That old question again?

[enrico]

First I must say HI to you all this is my first time on the site. This looked like the best site from the rest of the forums

I am new to revolvers .38 and .357 I am thinking of getting an LCR love the looks and better reviews in my opinion than the S&W 442 and Taurus line. The question I have is why wouldn’t I get a .357 but shoot .38 and if at any point I run out of .38 and have .357 around use them, that gives me two calibers? The LCR in .357 is 5 oz heaver (same as the 442) and it shoots well.

What are the pros and cons if I go with a .357 and use it for .38? The only one issue I read using .38 in a .357 is more fouling of the cylinder because its a shorter cartridge ? I appreciate if you can help me in this direction and if this subject is been exhaustly discussed please direct me to that thread.

I appreciate your time, Enrico

 

[Terry T]

"Enrico",
Welcome to the Forum.
Thanks for the complements.

You've pretty much nailed it.

1) A bit heavier gun.
2) Can have enough extra fouling using 38spl in a 357 chamber to make it difficult to load a 357 round. However, good cleaning prevents the problem - so - no problem.

(In a target gun, the little bit of extra 'jump' to the forcing cone might affect accuracy a tiny bit but in a 2", up close and personal piece, not so much.)
Terry T

 

[TiteGroups]

The extra power that can be obtained using 357 ammo out weigh the little extra cleaning and weight difference. If you plan on using this as a concealed carry gun you may want to take into consideration the possibility of overpenetration.

 

[M'BOGO]

Welcome,

And it sounds like you've already answered your own questions.

 

[enrico]

Thank you guys for the warm welcome

Great input and I am glad I'm on the right track and looking forward for an LCR in my family.

One last question? How will I know if I can use moonclips?

Again, thank you, Enrico

 

[flatgate]

One last question? How will I know if I can use moonclips?

You must have a cylinder that is machined to accept the thickness of the Moonclip and properly headspace the cartridge.

I'm no expert on rimless cartridges in Ruger revolvers, however I do NOT believe the Rugers are designed to accommodate the Moonclips. The chambers are designed to headspace the cartridges on the case mouth when shooting the "auto pistol" style of cartridges.

IMHO, when shooting a revolver one is best served by rimmed cartridges.
And, this is indeed My Humble Opinion since I know there are lots of shooters perfectly happy with the rimless cases in their revolvers.



flatgate

 

[DeletedMember275]

Enrico, a revolver chambered for rimmed cartridges like the .38 and .357 has to be modified by a machinist of gunsmith to accept the moon clips. The better conversions will still accept loose cartridges, without the moon clip.

Here are some examples:

http://tinyurl.com/22pffje

http://tinyurl.com/23r72or

http://tinyurl.com/252worx

 

[Slanteyedshootist]

Welcome! You won't need moon clips with an LCR. HKS 36A speedloaders will work. Might need to shave the grip a bit. If you get one with Crimson Trace grips you won't have any problems. I have an LCR and love it. Get used to some serious felt recoil. But, it only hurts for a day or two. :mrgreen:

 

[enrico]

So machining is needed for moonclips, those pictures show it very clear, nice and thank you. I'll stick to speedloaders.

Slanteyedshootist, which LCR do you have and which caliber gives you that "felt recoil"? I am going with .38 because my wife prefers revolvers over semi-auto just in case she has to handle one?

Enrico

 

[s4s4u]

cons if I go with a .357

Recoil

Muzzle flash

Noise

The 38+P will kill people just as efficiently as the 357, with a lot less of the above, IMHO.

 

[rugerguy]

I'd go with the 357 version, as it gives YOU the option to use them,but I prefer and use ONLY 38 specials myself.............
as for the actual ( or felt recoil) YOU gotta try alll the diffent ammo out and see how it responds to YOUR grips ( and in this case, your wifes....) gotta keep her happy you know..... :roll:

 

[contender]

+1 to rugerguy!

 

[Slanteyedshootist]

So machining is needed for moonclips, those pictures show it very clear, nice and thank you. I'll stick to speedloaders.

Slanteyedshootist, which LCR do you have and which caliber gives you that "felt recoil"? I am going with .38 because my wife prefers revolvers over semi-auto just in case she has to handle one?

Enrico

I have the original 38 Sp LCR. Wi9th the Hogue grips it's not bad. They did a great job with that grip. The Crimson Trace allows more recoil to be felt but really, you get used to to it. Never tried the boot grip. I go to the range at least once a week and put about 50 rounds of 158 gr 38 and 50 rounds of 130 gr +P through her. It's a blast!

The 357 version is slightly heavier and might soak up more of that felt recoil. Since it will shoot 38 Sp as well, you might want to go with it. If the 357 had been available when I bought my LCR I would have opted for it. But I can't afford more guns right now, no money. If I did have the bucks, I would get the 357 LCR, a 3" Sp101, a GP 100, the Marlin 336 I've been lusting for........excuse me while I wipe the drool off my face.

 

[enrico]

Yep, I agree and I’m thinking the LCR 357 is the choice and shoot .38 One other contender that keeps coming up when I do searches on .38 is the S&W 442 they use it a lot for comparison but when you put the S&W 442 and LCR 357 as comparison the Ruger gets my node! I did look at the SP 101 but it’s getting heavy for her, 23 oz

Getting closer to pull the trigger :shock: Enrico

 

[Slanteyedshootist]

The LCR has a smoother trigger pull. Real sweet for a DAO. And, getting the LCR gives you a reason to keep coming to this site and all the fun that involves. Right folks?

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi, and welcome!

Another vote for the .357 version, though the LCR would NOT be my choice of platform for using that cartridge for anything but "social" engagements, of which I pray you never have any.

I have a 3" GP-100, a friend has a 4" GP. Both hers and mine are fine to shoot w/ .357s for moderately extended sessions, and pussycats w/ .38s. My brother in law has a 3" SP-101 which is ok w/ .38s all day, but gets your attention if you shoot too many .357s at a time. I haven't shot an LCR in either caliber, but am told the .38 version is somewhat like the SP w/ light .357s. If that's true, even .38s could get tiresome after a while!

Are you planning on carrying it? To me, that's the only justification for getting the lighter plastic gun instead of one of the heavier steel ones... if there's any way to shoot the different gun and caliber combos before you commit to buy, it might be a worthwhile exercise...

Rick C

 

[James Layton]

wrong post..

 

[enrico]

Hi Rick,

We finished looking at the LCR 357 and SP 101(5720) yesterday and she is on the fence for the pick.
The LCR is lightweight, feels good and black for purse concealment and accidental attention. The SP 101 is heavier (but good for recoil), feels good, but not crazy on chrome. Regarding metal vs plastic not an issue for me or her.
The main use is for home and if needed in a purse.

Enrico