S&W 638 or Ruger LCR??? hhmmmm

[MassMark]

howcome, what is the big difference between the 2? what makes you like your 642ct other then the fact that its yours and you paid your money for it.

Money I spend is rarely a factor on my love of a particular firearm - if I liked the LCR better, I would have it. That being said, what I did not like about the LCR, was it's grip and the grip angle. I think as eisenhow stated, the after-market will catch up. The 642 - especially in the CT configuration, feels natural in my hand. I also have the trigger, (thanks to a ton of range time and a megaton of dry firing), right where I want it. I will say the LCR's trigger is nicer out of the box. The strength of the LCR is indeed how they fashioned the frame to accept a myriad of grips yet to come. The rest was not purely psychological - the plastic frame. I did not feel that much of a weight difference, but did notice more felt recoil with my 135gr +P Speer GDHP. To me, the minimal weight difference was not worth the trade-off for a more pleasurable shooting experience....

 

[ccm75]

I wanted a 442 until I bought my LCR.

 

[MassMark]

Oh and by the way...Ruger wins the race of the stupid internal lock category...At least in their favor, you can't see it - but it's there....

 

[Goomba]

anyone ever thought over buying a 442 or a 642? what you decided and why?

 

[jobowker]

For me it was a choice between a 442 and the LCR. I liked the trigger on the LCR better. Personally I don't think there is any need for SA on a defensive snub. It's liability and/or a crutch.

I used to disagree, but have since been converted. With the option of single or double action, all of my practice was single action because I was better at it. Double action only forces me to practice the way I would shoot. I don't see that many scenarios where I would be firing a snubbie with the hammer cocked. YMMV.

That was one of the reasons for me picking the LCR over my old Colt Agent.

 

[eisenhow]

anyone ever thought over buying a 442 or a 642? what you decided and why?

After having owned a stainless revolver (686SSR) I do have to say that like a white dog they show when they are dirty. Since the 442/642 both have aluminum frames and the only real difference (in terms of corrosion resistance) is the cylinder. If I could get a 442 with a stainless cylinder that would be ideal. The black hides the dirt and is slimming. Given the current S&W choices I'd probably get the 442 no-lock if I was going for a J-frame.

 

[eisenhow]

Google mapped it. I would love to head up there to try them! Next time you shoot on a weekend and feel like showing me please send me a PM; and what beer you like.

Next weekend is busy (IDPA match, 900 bullseye match, and a greyhound M&G) but the 16th and 17th are wide open now.

 

[eisenhow]

Kinda the same topic; what are my options for protection ammo for the .38+p vs. target??

I carry Speer Gold Dot Short barrel. They also sell regular pressure (non +P) variants. The other popular .38spl snub load is FBI load: 158gr LSWCHP. As for target loads WWB is 130gr standard pressure load and is tamer than either.

 

[Billy2]

My vote is for a 442. I am sure the ruger is a fine pistol but the J frame has been around forever and the Lcr is still pretty new on the market.

 

[eisenhow]

My vote is for a 442. I am sure the ruger is a fine pistol but the J frame has been around forever and the Lcr is still pretty new on the market.

Knock on wood, ruger has had a recent run of recalls on their pistols (SR9, LCP) but so far the LCR has been recall free.

 

[Beansie_Time]

I was making the same decision less than a year ago between the same two revolvers.

I ended up settling on the LCR with Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel loads for my every day carry. I originally liked the 438 for the ability to shoot SA or DA but after feeling the trigger on the LCR I didn't think it would be much of an issue to shoot accurately DAO.
The LCR is a few ounces lighter but in my hand it felt better to shoot than the various j frames I tried. I think the grips on the LCR are great. The Ruger is also about $40 cheaper than the Smiths.

I would suggest taking the advice of the others here and shooting both first then deciding. I know that helped me tremendously. Also if the recoil really bugs you on the polymer framed LCR or the aluminum framed 442/642/438/638 maybe you could try one of the steel framed smith and wesson j frames such as the 640 or 649, or even the steel framed Ruger SP 101.

All of the revolvers mentioned here are extremely reliable and will serve you well for years. It really comes down to a matter of personal preference and budget.