LCRx in 22 Mag

I am a long-time Ruger fan, but am disappointed with this LCRx and seek feedback from other LCRx rim fire revolvers. Using a one-word description, this LCRx is crude. The cylinder latch is difficult to operate, the trigger pull is horrible, and cocking the hammer is difficult. It's been to customer service once and returned after minor improvement in operation of the cylinder latch. Apparently the revolver meets operational standards. Ruger has offered another trip to customer service, but if there was no significant improvement on the first trip, I have no confidence that a second trip would offer any improvement. This revolver is not like any other revolver that I've owned. Thoughts from other LCRx rimfire owners would be appreciated to help me decide to keep this revolver or sell it and cut my losses.

Seems to me that if they'll pay the shipping to look at it again you don't have anything to lose. Maybe the tech that "fixes" it this time will do a better job. That said-the rimfire LCRx revolvers have heavier springs than the centerfires do. Supposedly to help with reliability. My LCR 22 smoothed up with extensive use.

The new SP-101 I bought a couple years ago was unbelievably crudely finished. It looked like it was attacked with a belt sander instead of being polished. Scratches and gouges everywhere. At least it sort of worked.

I've decided I like their older guns better than the stuff they make now.

Ruger revolvers are notorious for needing to be broken in with a few hundred rounds.

How many rounds have you fired through it?

Thanks for the replies. I've fired over 100 rounds through this revolver and it's not any smoother now than the first trigger pull. I have time before the next gun show for a round trip to customer service, so I'll take the advice to let Customer Service try again. :roll:

Different folks have different expectations but if it were me ….. I'd put another 400 - 500 rounds through it before deciding on a trip back to the factory.

I agree with arfmel, you don't have anything to lose by sending it back again. Did you happen to write a detailed letter explaining what is wrong with the gun?

I sent back an SP101 with a letter detailing what is wrong with it. After getting it back, it is by far one of my most accurate revolvers.

I'd write a nice letter but go into detail about how the gun operates and fires.

Is it accurate?

Also though, 100 rounds isn't very many, do you dry fire it? Or can you even do that on an LCR? I've had some revolvers that I've dry fired and they have noticeably improved. Most recently was a new GP100 I bought this summer. Dry firing it off and on for a week or so after buying it made it so much smoother.

I agree with the dry fire suggestion. Even if snap caps are needed (?), I'd try this first. I have a few handguns that were less than "perfect" and improved greatly with use. Did you clean it well when you first got it? But since it's been back to the factory that prolly isn't an issue. You could dry fire it while watching TV, BTDT, and reaching 800-1,000 cycles comes pretty fast...

I will vouch for their customer service. I have a LCPII in .22 that I was having a lot of trouble with. Failure to fire, failure to feed, even failure to reset the trigger. So I bought a Galloway spring set and in attempting to replace the hammer spring, I got the damned thing apart and couldn't get it back together. I called customer service and gave the gal my best grandfather act and she sent me a prepaid Fedex shipping label. I put allll the parts in the box along with a note telling them what my complaints were, and my failure to install the Galloway spring set and told them if they could fix it, I would be eternally grateful. 8 days later it was back on my porch and it has run like a champ ever since (approximately 300 rounds of various brands of ammo) and the only failures were the fault of the ammo, which is not all that rare of a thing in rimfire ammo.

I would agree with those who say that Ruger's QC is not the best in the industry, but their customer service IS the best....IMO that is.

I find the trigger pull to be so hard, it destroys any semblance of accuracy. I got it to have some reasonable self defense with the 22 Mag, which depends to some extent on first shot hit. Maybe it's just me, but I can tell, when I dry fire, as the trigger breaks, the gun makes a little jump to the right. Even knowing it's coming, I'm unable to compensate for it. The tendency to pull shots off target with hard trigger pulls has this one off the list for carry, and effectively renders it a paperweight.

Is there any way to lighten the spring pull, and still have the firearm shoot reliably ?

I wonder how much of the trigger pull is function, and how much is liability prevention.

joesmoe3 said:

I find the trigger pull to be so hard, it destroys any semblance of accuracy. I got it to have some reasonable self defense with the 22 Mag, which depends to some extent on first shot hit. Maybe it's just me, but I can tell, when I dry fire, as the trigger breaks, the gun makes a little jump to the right. Even knowing it's coming, I'm unable to compensate for it. The tendency to pull shots off target with hard trigger pulls has this one off the list for carry, and effectively renders it a paperweight.

Is there any way to lighten the spring pull, and still have the firearm shoot reliably ?

I wonder how much of the trigger pull is function, and how much is liability prevention.

Click to expand...

I doubt it's liability prevention. There would be no point in that if it makes you miss your target. That opens them up to more liability - just look at the NYPD and their crappy trigger on their Glocks.

joesmoe3 said:

I find the trigger pull to be so hard, it destroys any semblance of accuracy. I got it to have some reasonable self defense with the 22 Mag, which depends to some extent on first shot hit. Maybe it's just me, but I can tell, when I dry fire, as the trigger breaks, the gun makes a little jump to the right. Even knowing it's coming, I'm unable to compensate for it. The tendency to pull shots off target with hard trigger pulls has this one off the list for carry, and effectively renders it a paperweight.

Is there any way to lighten the spring pull, and still have the firearm shoot reliably ?

I wonder how much of the trigger pull is function, and how much is liability prevention.

Click to expand...

At best the LCR's fit the description of a "belly gun". I have one and knew it was a last ditch backup before I put my money down on it, and nothing more than that. If you expected it (or others like it) to be your primary, you made a mistake.

The LCR or any snub gun like S&W ,Colt, Charter Arms etc., are all designed as "close in" firearms. They were originally issued way back when to Detectives, and other non essential types because they did more work at a desk they they did in the field. Many Police depts including State Police issued them as back ups. The famous NY Reload came about with the use of these because you could stuff a few in pockets and use them faster than a reload. Jimmy Cirillo of NY Stake Out Squad fame made the NY Reload popular. Cirillo also used a snub gun to pass the NY Police Firearms course several times to prove that you could hit with one if you practiced enough. Most people are not willing to put in the work required. It takes many rounds and you can not be afraid of recoil because the little buggers buck! I love them, but do not kid myself about what they are good for. In todays world you can carry a small 9mm auto with more rounds, and better hit probability ounce for ounce. I use/carry a J frame 649 on a regular basis just because I like them. I also load 148gr wadcutters upside down, with a medium load. It was called the "flying ashcan" in Cirillo's day. Made one heck of a big hole close in! I also do not expect to get into any prolonged firefights, mobs or riots, nor try and save the world in general. If i can walk away or run, I will choose that option every time over a gun fight. Just one mans opinion.

5of7 said:

I will vouch for their customer service. I have a LCPII in .22 that I was having a lot of trouble with. Failure to fire, failure to feed, even failure to reset the trigger. So I bought a Galloway spring set and in attempting to replace the hammer spring, I got the damned thing apart and couldn't get it back together. I called customer service and gave the gal my best grandfather act and she sent me a prepaid Fedex shipping label. I put allll the parts in the box along with a note telling them what my complaints were, and my failure to install the Galloway spring set and told them if they could fix it, I would be eternally grateful. 8 days later it was back on my porch and it has run like a champ ever since (approximately 300 rounds of various brands of ammo) and the only failures were the fault of the ammo, which is not all that rare of a thing in rimfire ammo.

I would agree with those who say that Ruger's QC is not the best in the industry, but their customer service IS the best....IMO that is.

Click to expand...

Ruger has great customer service. I broke something on a 5.56 I own, they fixed it no charge (Taurus also has great customer service)