Ruger LCR .38

[Stetson]

Does anyone see any problems with my mother (71, small frame, 5'2") buying this pistol for concealed carry and home defense?  The LGS will be getting some in that come with a Crimson Trace laser already mounted.

[geronimotwo]

i don't have one, but many people say the lighter weight pistols are harder to control.

[Brad Johnson]

For carrying it's teh bahm.  For shooting it's teh payn, though not so bad as some other bantam weight boomsticks. 

Physics is tough to beat, but the LCR's lower bore axis and decent grips do a pretty good job of taming the worst of the recoil.  Reduced-recoil or lighter-projectile cartridges will help, too.  Federal makes a dandy .38 Sp 110gr HydraShok round in their Personal Defense line.  From what I hear it's about as soft as you're gonna get with a decently reliable personal defense round.

Edit to add... You might consider getting her the .357 version.  The little bit of added weight won't matter much in terms of carrying but the extra mass will help dampen recoil.

Brad

[TechMan]

Don't have one, but I saw a guy using one during my CHL test and it did have some recoil to it, but he was shoot some larger loads in it.

[Ben]

The crimson trace grip can help a lot for fast aiming with the short sight radius, and is much better for pocket carry, but the standard grip, while a bit bulkier, is MUCH more recoil absorbing. If you reload or else can get some reduced power .38s for your mom to practice with, that can help a lot. Then load it up with defensive rounds when she carries it.

[Tallpine]

A neighbor lady with arthritis bought one last year and she has no trouble at all with the recoil.  The LCR is her very first handgun.

I liked it so well that I went out and got my own in .357.  (chose that over the .38 just for emergency ammo compatibility)

Certainly there is a healthy amount of "flip" that you must overcome to get on target for a second shot, but there is nothing that could remotely be considered painful or even uncomfortable.

The trigger is very very smooth and not too heavy.

Honestly, I think Ruger totally hit it out of the park with the LCR   

[griz]

My wife likes the small size and light weight, but due to arthritis she has a hard time with the DA trigger.  It's painful at best, and on really bad days she is unable to pull the trigger for the full stroke.  She's about 5' 1", and it fits her OK.  When she does try it I usually use powder puff handloads because the recoil does add up after a couple cylinders.

[griz]

I see the post that went up as I was posting was also arthritis related.  I know it looks as if it is a rebuttal but it's just a different experience.  For what it's worth, my wife's arthritis is farly bad, and it seems to mostly affect hands and knees.  Your mileage may vary, and if your mother doesn't have arthritis it is a moot point anyway.

[zxcvbob]

Why not get two; a LCR for carry and a 4" steel K-frame for the house?  Used ones are pretty reasonable; SOG had armed guard trade-ins on the back page of the last sale paper I got (about a month ago.)  $200 for S&W with the hammer bobbed.  $300 for model 65's with hammers.  About $120 for Rossi.

When she does try it I usually use powder puff handloads because the recoil does add up after a couple cylinders.

Try 148 grain double-ended wadcutters, loaded towards the upper-middle of their range, like 3 grains of Bullseye or 231, or 3.2 of Unique (etc.)  They punch a big hole and they penetrate like the dickens, even at low velocity.

[seeker_two]

+1 on the .357Mag version & .38Spl loads. If those are still too much, look hard at the .22Mag LCR, too. It punches well abobe it's weight class.

[roo_ster]

Why not get two; a LCR for carry and a 4" steel K-frame for the house?  Used ones are pretty reasonable; SOG had armed guard trade-ins on the back page of the last sale paper I got (about a month ago.)  $200 for S&W with the hammer bobbed.  $300 for model 65's with hammers.  About $120 for Rossi.
Try 148 grain double-ended wadcutters, loaded towards the upper-middle of their range, like 3 grains of Bullseye or 231, or 3.2 of Unique (etc.)  They punch a big hole and they penetrate like the dickens, even at low velocity.

What z-bob wrote.  If I had to get my mom a revolver, it would be one of the all-steel  SW K-frame turn-ins.  4" bbl would be OK, but 2" bbl would be ideal.  You can get grips to fit small hands.  If she had to pack it on a holster, an all-steel J-frame. 

[Stetson]

What z-bob wrote.  If I had to get my mom a revolver, it would be one of the all-steel  SW K-frame turn-ins.  4" bbl would be OK, but 2" bbl would be ideal.  You can get grips to fit small hands.  If she had to pack it on a holster, an all-steel J-frame. 

I've looked for anything that would fit what you guys are recommending.  The LGS is the only place in the area that has pistols anything at all.  Walmart has some large caliber rifles and some shotguns but she already has a shotgun.  Hard to CC a shotgun though.

[zxcvbob]

I've looked for anything that would fit what you guys are recommending.  The LGS is the only place in the area that has pistols anything at all.  Walmart has some large caliber rifles and some shotguns but she already has a shotgun.  Hard to CC a shotgun though.

Southern Ohio Guns.  Your friendly neighborhood kitchen-table FFL can order stuff for you; they don't list very much online.  I can't send you my sale paper cuz I gave it to my pastor last week (his son is looking for a pistol.)  
Here's one: http://www.southernohiogun.com/rossi-model-841-revolvers-38spl.html  I have no idea if Rossi are any good.  But it's kind of hard to screw up a midsized .38 revolver.

[Brad Johnson]

Try 148 grain double-ended wadcutters, loaded towards the upper-middle of their range, like 3 grains of Bullseye or 231, or 3.2 of Unique (etc.)  They punch a big hole and they penetrate like the dickens, even at low velocity.

A 115-125 gr JHP loaded upper-middle will punch the same entry hole, will expand far larger, and has lighter recoil.

Brad

[zxcvbob]

A 115-125 gr JHP loaded upper-middle will punch the same entry hole, will expand far larger, and has lighter recoil.

Brad

That's may be true (I'm not so sure about the recoil part), but will it penetrate deep enough?

[41magsnub]

Do any walmarts anywhere carry handguns?

[Brad Johnson]

That's may be true (I'm not so sure about the recoil part), but will it penetrate deep enough?

Yeah.  The prob with wadcutters, especially loaded a little on the warm side, would be a propensity for overpenetration.  Not as bad as FMJ, but it's still more prone than a properly loaded JHP.  Something like a 125 gr HydraShok or Hornady XTP will have plenty of penetration for personal defense, but with noticeably lighter recoil than a 150 gr wadcutter.

But...

I thought we were talking about recoil for "just shooting".  When it comes to personal defense, I refuse to take recoil into consideration.  Yes, really.  Refuse.  Practice with something that's decently comfortable to shoot, sure.  But stoke the nastiest stuff you can lay hands on for defensive carry.  I don't give a rat's behind if the load makes my hand hurt for a week.  At least I'll have a better chance of being alive to gripe about it. 

Brad

[41magsnub]

I have the BB 150gr hardcast wadcutters in my carry piece in the winter when punching through multitudes of clothing layers may be needed.  Overpenetration is a concern definitely.  In the brassfetcher test it sailed right on through both blocks of gelatin and had little or no deformity after hitting the backstop. 

In the summer I have the 135gr speer short barrel gold dots.

[Brad Johnson]

I have the BB 150gr hardcast wadcutters in my carry piece in the winter when punching through multitudes of clothing layers may be needed.

Hornady Critical Defense.  Designed for just what you described.

Brad

[Balog]

I recently snagged a .38 LCR for a good price, and took it to the range. It has the tiny slick sided boot grips you can only get 2 fingers on. I honestly didn't notice much difference between standard velocity range ammo and +P HP stuff. It's manageable, even one handed. I believe Hogue makes a Monogrip for it. Still be concealable (maybe not pocket carry friendly though) and I'd bet it would help a lot with the recoil. Doesn't CT also make a larger version of the laser grips as well? I'm still holding out for Pachmayr to make some Compacs for it.

[Stetson]

And now she has decided she doesn't want this pistol at all.  She said she will try out my grandfathers Victory .32 S&W and if she likes it will ask me nicely (like I'd say no) to keep it for herself.  I bought  her an NEF shotgun in 20ga and she'd like to try it too and if she likes it will buy her one and let me keep the one I bought for her.

[Matthew Carberry]

Do any walmarts anywhere carry handguns?

Alaska.

You can't swing a dead cat in Anchorage without hitting a top-shelf microbrewery, coffee cart, or gun store.

Or guys selling each other guns and ammo in a random parking lot for that matter.

[Matthew Carberry]

And now she has decided she doesn't want this pistol at all.  She said she will try out my grandfathers Victory .32 S&W and if she likes it will ask me nicely (like I'd say no) to keep it for herself.  I bought  her an NEF shotgun in 20ga and she'd like to try it too and if she likes it will buy her one and let me keep the one I bought for her.

Find the best ammo you can and call it done. If she enjoys it she will carry it and practice with it and it is the "right pistol" for her (as long as it goes bang every time).  A handgun in a caliber that has only a statistically higher level of "effectiveness" that never leaves the drawer is useless.

If she gets into shooting she might decide to trade up on her own, maybe even to .32 Mag.

[Balog]

Yeah.  The prob with wadcutters, especially loaded a little on the warm side, would be a propensity for overpenetration.  Not as bad as FMJ, but it's still more prone than a properly loaded JHP.  Something like a 125 gr HydraShok or Hornady XTP will have plenty of penetration for personal defense, but with noticeably lighter recoil than a 150 gr wadcutter.

But...

I thought we were talking about recoil for "just shooting".  When it comes to personal defense, I refuse to take recoil into consideration.  Yes, really.  Refuse.  Practice with something that's decently comfortable to shoot, sure.  But stoke the nastiest stuff you can lay hands on for defensive carry.  I don't give a rat's behind if the load makes my hand hurt for a week.  At least I'll have a better chance of being alive to gripe about it. 

Brad

Increased recoil in a self defense situation isn't bad because it'll make your hands hurt, it's bad because it slows your followup shots. 2 rounds of normal velocity stuff center mass is better than one +P imo.

[roo_ster]

Increased recoil in a self defense situation isn't bad because it'll make your hands hurt, it's bad because it slows your followup shots. 2 rounds of normal velocity stuff center mass is better than one +P imo.

Yup.  Also, personal shtf is the wrong time to figure this out.  The best answer for a particular shooter is not always the fastest moving premium hp in that bullet weight.