# LCR vs. Smith&Wesson



## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

Battle of the .38spl snubbies. Given a choice, which one would you pick, and why?


----------



## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

I have a Model 042


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

if you had asked 5 years ago , the J-frame would take it , holster availability is huge for carry guns 

today , the LCR is 2oz lighter but it's a complete draw in my mind

I would go to a store that had both hold both dry fire both if you could find a place that rented them shoot both and go with the one that felt best in the hand , had the best trigger and shot the best for you.

they are now both proven guns , and holster availability is good for both

although the 6 round ruger LCR in 327 fedral mag could be very interesting , the 9mm would also be interesting options are nice 

either way I would go hammer-less / shrouded hammer people may like to pull the hammer back for target shooting but that is a crutch these aren't bulls-eye guns they are personal defensive firearms , learn to shoot DA it's the way your really going to be shooting in a defensive situation.


----------



## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

Funny you should mention the .327...It's an intriguing round. One more shot in a snubby, with some really interesting ballistics...My understanding is that gold dots pretty reliably expand to twice their diameter, because of the energy levels...


----------



## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

If it were me......

S&W Model 642PRO - lightweight (15 oz) and loads with moon clips

I would only carry a revolver that loads with moon clips.


----------



## wkndwrnch (Oct 7, 2012)

plus 1 for S&W model 642. I took the gun to my gunsmith and he smoothed the action on trigger assembly. Made a nicer easier trigger action.


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

Jolly said:


> Funny you should mention the .327...It's an intriguing round. One more shot in a snubby, with some really interesting ballistics...My understanding is that gold dots pretty reliably expand to twice their diameter, because of the energy levels...


it is a really interesting caliber not sure it has the barrel length to shine in a snubby but add about an inch for a 3 inch barrel and a 1356fps 115gr projectile is looking mighty nice http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/327mag.html 
470 fpe from a 3 inch barrel sp101


----------



## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

Tried out a few...Never thought I would say this, but Ruger has the best trigger, hands down. Very consistent and you know exactly when it's going to break.

OTOH, the Smith is a bit more concealable, and it is definitely a quality product.

Nice to have hard decisions.


----------



## tmitch120 (Aug 2, 2014)

I carry a pair of .38 S&W 642 AirWeights. I bought my first before the LCR came out. I did check the feel of the LCR but, for me, the grip wasn't as comfortable. I have other Rugers and I've never had an issue with quality. I'm comfortable with saying "buy whichever one feels better."


----------



## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

Another one to add to the mix: Kimber just announced a snubbie revolver. 
I'm out here at a trade show where they announced it, and the day before the show, I got to shoot it.

I know, being a Kimber, it's going to have something to prove over the S&W and Ruger standard-bearers, and it's probably going to be ~$200 more than either once it hits the shops, but it is a 6 shot, and is only 0.10" thicker than the 5 shot guys. 

The trigger on the one I shot was decent - ~ 3/4" / 9#, even stack-up, totally blind break. But, I'll caveat that the one I shot was a show queen, so it's possible it got the added attention needed to get it there- it's also possible, though, that it was just a standard example of the platform. 


My vote among the OP models, though: the S&W 940. 9mm moonclip-goodness, and pre-MIM S&W fire-control - hard to beat that. That's what I got the wife after she finally threw in the towel on running the slide for stoppage drills on her Sig 290.


----------



## Texaspredatorhu (Sep 15, 2015)

i think the 327 federal is a pretty cool round and for the longest time at the retailers there would be mountains of it. I guess I should have bought it back then! I really do think it's a draw between Ruger and smith when it comes to revolvers. Both "overbuild" them for safety reasons and both are high quality personally. Your 500 smith is here today because Ruger and smith got into a whose is bigger war! To answer the question, lcr in 327.


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

any carry gun shopping should include holster availability consideration before purchase 

I can tell you owning a gun that is difficult to get anything but poorly fit one size fits a bunch or custom made is a drag.


----------



## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

Agreed. That drawback usually goes hand-in-hand with limited adoption and availability of parts. 

Companies have wised up to this concern and normally make solid models available to key holster makers well ahead of time. But, with the Kimber, for example, you'll probably only have 1 or 2 holsters out of the gate, and NO assurance of the model sticking around in the long-term. 

The J-Frame and LCR have already cut their teeth.


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I went for the LC9 fairly early in it's life , it was released at shot show 2011 I had mine the first week of January 2012 I had already been following them a few months , and had found 2 holster manufacturers that were making semi custom holsters for them at that time so I went for it it has been a great little carry gun and really proved their popularity

but they had a bunch of things going for them , they were sort of the goldilocks gun 9mm but small enough to conceal and price point was reasonable 

the price point has gotten better , they listened to their buyers and made the LC9s and LC9s-pro 

the LC9s pro is almost exactly the gun I was thinking they should be building the end of 2011 but the original LC9 was still the best thing in it's class available at the time , so I went with it 

4 years later I am still running it in it's original configuration , and have added extra magazines , spare parts to my stash and other holsters but nothing on the gun is different 

for any of the LC9 or LCP users out there , the take down pin is 1.99 at midway , add one or two to your next order and put them in a safe place , if you loose it your gun is done till you get another , and at 1.99 the shipping is more than the part


----------



## Dutch 106 (Feb 12, 2008)

Hey Guys,
I own 3 J frames my original bodyguard M49 5 shot 38 3 in heavy barrel a 3 in mdl 36 and a 1 7/8ths M642 with the built in lazer that came from an auction and I haven't gotten around to regriping. Green county is right on the mark, 20 years later I have made more 3 in j frame holsters than I have seen for sale. The only one I bought was a upside down Safariland shoulder rig of the elastic clamshell type. I found with dust all over the plastic bag it was in while I was in the Police academy. I have handled the Ruger products. The price is right, but have never shot one. Not sure I would spend the extra for a smith thease days but I'm an old guy who bought them when they were less expensive.
Cheers,
Dutch


----------



## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

The DW bought the Ruger LCR in 357. IT seems to have fitted her hand better and she liked the feel of it better. 
So far she likes if, but we will have a final verdict after she fires it for a while. which won't be till spring at this rate..


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

beowoulf90 said:


> The DW bought the Ruger LCR in 357. IT seems to have fitted her hand better and she liked the feel of it better.
> So far she likes if, but we will have a final verdict after she fires it for a while. which won't be till spring at this rate..


till spring! 

revolvers are the perfect winter shooting gun , I like to dump a box of cartridges in my right coat pocket and put the empties in my left 

no brass to chase


----------



## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> till spring!
> 
> revolvers are the perfect winter shooting gun , I like to dump a box of cartridges in my right coat pocket and put the empties in my left
> 
> no brass to chase



Yes till Spring..

We can't get to the range/shooting area till the snow melts. 

I hate to say this but I have this aversion to standing "jewels" deep in snow.
Plus since it will be the DW carrying the LCR, she needs to be the one shooting it. Well she is shorter than I am and if I'm "jewels" deep, well you get the picture..

Anyway there really isn't any place to shoot on our property at the moment until some of the snow melts and we can actually get to the areas. :happy2:

Anyway that gives me time to continue to play with the AR. Yes after all these years I finally broke down and got into the AR market.. Amazing what the AR craze has done. 
I do have to chuckle though.. All these "tacticool" add-ons that most don't need or even know how to use. Then they pay top dollar for some fancy competition trigger that they don't need.


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

beowoulf90 said:


> Yes till Spring..
> 
> We can't get to the range/shooting area till the snow melts.
> 
> ...



you need some snow shoes , they work great at keeping your jewels out of the snow 

also a terrific way to go explore the swamps once they are frozen over 

another way to get your winter shooting in is into the snow banks , pile up a big pile in a safe direction then blast away , then come spring pick up all the boolits and melt them down again.

we haven't got much for snow right now but we have had it for a month , I haven't heard if they decided if we are getting 3 or 23 inches tomorrow 

yes the AR thing is rather addictive I broke down and built my first this last year


----------



## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> you need some snow shoes , they work great at keeping your jewels out of the snow
> 
> also a terrific way to go explore the swamps once they are frozen over
> 
> ...



LOL The DW and I were discussing that very thing, snowshoes. We had looked at some at one of the Surplus stores we wet to over the summer. We didn't think we could justify the costs.. But of course the one and only snow we've gotten thus far was 34".. I may have to find some for next year, or see if there is a way to build some over the summer.

The snow is still as high as the hood of my 4x4 Dakota, but should be gone pretty quickly. We are expecting temps in the 40's and 50's with rain on Wed. So we will see if we can get to the range.

I haven't even fired this one and am already thinking about building one in 308 or maybe a special long range build. We will see if I can find enough scrap (or hope scrap prices go up) to pay for it.

Although I did have my eye on a 45-70 Lever Action from Henry. 

First things first though.. I have to stock up on ammo now for the AR, since I didn't have anything in that caliber, I don't have ammo stock for it yet..
Also need to check to see if I have dies for that caliber..If not, need to get some along with all necessary supplies. :teehee:


----------



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I have a pair of the US GI snow shoes air craft cable on magnesium frames I like them , but the bindings they came with were junk 

replace the bindings with a more traditional or go the rubber inner tube route that was popular with the DNR easy on and off 

once you go pack down an area with the snow shoes on generally a few days later you can walk it with just normal boots on , the snow compresses then gets a nice crust you can walk on , much like walking on a snowmobile trail just don't step off the trail or your back up to your waist in snow


----------



## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> I have a pair of the US GI snow shoes air craft cable on magnesium frames I like them , but the bindings they came with were junk
> 
> replace the bindings with a more traditional or go the rubber inner tube route that was popular with the DNR easy on and off
> 
> once you go pack down an area with the snow shoes on generally a few days later you can walk it with just normal boots on , the snow compresses then gets a nice crust you can walk on , much like walking on a snowmobile trail just don't step off the trail or your back up to your waist in snow



Thanks for the info.
The only time I've ever used snowshoes was Feb-Apr. 1979 when I was in Canada training with their Airborne. Then it was really only familiarization with limited use. It was also the only time i was ever on cross-country skis. About the only thing I've used from that training was parachuting into the snow and building snow caves for a camp/ base of ops.. 
Oh did I tell you, I hate the cold! :happy2:

I think a lot of the snow will be gone here shortly, but I know we will look into finding snowshoes for another time. It can't hurt to have them, even if you rarely use them.. They may just become wall decorations until needed..LOL


----------

