Ruger LCR 9mm

[Guest TheSilverFox]

Anybody own one/ shot one?

[Troutburger]

 

I'm commenting just to follow the thread.

 

Interesting little revolver!

 

RUKLCR-9 PRODUCT DETAILS

•  FAMILY:LCR Series
•  MODEL:LCR
•  TYPE:Revolver
•  ACTION:Double Action Only
•  FINISH:Matte Black Hard Coat
•  STOCK/FRAME:Polymer Frame
•  STOCK/GRIPS:Hogue Tamer Monogrip

•  CALIBER/GAUGE:9mm
•  CAPACITY:5 rd.
•  BARREL:1.875"
•  OVERALL LENGTH:6.5"
•  RATE-OF-TWIST:1-in-16"

•  SIGHTS:Fixed
•  ADDL INFO:Stainless Steel Barrel
•  ADDL INFO:Fluted SS Cylinder
•  ADDL INFO:Includes Soft Case

Edited October 14, 2014 by Troutburger

[hipower]

Haven't seen one yet.

[TNWNGR]

Negative. Will probably take a look at one when they're readily available but its still a little bit early for them to be showing up. Not impossible mind you but somewhat unlikely.

[mikegideon]

I just don't get it. Why would you use an auto round in a revolver when there is a comparable caliber that was designed for revolvers? Maybe I'm missing something.

[dcloudy777]

I just don't get it. Why would you use an auto round in a revolver when there is a comparable caliber that was designed for revolvers? Maybe I'm missing something.

 

Cartridge consolidation and moon clips.

 

If Ruger would have cut down the cylinder to fit the 9X19 and added extra barrel in that space to pick up a little velocity, I probably would have bought one.

[mikegideon]

Cartridge consolidation and moon clips.

 

If Ruger would have cut down the cylinder to fit the 9X19 and added extra barrel in that space to pick up a little velocity, I probably would have bought one.

 

So, I guess I'm not missing anything.

 

Reckon they make any 9mm guns that don't need moon clips? :) I have a soft spot for revolvers, and own a couple in .38sp, and one in 45 colt. Can't imagine them redesigning the pistol for this application. I know they will sell some, but probably not enough to support a stand alone design.

[Guest TheSilverFox]

I have the LCR 38... awesome CCW. I held the 9mm briefly. Smoky Mtn Firearms in Kodak had one but it sold before I could get a good look at it. That was about 2 weeks ago.

If it's as smooth as the 38, I may own one soon. I was told the moon clips were not necessary. That could be false. The trigger on the 38 is extremely nice... best I've felt. I figure if you're gonna carry it as a backup weapon to a 9mm, it makes perfect sense. I already have 9mm ammo stocked. If my 9mm semi went down I would have extra ammo on my person.

[mikegideon]

I expect it to be a great gun, just like the others in the LCR line. 

[Patton]

You shouldn't need moonclips to shoot but you will need them to eject cartridges without using a foreign object; supposedly you can use the rim of another cartridge to pop them loose. The 9mm also bridges the gap between performance of a 38spl and a .357mag in a comfortable, plentiful, and affordable round.

[TN-popo]

I'm a big fan of the J-frame and do not have much trigger time on the LCR, but I have a question for LCR owners.

After the LCR came out, I played with one.  What completely turned me off to them was when I intentionally short-stroked the trigger (simulating a mistake under stress), it sort of locked up the action. 

Whereas, on a J-frame, you just pull the trigger again.

Was this a dud LCR or are they all like that?

 

Anyway, to swerve back to the topic, considering how in-demand S&W 940s are, this gun might sell pretty well.

Edited October 14, 2014 by TN-popo

[Patton]

Short stroking the trigger is my biggest complaint on the LCR, and yes I own one.

[TN-popo]

Short stroking the trigger is my biggest complaint on the LCR, and yes I own one.

 

Thanks for the reply, sir.

For me, that's a deal killer.

[Guest TheSilverFox]

I haven't noticed it on my LCR but i admit I don't have a lot of trigger time on it. I'll have to try it.

[TNWNGR]

I like the LCR and consider it the most innovative revolver in decades. Pragmatically I don't see the 9mm P as being a better ROI that the .357 Magnum model. Personally though if I ever have an opportunity to shoot one of the 9mm models I'm afraid I'll start wanting one.

[Patton]

I have never met a person who thinks the LCRK was comfortable with magnums. The 17 oz, 9mm LCR should be comfortable with 9mm and give a slight advantage over 38/38plus p.

[mikegideon]

Yep. I didn't realize the 9 had that much more snort than the 38, but it does. Those old black powder rounds sure can be deceiving. Those airweight Smiths sure don't feel that whimpy :)

[TNWNGR]

Yep. I didn't realize the 9 had that much more snort than the 38, but it does. Those old black powder rounds sure can be deceiving. Those airweight Smiths sure don't feel that whimpy :)

Necked up from a bottleneck round and still a bit of taper in the case, it's always been a hot round, just limited by developing projectile technology.

[JAB]

I just don't get it. Why would you use an auto round in a revolver when there is a comparable caliber that was designed for revolvers? Maybe I'm missing something.

Three or four years ago, when 9mm range ammo was less than $10 for Federal at Walmart and I wasn't set up to reload, I was kind of excited about the idea of a 9mm snubbie.  Charter kept talking about how they were going to come out with one (and I think they finally did) and I would have looked really hard at an LCR version.  I don't carry my P95 a whole lot but I do carry it sometimes and ammo compatibility would have been a nice thing but as I have other .38/.357 guns it really would not have meant being able to stop buying .38 Special, anyhow.  Mostly the attraction, for me, was just that 9mm ammo was a good bit cheaper (five or six dollars per box of 50) than .38 and 9mm ammo was as plentiful as fleas on a dog.

 

Now, however, even a lot of the 'cheap' 9mm ammo costs as much as .38 ammo cost back then (if you can find either one.)  I am also now set up to reload and so far have only reloaded for .38 and can load a box of range ammo slightly cheaper than even the price of 9mm back when it was 'cheap'.  I plan to stick with revolver cartridges for reloading and have no plans or intentions, at this point, to reload for anything in semiauto.  So, for me, there is no longer anything really all that exciting about a revolver chambered in a semiauto cartridge although it would still be pretty cool to have a convertible Blackhawk that could fire .38/.357 and 9mm..

 

 

Yep. I didn't realize the 9 had that much more snort than the 38, but it does. Those old black powder rounds sure can be deceiving. Those airweight Smiths sure don't feel that whimpy :)

 

At the 'power' level these guns operate at - as in not 'mouse' gun chamberings but not 'magnum' chamberings, either - my guess is that getting shot is, basically, getting shot.  Getting shot with 9mm from a snubnosed revolver probably isn't going to be all that noticeably different, on the receiving end, than getting shot with a .38 Special or, especially, a .38 +P from a snubnosed revolver, IMO.

 

Keep in mind, too, that most 9mm ammo tests are probably from semiauto pistols (unless you have found a test using a snubnosed revolver in 9mm.)  Semiauto pistols don't have cylinder gaps where pressure (and, consequently, velocity) can be lost.  Further, it seems that many tests use longer barrels than a snubnosed revolver would have.  Therefore, I have to wonder how much more 'snort' a 9mm fired from a snubnosed, LCR sized revolver would have over a .38 (or .38 +P especially) fired from the same platform.

 

For those seeking ammo compatibility I can see that a 9mm snub would be an attractive option.

Edited October 14, 2014 by JAB

[mikegideon]

I don't worry about ammo costs. If it pains me, I just reload it. Reloading is freedom. I don't reload any pistol ammo except 45 ACP. I will reload 45 colt as well if I ever get around to shooting up what I have.

 

One thing to consider... the max pressure with 38 +p is 18,500 psi. The max pressure with 9mm +p is 38,500 psi. The flame that comes out of the cylinder crack is going to be a lot hotter with the 9.

[nightrunner]

Any 38 or 357 can be modified to take moon clips, some Performance Center S&W's come like that.

I can kinda see the caliber consolidation but not really a factor to me. Maybe more of a factor to LE depts, etc. Able to issue single ammo for duty sidearms and backup.

Im also betting that if you compare the two, (.38spl+P and 9mm+P) with similar weight bullets both out of a revolver with a 2" barrel, that velocity will be very close.

[graycrait]

I've owned two Taurus 905 "j" frame 9mm revolvers and a Ruger Speed Six in 9mm.  Never had an issue with shooting them  The Taurus had an issue with crappy moonclips that if you tossed one in your jacket pocket you were sure to find a pocket full of loose cartridges later.  The Speed Six moon clips did not have this issue but the Speed Six weighed more than a Glock 19 with 9 fewer shots with no better reliability. Having owned 3 LCRs, two in .38 and one in .22LR I can attest to the short stroke issue vs never having seen it in a S&W J frame, of which I have owned several.  However, if the LCR moonclips will hold a cylinder full of rounds bouncing around in a jacket without releasing the cartridges loose into the pocket  I'll get one.  Why? So I can have an easy loading light revolver to carry in my jacket pocket and maybe get my wife to consider carrying a firearm.   

[mikegideon]

I'm betting Ruger gets the moon clips right. 

[nightrunner]

Re: the pressure issue, after looking it up, 9mm+p has higher pressure than any other handgun cartridge, aside from the super magnums (.454casull and up). Including .357mag and .44 mag.


Does anybody have a definitive answer as to why the 9mm J-frames were discontinued? Did it not sell well or were there problems?

[Patton]

Re: the pressure issue, after looking it up, 9mm+p has higher pressure than any other handgun cartridge, aside from the super magnums (.454casull and up). Including .357mag and .44 mag.
Does anybody have a definitive answer as to why the 9mm J-frames were discontinued? Did it not sell well or were there problems?

I think it was a combination of timing, bad publicity against 9mm, the price, and S&W not marketing it correctly.