Need a little information about the Ruger LCR

[Alpo]

I just found this in a letter asking for advice, on the website a girl's Guide to guns.

 

I am a recent widow and feel the need for a gun, living alone. Today I bought a used Ruger LCR. I know nothing about guns. It cost me about $600.00 from [a gun store on] Long Island. it no longer has the 3 moon clips which, when I called the dealer, he said I don’t need. I am wondering if I made a mistake.

 

 

I have some 45 ACP revolvers and a 9 mm revolver. They all need the moon clips.

 

She says, in a later letter, that she got a 38 special.

 

Does the LCR in 38 come with moon clips? If so, why? This is puzzling to me, but I have never even handled one of these guns, and have absolutely no knowledge of how they work.

[TN Mongo, SASS #61450]

She is misinformed, I own one of these in .38 Special and they don't need/or come with moon clips. 

 

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

I have one in .38 spl +P, and it is my everyday carry gun. It doesn't have moon clips, of course. 

 

It's very light and compact, per its name. 13 oz empty. Very easy pocket carry. I think it would be a good choice for this lady, but she'd better get some education about it..

[Pat Riot]

I don’t own one but know a bit about them. The .38 does not need moon clips. The 9mm LCR or LCRx need moon clips. The other models do not snd have no accommodation fir moon clips. 
 

I researched them a bit. I would like an LCRx. The LCR is hammerless (internal hammer). The LCRx has an exposed hammer. 

 

[Rye Miles #13621]

My neighbor has one in .38 and of course there’s no moon clips! She was misinformed for sure!

[Slapshot]

1 hour ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I don’t own one but know a bit about them. The .38 does not need moon clips. The 9mm LCR or LCRx need moon clips. The other models do not snd have no accommodation fir moon clips. 
 

I researched them a bit. I would like an LCRx. The LCR is hammerless (internal hammer). The LCRx has an exposed hammer. 

 

Something to know about the LCRX as opposed to the LCR. The LCR has a screw holding the top part right above the hammer shroud to hold the top barrel part together with the bottom part called the fire control group. The LCRX does not so where the hammer is and the screw is not there is a weak point. Mine got broke because of that. Found a LCR fire control group used bought a hammerless style hammer and converted my LCRX to a 3" LCR.

 

You could literally grab the end of the barrel and the end of the grip and pull them towards each other and break the revolver in half.

[Pat Riot]

3 minutes ago, Slapshot said:

Something to know about the LCRX as opposed to the LCR. The LCR has a screw holding the top part right above the hammer shroud to hold the top barrel part together with the bottom part called the fire control group. The LCRX does not so where the hammer is and the screw is not there is a weak point. Mine got broke because of that. Found a LCR fire control group used bought a hammerless style hammer and converted my LCRX to a 3" LCR.

 

You could literally grab the end of the barrel and the end of the grip and pull them towards each other and break the revolver in half.

Thank you. That is good information to know. 

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

4 hours ago, Slapshot said:

Something to know about the LCRX as opposed to the LCR. The LCR has a screw holding the top part right above the hammer shroud to hold the top barrel part together with the bottom part called the fire control group. The LCRX does not so where the hammer is and the screw is not there is a weak point. Mine got broke because of that. Found a LCR fire control group used bought a hammerless style hammer and converted my LCRX to a 3" LCR.

 

You could literally grab the end of the barrel and the end of the grip and pull them towards each other and break the revolver in half.

 

Barring catastrophic damage failure or severe abuse, I'm thinking that would be a pretty rare and unlikely occurrence...  If that happened to me, I would've immediately sent it back to Ruger.

 

The steel Cylinder Frame Sub-Assembly ("frame" in this model, as it bears the serial number) is essentially held in the polymer Fire Control Housing Sub-Assembly (the grip frame) by only the Crane Pivot Pin.  This "pin" is actually a Torx-type screw. 

 

However, the sides of the Cylinder Frame Sub-Assembly have rounded "ears" at the aft end which are held captive by the wrap-around "cutouts" on the Fire Control Housing Sub-Assembly.

 

To clear the "cutouts," the Crane Pivot Pin would have to be removed and the FCHSA slid forward  a substantial distance to clear these "cutouts" before it could be "folded."  This is the fundamental strength of both the LCR and LCRx.

 

                  

 

 

A greater disappointment to me is the sights.  

 

Mine shoots more than a foot low at ten yards... and here's why:  on the standard LCRx, the rear sight is essentially a groove in the "frame," like your basic single action cowboy revolver.  However, the base of the front sight is the same height as the top of the rear "sight;" the sight blade itself is above the sighting plane, resulting in a muzzle angle of about 4° below the sighting plane. 

 

If I cover the target with the front sight blade I'm more likely to hit it.  This otherwise sweet li'l revolver is a real candidate for a laser sight.  (Note - the LCRx 3" has adjustable rear sights)

 

I read somewhere (The Firing Line? 24-Hour Campfire?  Ruger Pistol Forum?) where a supposed Ruger representative was quoted somewhere as saying that this is to allow for recoil and "muzzle flip."  Road apples.  I'm here to tell ya, the only way that'll work is if you limp-wrist the thing like a San Francisco [censored].  

 

 

 

 

[Slapshot]

8 minutes ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

 

Barring catastrophic damage or severe abuse, I'm thinking that would be a pretty rare and unlikely occurrence...  If that happened to me, I would've immediately sent it back to Ruger.

 

The steel Cylinder Frame Sub-Assembly ("frame" in this model, as it bears the serial number) is essentially held in the polymer Fire Control Housing Sub-Assembly (the grip frame) by only the Crane Pivot Pin.  This "pin" is actually a Torx-type screw. 

 

However, the sides of the Cylinder Frame Sub-Assembly have rounded "ears" at the aft end which are held captive by the wrap-around "cutouts" on the Fire Control Housing Sub-Assembly.

 

To clear the "cutouts," the Crane Pivot Pin would have to be removed and the FCHSA slid forward  a substantial distance to clear these "cutouts" before it could be "folded."  This is the fundamental strength of both the LCR and LCRx.

 

                  

 

 

A greater disappointment to me is the sights.  

 

Mine shoots more than a foot low at ten yards... and here's why:  on the standard LCRx, the rear sight is essentially a groove in the "frame," like your basic single action cowboy revolver.  However, the base of the front sight is the same height as the top of the rear "sight;" the sight blade itself is above the sighting plane, resulting in a muzzle angle of about 4° below the sighting plane. 

 

If I cover the target with the front sight blade I'm more likely to hit it.  This otherwise sweet li'l revolver is a real candidate for a laser sight.  (Note - the LCRx 3" has adjustable rear sights)

 

I read somewhere (The Firing Line? 24-Hour Campfire?  Ruger Pistol Forum?) where a supposed Ruger representative was quoted somewhere as saying that this is to allow for recoil and "muzzle flip."  Road apples.  I'm here to tell ya, the only way that'll work is if you limp-wrist the thing like a San Francisco [censored].  

 

 

I had or have no problem with the sights. The strength of the frame and the design thats another problem though. And no it was not severe abuse. And I had zero confidence in Ruger not excepting poor design and not charging me. And I was not paying for the shipping to send it to them just to have them charge me to fix it or send it back if I didn't want to pay for it.