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Update: Bought the LCR and took it to the range today.

I chose it over the S&W because the trigger is just too good to pass up and one happened to appear in the classifieds here, so that was that.

The Hogue grip really glues itself to your hand. Despite the healthy kick, it was easy to hold the gun securely, even with +P ammo one handed. In fact, a few times I reloaded using just the weak hand to do everything without thinking; that's how locked onto the gun I was.

The trigger is everything people say it is, light feeling, minimal (if any) stacking, easy to stage, and quick to fire if you are in a hurry. I had no problem getting quick shots off or staging using either hand.

With standard Winchester white box 130gr ammo the kick was crisp, but not uncontrollable. I shot 50 rounds of that ammo, and while I did feel it in the webbing, there was no lasting discomfort. Also ran about 15 rounds of white box +P 125gr. They were clearly stronger and less comfortable to shoot, but nothing problematic if you feel the need for +P's power. I'll need more practice with the gun to decide whether to use +P or regular for defense, but it will handle the +P just fine. It will come down to how accurately and quickly I can get off 5 rounds of each.

The manual says to align the sights at the bottom of what you want to shoot, but I seemed to be shooting low with this method. But that might be me since I tend to stay a bit low even with my CZ. Shooting at 10 yrds or less I was effective for defensive situations, and I'm sure some practice with result in tangible improvement.

Sure it is not a range gun and is punishment compared to the heavy, soft shooting CZ that I usually use, but for its intended purpose as a pocket carry CCW I think it will serve quite well. After shooting it the things I like most about it are the things that the S&W didn't have, like the larger, softer grip and great trigger, so I'm pretty sure I made the right choice and am quite happy with it.

I'm shopping for holsters and will update when there is a result.

Now I just need a little plastic card to go with it.

Thanks for all the replies, guys. Great info as usual.

For the record, this gun is going to be my ultra-light summer carry (summer being March through October in Houston ) that will be pocket carried. I like the idea of being able to have a hand on the gun without anyone knowing, and it is the best place for me to conceal when dressed for summer. That being said, I'm not looking at revolvers based on a good experience with a 686, it is more based on comparisons with similarly sized autos like the LCP, Keltec, Kahr etc. The revolvers just feel so much nicer to me.


I've been thinking about the LCR and J-frame the last few days and I want to like the S&W more, but it is close. I don't the that the S&W's extra weight is a real factor since both guns are so light. The things keeping the LCR in the running are the trigger and comfortable grip, so the real question I have to answer is: Will use and/or trigger job and an aftermarket grip for the S&W exceed or match that of the LCR; if not, is the trigger and grip enough to pick one over the other?

Still hoping to find a place that will rent them out. I'm sure that a cylinder of ammo through each would make it an easy decision, one way or the other.



Looks like I'll need some reloading practice to catch up to Miculik, wow!

I'm shopping around for my eventual CCW and am leaning towards a .38 revolver. Even though my only handgun right now is an auto, I think I may be a wheelgunner at heart, they just make sense and feel right.

So, the obvious "LCR or J-frame" debate is in full swing in my brain.

The LCR has a nicer trigger out of the box, at least the one I was looking at did. It has a lighter pull than the S&W and is easier to hold at the cocked position before firing (which I like). It is also a few ounces lighter than the Smith.

The Smith I was comparing to was a new, unlocked 642. It was clearly smaller than the LCR and had an overall better finish and felt like a higher quality gun. It was $75 more expensive than the LCR, fyi. The S&W is also rated for +P, not sure if the LCR is (or if I would want to use that ammo anyways)

Basically, I like the size and construction of the S&W and the LCR's trigger and weight.



The S&W's trigger was both heavier than the LCR's and harder to hold in the cocked position. Are these things that can be changed with a trigger job? I know a lighter spring can ease the pull, but I'm not sure if it is possible to make the stages of the trigger more apparent (maybe just lightening it would help to avoid pulling past the cocked position).

Is S&W phasing out the lock? If you order one, as in the store doesn't have the exact model you want, can you request a no-lock gun? I think a 442/642 or 438/638 with a trigger job might be the ticket. Granted, I haven't shot either, my only revolver experience is about 50 rounds through a rented 4" 686.

Thanks.