ChrisLCR

When looking at the LCR's at my local gun shops, I've noticed some differences within the same models. Some .38SPL's have lighter grayish cylinders, some are darker, almost black. Some have barrels polished shiny on the end, others are just black.

I was at one shop that had two .357 models, and one of them had a lighter gray colored cylinder, and was noticeably lighter then the other gun, more like a .38SPL model (yes, I verified it was the .357 model). When I asked the person behind the counter, (some lady who didn't seem to know what she was doing) she didn't know why and thought that one might be titanium (they were both the same price). This was the only .357 model I've seen like this.

When checking Ruger's website, there is no indication of any changes being made or special versions available. Is Ruger intentionally throwing some oddballs out there for curiosities sake, or have they just not updated their website in awhile?

Pale Ryder

If I'm not mistaken I believe the polished end of the barrel has something to do with when it was made. They didn't polish them at first but now they are or something like that. Could be the same with the cylinder?

NoahsArk

I noticed the same thing. I have the .38 +P and it's has the lighter colored cylinder with a black satin finish on the barrel. I saw a video on you tube and the .38 +P the guy was demonstrating had a barrel with a black much glossier finish.

ChrisLCR

Mine has the darker cylinder with the shiny end. I like mine and it seems to work fine, but I have to say this inconsistently bugs me a bit. Couldn't they get it right the first time?

Waveform

Ruger did recently change the finish on the cylinders from what may have been a tumbled and polished (?) gray finish to a dark, almost black, coating. Bearcatter posted a link somewhere to the specifics on this coating - Inox perhaps? The LCR I had the flame cutting issue with had a gray cyinder and the new one was black.

If I can find Bearcatter's post I will pass it along.

Wave

Waveform

"My replacement LCR-22 has a black cylinder as well. Checked Ruger's website, which now lists "Ionbond DiamondBlack" as the finish. The old finish was "Target Grey", which is on my LCR-357. I understand the Ionbond is a coating, while Target Grey is just a surface treatment caused by tumbling the part in a special media.

Springer Precision's website cover's its use on guns pretty well:

IonBond :: Springer Precision

Or the home company's site gets more technical:

Ionbond International *-*PVD, PACVD, PECVD, CVD, DLC, ADLC, thin-film, coatings, hard coatings, protective coatings, Tetrabond, Hardcut

I would just as soon both cylinders had Ruger's brushed finish on bare stainless."

From Bearcatter's post on another thread.

blbolin

The first LCRs didn't have the end of the barrel polished and also had lighter gray cylinders, the later ones had the barrel ends polished and darker cylinders. Also most people think that the LCR 38 and .22 are virtually the same except for caliber, they are not. The .22 has a similar looking but a different frame which I believe has caused many problems in the earlier runs. Also .22 LCR sights will not interchange with .38 sights although they will fit they will shoot really low.
Has anyone switched the hammer spring from the .38 to the .22 to see the results?

ChrisLCR

Just out of curiously... why did your LCR-22 need to be replaced? You couldn't possibly have had flame cutting issues with that one?

bearcatter

Ruger never specified their determination, but it seemed the cylinder had too much play on the crane. It let the cylinder slip back, digging the extractor star into the frame. Left some major gouges, just from the factory test fire. The new one had faint star marks in the finish, that got no worse in 350 rounds I've put through it.