narrowed it down to 4 pocket handguns.

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cajun47

New member
im still undecided. give me your opinions.

lcr .357 mag
lcr .38 spl
s&w shield 9mm
lc9 9mm

i only pocket carry. i own the lcr .22lr and love the way it fits in my pocket. imo its super easy to draw. i know lots of people don't like the .357 in a snub but from youtube test it looks to be the most lethal. but there is a shortage of 9mm test in short barrels i know.

im leaning towards the lcr .357 mag cause to me it looks like it does much more damage than a .38 spl +p. im a believer in that first shot to save yourself. brassfetcher and many of you would say the .357 mag in a snub isn't much better than a .38 +p in a snub. maybe i don't understand something here but the .357 mag snub impresses me compared to .38 +p and even 9mm in a 4 inch.

.357 snub:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_BPDmy4SfQ&list=FLAEGYqlIw5w_t2fGTH_sNmQ&index=1

.357 vs .38:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXFoaszcciM

as far as 5 shot .357 snub vs the shield or lc9, the semi autos have more shots and faster reload but how good is the 9mm in a short barrel compared to the .357 snub??? how fast of a draw from the pocket? i like the fact that if someone is on you a revolver will still function pressed up against something, no slide to get caught up on clothes.
 
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Sarge

New member
Someone will be along here shortly to tell you the .357 has no real advantage over the .38 in a snub. I disagree. My last SP101 would do 1300 fps with any full-snort 125 grain 357 load.

Given your choices and apparent preferences, the LCR 357 gets the nod. The LC9 may ride a little flatter and if it'd stand Federal's 9BPLE load, I'd call it a wash.

The Shield is a fine pistol but after handling one side by side with an MP Compact... might as well get the Compact, in my opinion
 
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Ben Dover

New member
I would not even consider the lcr in .357. The recoil makes a follow up shot almost impossible.

The lcr .38 will do quite nicely.
 
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Mosin44az

New member
I highly recommend the LCR in .357. I posted a long rave on it about how much I loved mine. I believe it is the BEST pocket revolver out there. The catch--only shoot .38s out of it. With its design and its 17 oz. weight, it alone among pocket revolvers is comfortable to shoot. IF you stick to .38s. Even the vaunted FBI load is easy to shoot.

I can't speak to the Shield, it sounds great, but the LCR .357 easily beats your other choices in my opinion.
 
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MLeake

New member
Mosin44az, I have a 442, and with the CT grip with covered backstrap installed, it still works well for pocket carry and is comfortable to shoot.

I had previously owned a .38 LCR, but did not find it comfortable. For some reason, its trigger would chafe or cut my trigger finger. Only gun I have ever owned that did that.
 
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Madcap_Magician

New member
For pocket carry, I think the LCRs are the only workable option there unless you always wear pants with extra-large pockets like 5.11s. The Shield and the LC9 are about the same dimensions. The Shield has a better trigger. I think it is better-made, too.

If you think you might shoot .357s out of the LCR, just get the .357 LCR. You can always go to .38 Special +P, and the extra weight will make either caliber a little easier to handle. The Hogue Tamer grip helps a lot there, but its bulk and slight tackiness might make it hard for pocket carry.

No question the .357 Magnum from a snubby is more powerful than a .38 Special +P from a snubby or a 9mm from a subcompact.

But in order to hit low-end magnum performance, the recoil is tremendous.

Different strokes and all, but I would shoot whatever full-bore .357 you want to out of an LCR before deciding that's what you want to do.

The main .38 Special +P loads, the 135-gr. +P Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel and the 158-gr. +P LSWCHP from a variety of manufacturers perform pretty well- better than the plain numbers would indicate if you're the sort of person who likes muzzle energy.

The slower 9mm loads will do the same with heavy bullets, and will actually penetrate as far as a .357 with similar expansion. Slightly smaller wound cavities, though, but also much lower recoil.
 
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Colt46

New member
I prefer the .38+P in snubs

If you want to go .357 then make sure you shoot it enough to tame the beast. A lightweight frame with .357 recoil requires a lot more from the shooter than the .38
 
9

9mm

New member
Glock 26 and Glock 27 are pocket carry. Buy the LCR 357 over 38spl because it makes it a two caliber option.
 
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Bob Wright

New member
I have never found pocket carry suitable for me. Might I ask what kind of garment/pocket you are considering?

I'm not asking to try to shoot you down, but as I said, never found pocket carry suitable for me. I have a S&W Model 442 in .38 Special that I tried.

Bob Wright

P.S. You might note that I never tried real hard.
 
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newfrontier45

Moderator
I like the S&W Bodyguard .380 for this purpose.

Yes, the .357 is much more potent than the .38Spl, even from a short barrel. However, it ain't free and you pay for it in recoil and muzzle blast. I'd rather spend all day shooting .44Mags and heavy .45Colts than shoot a single box through a .357 snubby.
 
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vba

New member
I also believe the Shield is too big for pocket carry. My summer pocket carry piece is a Kahr CM9, highly recommended.
 
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Sarge

New member
FWIW I've shot the LCR with 158 grain .357 Magnums... it jumps around some but it wasn't awful. Didn't have any trouble keeping a cylinder in 5" at 15 yards, centered on the front sight and shooting pretty fast. Groups were half that when I took my time and acquired a proper sight picture for each shot.
 
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Carmady

New member
I don't see why recoil is even considered in a SD situation.

Your life is at stake, pull the trigger. Not doing so because of anticipated recoil could cost you your life.

I've shot the same .357 loads from a 39 oz M-19 with a 6" barrel and stock wooden grips, and a 25? oz M-60 with a 2 1/8" barrel and Uncle Mike's combat grips. The M-60 was much more pleasant to shoot with the same load, in spite of its lighter weight and shorter barrel.
 
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newfrontier45

Moderator
I don't see why recoil is even considered in a SD situation.
Click to expand...
You realize that you have to practice to become proficient, correct? Folks typically don't like to practice much with guns that are unpleasant to shoot.

Muzzle blast from a short .357 can disorient the shooter in enclosed spaces.
 
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pete2

New member
I've never shot the LCR .357 but if you like the LCR get the .357, you can always use .38 special in it if you want to. I do have a 642 and an LC9. I like both of them and I think the LC9 is a little smaller than the Shield. I don't have a problem with the LC9 trigger, some hate it. I make follow up shots faster with the LC than the 642. The 642 dishes out a little more punishment than the LC. The 642 is easier for me to carry, it weighs about 3 oz. less than the LC and I can actually tell the difference in my pocket. Both guns have been totally reliable so far.
 
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Sarge

New member
I've never shot an LCR. Does it behave differently than a J-frame?
Click to expand...

Yes, but I'd be hard pressed to explain it. It feels to me like the LCR sits lower in the hand and has fewer 'unfriendly surfaces' for lack of a better term. I found it to be one of the easier-shooting 357 snubs I've fired.. but I'm OK with a 2 1/4" SP101 and 200 grain bear loads, too.

An awful lot of this recoil stuff is subjective. I shot two mags of 9x18 ball through a P63 awhile back... bit the inside of my big ol' thumb knuckle hard enough to draw blood. I hated the dang thing.
 
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