JoeSixPack

I went to the range and shot my new Ruger LCR .357 mag. the first time today.

I've got a Ruger SP101 with 2-1/4 barrel that I love. Winchester Silvertip .357 mangums in the SP101 sting a little but nothing I can't handle.

I was expecting the LCR to kick a little harder but I thought it should be no problem with .38 +P

So bought a box of Speer Gold Dot LE 135gr +P .38 Special

My LCR has Crimson Trace grips.

I put on my fingerless leather glove, aimed, and CRAP!!! The recoil was brutal.

I managed to fired 4 rounds (5th failed to fire)

By this time my hand was aching.

I emptied the cylinder and put the round that had failed to fire back in, the primer wasn't dented, and fired 4 rounds (5th failed to fire).

I tried putting the round that failed to fire in the chamber and shooting just one round. No go. When I pulled the trigger the bullet ended up three chambers past the barrel chamber. Tried again with the bullet in the cylinder to the left of the barrel. Same result, bullet ended up advancing 3 cylinders past the barrel.

At this point my hand HURT! It felt like I had jammed my thumb and since there's obviously something wrong with the gun I called it a day.

9 hours later and I still can barely stand the pain of touching my thumb to my little finger.

I can get the pistol fixed but I'm now wondering if I can handle the recoil. The Crimson Trace grips are hard plastic, much harder than the factory hogue grips.
The Crimon Trace grips will be coming off for sure.

I work in IT. I wonder if most of the guys buying these pistols do hard manual labor and have really tough hands, but I've seen videos of women shooting this pistol on youtube. They CAN'T be shooting Speer Gold Dot LE 135gr +P .38 Specials, there's just no way.

I'm hoping it was just the Crimson Trace grips and it won't be as bad with the factory hogue grips.

ox92184

i myself am not bothered by the recoil at all but as you stated i also work in the oilfield and have tough hands. now my wife has the ruger KLCR-357 and she is a teacher and has been able to work up to the recoil starting with no powdered 38's and now she shoots 38+P's all day and even trades them out for 158 grain 357MAGs she will shoot 15-20 of those and then go back to the 38+P's hope you can get the gun fixed and hope you can get used to the recoil they really are great small guns

exlogger

I'm in IT, but I've worked 10 years with a chainsaw and 10 years in a lumber mill. I do not like snubbies. I have an sp101 and that is as far as I go. My mother-in-law has one of those 15 oz Smith 38's and it sucks to shoot +P loads. I think the lightest a person should go is the 25/26 oz sp101 IMHO!!!! I look at them as a cute little plastic novelty. I know this is against the grain, but I like to get my second shot without any hindrance.

exlogger

Let me follow up to say: I shoot full powered 44 loads, but I get full powered results!

RimfireChris

Those hard plastic CT grips suck. I shot an LCR in .38 Spcl with them and didn't like it one bit. You might look and see if they make a rubber vesion, they do for the SP-101. Barring that, you could take them off and replace them with the Hogue Tamer grips that have some extra cushioning in the backstrap. I have a set on my GP and they're great. I've got an LCR with them, but it's the .22 so I can't say too much how they help recoil.

JoeSixPack

Well, at least I'm not the only one that thinks the LCR recoil with the CT grips is too much.

Was hoping my thumb would be better this morning when I got up but I still can't touch my thumb to my little finger and now it's swollen up. Starting to wonder if I may have actually broke it. If it's no better tommorrow I'll go by and get it x-rayed and get my testosterone checked.

cruelshoes

No LCR experience here, but in my experience the grips on a gun are more important that the size or weight of a gun.

I have very hot 357 hand loads. When I got my first SP, I put nice looking wooden grips on it because I did not like the factory grips.

Hurt so bad that I developed a soft shooting DEWC load for practice.

I then replaced the wooden grips with Pachmayers and I can shoot hot loads all day long. I would say it is not just the hardness of the wood vs the softer Pachmayers either. I think the shape of the grip makes a difference too.

My guess is that everybody's hand is different and that there is no way to know which grip is right for you without trial and error.

My trial and error is done, I bought the Pachmayers for my second SP before I had the gun in hand.

terry_p

I have the 38 Spl version with the Hogues. My carry load is a Buffalo Bore +P 158 gr LSWC/HP-GC's. The recoil gets your attention and will leave some welts on my hands at times but I figure if I am in a SD situation then I won't notice.

RockDoctor

I work in a similar job, mostly desk work, occasional home DIY projects and hunted with Super Blackhawk and a Redhawk in .44mag for years. I have the LCR .38+p and shoot mostly .38 spl. Saying that, I also practice with +p since I carry it when I walk my dog. The only time I was sensitive to the recoil was when practicing one hand, strong and week hand. I realized I was overgripping anticipating recoil. I relaxed my grip, slightly locked my wrist and let the arm, shoulder and back absorb the recoil and leaned into the shot a little more, which is the way I shoot two handed.

Try relaxing your grip just enough where your wrist is stiff and let your stance, back shoulder, arms absorb the recoil. BTW, physics of recoil tells us a lighter firearm tends to recoil more. I also have a Security Six that I put Pachmyers on many years ago to compensate for sweaty hands, quick follow up shots and ,yes, less felt recoil, when shooting .357.

Mayor Al

My advice goes beyond the physical issues...Shooting is supposed to be "FUN" (in most cases). If it becomes a hassle...recoil...budget...legal restrictions etc, depending on your priorities, change the contributing factors.
Recoil is an easy fix... Sell the painful gun and get one that you enjoy shooting. That's not meant to be a put-down on your gun...try some lower power ammo or any other fix you want...but if those 'patches' don't work...the go get something that does.

I read of the hassles over gun-use in several cities and states...We bailed out of SoCal 12 years ago for several reasons...one of the minor factors was the CA gun restrictions...It wasn't the major reason for our move, but it WAS/IS a factor.

So decide what is important...and do what it takes to fix your problem. My solution would be to sell the gun and get a 'more comfortable' piece.

Just my 2 cents.
AL

exlogger

Good advice Al

I took my 8 revolvers to the range yesterday. I let my 7th grade Son try them all (calibers ranging from 22 to 44). He was in the station next to me and I asked him if he wanted to shoot the 357 sp101 and he said, "yes". He had been shooting the 22 revolvers prior to this so I got used to it. Well....I sat back down and started loading my Security Six and BANG!....That little sucker got my attention. I load my own and they were just 38 wadcutters, but they sure let you know they are there. After that gun I let him shoot my 6" Security Six and you would not believe it was the same ammo. The 148 wadcutters felt like full powered 357s in the Sp101. He then picked up my Redhawk (200gr. round nose plinking loads) with a 5.5 barrel and this made half the sound and flash as the sp101. We had a good time comparing and plinking.
Ok..I'm starting to ramble now

I know these lightweight LCRs have a purpose, but I guess I'm just a little old fashion and still like a solid chunk of Pittsburgh steel to tame the recoil.

Dawgface

Same results here. I put a set of CT grips on my wife's .38 LCR and after the first test shooting she refused to shoot it again. Her brother in law tried it and handed it back after 3 rds. My turn had the same results. I changed back to the original Hogue Tamer grips right away.
The CT grips are too hard and the pain your hand has to put up with is not worth it.

humboldt

I think the snubbies are a great idea. However, they should be carried a lot, and shot a little. The idea of +P, +P+, and .357 in a snubby is, in my thinking, a whole lot of overkill. The snubbie is not a target gun to be shot 25, or 50 yards, it is a gun to be used very up close, and personal. At snubbie distances, even a 148 grain full wadcutter might be the ideal bullet.

RockDoctor

Very good point and an Important point made in a class taught by an instructor who had long and extensive experience. His premise was that if the revolver and ammo is no fun to practice with, recoils so much that it may prevent an accurate follow-up shot, find something that the shooter is comfortable and confident with. He recommended the 148gr LWC.

Doghandler

So who do I turn my man ticket in to?

Can it be? Doghandler who carries - errr, uhhhm, used to carry - .357s in his LCR is ready to turn in his man ticket!

Yah, so I've made a move to the boot grip since concealment is high on my priority list relative to my life style. .357s are just too hot and gave me injury with the boot grip. I posted about this somewhere around here in the past. Heck those Buffalo Bores that terry_p mentioned gave me a hematoma/soft tissue injury at the medial base of my thumb that still is not healed after going on four weeks.

This thumb injury, however, I blame on a missed placed attempt to alter my grip (choking up) to gain more purchase on the boot grip which totally screwed up my trigger pull. I admit, I did make a trip to the range to fix my grip foible before it was healed and exacerbated the injury.

I may or may not be at the range this 4th of July. We will see.