Ruger LCR 38 vs 357
I am looking for comments regarding the Ruger LCRs.
I plan to use 38+P ammo only regardless of which model(357 or 38)I may get.
I have seen the fireball(loss of energy)created when a 357 round is fired from a 2in barrel.
It seems other potential cons of a 357 could be:
Temporary blindness from fireball if fired in the dark.
Setting clothing on fire with said fireball if a shot was to be taken from within the pocket.
Even though the 357 model is heavier at 17oz vs 13.5oz...I am considering a 357 since it has a stainless steel frame.
I may be over thinking this.As far as I know the alloy 38 may wear just as well as the SS 357.
I only plan on firing about 100rds just to get a feel for it.
After that it will rarely be shot much.
Would having a SS frame be worth the added wieght?
Im guessing the recoil of the 38+P is not too bad with the 13.5oz model.
Hope to hear opinions from experienced owners/shooters of these guns.Thank you.
I plan to use 38+P ammo only regardless of which model(357 or 38)I may get.
I have seen the fireball(loss of energy)created when a 357 round is fired from a 2in barrel.
It seems other potential cons of a 357 could be:
Temporary blindness from fireball if fired in the dark.
Setting clothing on fire with said fireball if a shot was to be taken from within the pocket.
Even though the 357 model is heavier at 17oz vs 13.5oz...I am considering a 357 since it has a stainless steel frame.
I may be over thinking this.As far as I know the alloy 38 may wear just as well as the SS 357.
I only plan on firing about 100rds just to get a feel for it.
After that it will rarely be shot much.
Would having a SS frame be worth the added wieght?
Im guessing the recoil of the 38+P is not too bad with the 13.5oz model.
Hope to hear opinions from experienced owners/shooters of these guns.Thank you.
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tone59,
The LCR's are about the toughest poly gripframed revolver on the market. Like most of their stuff, Ruger builds it like a tank, compared to the competition. I have not shot the 357, but have shot the 38 special version. If you are never going to use 357's, make yourself more comfy, by carrying less weight.
I see in your other thread of looking at the 442's, and 642 S&W's. For weight, also look at the 340, 638, 360, and lastly the Bodygard 38. The 360 is a favorate of mine, as is their all ss framed 60. I bob the hammer spur, and checker the top of the hammer, so I can use it in single action mode if I wish.
Best0 -
Here's my thoughts in a nutshell:
-If its a gun you're going to be carrying concealed weight matters. 4 ounces doesn't sound like a lot. . .until its been sitting in your pocket rubbing against your leg for 8 or 9 hours during a workday. Get the alloy frame one.
-While .357 magnum does yield better ballistics from a 2" bbl, the difference over .38+P is really pretty minimal. Its only like another 50 fps with .357 from a barrel that short, with the difference being made up in extra ammo cost, gun cost, muzzle flash, and recoil. If you're talking about a gun with a 3" bbl or longer, then the .357 starts to offer enough of a ballistic advantage to be worthy of consideration. But for a 2" gun? Get the .38+P.
-Recoil from a light .38+p is "brisk", but nothing that an experienced male shooter can't handle with a little practice. Key is having a grip that actually fits your hand and to hold the gun with a death-like grip. Do that and the gun is perfectly controllable.0 -
I had an LCR, sold it. For me, using hot .38 and 38+P loads, the recoil was disconcerting, if not uncomfortable. I'm average size and grip. The recoil was certainly manageable, but firing it was uncomfortable to me - just not a "fun" gun. Larger/better grips would have made it more pleasant. I would have kept it if it fit my CC needs - but I found something I liked better, and didn't hesitate to part with it. 0 -
I don't know anybody who actually carries .357 ammo in a 5-shot 2" snubbie, everyone I know uses .38 or +p .38 rounds because they're much more controllable. The old adage that hitting a crook with a small caliber gun is worth a million times more than missing with a hand-cannon bears true yesterday, today, and tomorrow as well.
Folks will buy a magnum snubbie because of the "versatility" to shoot Spl/Mag, then go out and shoot about a box or so of full-house magnums though it. After this less-than-pleasurable experience, much more often than not it'll then languish in the safe forever, be sold, or loaded with .38's for carry.
The extra weight isn't worth it. IMO, it's like owning a 4x4 and never, ever using 4WD...it's just more $$ up front and more weight to carry all the time. As a guy who did carry an all-steel .38 Spl. S&W 640 in his back pocket for many years (and because of this developed a problem with his leg going numb if I do it now); go with the lighter weight gun you're going to carry a lot/shoot a little.
(I've actually gone to an LCP or an LC9 for daily concealed carry, I vary depending on my wardrobe. The only 2" .38 I still have now, a Ruger SP101, is just too heavy/bulky compared to these two.)
Honestly; it's your $$, do with what you want! I always recommend that you do your best to go and try them out on the range BEFORE you buy, be it a S&W, Taurus, Rossi, Ruger, whatever... it might just save you from buying something you'll later hate, and you might find a jewel in another brand or model than the ones you were first considering.0 -
Thank you all for your comments.
The LCR in 38spc wins the vote.Thanks again.0
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