Opinion; John wants to know do you think the Ruger LCR Revolver in 327 magnum is suitable for close quarters self-defense carry gun?
A 32 Caliber self defense gun?
Retailers tell me that a hot-seller among small, serious pistols these days, actively competing with the S&W Shield, G43/42, Kahr PM9, Walther PPS/M2, SIG 365, and the Ruger LC9S/Pro, as well as 38Spl snubby revolvers, from both Ruger and S&W, is the Ruger LCR (snubby revolver) in 327 Magnum.
Ruger LCR Revolver
Among 32 caliber revolver cartridges, there are the:
- 32S&W (usually a 100gr all-lead bullet at less than 1k f/s, suitable for practice only)
- 32 H&R Magnum (usually an 85gr high-performance bullet at 1200 f/s, from a snubby revolver)
- 327 Magnum (85gr high-performance bullet at 1400 f/s, from a snubby revolver)
All three will chamber and shoot through the Ruger LCR revolver.
Many are attracted to the LCR in 32 caliber, because the cost of ammunition (particularly 32S&W) is relatively low, and even with high-performance ammunition, recoil is a good deal less than with a 38Spl revolver, not to mention 357 magnum!
Although in all fairness, Super-Vel’s excellent 90gr 38Spl +p round leaves my snubby revolver (S&W 342) at 1200 f/s. Muzzle blast is surely noticeable, but recoil is relatively mild.
As bullet weights go up, so does recoil!
The question is, is the Ruger LCR Revolver in 32 Caliber a really “serious” pistol?
I’m not sure I know, but many people who carry them think they are!
The small-statured, particularly women, envision themselves in danger of being physically grabbed and held fast by a bigger and stronger person. Under that circumstance, a revolver that can be quickly accessed and then fired multiple times, from under clothing or from within a pocket, represents an attractive option!
Will those multiple 32H&R Mg, or 327Mg, bullet impacts, at contact range, persuade the attacker to let go and then go find something else to do?
I do not know of any actual instances, so the jury is probably still out. But, I shot an LCR with 327Mg ammunition (six-shooter), for the first time in my life, last Friday.
I like it! The Ruger LCR Revolver is easy to shoot. Manageable recoil. Smooth trigger.
The Ruger LCR Revolver may represent a viable option (for some) that I’ve thus-far overlooked!
/John
Live Inventory Price Checker
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Ruger LCR Revolver .357 Mag 1.87 Barrel 5-Rounds w/Hogue Grip | GrabAGun | $ 605.99 |
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Hiviz LCR2010R Ruger LCR Front Sights Fits Ruger LCR Revolver Red | BattleHawk Armory | $ 45.40 $ 26.41 |
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Versacarry Ranger Revolver Right-Handed IWB Holster for S&W J-Frame / Ruger LCR Revolvers | GunMag Warehouse | $ 49.99 |
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Pachmayr Diamond Pro Grip w/ Finger Grooves for Ruger LCR Revolver, Black - 02482 | Palmetto State Armory | $ 31.99 $ 31.98 |
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A couple of ‘minor’ corrections: 1) that should be ,32 S&W Long – the short version has a small enough rim it may not eject; 2) John missed one – the LCRx variant with an exposed hammer (to cover the issue raised by Knute below). BTW, only a small reference to the cartridge capacity – six rounds in a J-frame sized revolver. Oh yeah, almost forgot that there are speed loaders for it as well. And, yes I do carry one.
The speed loaders fit the SP101 a lot better than the LCR.
I like mine. I carry it in the house in a Remora pocket holster loaded with DoupleTap’s 75 grain Barnes bullet.
Thanks for the info.
The fireball from the 327 in a snubnose should do the job by itself.
It’s not like a .357.
Couple of things about 32s, from experience. When I started as a L.A. cop in 1971, the majority of handguns, especially in the south end, were .32s, of varying quality. Saw enough deceased victims to realize that it can be an effective round. Secondly, my grandfather carried a .32 “lemon squeezer” Smith in .32 short. At the time, WW1, German-Americans were in as much danger as Jews today. Far as I know he never used it, but he must have felt he was protected by it. Still have the revolver and half a box of ammo.
90 grain bullet @ 1400 is 9mm territory – and not even +p.
What I dislike is having to make the choice between an internal, or an exposed, hammer. I prefer my S&W “J” frame .38 with a bobbed hammer spur. It is just as resistant to snagging as an internal hammer, but yet I still retain the ability to cock it for a single action trigger pull if needed. It’s the best of both worlds, IMO.
My wife wants to carry again, she’s getting a little long in the tooth and her hand strength isn’t what it used to be after breaking her wrist several years ago. Carrying a semiautomatic is out of the question she says. So we’ve been thinking about this gun. The covered hammer seems appropriate because of the snagging issue. It also seems finding a good holster that could be used in her purse and on her body is a challenge too. Glad to see this article pop up , it’s kinda weird since we’ve been talking about this all week, then… Read more »
The .327, having less recoil than a .38, will likely be a good, sound choice for someone with a weak wrist. My sister is 73 and is the same. She detests autoloaders, and always has, She has too much trouble working the slide. Her choice for decades now has been a 5 shot Rossi .38 snub. But she’s never had her wrist broken. If you have trouble finding a proper purse holster, look into your local leathersmith. If there’s a Tandy leather store around, they can either make what you want, or can tell you who will. They can custom… Read more »
Thank you. Sounds like this indeed will fill the bill. My wife just turned 80 this week. I let her read your reply, it put a smile on her face.
Hearing that made me happy! 🙂
In her case, I’d go for the shrouded hammer model. One won’t be likely to need the SA pull in such a pistol anyway. It’s a learning curve to climb, learning to use the trigger to get a bobbed hammer to come back enough to cock with the off hand while not pulling enough to set a round off. I just happen to already have climbed that particular curve, back in my days shooting IPSC. I wouldn’t want to have to climb it again, now that I’m a greybeard!
I carried late model S&W Hand Ejector in .32-20 for some years w/100 gr. hard-cast DEWC’s @ 1,400 fps.
They accurately reached 80 yd. steel target noticeably quicker than factory .357 loads at the time, and while they did not have the inertia of .357 158 gr., they hit HARD and blew-up in a gray puff of smoke.
I did NOT feel un-armed packing the old S&W along with either of my Marlin rifles in same cal. hossback, afoot, or in vehicle.
.327 has got to be ballistically the same as Hi-Vel .32-20 out of a strong pistol.
Davo
How much did Ruger pay to rerun this 5 year old advertisement.
As far as the .327 or .32 in general, no,hell no.