BehindBlueI's
Grandmaster
- Oct 3, 2012
- 25,896
- 113
After much anticipation, I was able to pick up an LCR .357 today. I traded my Taurus 850 CIA hammerless in, primarily because I've gotten so used to the Ruger style cylinder latch that I fumble my reloads with the S&W/Taurus style latch. I wanted to keep everything on the same page. I found the LCR to be a nice upgrade over the Taurus, and worth the $150 difference I paid.
The Taurus I traded:
The LCR comes with a handy zipper pouch with a pocket on the back for speed strips/loaders:
Open it up, and here's the little fellow (already a bit dirty from his first range outing)
I took it to the range and ran an assortment of ammunition through it today, shooting both steels and cardboard. PMC 132 gr 38's were used for my qualification shoot (qualified it as an off duty gun immediately since I traded in the Taurus and didn't have another ankle gun on my qual list)
Now for the meat of the review:
Size/weight: The LCR is 17oz per Ruger, about 6 oz lighter than the Taurus 850 it replaced. Honestly I can't tell much difference in the hand or in an ankle holster. I do see a bit of difference in pocket carry in shorts, but very minimal. The size is almost identical to the eyeball, but there is a small difference once the calipers come out. The Ruger is about 1/4" taller and 1/10th" narrower than the Taurus. Again, no real felt difference in carry although my wife said the Ruger doesn't print in the jeans pocket like the Taurus did. Measurements aside, both are easy guns to carry.
Grip: The LCR has a factory Hogue "Tamer" monogrip. The Taurus has a factory rubber grip. Both feel grippy and give good purchase, but the Ruger fills the palms better and has a channel for speed loaders to clear which the Taurus lacked. The LCR does a MUCH better job of reducing felt recoil. Shooting the LCR with 125 gr .357s is less punishing than shooting .38+Ps through the Taurus. Both were comfortable with standard pressure .38s, but the LCR is a real ***** cat with them. I couldn't believe how light shooting they were. Shooting .38+Ps with the Taurus was a 15 and done event, leaving me with a stinging palm and redness at the base of my thumb. I didn't have any +Ps to run today, but did shoot some Magtech 125gr .357s and felt like I could shoot a full box with no problem. 158grs were beyond the grip's ability to tame, though. I ran one cylinder of Blazer Brass 158gr .357s and had to talk myself into shooting the last one. Its a VERY jumpy gun and is like high fiving a sledge hammer with the full house 158 grains. I didn't have any 110 gr to test.
Cylinder/Ejection: The crane and cylinder release latch are both pretty stiff out of the box, but are loosening up as I work them. The short ejection rod has trouble extracting .357 empties, which is a common failing among revolvers of this size. It ejects .38s very cleanly and reliably though.
Sights: They were surprisingly useful, given the standards in this segment of the gun world. While they are a standard u-notch and front blade, the notch is deeper and better defined than on the Taurus and similar S&Ws. The front blade is black, but is pinned so swapping it out for a high viz should be an easy endeavor. The front sight post is a reasonable width for the intended shooting distances, and lets in a good amount of light on either side for rapid sight alignment. They are definitely geared more toward speed, but taking your time you can get good accuracy as I'll go into in a bit.
Trigger: This is where the LCR really shines. The 850 had a 13 lb trigger. Yeah, I know. My wife couldn't pull it without shaking so hard she couldn't aim it. 9-11 lb seems standard in a DAO revolver but the LCR breaks at....wait for it....wait for it...just under 5 lbs. Ruger says they use a cam system to reduce friction and get a smooth trigger pull. It works. There is absolutely no grit in the trigger, its smooooth. I was stunned at how easy it was to pull, but honestly didn't believe it was that low. The armorer was surprised as well and rechecked it, but the trigger scale kept coming back at between 4.5 and 5 lbs no matter how many times he checked it. It feels slightly heavier than that, I think because of the length of travel, but the scales don't lie.
The trigger has a touch of stack, but very little compared to most any other DA trigger I've shot. Over travel is about 1/8". The trigger breaks cleanly and predictably. The only complaint I have is with the reset. Unlike most guns were when it clicks its ready to go again the LCR has two clicks. They are ALMOST immediately together, but the ALMOST is what you need to be aware of. While shooting it you probably won't be aware of the clicks, but you MUST let the trigger go all the way forward or you'll have a problem. If you let it click once and then start a new trigger pull, it won't pull and will act like its locked up. Fixing it is as easy as releasing the trigger and starting your pull again. There is a tiny window between the clicks, though, that will let the cylinder turn but not let the hammer fall. In short you'll get a trigger pull but no "bang". I did this with my 2nd cylinder of ammo and kept pulling the trigger on the fired chambers until I got back around to the one that was skipped and set it off. This is easily overcome with practice, but YOU NEED TO PRACTICE TRIGGER RESET if you are going to carry the LCR. I'll take it in exchange for how fantastic the cam system works.
Other than a worked Colt Detective's Special I don't think I've felt a comparable DA trigger in a revolver this size.
Accuracy:
The three shot groups within the bigger circle where my qualification. This was all done with PMC Bronze 132 gr .38s.
As you can see, the 5 shot group in the head at 3 yards is pretty darned tight. The first 2 were almost in the same hole, than 4 in one ragged hole, than the final shot slightly outside of the rest. Calipers say .715" from center to center.
The 5 shot group from 5 yards was almost as tight. Throwing the calipers on it showed the widest spread was 0.8" from center to center.
The 5 shot group from 7 yards opened up more than 2 yards should account for. 4.25" I wasn't real happy so I tried it again and brought it in to 3.5".
From there I stayed at about the same group size. 4.3" at 15 yards and 4.5" at 25 yards, minus one called flier where I was off paper. At 25 yards I was firing as fast as I could find the front sight and on the 3rd shot I knew I had front sight way too far right as I touched it off, so that's definitely on me and not the gun. Still, rapid fire at 25 yards with a sub 2" barrel, I'll take it.
Group size is only part of the story of course. Point of aim vs point of impact is also important. At 7 yards and in they matched up. As I moved further back my point of impact dropped down and to the right. 2.5" at 15 yards and 5.75" at 25 yards. I think this is too much trigger finger on my part. Hand size vs gun size means the trigger is almost to the 2nd joint of my trigger finger holding it naturally. I think as I get more used to the gun and concentrate on not having so much finger inside the trigger housing this will correct itself. At 25 yards bullet weight vs designed bullet may account for some of the drop as well but since I was just holding it center of chest and pulling the trigger I don't have a real accurate measure of bullet drop as there is no precise point of aim to measure from.
I shot steels prior to this target as there was someone using the cardboard target stands. Up to 25 yards and switching between 2 steels I had one miss in 45 shots and I was doing some pretty rapid shooting on 1/2 targets.
Ammo selection:
158 gr .357s are a bad idea. The recoil is approaching painful and the jump is too much to accept in a defensive pistol. Follow up shots are simply too slow as you recover, and the recoil is so heavy it encourages flinching.
125 gr .357s are a less bad idea. Recoil is reasonable, and follow up shots are quicker.
110 gr .357s...I dunno. I didn't have any to test. "They" say that they can jump crimp in such a lightweight rapid recoiling hand gun. I don't know, but I've never used 110 gr anyway.
158 gr .38+P is reasonable. Recoil is moderate, slightly less than the 125 gr .357s
130 gr .38+P is probably going to be my choice (Wichester PDX-1 bonded) as the recoil is very reasonable and the balance of recoil/terminal ballistic performance is a win in my book.
**.38s have the edge for another reason as well, empty case extraction. The short ejection rod has trouble getting hot .357 rounds out as they conform to the walls more due to pressure (sticking in the chamber harder) and longer length so they have to move further before they fall free. Even a good whack occasionally leaves a "hanger" on one or two chambers, slowing your reload. .38s ejected much more cleanly, several empties fell out once the revolver was flipped upside down even before the smack on the ejection rod.**
Overall thoughts:
The LCR is the little engine that could. It carries like the small gun it is, but shoots like a much larger gun in terms of recoil and control for quick followup shots. The U-notch sights are much better than the usual groove sights and helps somewhat overcome the short sight radius. The trigger is awesome, and if the reset didn't have that little glitch would be the perfect DAO trigger. The shape, size, and weight are perfect for concealed carry in any of its usual iterations (belt, ankle, pocket) and draws should be snag-free.
Why the .357 over the .38? The .38 LCR is a bit lighter, but otherwise dimensionally the same. Its also cheaper. .357s can be a real hand full in a lightweight gun like this and most (if not all) folks are better off running .38s though it. So, again, why the .357? For me it was because my primary EDC is a GP100 and this way my speed strip will feed either the primary or the BUG. Additionally, I reload, and this gives me a bit more flexibility in OAL and the like on my loads. I don't know if the bit of extra weight helps with recoil any appreciable amount or not, but if it does that's also in favor of the .357. While the added flexibility of being able to run .357s is nice, I think its primarily a .38 with the option of taking the occasional .357 if the situation dictates.
I shoot it better than I ever did the Taurus, I think primarily because of the better sights and better trigger than any real mechanical difference in potential accuracy. Its also much more comfortable to shoot. I'd glad I made the switch.
*************************************************************************************************
Link to Original Thread: https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...lcr-357-review-comparison-taurus-850-cia.html
The Taurus I traded:
The LCR comes with a handy zipper pouch with a pocket on the back for speed strips/loaders:
Open it up, and here's the little fellow (already a bit dirty from his first range outing)
I took it to the range and ran an assortment of ammunition through it today, shooting both steels and cardboard. PMC 132 gr 38's were used for my qualification shoot (qualified it as an off duty gun immediately since I traded in the Taurus and didn't have another ankle gun on my qual list)
Now for the meat of the review:
Size/weight: The LCR is 17oz per Ruger, about 6 oz lighter than the Taurus 850 it replaced. Honestly I can't tell much difference in the hand or in an ankle holster. I do see a bit of difference in pocket carry in shorts, but very minimal. The size is almost identical to the eyeball, but there is a small difference once the calipers come out. The Ruger is about 1/4" taller and 1/10th" narrower than the Taurus. Again, no real felt difference in carry although my wife said the Ruger doesn't print in the jeans pocket like the Taurus did. Measurements aside, both are easy guns to carry.
Grip: The LCR has a factory Hogue "Tamer" monogrip. The Taurus has a factory rubber grip. Both feel grippy and give good purchase, but the Ruger fills the palms better and has a channel for speed loaders to clear which the Taurus lacked. The LCR does a MUCH better job of reducing felt recoil. Shooting the LCR with 125 gr .357s is less punishing than shooting .38+Ps through the Taurus. Both were comfortable with standard pressure .38s, but the LCR is a real ***** cat with them. I couldn't believe how light shooting they were. Shooting .38+Ps with the Taurus was a 15 and done event, leaving me with a stinging palm and redness at the base of my thumb. I didn't have any +Ps to run today, but did shoot some Magtech 125gr .357s and felt like I could shoot a full box with no problem. 158grs were beyond the grip's ability to tame, though. I ran one cylinder of Blazer Brass 158gr .357s and had to talk myself into shooting the last one. Its a VERY jumpy gun and is like high fiving a sledge hammer with the full house 158 grains. I didn't have any 110 gr to test.
Cylinder/Ejection: The crane and cylinder release latch are both pretty stiff out of the box, but are loosening up as I work them. The short ejection rod has trouble extracting .357 empties, which is a common failing among revolvers of this size. It ejects .38s very cleanly and reliably though.
Sights: They were surprisingly useful, given the standards in this segment of the gun world. While they are a standard u-notch and front blade, the notch is deeper and better defined than on the Taurus and similar S&Ws. The front blade is black, but is pinned so swapping it out for a high viz should be an easy endeavor. The front sight post is a reasonable width for the intended shooting distances, and lets in a good amount of light on either side for rapid sight alignment. They are definitely geared more toward speed, but taking your time you can get good accuracy as I'll go into in a bit.
Trigger: This is where the LCR really shines. The 850 had a 13 lb trigger. Yeah, I know. My wife couldn't pull it without shaking so hard she couldn't aim it. 9-11 lb seems standard in a DAO revolver but the LCR breaks at....wait for it....wait for it...just under 5 lbs. Ruger says they use a cam system to reduce friction and get a smooth trigger pull. It works. There is absolutely no grit in the trigger, its smooooth. I was stunned at how easy it was to pull, but honestly didn't believe it was that low. The armorer was surprised as well and rechecked it, but the trigger scale kept coming back at between 4.5 and 5 lbs no matter how many times he checked it. It feels slightly heavier than that, I think because of the length of travel, but the scales don't lie.
The trigger has a touch of stack, but very little compared to most any other DA trigger I've shot. Over travel is about 1/8". The trigger breaks cleanly and predictably. The only complaint I have is with the reset. Unlike most guns were when it clicks its ready to go again the LCR has two clicks. They are ALMOST immediately together, but the ALMOST is what you need to be aware of. While shooting it you probably won't be aware of the clicks, but you MUST let the trigger go all the way forward or you'll have a problem. If you let it click once and then start a new trigger pull, it won't pull and will act like its locked up. Fixing it is as easy as releasing the trigger and starting your pull again. There is a tiny window between the clicks, though, that will let the cylinder turn but not let the hammer fall. In short you'll get a trigger pull but no "bang". I did this with my 2nd cylinder of ammo and kept pulling the trigger on the fired chambers until I got back around to the one that was skipped and set it off. This is easily overcome with practice, but YOU NEED TO PRACTICE TRIGGER RESET if you are going to carry the LCR. I'll take it in exchange for how fantastic the cam system works.
Other than a worked Colt Detective's Special I don't think I've felt a comparable DA trigger in a revolver this size.
Accuracy:
The three shot groups within the bigger circle where my qualification. This was all done with PMC Bronze 132 gr .38s.
As you can see, the 5 shot group in the head at 3 yards is pretty darned tight. The first 2 were almost in the same hole, than 4 in one ragged hole, than the final shot slightly outside of the rest. Calipers say .715" from center to center.
The 5 shot group from 5 yards was almost as tight. Throwing the calipers on it showed the widest spread was 0.8" from center to center.
The 5 shot group from 7 yards opened up more than 2 yards should account for. 4.25" I wasn't real happy so I tried it again and brought it in to 3.5".
From there I stayed at about the same group size. 4.3" at 15 yards and 4.5" at 25 yards, minus one called flier where I was off paper. At 25 yards I was firing as fast as I could find the front sight and on the 3rd shot I knew I had front sight way too far right as I touched it off, so that's definitely on me and not the gun. Still, rapid fire at 25 yards with a sub 2" barrel, I'll take it.
Group size is only part of the story of course. Point of aim vs point of impact is also important. At 7 yards and in they matched up. As I moved further back my point of impact dropped down and to the right. 2.5" at 15 yards and 5.75" at 25 yards. I think this is too much trigger finger on my part. Hand size vs gun size means the trigger is almost to the 2nd joint of my trigger finger holding it naturally. I think as I get more used to the gun and concentrate on not having so much finger inside the trigger housing this will correct itself. At 25 yards bullet weight vs designed bullet may account for some of the drop as well but since I was just holding it center of chest and pulling the trigger I don't have a real accurate measure of bullet drop as there is no precise point of aim to measure from.
I shot steels prior to this target as there was someone using the cardboard target stands. Up to 25 yards and switching between 2 steels I had one miss in 45 shots and I was doing some pretty rapid shooting on 1/2 targets.
Ammo selection:
158 gr .357s are a bad idea. The recoil is approaching painful and the jump is too much to accept in a defensive pistol. Follow up shots are simply too slow as you recover, and the recoil is so heavy it encourages flinching.
125 gr .357s are a less bad idea. Recoil is reasonable, and follow up shots are quicker.
110 gr .357s...I dunno. I didn't have any to test. "They" say that they can jump crimp in such a lightweight rapid recoiling hand gun. I don't know, but I've never used 110 gr anyway.
158 gr .38+P is reasonable. Recoil is moderate, slightly less than the 125 gr .357s
130 gr .38+P is probably going to be my choice (Wichester PDX-1 bonded) as the recoil is very reasonable and the balance of recoil/terminal ballistic performance is a win in my book.
**.38s have the edge for another reason as well, empty case extraction. The short ejection rod has trouble getting hot .357 rounds out as they conform to the walls more due to pressure (sticking in the chamber harder) and longer length so they have to move further before they fall free. Even a good whack occasionally leaves a "hanger" on one or two chambers, slowing your reload. .38s ejected much more cleanly, several empties fell out once the revolver was flipped upside down even before the smack on the ejection rod.**
Overall thoughts:
The LCR is the little engine that could. It carries like the small gun it is, but shoots like a much larger gun in terms of recoil and control for quick followup shots. The U-notch sights are much better than the usual groove sights and helps somewhat overcome the short sight radius. The trigger is awesome, and if the reset didn't have that little glitch would be the perfect DAO trigger. The shape, size, and weight are perfect for concealed carry in any of its usual iterations (belt, ankle, pocket) and draws should be snag-free.
Why the .357 over the .38? The .38 LCR is a bit lighter, but otherwise dimensionally the same. Its also cheaper. .357s can be a real hand full in a lightweight gun like this and most (if not all) folks are better off running .38s though it. So, again, why the .357? For me it was because my primary EDC is a GP100 and this way my speed strip will feed either the primary or the BUG. Additionally, I reload, and this gives me a bit more flexibility in OAL and the like on my loads. I don't know if the bit of extra weight helps with recoil any appreciable amount or not, but if it does that's also in favor of the .357. While the added flexibility of being able to run .357s is nice, I think its primarily a .38 with the option of taking the occasional .357 if the situation dictates.
I shoot it better than I ever did the Taurus, I think primarily because of the better sights and better trigger than any real mechanical difference in potential accuracy. Its also much more comfortable to shoot. I'd glad I made the switch.
*************************************************************************************************
Link to Original Thread: https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...lcr-357-review-comparison-taurus-850-cia.html
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