Our friends at Remington and Winchester Ammunition supplied four .38 Special factory loads for this review. Rem. If you include the other calibers this gun will fire, the types of bullets available and the list of manufacturers increases significantly. Revolvers have given up considerable ground over the years to the explosion of small, compact semi-automatic pistols when it comes to carry guns. Its that good. Think it is possible, as Ruger keeps expanding the LCR Models. The frame itself is treated with a two element, synergistic hard-coat finish. Sign-up now to get more revolver content every Wednesday! Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, State Agency: Ruger LCRx 327 Federal Magnum Double-Action Revolver . Would love a 3" LCRx. Illustration courtesy of Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. Having previously reviewed and liked the Ruger LCRx .38 Special +P Revolver with 3" barrel we wanted to review the latest variation, an LCRx with a three inch, fully shrouded barrel and adjustable sights in .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (.22 WMR, or just ".22 Magnum"). Here are seven reasons why you should own an LCRx in .327 Magnum: A person is most likely to win a gunfight if they deliver accurate, effective fire first. Frame: Stainless steel, black DLC/polymer, black Cylinder: Stainless steel, black DLC Grip: Hogue Tamer Front Sight: Ramped and serrated with white stripe Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, State Agency: To swing out the cylinder for loading or unloading, press the cylinder release button, which is located directly behind the cylinder on the left side of the frame (the usual place on a DA revolver), inward. This short ejector rod is taken directly from the snubby version of the LCRx, presumably to save money and simplify parts inventory. Our motto, "Arms Makers for Responsible Citizens," The grip angle of the LCR fits me a little better than my J-Frame Smith & Wesson 340PD. It is because of the LCR's high recoil velocity that titanium, instead of steel, is used for the LCR's cylinder lock pin and front latch. In the mid 70s to mid 80s, mowing down steel plates in a side-by-side match was the rage. The original LCR models were 13 oz. Box 488, Escondido, CA 92033. A forum community dedicated to Ruger firearm owners and enthusiasts. Much has been written about Rugers friction-reducing cam in the LCR and LCRx revolvers; that is, how smooth it is and how theres never a second thought about the trigger stacking. Im here to say that its all true. It is a modern design because part of the frame is made from polymer that attaches to a metal frame. No purchase necessary. This is a Magnum version, which is heavier. The 327 Magnum intrigues me, but comparing the 3" LCRX 3" 357, using .38 Spl. I recommend Buffalo Bore Hard Cast cartridges. Certainly not the bucky .41 Magnum and the downright cranky .44 Mag. The .32 Magnum can push 100-grain bullets around 1,200 fps, around 325 fpe. Iowa Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: Our Low Price $69.28 (IV) Winners must undergo a background check (if required) and comply with all other federal, state and local laws. Another part of the equation is how the gun carries safely, how comfortable it carries and how quickly a shooter can get rounds on target. I am going to start watching Bud's, and this will be my new hiking/xc skiing/snowshoeing/mountain biking handgun. Even so, its easy to find when you want to cock it for a single-action shot. (III) Giveaway winner(s) chosen by random drawing. Many of the best professional shooters were using tricked-out 1911s for IPSC competition. We don't remember one person managing this before in one of our reviews. Thankfully, a little goes a long way. After one cylinder I realized that the solid grips were not for this gun, for me anyway. (II) Limit one (1) entry per household; multiple entries will disqualify entrants. This gun is chambered for .327 Federal Magnum (more about the cartridge later). Thats to be expected, but the Hogue Tamer grip made it tolerable. from a 5-inch barrel. If you have read it all before, feel free to skip down to "Features.". However, up to this point, these have featured the popular 1.87-inch barrel configuration: snubbies. A soft carrying case is included with the LCRx. But the short hammer throw and the trigger fulcrum giving mechanical advantage to the trigger stroke is pure genius. The stainless-steel cylinder is given a PVD coating and has unneeded steel machined off of it, giving the cylinder a sculpted contour. But a 3" LCRx would likely be too hard to resist. The .327 Magnum can do it all. There are now 25 states with so-called Constitutional carry and Florida appears to be approaching permitless carry, which translates to more citizens S&W Set The Bar For Magnum Handgun Performance 50 Years Ago. Deployed military should use stateside address. I shot a box of store bought 32 H&R Magnum Cowboy Action loads, and they were a dream to shoot. The screw adjustable rear sight makes precise sighting-in easy. The case diameters are virtually the same for all four of these cartridges, which means that a revolver chambered for the .327 Federal Magnum can fire them all. With a 3-inch barrel, the revolver has a decent sight radius. The suggested retail price is $749. Once there, you can verify that the Ruger firearm you seek is available through that retailer and order it, subject to all federal, state and local laws. The load could be considered only a moderate load with respect to velocity and pressure for this cartridge. The LCRx has a wide, comfortable trigger with a smooth surface that minimizes the subjective force required to fire the gun. The lightweight LCRx is much easier to carry, but equally more unpleasant to shoot. Sure, send Ruger an email. Another reason to avoid shooting the .32 Automatic in these guns is because its semi-rim is not as wide as the revolver cartridge rim and might not be engaged by the ejector. No guns, no peace, no safety. thus a ruger single seven or lcr 327 can perform many different roles for users with different physical conditions. This is a marked improvement over the performance of the popular .32 ACP and similar cartridges. How The 3-Inch Barrel LCRx Enhances The .357 Magnum: Longer 3-inch barrel improves the .357 Magnum's ballistics, while keeping the revolver concealable. In addition to .327 Federal Magnum ammunition, .32 H&R Magnum, .32 Smith and Wesson Long and .32 Smith and Wesson ammunition was tested. Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, State Agency: Why Ruger insists on installing such heavy springs in their handguns is a mystery. The Ruger LCRx Double-Action Revolver features all of the technological advances of the standard LCRLightweight Compact Revolverwith the addition of an external hammer that gives you the option of pulling the hammer back and firing in single-action mode. It was designed specifically for concealed carry, so Ruger did not spend time on shiny aesthetics that many have come to expect in modern revolvers. Get the 76th edition of the World's Greatest Gun Book. It's nice to have a back-up gun in that line of work. It has a 1/16 barrel with a flat face and target crown. Cold Steel makes a Ruger LCR Rubber Training Revolver. Mail-in entries accepted; send postcards (no envelopes) to: GUNS Magazine, GOM Old West 2023, PO Box 488, Escondido, CA 92033. The .327 cartridge will never take off like most folks would like, but there is room for this offering. Six for Sure becomes Five for Sure with the LCRx, but its reliability cannot be faulted. I stopped shooting them after a few rounds. Illinois Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: Having both a carbine and a revolver that can shoot multiple cartridges gives flexibility. I have 3 Rugers in .327 Fed Mag - two LCRs and an SP101 4.2". The 3-inch-barreled LCRx in .38 Special +P (officially Model 5431) is part of Ruger's LCR lineup of revolvers with polymer grip frames. . The front sight is a tall ramp type and the rear sight is the fully adjustable type found on other Ruger revolvers. Whats the advantage? Guns and Shooting Online staff members Chuck Hawks, Rocky Hays and Jim Fleck handled the shooting chores. Because it maintains the dimensions of a neat, little (it still qualifies as this) carry gun while bringing out the best in the powerful cartridge, the LCRx is just about everything youd want out of a defensive .357 Mag. I've been waiting forever for Ruger to do a .327 Fed Mag version with the 3" barrel & adjustable sights. Ive carried a S&W snubbie since the late 70s. The stainless steel barrel insert, hammer and trigger are finished in a natural (dull silvery) color. There is a full length, solid rib on top of the barrel and a full length under-lug beneath the barrel. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The LCRx is a true double action revolver, with two ways to fire the gun. The pattern was so spread out that I was afraid a stray bullet might hit my chronograph. LCR stands for "Lightweight Compact Revolver". I must confess a certain love for belly guns, due in part to their historic/romantic allure as well as their practical nature. All rights reserved. North Dakota Game & Fish Department, State Agency: We fired single action, five shot groups at Hoppe's slow fire pistol targets. Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. is one of the nation's leading manufacturers of While not topping out the .357 Magnums ballistic potential, extending the barrel to 3 inches revives a good deal of the cartridges magnum characteristics. Why? It appears you're missing a 6" or 7" Single 7 in .327. I don't know if it's possible to track down sales figures on the .327 snubby, but my gut feeling is that it's not one of their more popular guns (unfortunately, IMO). Its thanks to the .357 Magnums nearly perfect middle ground that the defensive revolver continues to soldier on. A 4-inch . No, revolvers were, because they allowed an even cadence of transition in multiple target engagements. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. They are less likely to jam than a semi-automatic pistol. Ruger LCRx .38 Special +P Revolver with 3" barrel, Having previously reviewed and liked the original double action only (DAO) Ruger LCR (Lightweight Compact Revolver) and subsequent true double action (DA) LCRx .38 +P snub-nose revolvers, we were compelled to request a sample of the latest variation, an LCRx with a longer, three inch, fully shrouded barrel and adjustable sights. Rem. With a frame fashioned from aerospace-grade 7000 series aluminum, the Ruger LCRx 3 .22 LR weighs-in at 17.3-ounces. No purchase necessary. That companys .32 H&R Magnum +P load was nearly as powerful as their .327 Federal Magnum load with the same bullet, being only 44 fps slower in the LCR. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, State Agency: Semi-automatic pistols are flatter and often hold a round or two more than a revolver. The .327 Federal Magnum achieves its impressive performance from a very high SAAMI maximum average pressure limit of 45,000 psi, which is considerably higher than the .357 Magnums pressure limit of 35,000 psi. The mechanism is accessed by removing the fire control housing from the frame sub-assembly. In addition to this, the revolver boasts a pinned front ramp sight, meaning its replaceableperhaps with a tritium night sight if you foresee trouble at dusk. The .32 H&R Magnum is generally comparable to the power of the .38 Special and is a viable choice when looking for a round with less recoil. If they were going to copy the size and shape, why not go all the way and incorporate a more aesthetically pleasing ventilated rib? Contest void where prohibited by law. To protect the privacy and security of winners, names will not be made public. The monolithic frame serves as a sleeve for the 1.87-inch stainless steel barrel insert. Aside from the heavy hammer and trigger springs, which should be replaced with lighter weight springs, none of our shooters found serious fault with the three-inch LCRx. ), The internal mechanics of the three inch LCRx are identical to the previously reviewed two inch barrel model, but the LCR design is different from other DA revolvers. ; largest group 3-1/2 in. The. EASY INSTALLATION: User installed- No gunsmithing required - Factory sighted at 50 feet, but is fully user adjustable for Windage and Elevation with provided tool FITS: Ruger LCR and LCRx Revolvers Frequently bought together Total price: Some of these items ship sooner than the others. The LCRx has a more traditional double action (DA) look and feel with an external hammer that allows the shooter to cock and shoot single-action if desired. I believe the ballistics and extra round warrant the switch. With the last throws of winter blustering across the prairie, I wore gloves for my range time and was completely unimpeded. Carried in a belt holster, shoulder holster, purse or pack, it will certainly not be a burden.