The Ruger LCR - out-of-the-box impressions

While driving through San Antonio a few weeks back, I decided to take a wild chance and see if any local dealers had the new Ruger LCR in stock. My first call was to Dury's just off of I-37 and much to my surprise, they had just put one on the shelf. Five minutes later (yes, I drove the speed limit!) I was picking it up.

Side Note: Dury's is now using the electronic 4473 forms, and it takes a little longer to fill out the paperwork if you haven't done it before. The ultimate benefit is the reduction in paperwork errors.


Since I needed to be in DFW later that day, I didn't get a chance to run out to the range, but I did grab some "snap caps" from Cabelas in Buda, Texas, so I could do some dry firing in my spare time. Are these really necessary items? Maybe not, but I didn't want to put any undue wear on the firing pin with my copious practice.

My initial impressions were:

• It reminds me a LOT of my S&W 642, but it is noticeably lighter
• The trigger pull was better than most out-of-the box j-frames or SP-101's that I've handled, but not as smooth as reported by several gun writers in the popular mags.
• The enlarged trigger guard kept it from fitting in my j-frame OWB holsters, but it did fit nicely in my Mika pocket holsters, particularly the one with the rounded bottom. The rubberized stocks do tend to create some drag while drawing from a pocket, so you will really need to dry run your carry options before making it your primary carry choice.
• The LCR is a really cool looking pistol and fits the hand quite nicely. Being that this is a virtually corrosion-resistant revolver, I can see a definite advantage for those (like myself) that work or play in high-humid environments.

In future postings I will discuss the range time as well as concealed carry in the extreme South Texas heat. Please drop me a line if you would like for me to cover a specific topic on the LCR.