Am thinking of picking up a used Ruger LCR .22LR Revolver.... using as a training tool for larger revolvers and a fun plinking piece. I have read mostly good reviews, however there was one that was not kind and said it had ammo issues, and quality issues. Please let me know what your experience is with yours??? Thank you.
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Ruger LCR .22LR
- Thread starter JohnnyC
- Start date
excellent firearm. i got one as a trainer. very reliable and minimal recoil. 8 shots is nice too. i'm not sure it's the best defensive gun but again a few rounds of 22 on target sure beats a 357 that misses.
WRT ammo, i have fired tons of different stuff with no issues except i did find one oddball ammo type that didn't extract easily....i can't remember which one. but honestly which any 22LR firearm one has to expect at least hear-and-there ammo type that might not cycle. if it's major ammo like federal or winchester then i've had no issues w the LCR 22.
actually the LCR 22 is way better than any 22LR autoloading gun cuz the LCR22 doesn't need the power of the 22LR cartridge to cycle. if you get a weak round it doesn't matter in the revolver...just keep on shooting.
my only complaint about the LCR 22 is it's kinda a PITA to clean beacuse you've got essentially 9 barrels of 22 caliber which takes a little while....however that isn't the fault of the gun....it's just reality of 22 chambering so it would apply to any 22LR revolver w 8 holes in the cylinder.
if yo'ure considering the LCR22, just get one.....if for no other reason it's an awesome training gun for an LCR 38 and also perfect for new shooter or someone who is very recoil shy but still wants to carry.
my old man is considering the LCR in 22magnum cuz his wrist can't handle the 38sp.....again I think you gotta go with whatever chambering is shootable and can connect w target.
WRT ammo, i have fired tons of different stuff with no issues except i did find one oddball ammo type that didn't extract easily....i can't remember which one. but honestly which any 22LR firearm one has to expect at least hear-and-there ammo type that might not cycle. if it's major ammo like federal or winchester then i've had no issues w the LCR 22.
actually the LCR 22 is way better than any 22LR autoloading gun cuz the LCR22 doesn't need the power of the 22LR cartridge to cycle. if you get a weak round it doesn't matter in the revolver...just keep on shooting.
my only complaint about the LCR 22 is it's kinda a PITA to clean beacuse you've got essentially 9 barrels of 22 caliber which takes a little while....however that isn't the fault of the gun....it's just reality of 22 chambering so it would apply to any 22LR revolver w 8 holes in the cylinder.
if yo'ure considering the LCR22, just get one.....if for no other reason it's an awesome training gun for an LCR 38 and also perfect for new shooter or someone who is very recoil shy but still wants to carry.
my old man is considering the LCR in 22magnum cuz his wrist can't handle the 38sp.....again I think you gotta go with whatever chambering is shootable and can connect w target.
Beretta92FS
NES Member
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As far as the cleaning of a revolver goes......simple answer.....get a bore snake. I have a single ten (11 holes to clean) and I'm done with that part in minutes. Coat the bore and chambers with hopes 9 and let it sit overnight......run the bore snake through each hole and wala.....done. Bore snakes run between 15-20 bucks.......if you own a revolver they are worth every penny. I use em on my .38 special and 357 magnum revolvers the same way.
Now......ammo. OP you say you heard the LCR had ammo problems. Don't have any clue why someone would say that a revolver would have "ammo problems". It just makes no sense at all. I shoot thunderturds and golden bullets through my 22lr revolver all the time......they may extract hard from time to time and require a bit of extra cleaning after if you use "cheap" ammo. What kind of "ammo issues" did you hear about? I mean yeah you'll get a failure to fire every now and then from 22 ammo.......but that's gonna happen with ANY fire arm chambered in 22lr.
Most of the LCRs have good trigers, but not the .22. The trigger is really, really heavy on the ones I've shot, definitely over 10 lbs and not smooth like the 38. So, if you haven't tried it, you may ant to. Also, it's a snub nose, so I'm not sure it's a great training tool "for larger revolvers", it won't have the sight picture, weight or accuracy. It's not horrible, but there are definitely better options. The Ruger SP101 would probably be a much better training tool. Also the S&W 63 .22 would be even nicer, but they all go up in price. The LCR is at least inexpensive.
The trigger on my lcr 22, while not quite as silky smooth as my lcr 38, is still just fine. At first i kinda sucked w the lcr 22 but that was the user not the gun or trigger. After some practice and fundamentals of sight picture i was able to connect no problem.
IMO the major reason for a larger 22 revolver is simply barrel length for better ballistics....the 22lr coming out of a 1.8" barrel just kinda sucks in comparison to a 4" barrel, but again its a snub nose revolver so it is what it is.
IMO the major reason for a larger 22 revolver is simply barrel length for better ballistics....the 22lr coming out of a 1.8" barrel just kinda sucks in comparison to a 4" barrel, but again its a snub nose revolver so it is what it is.
this was the only article that noted ammo issues, and had me concerned:
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2012/04/steven-visser/gun-review-ruger-lcr-22/
I read it. Sounds like he is talking about fouling due to "dirty" ammo. I can foul up my ruger single ten pretty good shooting cheap 22lr through it but it will always "cycle".......the cylinder never failed to rotate and if I had a FTF I found the cartridge to have a good deep punch from the firing pin indicating it was the fault of the ammo not the gun. I don't know......guess this reviewer says that dirtier ammo is causing the action of the revolver to jam up. Never heard of it.......but......I don't own an LCR either. My 2 cents.....a snub 22lr is.......just useless. If you want a good 22 revolver look at a ruger sp101 or hell go for it and get a smith 617!
I bought one when I bought my LCR38 thinking that the .22 would be a good "practice" gun.
It's well made and shoots everything.
I did not keep it long because the trigger pull was just too much for me and because of that I could not shoot it very much.
It's well made and shoots everything.
I did not keep it long because the trigger pull was just too much for me and because of that I could not shoot it very much.
You know what's great for that? A four inch barreled revolver shooting .38s Yeah, yeah, I know, not cheap to shoot like .22, but just sayin'
![[grin]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/041.gif "Grin [grin]")
I got the sp101 in .22 and while recoil wise it is a good trainer the trigger is very heavy. Any weaker shooter will have troubles with the stock DA trigger and its not the easiest for all to pull the hammer back. But as my first gun it can do no wrong in my heart.
fencer
NES Member
FYI - Appreciate your comments, I did pick it up today and went to the range. Mint condition, and I liked it a lot. No ammo issues whatsoever and I tried several. I did not seem to mind the trigger, and found it very accurate. A fun little piece for sure. Thanks again, another addition to the collection.
Honestly I did not find the trigger to be heavy, others may find it so. After reading the comments and other reviews I expected heavier. I think it is smooth.... and highly accurate.
Did you compare it side-to-side with the .38 version? Or do you have Smiths as your reference point?
The LCR .38 and .357 are known for their light trigger pull. Compared to an out-of-the-box Smith, they are also very smooth and non stacking.
I have been wanting to try the .22 version. Now that I finally found some overpriced .22LR, I can borrow the one at MFS.
The LCR .38 and .357 are known for their light trigger pull. Compared to an out-of-the-box Smith, they are also very smooth and non stacking.
I have been wanting to try the .22 version. Now that I finally found some overpriced .22LR, I can borrow the one at MFS.
A few years ago I went with SW 642CT and not the LCR .38, so that is my comparison point. I think the LCR .22LR is a tad more heavy (but smooth) than the 642, but nothing that will cause me any issues. From the reviews on line I was expecting a very bad trigger, but IMO have not found that to be the case. FYI, I have x-large strong hands. Good luck, let me know what you think. The LCR, side to side, is slightly smaller all around, in looking at them.
Meh, I still love my convertible Single Six, it's awesome. And swapping cylinders with the 22WMR is awesome. Great for new shooters...
My 38 LCR has a trigger that is pounds lighter than the .22LCR. The 22's trigger is no less smooth, just heavier to ensure ignition like others have mentioned. I have not encountered "ammo issues" (iz revolver, will shoot), but I have run into issues with dirty 22. Less than 100 rounds will cause the cylider to want to bind and it needs a thorough cleaning. YMMV
Also, the one at MFS has serious issues with a sticky extractor. I tried it once and ended up having to slam the rod to get the cartridges to extract. Sliced my hand pretty good while doing it. This was after a few cylinders of ammo.
The pawl broke off on my dads LCR 22 after 300 rounds. Ruger made it right very quickly. I wonder if its a common issue, he got it right when they came out.
http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/threads/148392-Ruger-LCR-22
http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/threads/148392-Ruger-LCR-22
I shot MFS's LCR .22 and .38 this morning. The .22's trigger is just as smooth, but much heavier, so it took a little getting used to. Still seems like a worthwhile trainer, at least if you can borrow one and if you can find reasonably priced .22 ammo. Even though the trigger is much heavier, you get more trigger time for your money, and with the same grip, sights, holster, etc.
I had to give the .22 cartridges a gentle push to get them to go in, but there were no extraction issues. I guess they've cleaned the gun since Machete tried it.
I had to give the .22 cartridges a gentle push to get them to go in, but there were no extraction issues. I guess they've cleaned the gun since Machete tried it.
I find this to be the case with most 22lr revolvers.......and it is different depending on ammo. With my single 10 I find most federal brand, any cci brand or american eagle 38 grain (the red box) to go in no problem. Winchester white box I have to push a bit......remington thundertirds and golden bullets I tear my fingers up trying to get half of the rounds into the gun but I can get them to work! Seems lots of reviews on 22lr revolvers seem to blame the gun for 22lr rounds being difficult to load but I find it is generally the ammo that is the problem.......22lr standards accross the different manufacturers is a bit loosely managed I think.
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Same with my Single 6. Fun gun to shoot but yeah some shitty ammo is a bitch to load. I've had good luck with Federal. Remington ammo, you'd think it was 25acp.
