if I ever have $ again I want one, I have been thinking about a lcr in .357 mag as a carry gun.
Some one on calguns I think mentioned "crimp jump" as a possible problem in a light frame .357 wheelgun with serious defense rounds-can anyone explain what that means?
Crimp jump is when the bullet, due to inertial forces from the fird round, projects a bit farther out of the casing - it "jumps" the crimping that was supposed to hold it in place. Pretty much as RHS has described, but it can happen with any handgun and any load.
Loads that jump the crimp may not do so to a great extent on the next round in rotation, but by the time you work all the way around the cylinder you can end up jammed because the bullet projects too far out.
1The same thing can happen if you keep your top round in the magazine of a bottom-feeder, but regularly extract it and then reload by letting the slide go (like you are supposed to). One day it has too much OAL and will not chamber and you have a wonderful malfunction to try and clear.
2Easiest way to check for
1 is to shoot 5 and pull #6 and compare it to a round out of the box. If OAL is greater, you have crimp jump. Checking for
2 is easier - just compare your top round's OAL with one fresh out of the box.
"Curing" crimp jump can be done by, as counter-intuitive as it may seem, using a heavier bullet.
stay safe.