Sunday, December 12, 2010

Minnesota Winter and the Ruger LCR .357


Well the Minnesota winter hit with a vengeance as seen in the photo of my wife's car sitting out of the street and also evidenced by the collapse of the Metrodome. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5NXx4YP4iA&feature=channel)

But after digging out and going to fill the car with gas I took a look around at the other people who were our and about and realized that the Minnesota winter poses a particular challenge for the concealed permit holder.  Everyone out today is wearing multiple layers of clothing which would make accessing the holstered handgun a lot more difficult and certainly slower.  Additionally since everyone is wearing multiple layers you run the risk of your hollowpoint ammo clogging with leather, down, polyester filler, denim, and perhaps two layers of sweatshirt material before ever making contact with the assailant's body.  

This is where I think the Ruger LCR in .357 Magnum makes a lot of sense.
Personally I think this revolver is butt ugly but it may be the most utilitarian piece of armament for the deep freeze urban areas of the country and here's why:
  1. High speed whopping caliber whose performance will not be impeded by multiple of layers of clothing.
  2. Small and lightweight enough to be carried in the front pocket of your jacket or parka making it easier to access.
  3. The Hogue grip tamer grips will be easy to access in your pocket.
  4. Ruger specifically enlarged the trigger guard so that it was accessible with a gloved hand (really good thinking on Ruger's part).
  5. Ruger is now offering a front night sight as a factory option.
I was not enamored with the .38 Special version of the LCR but would love to find one in .357 Magnum with a front night sight and re-evaluate.

Stay warm and safe!




5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Agreed Joe. I've been carrying the .38 Spl LCR for my second winter.

As a revolver it is my perfect pocket pistol for snow blowing (live in St Paul here). Cold does not really effect this gun. I shoot at an outdoor range, in the winter, and have had no issues with this revolver.

Due to it's light weight and small size it has become my EDC.

Al said...

I checked this gun out a short while back and liked the weight and feel and knowing you have a 357 backing you up-nice
Al

AJ187 said...

Good stuff Joe! I'm from north MN myself and the more I spend up here the more I think Minnesotans are some of the toughest people around.

Stay Warm!

Anonymous said...

I presently live in Florida, so my CCW collection places less of a premium on penetration since most days of the year it's one layer of clothing or less.

Nevertheless I think this pistol would be great addition once I get my Minnesota carry permit.

BTW my whole family lives in MN, spread between the twin cities and all the way up to Lake of the Woods.

rjf415 said...

Joe--been carrying the Ruger LCR-357 as my everyday "BUG" for the last two years. Used to own an S&W 638 (11 years), but liked the steel/polymer of the 357 allot more. It's tough, reliable, and accurate. My only complaint is I’d like to see a smaller grip for better concealment. But besides that this LCR works for me. So did you do a review of the Ruger LCR-357?