Do you know why the Ruger LCR has one of the best if not the best trigger of any snubbie on planet Earth (Smith weenies need not comment)? “Its double-action-only trigger pull is uniquely engineered with a patented Ruger® friction reducing cam fire control system. The trigger pull force on the LCR® builds gradually and peaks later in the trigger stroke, resulting in a trigger pull that feels much lighter than it actually is. This results in more controllable double-action shooting, even among those who find traditional double-action-only triggers difficult to operate.” Roger that. Hammer time! Now you can savor the LCR’s Israeli supermodel’s inner thigh-smooth trigger pull AND shoot the snubbie single-action. [Press release after the jump.] Quite why you’d want a hammer on a gun that was born for deep concealment and CQB—save range fun—is beyond me. But there it is. And I want one . . .
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) announces the introduction of the LCRx™, the newest variation of the revolutionary Lightweight Compact Revolver (LCR®). Chambered in .38 Special +P, the LCRx™ features an external hammer that allows it to be fired in single-action mode.
“Since its introduction in 2009, the LCR® has become extremely popular with conceal carry customers seeking the simplicity of a revolver,” said Chris Killoy, Ruger Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Customers have been asking for a traditional double-action version of the LCR® with an external hammer for optional single-action shooting. We were listening and have added a crisp single-action mode to the already smooth double-action LCR®,” he concluded.
The newest LCR® maintains all the features of the critically acclaimed original LCR®. Its double-action-only trigger pull is uniquely engineered with a patented Ruger® friction reducing cam fire control system. The trigger pull force on the LCR® builds gradually and peaks later in the trigger stroke, resulting in a trigger pull that feels much lighter than it actually is. This results in more controllable double-action shooting, even among those who find traditional double-action-only triggers difficult to operate.
The LCR® has three main components: a polymer fire control housing, an aircraft quality aluminum monolithic frame, and an extensively fluted stainless steel cylinder. When originally introduced, the Ruger® LCR® revolver was one of the most significant new revolver designs in over a century, and it has since been awarded three patents.
In addition to the newly introduced external hammer LCRx™, the Ruger® LCR® is available in .38 Special +P, .357 Magnum, .22 Magnum and .22 Long Rifle double-action-only models. All LCR® models feature replaceable ramp front sights, and a fixed U-notch rear and some models feature a laser-sighting system from Crimson Trace®.
For more information on the Ruger® LCRx™, or to learn about the extensive line of award-winning Ruger® firearms, visit Ruger.com or Facebook.com/Ruger. To find accessories for Ruger® firearms, visit ShopRuger.com.
About Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.
Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. is one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of rugged, reliable firearms for the commercial sporting market. The only full-line manufacturer of American-made firearms, Ruger offers consumers over 400 variations of more than 30 product lines. For more than 60 years, Ruger has been a model of corporate and community responsibility. Our motto, “Arms Makers for Responsible Citizens,” echoes the importance of these principles as we work hard to deliver quality and innovative firearms.
Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.
Arms Makers for Responsible Citizens®
Now you can savor the LCR’s Israeli supermodel’s inner thigh-smooth trigger pull AND shoot the snubbie single-action.
So tell me, Robert: how many Israeli supermodels’ thighs have YOU felt in your life?
Speaking of Israeli models, where are they? That was the whole reason I started looking at this site.
Regardless of the actual number, the answer is “Not nearly enough”
“Now you can savor the LCR’s Israeli supermodel’s inner thigh-smooth trigger pull AND shoot the snubbie single-action.”
I almost feel as if you’re cheating on KJW with that statement.
If you want an SP101, get it soon. I suspect at some point Ruger will retire the SP101 in favor of the LCR series. (Like what they did with the P series autoloaders.)
Now, get me one in .44 special, equivalent to a Charter Bulldog.
I wouldn’t be surprised. To many, the SP is a gun looking for a purpose. A little too heavy for CCW and only a five shooter. The GP gives you another round if you don’t mind the size and weight and the LCR is smaller and lighter if that’s the goal. I happen to like the SP, but most opt for bigger or smaller.
I doubt it. The SP101is built like a tank and is far more popular than the GP100. Once I got my SP101 3″ I stopped carrying my S&W 686 into the field. The SP101 is lighter than a full size (6 or 7 shot) 357, but with enough weight to make recoil controllable. I love my LCR 357, but full house 357 out of that bad boy is painful.
Now if they make an LCRx 357 with a 3 or 3.5 inch barrel and adjustable sights, I see that being the greatest kit gun ever made.
And speaking of the LCRx, damn you Ruger! In all I have eight LCRs already. I figured I finally put together a reasonable collection. Now you come with a new model? I have to add three or four more to my safe to round it out again.
The trigger pull force on the LCR® builds gradually and peaks later in the trigger stroke
As a Smith weenie, let me translate: the trigger stacks like a longshoreman. A nonlinear trigger pull is a fault, not a feature.
Not really. Yes it does stack but what it feels like is a cam rotating more than a trigger pull, so what you feel is a light pull, the crest of a hill, and then the break. You can’t stage the LCR because the trigger pull has a rounded off feel to it and the stacking comes so quickly that you can’t stop short.
It’s difficult to explain, but I highly recommend trying it. I am sure the local gun store has one for you to try.
I haven’t fired the LCRx. I have tested the LCR, and I did not like it.
I don’t own an LCR, but I will soon. The triggers on the ones that I’ve dry fired don’t stack at all. To me, they felt extremely similar to the trigger on my Kahr K9 (i.e. silky smooth and consistent).
I thought the same thing: the description from Ruger sounds like a stacking trigger, which would hamper controllability instead of improving it. I think they would have been better off not trying to describe it.
My 10-5 snub stacks like a longshoreman, building to a crescendo where it stages properly (as per design). The trigger profile is a feature (not a fault) I appreciate.
There is a wide chasm betwixt a trigger that is desirable for punching holes in paper and one that is meant for defensive utility.
I’m not a Smith Weenie, nor a Ruger weenie, but I’ve got numerous models of each and I like them all.
“Quite why you’d want a hammer on a gun that was born for deep concealment and CQB—save range fun—is beyond me. But there it is. And I want one . . .”
Indeed. And agreed.
+1
+ me too.
Why 38 special plus instead of 357 magnum?
Shot a LCR and thought it was OK, but I like my Shield better. Might consider one for a backup gun, tho.
.357 magnum needs a longer barrel to reach its full potential. Ballistically speaking, out of a 1 7/8″ barrel, a .357 is equivalent to a .38 +P, but with a hell of a lot more muzzle flash and recoil. Speer and Buffalo Bore both have short barrel loads for .357, but they aren’t easy to find, and not much testing has been done on them.
Agreed. I’d say that the Buffalo Bore .357 designed for short barrels is roughly equivalent to a 9mm +P from a 1 7/8 barrel. The Buffalo Bore website lists velocities from Tim Sundles’ real world guns, and their are YouTube videos with similar results. Muzzle flash isn’t too bad, but the recoil and noise are horrible. I believe my snubbie .357 340PD Smith is the loudest gun I own. It’s louder than my .460 Smith XVR, and may even be as loud as my .338 Lapua 110 BA, although I don’t have decibel readings to support that claim.
I’ve subsequently switched to .38 +P Speer Gold Dot 135 grain Duty – LASD duty approved load. It’ll penetrate about 12″ of gel, and will still expand even from a sun nose revolver. I may test it personally since I got my buddy a gel block and mold for Christmas.
My 340PD is my lightest gun, and its for maximum ease of carry. I think an LCRx would be a cool gun, and a .38 + P or .44 Special would be a cool carry option. Personally, I like the trigger pull on Smith revolvers more than Rugers, but to each their own.
Mmm, good info. Thanks!
Thanks, although I posted before proof reading. Oops.
If there is more recoil then there is more energy in the projectile too, basic physics. 357 would of course get more velocity in a longer barrel but to say it is no faster than 38+p is not correct. This oft repeated fallacy is easy to disprove with a chrono.
Depends on the speed of your powder. Faster powder creates more felt recoil.
I have an LCR .357 and I pretty much only shoot .38 from it. It just weighs 4 more ounces than the .38, making it more pleasant to shoot.
I realize an exposed hammer is a hindrance to pocket carry (the snubbie’s native habitat), but to me, a revolver just doesn’t look right unless it’s got a hammer spur poking out the back. Of course, if I were to get one for carry, I’d get the original LCR (because who wants a hammer spur hanging up on your clothes?), but this one certainly looks the part better.
How much you want for ‘er?
I like the DA on my Taurus. It is just 22 though so a little bigger might be called for. I know with the Taurus I shoot better groups with the DA mode over the SA mode.
I had a SP101 and could not hit with it, so I think I might like to try one of these before I buy it.
I also shoot double action better than single action. A good double action trigger has a smooth, consistent pull, which makes me less likely to jerk the trigger. Either that or I’m a weirdo (but NOT a geardo)…
This S&W weenie thinks the LCR has the best snubbie DA trigger pull in the business.
And another piece of the puzzle falls into place, I’m waiting on an LCRx, fullsize, 6 rounds, a 4.5″ barrel, and fiber optic sights. I know it’s a small niche in the market, but if they make it, I’ll be waiting at the checkout.
Talk about a great truck/tackle box gun. I’m usually a weenie when it comes to possibly scratching up my revolvers, but I just don’t care with my LCR. I’d buy a fullsize in a heartbeat.
I might just get one. My full size XD is a *little* too big for my 130lb self to carry concealed lol.
I feel your pain, bro. On the plus side, if you have the .45 and ever run out of ammo, you can always remove the slide and bludgeon someone with it. What a brick.
I’d buy one in .22lr with a 3″ barrel. Kit gun.
that, sir is called a S&W Model 63, which I own and is a my constant companion when hunting game big and small.
When I was looking for a kit gun, I considered the S&W 34 and the LCR in .22. The 34 is a collector item and trying to find one under 700 bucks priced me out of the market. The lack of a hammer in the LCR convinced me the 63 was the way to go.
That being said, if the LCRx had been available at the time I was shopping for a constant companion .22, it would have probably found its way into my safe.
+1
I would even take a DAO version with a 3″ barrel for a “kit” gun…..
I’ve looked at these for a “just because” weapon to take while hiking. Not much worry about bears here. Mountain lions are plentiful, but there’s so much game that they don’t hassle people that much. But the idea of being able to pop a bunny or two in an emergency from a small revolver has enormous appeal.. The thing that kept me from acting on it was lack of a hammer and single action if I wanted it.
Hell, I’d actually like three of ’em. Hammer versions in .22LR and .22 magnum and a hammerless in a larger bore.
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product4_750001_750051_764944_-1_757787_757787_757787_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y
This is what I carry. Note the hump on the back. A tiny bit of the hammer sticks out and can be easily cocked but will not catch on your clothing when drawn. It can even be fired double-action through a coat pocket, the hammer will not catch on the cloth. Fits nicely in a trouser pocket and weighs 1lb loaded.
If they put a hammer shroud on this Ruger piece it would be a real winner. Especially the .22 mag version.
I don’t think I’ll be getting one of these. I have an LCR, and it’s great, but the whole point is that there is only one moving part my wife has to worry about, should she ever need to, and that’s the trigger.
If I want to shoot single action, I’ll take my SP101.
Now if this thing had a shroud, I might be interested in one for myself.
Speaking of kit guns and Ruger, when are they going to get around to ripping off the PMR-30, but in .22lr? THAT I would wait in line for.
+1
I really want Ruger to make a copy of the PMR-30, though I don’t care if it is in .22 mag or not.
.45 ACP with full moon clips or a .44 Special, and my wallet will fly open.
.44 Special. That’s a good idea.
Yep. I’ve been on the lookout for five-shot S&W’s in .44 Special. When I find one, Benny’s portrait will come flying out of my pocket in a hurry.
Why are they so rare? Because like most actual Good Ideas[tm] in guns, it’ll lay by the roadside, waiting for someone to ignore the Tactical Tommies long enough to look at it.
Why? Because .44 Special isn’t “cool.” .44 Mag is “cooooool!” with the black-paint-n-cheez-whiz crowd.
“But most people can’t handle a small wheel gun in .44 Mag,” the reasoning goes, “so we won’t make one.”
So you get what we have here: A snubby in .357 Mag, which isn’t going to deliver anything close to the actual .357 ballistics, but will have a movie-like muzzle bloom… and when you light it off without ear pro, will leave you cursing the day you bought it.
200+ grains of bullet at 800 to 900 fps has worked just fine for well over a century – as proven by the .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .44 Special, etc. But today, no one thinks heavy bullets at low pressures are “cool” unless you attach a silly name to it – like “.300 Blackout” – and launch it out of an aluminum-n-plastic gun that make you look like an “operator.” Do this, and you’re just Too Cool for School these days.
I have a 3″ barrel 629. I put some smooth wooden Miculek style grips on it, gently polished the internals, and replaced the springs with duty weight Wolfs. I load about 5 grains of titegroup in magnum cases with 200 grain bullets and it’s the most fun gun I have. I shoot steel, and do defensive action shooting with it at my club, and also used it for centerfire bullseye. I may have it cut for moon clips some day if the spirit moves. I like that doing this with a .44 mag gives me a very wide variance in ammo power, over something like a 625.
I have also been looking for a well built .44 Special and would jump at the chance to own an LCR in this caliber! I think one of the biggest reasons this idea has never caught fire is that there are so many hand loaders out there that try to hot rod the .44 Spl into a mini mag, that returned guns turn into a giant headache for manufacturers. I would hedge a bet that this is what sunk the Taurus 445 and others.
Bring back the Israeli models now!
An LCR with SA capability is a great idea, but not in a .38 snub. I’d rather see it in a 3-4″ .357 or .22lr. But keep the fixed sights….much more practical than adjustable ones….
Now if Ruger would only make a good CCW grip for the LCR!
Rich Gun Guy,
“if Ruger would only make a good CCW grip for the LCR! ”
Curious, what would consitute a good CCW grip? Details please
A grip that is not made from sticky rubber that grabs onto one’s shirt and prints, or worse, causes the shirt to ride up and reveal the ccw.
May not be the grip, May be the holster? You do carry in a holster?
I carry in an “Elite Survival Pocket Holster for Ruger LCR and 2-Inch J Frame Revolvers, Black”
Can even wear in a pair of jeans inside the waistband, due to type of fabric used.
Other option is Chrimson Trace laser grip, hard plastic, not ” sticky rubber” . Had one myself but changed out to stock grip, due to a very ouchy felt recoil. Much better now!
Why a hammer? I’m not a girl, nor do I have small wimpy hands. What I have is arthritis. I fired the LCRx at a local shot show and I can manage it very well, so I’ve ordered one.
How is the Double-Action pull on the LCRx compared to the original? I heard from somebody that it was not quite as great. I don’t see why–mechanically speaking–this would be the case.
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