I am curious as to what your guys' general opinions are of the quality of the Ruger LCR and LCRx revolvers?

I am considering one perhaps in .327 Federal Magnum.

Thanks!

I bought one over a decade ago.  .38 Special.

It has been carried a lot and shot a fair amount.

The trigger is excellent.

I think highly of it.

Inspect it before you get it. BC gap on mine was very generous. I sent it back and they fixed it but they also ended up scratching up and removing the finish on the front of the crane.

LCR in .38+P is my backup gun while on duty in uniformed patrol. Bought it second hand and no issues with quality. Have had it for several years and put a couple hundred rounds through it. It's great for it's intended purpose.

Have LCRx 3” in 22WMR, 38, and 357. Carry one of them when upland or waterfowl hunting as they are so light. OWB on upland and in chest rig waterfowl I got. Have 5-600 rounds through each of them. Many varmints dispatched.

Never had any issues and they have held up with no holster wear or any other issues. 357 is a joy to shoot given the large grip.

If they make a 9mm or 327 in 3” I will probably add it to the collection. Have 3 SP101’s that rarely get carried now as the LCRx are so light.

I would buy all three again! All the best as you research the best option.

I'll start the poo flinging.  

No question Ruger triggers are somewhere between awful & adequate with none being wonderful from the factory.

No question accuracy is between awful & adequate with a rare exception here or there.

My LGS has S&W revolvers priced anywhere from $50 to $100 cheaper than their Ruger counterpart(s).

My question then is WHY would anyone choose a Ruger over a S&W? For a Super Redhawk, I can understand if one wants to shoot hotter loads than normal. But otherwise?  

My experience with the lcr's and j frames are the exact opposite.

Ever lcr Ive shot has a better trigger than any j frame. Accuracy has always been equal to any jframe and Ive always seen them cheaper than comparable j frames.

I would really like to find a 3" 22lr one someday.

My S&W J frame is MOA sliding barn door! They make great pistols but their revolver quality isn’t what it once was!

The LCR series have excellent double action triggers.  My wife does not like J frames at all, but likes the LCRx well enough that she has two.  Both .38s, one 2 inch and one 3 inch.

I see we've found our Ruger kool-aid drinker.......................  

Slow down there with the details, sir.

Dozens of things factor in on accuracy & you don't list any of them. Nor do you mention another shooter trying the gun.

Has S&W quality gone down? Maybe, maybe not. One could make that comment about almost anything being made these days: cars, trucks, tv's, clothes, etc. Mfgrs are always looking for ways to trim costs, nothing surprising about that. I don't recall a single S&W being opened in the box that had an issue. Nor did the shop ever have a Smith come back for accuracy or operational issues.

I've spent thousands of hours at ranges in my life. Never have I seen a Ruger out shoot a Smith in the same configuration. Not once.

Why? Because I dared to disagree with you

My edc is a m66-8. I use it for uspsa, hunting, classes, etc

Double standards?

You really need to try an LCR/LCRx before you start slinging shit.

This ought to be good...

FPNI.

I like Smiths better and the comment about them have accuracy issues is idiotic and trollish. With that said, the fit and finish on my LCR is good and I never had an issue with it. I've owned mine for a decade now. Like everyone said, the trigger pull is great.

The one problem with the LCR is with the trigger. With S&W, Taurus, and other revolvers I tried, short stroking the trigger will not leave the revolver inoperable like it does with the LCR. If you are firing as fast as you can or if you're injured and for whatever reason do not fully and 100% completely let the trigger out after each pull, the trigger will go dead until you manually index the cylinder. Other revolvers do not have this issue, and it's not something I want on a defensive weapon.

In for more info, also thinking of an LCR in 327

Long time S&W revolver guy here... I own 4-5 j frames

The LCR is a nice gun.

I’ve owned one for around 7-8 years in .38spl

I only shoot it once a year or so since it’s a backup in the house.

Great trigger out of the box.

The LCR has a much smoother consistent d/a trigger.
The J frame is a better example of the art of machining.
If you are looking for a simply usable glock of revolvers you can not go wrong with a knock about LCR.

I'm another



I sold my 642 and bought an LCR.

Too many threads on every gun forum about alloy J-frames breaking hammer pins.

I bought a S&W 69 a few years ago, difficult extraction from day one. Had to send it back TWICE.

so, S&W is hardy better anymore

My Ruger is fine quality, and how's this for accuracy,.....clanging steel at 90 yards, double action.



I've run thousands of rounds thru my LCR, it's a good weapon.

Ignore the troll above OP.

I've been carrying a 3" 357 for about a year.

It has been 100% reliable with a respectable round count, but not great (2020 has been a busy year).  It's truly great to carry.  It's finish has held up very well.  It's trigger is heavy but clean and smooth.  Better than a J frame, not near as good as the performance center Smith, especially single action.  The build is utilitarian, it rattles and the cylinder movement made me nervous at first.

I wouldn't call it punishing in 357, like a 360, but the recoil management is challenging.  It's slow to get accurate follow ups. 38 however is quick and pleasant.

As far as accuracy Id place it well inside the "acceptable" to "good" category.  

The only photo I have right now regarding accuracy is from a shooting trip to zero a different gun.  Just banging away with the LCRx because why not (that's why it's to the left).  The low flyer is 100% my fault and the last in a string of 5 and Im far from the best shooter.  That's the slow fire single action standing group at ~12' for both, 5 and 6 rounds respectively.

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I'd recommend it to a friend with no reservations. Full disclosure: I may sell mine off because the pictured 19 has taken over fully as my daily carry, but that's not a dig on the LCRx realistically, $550 vs $1000 guns are gonna be different.  It was and is a hard choice between the two, and that says a lot.

great little gun

@bobcole

What is your direct, personal experience with the LCR series of revolvers?

If you can find an LCR in 327, buy it!

Do you reload?

This cartridge offers enormous flexibility from super soft to full power magnum that bumps right up against 357 performance.

Sales of them & all guns in general for over 30 years. I've seen them come in on trade, I've seen them in the used counter case. I talked to their owners as they traded them in or looked at them to purchase them.

Range use for over 30 years. I've shot Rugers (in general) of all shapes, sizes and calibers. 44.mag down to .22LR & everything in between. I regret not having shot the .460 Alaskan (I think it is?). I have several friends whom are in the Ruger Collector's Association as well. They are die hard Ruger kool-aid drinkers.

Of all the major mfgrs, Ruger & Taurus take the biggest hit on depreciation on trade-in value. This doesn't mean they're a POS, just stating a cold, hard fact in the world of gun selling reality. It is what it is.

Keep in mind, I'm not saying a Ruger is a POS, a High Point or however you want to say it. But there's no question when looked at from a disengaged angle, the Ruger brand is an obvious second place to a S&W. Colt too, for that matter but that's not a fair comparison as Colts cost a good bit more, depending on model.

I also note the other post about how one Ruger owner, polished, shimmed, replaced & whatnot a Ruger in order to make it a decent trigger. That's fine & dandy for those whom have the ability, time & knowledge to do such things. But 30+ years sales experience tells me that 90-something % of gun buyers don't do that sort of customizing. Heck, just swapping out the grips is about as far as that 90-something % is going to go.

I tell buyers that Ruger revolvers (semi's too, for that matter) are the Chevy Caprice's of the gun world. Reliable, pretty solid but neither accomplished nor exceptional in any way.

I won't get started on the number of Ruger Wrangler's that came back with warranty issues or the number of ones we tried to set out for display but had to return because of warranty issues without firing a single shot. Is Ruger the only ones making a turd? Certainly not, not saying that at all.

What I AM saying is for the SAME amount of $$$, one can go with a S&W and get a LOT better gun. Who wouldn't want a Corvette over a Camero, for example?

Lastly, my opinion is worth exactly what everyone is paying for it...............  

I certainly can accept what you are saying.

I think S&W is clearly held in higher regard by gun enthusiasts. The older guns were definitely better as far as fit and finish is concerned.  Sadly, I don’t think any revolvers are made like they used to be.

I have experience with 4 different LCRs in 327, 38, and 357 and they have all been flawless.

I agree with you for most of their guns but I think the lcr is better than j frames.

Bigger guns ill go smith, except for single actions.

I really want an LCRx

That’s about all I can contribute

I don't disagree that not a lot is made "like it used to be". There's huge pressure from within companies to maximize profits & for plants that means pushing out as much product as possible, even is some of it is iffy on QC. Beretta is a walking billboard for that, IMO.

Where the rubber meets the road is sales numbers. Leaving out Ruger's .22 models, S&W outsells them 8 or 10 to 1 in both revolvers or semi's. The ones whom buy Ruger semi's are the ones whom are on a much tighter budget, IMO.

Oddly enough, at the shop I worked at last, Ruger revolvers were $75-100 higher than J-frame Smiths. I think a lot of that has to do with the owner getting a killer deal from either S&W or a wholeseller. Regardless, the Rugers were much higher. Nor did that carry over into re-sale value when a Ruger was traded in. Rugers brought less on trade value, not just our shop but gun shows too.

The market will tell one which guns are worth more than others, for the most part. There's some anomalies out there for that, certainly. The FN 5.7 price is a perfect example of that. If they can produce them enough, Ruger will kick FN's ass in the 5.7 market.

I've shot both the S&W 642 and LCR in .38 special. I had no problem hitting steal at 25yds with both. Each has pros and cons but I feel you can't go wrong with either.

- grip is a lot nicer on the LCR
- trigger is heavier on the S&W
- lack the feel of reset on the LCR if you're someone who cares about that.
- chargeable front sight on the LCR

I bought a LCRx in .327 Fed. a few years ago. Full .327 loads are snappy, but very manageable. 32 H&R are great to practice with. 32 S&W longs are super soft shooting and 32 S&W are a hoot, about like 22lr.

I agree that if you can find one, you won't regret buying it.