Ruger 357 LCR heavy use??

[358429]

Do they hold up?

I'm considering purchasing a Ruger LCR and doing a lot of close range rapid fire drills with speed loaders, keith bullets, and h110[emoji41]

Of course it doesn't always have to be that flashy. The biggest advantage of revolvers is their versatility as a handloaders pistol.[emoji39]

Interestingly enough I have found a way to rationalize this.

I have an eight cavity miha 358429 mold.

A bunch of HKS speedloaders.

It would be extra awesome if it fits in the same Safariland inside the waistband holster that the j-frame 357 snub fits in.

Have any of y'all run hard a Ruger LCR?

[winelover]

You're a better man than me, if you can feed your 357 LCR a steady diet of stout loads of H-110 powder. My choice of slow burning powder stops with 2400 for mine...........because it can be downloaded safely, unlike H-110.

I have just under 1000 rounds through mine. Mostly loaded with faster powders like W231, Unique, Bullesye and AA#7. I'm not the least bit recoil shy but there can be too much of a good thing. My range session, with my light weight pistols, (CA Bulldog or 357 LCR) is usually limited to 20-25 rounds. Any more rounds is counter productive.

I have my own backyard range. Usually, when I walk down to the berm to hang targets for rifle shooting, I take one of the light weights and four or five speed loaders. For the LCR, my choice of loader is the Zeta6 J-Clip-R.

https://zetasix.com/product/j-clip-r/

Wish they were available for the 44 Special Bulldog.

Winelover

[Sasquatch-1]

If you are thinking about speed loading see about having it cut for moon clips. Much faster then speed loaders.

Also, why the heavy loads for practice? Not even Dirty Harry used magnum loads for practice. Plus you can load a lot more rounds with Unique then you can H110.

[kaiser]

I'm with Winelover on this subject. I have a .357 Ruger SP101, and now own a LCR 9mm (pretty rare). The SP is an honest to goodness .357 frame that can take "full house" loads all day; however, I enjoy the .357 in a bigger platform! The LCR, as well as the "J" frame Smiths, is far too light IMO (and to lightly constructed) to handle factory loads even if you can. Loading down will mitigate some of the recoil, but using a .38Spl with +P's loads would have much the same effect.

[imashooter2]

If you are thinking about speed loading see about having it cut for moon clips. Much faster then speed loaders.

Also, why the heavy loads for practice? Not even Dirty Harry used magnum loads for practice. Plus you can load a lot more rounds with Unique then you can H110.

In my opinion, the thin .38/.357 moon clips are not suitable for self defense carry. They bend too easily and a bent moon ties up the gun. I use moon clip guns in ICORE and USPSA and even there, I don’t load the moons on my belt until I’m on deck. Bumping a prop or bit of range equipment has bent .38 moons on my belt.

For serious use, I carry speedloaders.

[358429]

H110 smells good when I shoot my revolvers[emoji3]

[contender1]

I have not subjected a LCR to a lot of seriously heavy loads in any quantity. Nor would I want to.

Besides the stuff mentioned above,, (light gun, heavy recoil, etc,) I look at things with a thought towards practicality.

Ruger built the LCR as an answer to the desires of a LIGHT easy to conceal, easy to shoot revolver due to customer demands. Now,, I teach handgunning,, and I always say; "Light weight, easy to carry,, heavy recoil. Heavy weight, harder to carry, lighter recoil,, it's PHYSICS."
That said,, in this case I'll delve a bit deeper.
When you lighten a gun like the way Ruger did with the LCR,, I do not believe it was an effort to build a gun that can be subjected to a lot of excessive use & heavy loads. I think you'd be looking at a failure of something after a period of time & use. And even good quality steel guns can have issues. The S&W M-19 was designed as a LEO gun,, yet,, it's known to have issues after a lot of heavy use with heavy loads. It was designed around a "normal" police load & use.

With that,, PERSONALLY,, I would look at a different model if my desire was to shoot a lot of top tier loads using H110.

[derek45]

I went with the 38 special. 3.0grCLAYS with a 125-130gr makes a nice clean practice load

https://i.imgur.com/drIF7eu.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FezmyF1.jpg

Lots of practice thanks to the DILLON XL650

clanging steel at 90+ yards


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY3XP8Ghe1E
.
.
.
.
Hogue tamer grips help a lot. I used some of my daughters black fingernail polish to slick up the bottom of the grip for a smoother draw from a pocket holster


https://i.imgur.com/CDYJ08T.jpg

[358429]

I went with the 38 special. 3.0grCLAYS with a 125-130gr makes a nice clean practice load

https://i.imgur.com/drIF7eu.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FezmyF1.jpg

Lots of practice thanks to the DILLON XL650

clanging steel at 90+ yards


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY3XP8Ghe1E
.
.
.
.
Hogue tamer grips help a lot. I used some of my daughters black fingernail polish to slick up the bottom of the grip for a smoother draw from a pocket holster


https://i.imgur.com/CDYJ08T.jpgFantastic pictures Derek 45! What kind of sight picture / sight alignment are you using when you shoot at 90 yards?

When I shoot my 9 m m further than 50 yards I have to hold under. When I shot the steel plate at 120 yards with the CZ po9 I was aiming about an inch or two below the 6 o clock position on the plate and I was striking about an inch and a half below the 12 position. The windage is perfect and requires no kentucky adjustment. The ar500 plate is about 1 ft across and I spray painted it white to make it easier to see.

[358429]

I have not subjected a LCR to a lot of seriously heavy loads in any quantity. Nor would I want to.

Besides the stuff mentioned above,, (light gun, heavy recoil, etc,) I look at things with a thought towards practicality.

Ruger built the LCR as an answer to the desires of a LIGHT easy to conceal, easy to shoot revolver due to customer demands. Now,, I teach handgunning,, and I always say; "Light weight, easy to carry,, heavy recoil. Heavy weight, harder to carry, lighter recoil,, it's PHYSICS."
That said,, in this case I'll delve a bit deeper.
When you lighten a gun like the way Ruger did with the LCR,, I do not believe it was an effort to build a gun that can be subjected to a lot of excessive use & heavy loads. I think you'd be looking at a failure of something after a period of time & use. And even good quality steel guns can have issues. The S&W M-19 was designed as a LEO gun,, yet,, it's known to have issues after a lot of heavy use with heavy loads. It was designed around a "normal" police load & use.

With that,, PERSONALLY,, I would look at a different model if my desire was to shoot a lot of top tier loads using H110.What I like most about the LCR is with the boot grips it fits my hand really well.

It's light and handy and it felt well-made.

I found the double action trigger pull was extremely smooth and easy to control while dry firing at the gun shop. In the past couple of years I have handled a couple of the short barrel 38 special and a couple of the 357 models and they all felt identical to me (good in hand).

[358429]

If you are thinking about speed loading see about having it cut for moon clips. Much faster then speed loaders.

Also, why the heavy loads for practice? Not even Dirty Harry used magnum loads for practice. Plus you can load a lot more rounds with Unique then you can H110.I don't like Moon clips. They feel flimsy to me. I like HKS speedloaders, they can bang around in an ammo can and doesn't hurt em at all when they're dirty I just clean them with soap and water.

It's not only about the fireball, although the power feels good in my hand, I have a couple pounds of h110. Also got couple pounds of Autocomp I've been experimenting with in 9x19.

Wish I had a bunch of unique I like the way it shoots and the way it smells.[emoji3]

[358429]

In my opinion, the thin .38/.357 moon clips are not suitable for self defense carry. They bend too easily and a bent moon ties up the gun. I use moon clip guns in ICORE and USPSA and even there, I don’t load the moons on my belt until I’m on deck. Bumping a prop or bit of range equipment has bent .38 moons on my belt.

For serious use, I carry speedloaders.I agree with you on speed loaders.

[358429]

I'm with Winelover on this subject. I have a .357 Ruger SP101, and now own a LCR 9mm (pretty rare). The SP is an honest to goodness .357 frame that can take "full house" loads all day; however, I enjoy the .357 in a bigger platform! The LCR, as well as the "J" frame Smiths, is far too light IMO (and to lightly constructed) to handle factory loads even if you can. Loading down will mitigate some of the recoil, but using a .38Spl with +P's loads would have much the same effect.What's your favorite revolvers to shoot full power 357?

Which SP101 do you have? I have a 4in stainless steel 357 with the fiber optic front sight. I need to send it back for warranty has some incorrect assembly from the factory combined with extensive heavy use on my part.

How does the 9 mm shoot from the LCR?

[358429]

You're a better man than me, if you can feed your 357 LCR a steady diet of stout loads of H-110 powder. My choice of slow burning powder stops with 2400 for mine...........because it can be downloaded safely, unlike H-110.

I have just under 1000 rounds through mine. Mostly loaded with faster powders like W231, Unique, Bullesye and AA#7. I'm not the least bit recoil shy but there can be too much of a good thing. My range session, with my light weight pistols, (CA Bulldog or 357 LCR) is usually limited to 20-25 rounds. Any more rounds is counter productive.

I have my own backyard range. Usually, when I walk down to the berm to hang targets for rifle shooting, I take one of the light weights and four or five speed loaders. For the LCR, my choice of loader is the Zeta6 J-Clip-R.

https://zetasix.com/product/j-clip-r/

Wish they were available for the 44 Special Bulldog.

WineloverThe steady diet thinghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211105/d1357af779b46148644baf58b7f97dc5.jpg is going to be limited by either the bones in my hand or the wearing of the gun[emoji41]

These 168-170 grainhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211105/93b8581e99d39f630468b246652fbf13.jpg keith bullets chronograph touching 1100 feet per second from thishttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211105/2a3c2efdb763c67f6820a386aa1535c5.jpg little gun. I like h110[emoji7]

[gwpercle]

The Lightweight Aluminum framed , 357 Magnum , J-frame revolver is not designed for extended shooting ... the aluminum will wear faster than steel . Ruger makes some hell for stout handguns and if shot with 38 special ammo will hold up for a while ... can't say how many rounds but ...it should be quite a lot ...
If you want to use it in that way ...go for it . Ruger will take care of "normal" wear and tear and that includes shooting a lot .
You buy Em' to shoot Em' ... when they wear out ... get them repaired !
Gary

[Tracy]

I don't think you will have any problems with durability. The .38 Special version was tested with 6,000 rounds of +P and still met factory spec despite its aluminum frame. I bought my LCR in .357 because of its steel frame more than its chambering. The polymer part just carries the fcg; the parts that take the stress of firing are steel.
For heavy shooting I like my GP100. I also have an SP101, but I like the LCR more.

[358429]

The Lightweight Aluminum framed , 357 Magnum , J-frame revolver is not designed for extended shooting ... the aluminum will wear faster than steel . Ruger makes some hell for stout handguns and if shot with 38 special ammo will hold up for a while ... can't say how many rounds but ...it should be quite a lot ...
If you want to use it in that way ...go for it . Ruger will take care of "normal" wear and tear and that includes shooting a lot .
You buy Em' to shoot Em' ... when they wear out ... get them repaired !
GaryThat's exactly right! Another factor in why I specifically want the 357 Lcr is it has a steel frame, which my eyes sees an opportunity for unlimited continuous use of 38 +p.

Then I would want a bright green laser grip with that little button you press with your second finger when the grip is held, and a bucketwith 15 speed loaders in it and an empty bucket that I'm going to dump the empty brass and speedloaders into.

I could probably do stuff like that with IMR 4227 or Winchester Autocomp. All Hand Loaded on my Hand Press[emoji1783]

[358429]

I don't think you will have any problems with durability. The .38 Special version was tested with 6,000 rounds of +P and still met factory spec despite its aluminum frame. I bought my LCR in .357 because of its steel frame more than its chambering. The polymer part just carries the fcg; the parts that take the stress of firing are steel.
For heavy shooting I like my GP100. I also have an SP101, but I like the LCR more.What is the best shooting bullet out of your 357 LCR?

[downzero]

The Lightweight Aluminum framed , 357 Magnum , J-frame revolver is not designed for extended shooting ... the aluminum will wear faster than steel . Ruger makes some hell for stout handguns and if shot with 38 special ammo will hold up for a while ... can't say how many rounds but ...it should be quite a lot ...
If you want to use it in that way ...go for it . Ruger will take care of "normal" wear and tear and that includes shooting a lot .
You buy Em' to shoot Em' ... when they wear out ... get them repaired !
Gary

I don't think my wrists could handle the heaviest loads in mine. I carry a magnum load, but it's 6 grains of CFE pistol, not 17 grains of H110 (that I shoot in my N-frame).

[jonp]

I am not recoil shy in the least but my SP101 snub with full house 357Mag was punishing. I'd advise to reconsider any steady diet of them in an LCR. As others have said, practice with them enough to get the feel and make sure the gun functions with what you are going to carry and then shoot 38sp the rest of the time.

The fireball with full house from that pistol was inspiring.

[charlie b]

Yep, I used .38 loads to practice with the SP101. I would have purchased an LCR if they had been around back then. If I ever go back to field work (hiking/fishing) I'll get a 3" barrel LCRx.

Sent from my SM-P580 using Tapatalk

[Tracy]

What is the best shooting bullet out of your 357 LCR?

I haven't done any real testing to find which is best. I like the Lee 358-158RF.

[Tracy]

The Lightweight Aluminum framed , 357 Magnum , J-frame revolver is not designed for extended shooting ... the aluminum will wear faster than steel . Ruger makes some hell for stout handguns and if shot with 38 special ammo will hold up for a while ... can't say how many rounds but ...it should be quite a lot ...
If you want to use it in that way ...go for it . Ruger will take care of "normal" wear and tear and that includes shooting a lot .
You buy Em' to shoot Em' ... when they wear out ... get them repaired !
Gary

I'm not sure which revolver you are referring to here since J frame is S&W (who AFAIK don't make an aluminum framed .357) and the Ruger (who also don't make an aluminum framed .357) LCR .357 has a stainless steel frame, unlike the .38 Special version which is aluminum.

[358429]

Smith & Wesson makes two aluminum-framed 357 chambered revolvers that I am currently aware of the models 340 and 360.

How many 357's to wear out a scandium framed revolver with titanium cylinder??[emoji1787]

I think from the design perspective durability is not the focus of ultra light guns.

Went shooting my 77-357 and 60-9, found a combination with 124 grain miha bullets sized 357 over 4227 that warrants further study. It shot especially well from the rifle, 4 shots into one hole with a nearby flyer.

First time it had done that with cast boolits I'm excited about that.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

A call to Ruger about durability under continuous 357 use might be helpful. If you do break it under 'normal' use they'd probably repair it for free (I wouldn't mention the handloads, but I wouldn't exceed book levels either).

My guess is your hand would wear out before the gun. I thought about dropping down in weight from a SP101. Found a recoil calculator and ran the math then decided I'd stick with the SP. I enjoy long range shooting (50-100 yards) with the 3". Developing a flinch would ruin my fun.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Old thread and the poster doesn't mention the load, but claims 3000 rounds with no issues...

http://rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=180587

[358429]

Thanks silver creek farmer

[megasupermagnum]

You'd have to be really dedicated to put a lot of strong rounds through one. My LCR is a 327 federal, which recoil is still a good bit less than 357 magnum strong loads. Even then, after 50 rounds of strong 327 federal, I feel it. It's not like it hurts, but it's similar to shooting 41 magnum in a large frame gun. Even if I worked up to where I could shoot 50 rounds every week, that's only 2600 rounds a year at best. Nobody is going out with an LCR and shooting 300 rounds of full power 357 magnum in a day, at least not without developing the worst flinch possible.

So to answer your question, I doubt my LCR has 2000 rounds through it, but it's as good as the day I bought it. Everything measures the same, everything functions the same.

[Thumbcocker]

Love to see a revolver stretch its legs a bit. Thanks for posting the video.

[kaiser]

My favorite .357 revolver (full power loads) is a 15H Dan Wesson. It has a short hammer "fall", comfortable custom grips, and is tremendously accurate whether the loads are hand loads or factory. The 6" BBL moves the noise a bit further out and the weight is about right for day in day out shooting with this versatile caliber.

The 9mm in the shoots really well with the recoil about equal, or less, to a .38Spl. You do not have to use the moon clips for the gun to shoot, according to the factory; however, it will not eject fully every time unless the moon clips are employed.

The SP101 is the 2 1/2" BBL model that looks like the "Hammer of Thor" when fired (egads, the fire out front is fearsome!). It is surprisingly accurate, even with the short barrel. Adding a Crimson Trace laser site just makes it more formidable without creating a "holster" problem.

[ddixie884]

I would be interested in a documented 500rnd test with factory .357 Magnum 158gr jacketed bullet loads. You would probably have to get more than one tester or do it over several sessions. Anyone see such a test on the inter-web?

[Rizzo]

.......
I'm considering purchasing a Ruger LCR and doing a lot of close range rapid fire drills with speed loaders, keith bullets, and h110[emoji41]

FWIW,
I was considering getting a 357 mag LCR....until I shot one.
I rented and shot a LCR and a SP101 at the range and what a difference!
Because of the lighter weight of the LCR, it almost jumped out of my hand when I fired some 357 mags out of it.
The SP101, built a bit "stouter", was easier to manage.
I ended up buying a 2-1/4" SP101.

[Biggin]

I've got a 3" lcrx in 357 and I'm curious. I haven't run anything hot through it yet just some light 38 handloads sized at .358. What are any of yall sizing your boolits at? I haven't had a chance to do any real accuracy testing with it but it seems to shoot fine without leading. My load is a 150gr Keith type boolit backed up with 4gr of 231. It's a tackdriver in all of my Smiths but not accurate at all.in my gp100.

[winelover]

Size cast to be a slight slip fit in your throats on any revolver...........use a pencil or wooden dowel. My LCR will take bullets at .360 diameter.

Winelover

[Biggin]

Size cast to be a slight slip fit in your throats on any revolver...........use a pencil or wooden dowel. My LCR will take bullets at .360 diameter.

Winelover

Thanks winelover