Took my new - as of yesterday PM - LCR .357 to the range this morning; brought the SR40c along too. (used .38 Special only) Ran 40 rounds of Blazer aluminum cased LRN through the LCR, target 10 yards away. Shooting ~6" low and 3" left. When I hold the white of the front sight on the top of the rear sight notch, elevation is about right. Shot 10 rounds of Hornady Critical Defense 110 gr. +P, same sight picture works. Slightly more recoil with the +P, but no pain and the gun stays put in my hand. No malfunctions, no FTF, FTL, no stovepipes, none of that semiauto stuff. Buster & company aren't kidding, the trigger is nice. There is also a definite 'notch' just before let-off, if you sneak up on it. Not a whole lot of use in a 1.8" snubbie, but it's there. The HiViz front sight and the pocket holster are supposed to arrive tomorrow. I can play with the re-sighted gun and the holster over the weekend, drawing and dry firing on snap-caps. Range time early next week. Ran a couple dozen rounds through the SR40c - I'm beginning to get the hang of it, hitting the 8" target most of the time at 10 yards, 2 rounds in 2.5 seconds or so. Obviously need to gain both ways before taking on zombies that dodge.
Congrats on the new LCR, I told ya so''' bout that trigger. Its a sweet trigger. I want to hear how you handle, and shoot some .357 mag. I have the LCR .38 and its lighter In weight, But I may be trading it for the .357.\ Jim
I plan on making a series of pics during the process of swapping front sights; sort of a tongue-in-cheek version of a TinCanBandit gunsmithing thread.
I am NOT going to run .357 in that gun. I think I have outwaited my last flinch sickness, don't want to come down with it again for awhile. I'm glad Buster sold me on the mass advantage in the .357 LCR, it has probably saved me from a re-occurrence.
I have to laugh about not shooting 357 mags with it. It is an rude awakening but not hand rattling like some guns I have shot. I have a few times loaded it with 38 spl then a couple 357 mag rounds put in the mix then have unsuspecting people shoot it. I tell them hold on real good. Then I stand back and laugh as they shoot the random 357 mag rounds. Oh MOMMA! Really though it isn't as bad as you might think. snicker snicker. If you can shoot a 44 mag or a 50 hand cannon then you darn straight can shoot an LCR with 357. I have to say the SR40c recoil/snap is like nothing compared to the LCR with 357 mags. I installed my tritium front sight and I really can put it on target better now. As far as hitting the eye I still haven't mastered that yet. That is hit or miss and mostly the latter.
2nd range day, with mods Swapped out the stock front sight for the Hi-Viz, Also swapped out the stock grip for the Pachmayr grip. This grip provides some purchase for the pinky finger - and adds ~1/2 inch to the length. Range test results: The Hi-Viz sight adds visibility (on a sunny day anyway), while not significantly changing the POI. I can see it about as well as the stock sight in the shade, so I'm calling it a net gain. The Pachmayr grip Makes shooting +P ammo reasonably comfortable, but little more so than the stock grip for me. That extra half inch makes the gun - in the Elite pocket holster, in the front pocket of my blue-jeans - just barely not concealed. The end of the grip is just about flush with the edge of the pocket. I'm wondering if this grip makes the draw from an IWB holster a little easier; don't have the holster yet, so dunno. Also don't know if it is concealed in my cold weather jeans and/or overalls. Swapping grips is very easy, but I think I'll leave the Pachmayr grip in place until I can do more tests. I'm going to have to write this stuff down, but I'm sure to lose the write-up, so these posts will be my backup. About that Elite pocket holster. The draw from the jeans pocket is OK, but re-holstering the gun takes two hands, because the holster goes flat. Is this the usual thing? Brought the Grand Power P1 along, shot a couple mags. I am much more accurate with it, and recoil is, of course, much milder. It ain't a pocket gun though.
All the good reports I'm seeing about the LCR in .357 got me to thinking..... My wife used to have a 2.25" SP101 in .357. Full speed magnums in it were no problem for me, she used .38 Spl ammo. Any of you guys have a take on the comparison of recoil between those two guns when firing .357 mag loads?
That's an interesting question. The LCR seems to be engineered to moderate recoil. I haven't even seen an SP-101 in the 'flesh', but the snubby looks a lot like a J-frame snubby from "Detective Special" days.
I had an SP101 327 mag 3" and with the stock grips the 327 literally rattled my fingers so bad I put the gun up after only three rounds. I then put Hogue tammers on the gun and it made a world of difference. With the Hogue tammers the SP101 327 and the LCR are fairly close. The SP101 327 with the stock grips I would take the LCR all day long over it. I never shot an SP 357 but I just about bet it is more harsh recoil than the 327. The SP 327 is supposedly less recoil than the SP 357. If that's the case then no way would I want to shoot an SP 357 with stock grips. I mean to tell you those stock plastic grips about pulverized my fingers. Hurt like.......well like I said after three rounds I put it up. I won't say the LCR 357 hurts my hand because it doesn't but it sure is a handful. The LCR frame is made to push the recoil into the Hogue grips and it does a good job of it. But I also don't usually shoot more than 10 357 rounds at a time either. If the SP 357 didn't bother you then I think the LCR will not bother you either. One thing for sure is the SP101 trigger totally sucks compared to the LCR trigger. But that's my opinion. I can shoot 38 spl all day long in my LCR with no discomfort. I am not going to say that using the feather light LCR+P though. The 357 frame design for recoil and the extra 4oz makes for a big difference in recoil over the +P model.
Some people think the LCR is ugly but in the picture above I would say the S&W is ugly not the LCR. But like they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To each his own preference. I wonder how does the S&W 442 or 642 triggers compare to the LCR trigger?
Studying those photos, they look like different handfuls. Looks like the Smith has to sit higher in the hand. [I'm trying to work out how the LCR tames felt recoil.]
From what I have read the LCR 357 frame is made of different material and the frame design angles take up/redirect the recoil force. From The Manufacturer The LCR-357 double action only is the latest addition to the LCR family of revolvers, chambering the powerful .357 Magnum in a compact, five shot revolver that weighs only 17 1/4 ounces. Although the same size as the original LCR chambered for .38 Special +P, the LCR-357's new blackened stainless steel frame easily handles full power .357 magnum loads. Its weight effectively tames recoil when coupled with LCR's patented recoil-absorbing polymer fire control housing and Hogue cushioned Monogrip I will say the Hogue tamer grips also made a huge difference in felt recoil in the SP101 327 I had. The material in new recoil pads and grips makes a world of difference in felt recoil. My ATI stock has special recoil absorbing pads that have an 80% less felt recoil as well as my Kick-EEZ slip over for my long guns.
