over the LCR.

I switch my load between hardcast wadcutters (Underwood standard pressure), 158gr swchp (Underwood ammo standard pressure), and Remington Golden Saber 125gr jhp. The Rem .38 +p GS is a very decent snubby load and seems to test well from short barrels. Better perhaps than their .357 version!

 

[Buckeye63]

With the universal carry of 38 Specials in these guns I have to wonder...why buy the 357 Magnum in the first place? The old argument of versatility seems lame with comments like, "...and never again."

Dave

PS: I'm not trying to give anyone a hard time about it. This is a legit question.

The LCR38 weighs 13oz ....
The LCR357 weighs 17oz ...

Legit Answer

The LCR38 is a bit lively with 38spl +P
And the LCR357 tames them down a bit

 

[I6turbo]

I'm considering buying a .357 lcr. I've never shot one, but I've handled it, checked it out at gun shows. I like the way it feels in my hand, it's light weight and it's super lite, smooth DA trigger pull. On the downside I've heard it's recoil can be somewhat brutal shooting .357 loads. I've heard you'd be better off using .38 Special +P loads. I'd appreciate some feedback on this, what do you think? What is your opinion of the best .38 Special +P load for self defense?

I don't have the 357 version, but I do have the .38 Special LCR. I like how the little gun feels in hand, the action is nice, it's lightweight, etc., but I DO NOT enjoy shooting the gun at all. It has a painful bite to the recoil. I have a couple of different styles of grips for it, they are both equally painful as far as I can tell. Some people report pretty decent accuracy with theirs, but mine is terrible. I'd say dinner-plate size at 7 yards if I really work at it. And it's not me, because other good handgun shooters have tried it with the same accuracy results. Maybe your results with some version of the gun will be better if you get one.

They are nice and small, though.

 

[unclenunzie]

38 +P works very well in the LCR357. Favorite defense round is Speed Gold Dot 135 Grain Short Barrel +P. It was developed for NYPD for use in their 642s, and tested performance more or less equals their then standard 9mm 115 grain JHP load.

 

[Buckeye63]

I have found the HST 130gr 38spl +p load is manageable load .. doesn’t recoil like normal + P loads

 

[rugerman07]

I don't have the 357 version, but I do have the .38 Special LCR. I like how the little gun feels in hand, the action is nice, it's lightweight, etc., but I DO NOT enjoy shooting the gun at all. It has a painful bite to the recoil. I have a couple of different styles of grips for it, they are both equally painful as far as I can tell. Some people report pretty decent accuracy with theirs, but mine is terrible. I'd say dinner-plate size at 7 yards if I really work at it. And it's not me, because other good handgun shooters have tried it with the same accuracy results. Maybe your results with some version of the gun will be better if you get one.

They are nice and small, though.
View attachment 961780

Painful bite from recoil?

 

[WheelGunMan]

With the universal carry of 38 Specials in these guns I have to wonder...why buy the 357 Magnum in the first place? The old argument of versatility seems lame with comments like, "...and never again."

Dave

PS: I'm not trying to give anyone a hard time about it. This is a legit question.

As Buckeye63 pointed out..the lighter frame of the LCR38 can be a little harsh shooting +P ammo. Also the 357 provides a steel frame over aluminum giving way to longevity. There have also been reports of the LCR38 being susceptible to flame cutting with +P ammo.

 

[rugerman07]

As Buckeye63 pointed out..the lighter frame of the LCR38 can be a little harsh shooting +P ammo. Also the 357 provides a steel frame over aluminum giving way to longevity. There have also been reports of the LCR38 being susceptible to flame cutting with +P ammo.

Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[I6turbo]

Painful bite from recoil?

Not a bite in the sense of a pinch, but more of a sting, mostly in the web of the hand area. I've shot a lot of different handguns, this is the only one that bothers me. I don't consider myself recoil sensitive. My favorite level of recoil and overall feel in a handgun is a fairly hot .357 magnum out of a gun like a Smith K or L frame - that's the Goldilocks level of handgun IMO. I'm happy to shoot hundreds of rounds at an outing with those guns. But this little Ruger bugger is no fun to me after a cylinder or two of .38 Special. YMMV

 

[Tallball]

My friend has an LCR in 357 magnum. I've shot plenty of 38's and 357's through it. To me and to my friend it's NBD, but we are both big guys with big hands who don't mind recoil.

I liked his LCR so much that I bought one for myself. I got the 38 version and it was harder for me to shoot. I was surprised what a big difference the four ounces made. I had to put the slightly larger LCRx grips on it in order to control it properly in rapid fire.

That being said, they are great carry guns. They are lightweight and the two I've shot have excellent triggers. Mine is my most common carry piece.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

The .38 LCR is too light for my taste. It's ok with target loads, but good +P defensive rounds are stout.

The .357 LCR isn't really meant for full-house magnums. I fired one cylinder of Federal 357B through mine, just to see what it was like. Looked like a flash-bang grenade going off. Felt like one, too. But with .38 +P or a medium .357 load like the Golden Saber (my personal preference) it's manageable. Personally I'd rather fire .357 Golden Sabers through the .357 model than .38 +P Golden Sabers through the .38 model.

I decided that while I'd never notice the extra four ounces in my pocket, I'd sure notice them on the range, and bought a .357.

 

[I6turbo]

If someone has the .357 version and would like to talk about trading for the lighter .38 Special, let me know.

 

[KevininPa]

With the universal carry of 38 Specials in these guns I have to wonder...why buy the 357 Magnum in the first place? The old argument of versatility seems lame with comments like, "...and never again."

Dave

PS: I'm not trying to give anyone a hard time about it. This is a legit question.

The .357, .327 and 9mm are a little heavier. Absorbs recoil better. Some people want that little bit of extra weight for the .38s.

That's why I have the 9mm. Brisk but manageable. If I want to play with magnums, I break out the Speed Six.