I made it to the range today with my new Ruger LCR in .38 Special + P.  Well, let me back up just a bit to explain how I came to purchase myself a new Ruger LCR.

Normally I carry a Glock Model 26 Gen 4, but we all know and have felt the pain of finding 9mm ammunition, or most ammunition, since Sandy Hook (12/14/2012).  Knowing that revolver ammunition such as .38 Special or .357 Magnum is usually easier to find than just about any semi-auto ammunition, I decided I wanted to have a lightweight concealable .38 Special.  I already have a S&W Model 60 that I have had for at least 25 years but I don’t consider it to be a concealed carry revolver.  It is all stainless and is heavy for a J-frame revolver.  I have had other J-frames in the past – the Airweights in .357 Magnum or .38 Special – and while I did find them to be great handguns, I did not care for the factory trigger pull or the heavy recoil of the Airweight.

So when I made the decision the purchase another .38 Special or .357 Magnum I already had narrowed it down to either the Ruger LCR or another S&W Airweight in my mind before I went to my local gun shop.  I had watched many Ruger LCR reviews on YouTube and no one really had anything bad to say about it.  So, arriving at my gun shop with great anticipation I asked to compare the S&W snubbies to the Ruger snubbies.  The fact that the Ruger was noticeably cheaper than the S&W did not disappoint me.  Then I asked to test the trigger pull to compare each of them.  The result was no contest.  The S&W had the typical heavy trigger pull.  The Ruger trigger pull was a total surprise.  I am used to Ruger triggers that are just horrendous but this trigger pull was actually smooth and easy.  The decision was simple; the Ruger LCR came home with me for $400 and change.

I already mentioned that I did not like the heavy recoil of the S&W Airweights but I went into this purchase knowing that this little revolver was going to pack a hefty recoil.  I made the decision knowing that this was not a handgun to take to the range with half a dozen boxes of ammunition and spend a couple of hours practicing.  This was a handgun with 5-rounds of one-shot stopping power that would be easy to carry concealed.

Shooting at paper plates at 7 yards I found this little revolver very pleasant to shoot.  Make no mistake, it does pack a wallop when shooting .38 Special +P ammunition.  I shot 25 rounds of semi-wadcutter practice ammo and 5 rounds of Hornady Critical Defense ammo and had 29 holes in the center of my paper plate.  There was one round I pulled badly and it was a good 6 inches away from my paper plate.

The Ruger LCR is available in .357 Magnum, .38 Special +P, .22 Magnum, and .22LR.  The frame on the .22LR, .22 Magnum, and .38 Special +P is a combination of polymer and aluminum.  The frame on the .357 Magnum is a combination of polymer and stainless steel.  It comes with either Hogue Tamer grips or with Crimson Trace Laser Grips.  I was shooting with the Hogue Tamer grips and honestly, the recoil wasn’t terrible.  I could manage it and get good follow-up shots.  The rear sight is a notched ramp while the front sight is a replaceable pinned ramp sight with a white dot.  Sight acquisition was surprising easy, although I will very likely replace the front ramp sight with a fiber optic sight, just personal preference.  The weight is listed as 13.5 ounces making it a joy to carry concealed.  This handgun will not fit into holsters made for S&W J-frame revolvers.  The reason for that is a large trigger guard which gives you room for a gloved finger.  There is also a new LCRx model in .38 Special +P which includes an external hammer allowing the shooter to shoot in single-action mode.

Therefore, what words of wisdom can I leave all of my iKC friends with regarding this little Ruger LCR handgun?  If you are looking for a concealable snubby revolver you really don’t have to look any further.  I would choose this over the S&W any day.  It has been on my belt in the 3:00 position all day and I have reached down a few times just to make sure it is really there.  Easy to conceal, easy to carry, easy to shoot, accurate, and packing one-shot stopping power, what more could you ask for in a self-defense concealed carry revolver?