All Ruger for Self Defense?

[Cal44]

I live in an area where you need to qualify for each gun you carry and list it's serial number on your carry license.

And there is a max of three guns.

Right now I have three Smith and Wesson revolvers on my license.

But I'm coming up on a renewal in a few months.

I'm considering going with three Ruger firearms:

LCR 357 - Maybe for woods carry.
LCR 327 - Probably will be the most frequently carried
LC9 - I figure I'll put on one semi-auto if I feel, for some reason, I might need more shots than 5 or 6.

My LC9 is the old original version, but when I first got it I couldn't hit anything. Put it in the back of the safe and left it there.

But after 4 years of practicing with DA revolvers, now the LC9 DAO trigger isn't so bad and I can hit with it.

So, am I violating a law of nature not having a Smith and Wesson on my list?

I think Ruger is on a roll these days, and S&W is kind of running on momentum and going off on tangents like internal locks, cancelling all 327 Federal firearms just when the market finally seems to be accepting that caliber, etc.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

Rugers are good guns. No way about it. Only thing I'd change is the 357 mag. I'd go with an SP101 3" or 4" which ever you might have, or a 4" if you don't have either. Or another possibility is a Ruger Blackhawk, or Vaquero. Lot's of potential with any of these.

I've got some 9 shot mags for your LC9 available in the classifieds. Gives you 9+1. You'd be set.

 

[Mobuck]

The Rugers I've carried at various times for CCW: KP95DC, SP101, SR22.
The Rugers most carried for "farm use": 22/45 MK2 SS, Security 6 4", GP100 6".
I don't see a problem with packing Rugers 100%.

 

[krw]

My 1st choice would be my G19. Always goes bang!!

 

[Mus408]

So you are only allowed to have 3 different guns certified for carry use????

 

[CGDustDevil]

My 'around home and town' is an LC9 these days. (A bit lighter than the .45)

My "I gotta sneak a gun in" piece is a cute little LC380.

My "Let's get serious" carry is a 1911 CMDR.

I can have more than 3, but this array suits me fine. ;)

I have the odd Non-Ruger, but not a whole bunch of 'em. I do NOT have any S&W for some reason. So if you're breaking a rule, so am I! ;)

 

[DGW1949]

The first one I'd pick is the one I'd want in my possession if I knew ahead of time that I'd be involved in a gun fight that day. After that, the other two choices wouldn't really matter too much, because I wouldn't be carrying them anyway.

But that's just me.

DGW

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

My concern for an over all good balance, especially in the woods, or what ever is all your guns have very short barrels. Reconsider that one gun, IMO.

 

[bogus bill]

I like the older smiths. I would need to know the models you have to advise.

 

[Pat-inCO]

Since you have two LCRs on your list, you might want to look at an LCR
in 9mm. I have one and it is quite reasonable. As to the LCRs in magnums,
my bet is that you would be likely to shoot them once or twice and go to
another choice. On top of that, a .357 in that short a barrel, is not going
to have near as much whumph, but WILL have a whole lot of fury, as it
goes off.

As a point of reference, it took a veeeery special load to get any where
near the velocity you would want, in a . . . three . . . inch barrel. IMO, a
magnum is not a good choice for a less than two inch barrel.

Just my opinion, your choice. :D

 

[blume357]

If three was my limit I think I would go with a smallish revolver, sub compact semi-auto and then full size semi-auto.

 

[DGW1949]

Since you have two LCRs on your list, you might want to look at an LCR
in 9mm. I have one and it is quite reasonable. As to the LCRs in magnums,
my bet is that you would be likely to shoot them once or twice and go to
another choice. On top of that, a .357 in that short a barrel, is not going
to have near as much whumph, but WILL have a whole lot of fury, as it
goes off.

As a point of reference, it took a veeeery special load to get any where
near the velocity you would want, in a . . . three . . . inch barrel. IMO, a
magnum is not a good choice for a less than two inch barrel.

Just my opinion, your choice. :D

Note that the original ".357 Magnum" involved a 158 Grn bullet being launched from a big-ole N-frame S&W which featured a 8-3/8" barrel. Now that was a combination which did everything it was touted as being able to do, no question about it. The point there being that simply stamping "magnum" on the side of a gun does not necessarily make it a real Magnum any more than it having a lot of blast and kick automatically equates to power being transferred to the target.

In other words, I hear ya on the '357 in a short barrel gun'-thing.
Just speaking for myself, I wouldn't even consider a .357 which had a shorter barrel than 4", and even then, it would have to be because I couldn't get my hands on something longer...

But like I've said before, that's just me.

DGW

 

[blume357]

DWG, I think you are right. back when I shot my revolvers a lot.... I tried some 125gr magnums and really hated it... even in 4 & 6" barreled guns... 158gr was much more manageable.... but then a lot if not most carry guns are not intended to be a range gun.... but the last option when a bad situation occurs.

 

[GunnyGene]

Self defense against what? City thugs, or wild animals? Makes a difference. In town, you can usually get by with a mouse gun. Out in the woods, maybe not. I always default to the worst case I'd expect to run into. In the city a high cap 9mm (9E for me) and appropriate ammo. In the woods where I live now, a .22 mag LCR with ratshot. Out west in the Cascades or Olympics (fishing, etc.) a big ol' wheel gun (bears, big cats, etc.), again with appropriate ammo.

 

[SAJohn]

Count me in the group that believes those 2 to 3" barrelled .357's make great fire starters with a really loud boom but cannot do much more damage than a lighter short barrelled .38 Special.

I grew up reading Skeeter Skelton's stories and prefer big heavy .44 lead bullet loads. My old 3 inch barrelled Charter Arms .44 Special Bulldog revolver has been my one and only concealed carry gun for more years than I want to admit. It is of all steel construction but still light enough that I never notice the weight. (It is about a pound lighter than the Ruger GP100 in .44 Special.)

 

[Mus408]

Count me in the group that believes those 2 to 3" barrelled .357's make great fire starters with a really loud boom but cannot do much more damage than a lighter short barrelled .38 Special.

I grew up reading Skeeter Skelton's stories and prefer big heavy .44 lead bullet loads. My old 3 inch barrelled Charter Arms .44 Special Bulldog revolver has been my one and only concealed carry gun for more years than I want to admit. It is of all steel construction but still light enough that I never notice the weight. (It is about a pound lighter than the Ruger GP100 in .44 Special.)

That is one of my carry guns and I keep it loaded with 200 gr. Gold Dots which roll out the barrel at 840 FPS.....perfect!

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

Everyone could use a 44 Special for the woods, or for town. I have a C/A too. Along with some others. Big holes make people think twice.

 

[Cal44]

I like the older smiths. I would need to know the models you have to advise.

I have several old Smiths:

36-0 2"
36-1 3"
37-0 2"
37-0 3"
60-9 2" 357 Mag
31-1 2" 32 S&W Long
431PD 2" 32 H&R Mag
642-1
442-0
49-0

 

[hdonlybob]

Many good comments here, but if limited to only three, a powerful minimum .357 or .44 would be a must carry for me.
Cheers,
HD

 

[WAYNO]

And yep, Ruger, Smith, Colt, others, doesn't really matter if it's a gun you like, it shoots well, and is dependable. But in that batch of pipsqueak guns, I would eliminate one and enter a more useful (larger) gun in a .357, .40, .41, .44 or .45.

If concealment is the foremost factor, I know from many years of experience, anything can be carried discreetly and comfortably if you're gonna be serious about it.

 

[Heliman]

I don’t look at who the manufacturer is when choosing a defense gun. There is a distinct difference between what a person carries in an urban/suburban setting versus what you may carry as critter defense in the woods.

In my suburban ramblings I basically have three different levels of carry depending on what I am wearing for the time of year and where I am. Those choices include an LCP, a Glock 43, or Colt CCO 45 ACP.

For the outdoors entirely different. They include the following and are based on whether I have a long gun or not:

SP101 4.2” 357
S&W 4” 686 357
S&W 5” 629 44 mag
And still under development, an SR1911 10mm.

For the car the Colt CCO 45 or Glock 17.

So you see for me brand loyalty is not an issue. It is whatever is best for me in a given situation. If you are confident in your choices, than go for it. :D

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Looks like lots of good advice about examining your needs first. My take off on DGW's advice: if it feels right, works right, shoots right, and you'd be confident with it in a gunfight, put it on the list.

For example, my smallest Ruger is a 3" GP in .357 Mag, and while it won't do what my 7 1/2" Bisley .357 Mag will do with the same ammo, I doubt anyone here would want to stand in front of it at common "self defense against two legged critters" distances. At the same time, four legged critters might require better distance performance, making a longer barrel the better choice. My BIL's 3" SP would be much easier to carry all day than my GP because of weight, but that lesser weight also means it certainly gets one's attention when touching off a cylinder's full of .357s. So if the gun never needs to be shot in a defensive situation, his SP would be a better choice, but once one pulls the trigger the first time, my GP steps up to the plate much better, even ignoring the extra round.

As such, I think I'd put in some more range time with all six of your choices before deciding which to add to the list, which must be culled to keep it to three. Unfortunately, there is no "perfect for all purposes" gun out there...

Rick C

 

[mistermills357]

I live in an area where you need to qualify for each gun you carry and list it's serial number on your carry license.

And there is a max of three guns.

Right now I have three Smith and Wesson revolvers on my license.

But I'm coming up on a renewal in a few months.

I'm considering going with three Ruger firearms:

LCR 357 - Maybe for woods carry.
LCR 327 - Probably will be the most frequently carried
LC9 - I figure I'll put on one semi-auto if I feel, for some reason, I might need more shots than 5 or 6.

My LC9 is the old original version, but when I first got it I couldn't hit anything. Put it in the back of the safe and left it there.

But after 4 years of practicing with DA revolvers, now the LC9 DAO trigger isn't so bad and I can hit with it.

So, am I violating a law of nature not having a Smith and Wesson on my list?

I think Ruger is on a roll these days, and S&W is kind of running on momentum and going off on tangents like internal locks, cancelling all 327 Federal firearms just when the market finally seems to be accepting that caliber, etc.

1. That sounds like a solid selection to me. I would try to get 3 inch barrels on the revolvers, that is just a personal preference though.
2. S&W is still lost in the woods in some ways, and they are sorting it out I guess. I think that all those years, of riding things out as the top brand; bit them in the butt, and they ain't what they used to be. So it is no big deal, if you don't have a S&W.