The Ruger LCR – Range Report!

Today I took my mother to the range to try out the two firearms she purchased last week; a Browning Buckmark (range report) and a Ruger LCR.

For those unfamiliar with the Ruger LCR. It is Ruger’s long-awaited answer to Smith & Wesson’s airweight line.  It is the first polymer based revolver made in the western world. (The Russian’s beat us to it with a break open revolver manufactured by Izhevsk.)

It has a 5 round capacity, and handles .38 Special +P.  The LCR has a strongly fluted cylinder, which reduces weight. I personally find it quite attractive and reminiscent of the the pepperboxes from the 1800’s.  The cylinder and the barrel is made of steel. The front frame is made of aluminum.  The rear of the frame, which houses the firing control housing, is made of polymer.  All of this leads to a fairly lightweight revolver.

For those who are new to the world of firearms. There is an inverse relationship between the perceived recoil of a firearm and it’s weight.  A heavy firearm like the Ruger MK Hunter firing a small round such as a .22LR results in very low recoil. Where as the very small Ruger LCP which fires what is considered a fairly small cartridge, the .380, has a lot of perceived recoil.  Likewise, the LCR is a very light gun for it’s cartridge.

I did have some concern recommending said firearm to my mother. Many have commented on the numerous women who have been sold airweight snubbies by the likes of Jolly Joe behind the counter at the gunstore.  I really did not want to make that mistake.  My mother tends to find the kick of a gun exciting and envigorating.  What she finds difficult is fine motor skills with her thumbs due to trigger finger and carpal tunnel (officer work related).  And that’s one point the LCR excels at; having a nice easy trigger pull.

But I was still nervous that it might be too much kick…

***

My mother fired the first five rounds.  Her first one was a flyer, but the next four she put all in the red, this was at 12 ft.  That’s a pretty common distance for a personal engagement.  She expressed a little intimidation with the first shot. But said the following four were much easier.  This may have been due to her adjusting her grip or simply knowng what to expect.

Next I had her try it at 21ft. She put all five rounds in the center torso region, including 3 in a 1″ circle in the red center. Pretty darn good IMHO!

I took a shot myself. And while I can say it has a fair amount of kick, it was not overwhelming.  A bit akin to firing a hot .357 in my fullsize 6″ GP100 revolver.  (At some point I’d like to compare it our LCP.  My gutt feeling is that the LCR is slightly less jarring than the LCP.)  The grip does help quite a bit in reducing the intensity; both by providing a soft squishy impact absorbent material and by widening the grip so as to spread the forces over a broader area. At no point did I feel that the LCR was straining to be controlled.

My mother and I went through a 50 round box of Walmart Winchester white box .38 Specials.  Neither of us left with sore hands. In fact, my mother commented shortly before we wrapped up that she was barely noticing the recoil any longer.  That’s not to say there was no recoil. Just that it is maneagable enough not to impede the mere fun of shooting the LCR.

Needless to say, it does not look like my mother will be taking me up on the offer to buy the gun off of her. Oh well…guess if I want to shoot it I can always have her come down for a visit.

The Browning Buckmark versus the Ruger MKIII

Find out what .22LR pistol the N.U.G.U.N. Blog recommends for new shooters!

Last week while in Connecticut my mother purchased a Browning Buckmark .22LR semi-automatic pistol.

Having access to a .22LR range, I suggested that she go with a semi-automatic over a revolver in order to help her overcome the unfamiliarity of semi-autos.  The result was a brand new Buckmark.

While one should always take the internet with a grain of salt. Most of the comments I saw regarding .22LR pistols recommended either a Ruger or a Browning Buckmark. Many comments cautioned against the Walther’s, Mosquitos and others.  I am sure a lot of people love their 22 calibers of different makes. However, I’d be a fool not to factor in what was a large consensus of opinion.

I own a Ruger MKIII Hunter. I love the gun. It is a beautiful & accurate firearm.  However, it is quite the !@#$% to dissassemble, clean and re-assemble.  For this reason I recommended the Buckmark to my mother based on 1) a few online and in-person comments to the effect that it was a bit easier to clean, and 2) because I can’t fathom much of anything being as complex as my MKIII.

So today we had the opportunity to go to the range and try out the Buckmark.  What can I say….I liked it!  And more importantly…so did my mom!

I’ll try to give a summary of the differences. The Buckmark comes with a soft cushiony rubber grip.  The weight is a bit lighter than my MK Hunter with a 6″ barrel.  The two tone appearance is attractive – in a more modern looking fashion. The Ruger has beautiful classic lines and what is one of the most attractive barrels I have ever seen.  It’s sort of like comparing a new BMW to a classic ‘vette.  No one is going to knock the BMW but the ‘vette is far sexier.

Both feature a fiber-optic front sight. With a rear adjustable sight. My MKIII Hunter has a v-notch in the rear and the Buckmark a square notch. Both work well and I’d be hard pressed to give you a preference of one over the other.  That said, I am a strong advocate for fiber-optic sights. I do believe they assist in sighting especially in reduced light conditions.

I happened to stumble upon a Walmart with a large stock of .22LR including a lone box of Federal Match .22LR.  (Okay, let me be honest, I hit up about 5 Walmarts while in Connecticut and walked away with 12 boxes of 9mm, 6 boxes of Federal .22LR, plus the match box.) I decided to shoot two magazines, for a total of 20 rounds each. The results are included in the two images below. Both were shot at 25ft.

First, the Browning Buckmark.  Not bad, I was shooting a bit up and to the right.

The results with the Ruger MKIII are notably better, albeit slightly low.

Mind you, take these results with a grain of salt.  First off, it’s quite possible that the Ruger liked the match ammo where as the Buckmark didn’t care for it so much.  Due to a lack of time, (actually money as we were paying hourly range fees), I was only able to utilize one type of ammo for the above test.  And I did have some pretty good results earlier with the standard Federal 550 block ammo.

Second, I’m a mediocre shot. I am also more familiar with my MKIII than I am with my mother’s new Browning Buckmark.  So that might have come into play as well.  Essentially, I found both pistols to be accurate and a lot of fun to shoot.

However, one gun would have a significant difference that would lead me to recommend it over the the other for new shooters. Find out why?

***

We arrived home, had some family time, and ate dinner.  Then we went upstairs to clean both .22LR, as well as my mom’s new LCR.  (And 5 other firearms that needed to be cleaned from an earlier shoot.)  It was totally awesome family time involving me, my mother and Otis.  That’s right, both of us were learning how to use our Otis Cleaning System for the very very first time.  (More on this in a later post…)

ALWAYS CHECK THE CHAMBER AND REMOVE ANY MAGAZINES BEFORE CLEANING YOUR FIREARM

Cleaning the MKIII.  I hook my handy handmade wire loop over the backstrap of the mainspring and pop the lock.  Gotta do a few cock-a-doodle-do’s (insert magazine, pull trigger, remove magazine, etc).  Remove the bolt.  Okay, still not very accessible. So I take out the hammer and tap, tap, tap; until the upper receiver falls off the lower.  Finally I can get in and clean the gun, and even that requires a few narrow brushes and picks to get the numerous nooks and crannies.

Now for the Buckmark…

The manual instructs the user to pull the slide and lift the slide lock.  Then take a brush to the breech area.  Then run a few patches or a bore snake/weasel thru the barrel.  There is essentially no take down required in order to do routine maintenance.  It was even easier to clean than her new Ruger LCR (no disassembly required, just happens to have 5 extra chambers to clean seeing as it’s a revolver).  Can we say one very over-joyed mom!  (And one somewhat envious son. *LOL*)

For this reason we at the N.U.G.U.N. Blog if asked to recommend a .22LR pistol for a new shooter recommend the Browning Buckmark.  The Buckmark is a good, solid, 22 caliber pistol. Fun, accurate and easy to maintain.

That said, if you’re a gun nut (or know you’re on your way to becoming one). Than I would say go with the Ruger. It’s a beautiful firearm.  Extremely accurate. And every gun nut should know how to disassemble and clean a Ruger MK pistol.

***

NOTE: We purchased my mother’s  Browning Buckmark for $339, and the Ruger MK III Hunter 6″ stainless for $469.

25 yrs ago at a McDonald’s in San Diego…

My father and his shooting buddy were enjoying some food after a morning out plinking. Their pistols at their side – open-carry.

One week later…the same McDonald’s, the same time, a lone gun man would take the lives of 24.  Perhaps things would have gone a little differently if there were a couple of “sheep dogs” having a Big Mac.

While a .357 or Glock pistol might have been outgunned by a semi-auto Uzi.  I’d wager two experienced shooters having just finished target practice would have a fair chance in close quarters. Especially, if the gunman was unaware of their armed presence. Perhaps it would have been 2-4 dead – instead of 24.

–

CNN has an article recalling the incident and detailing one of the events which has led to what many refer to as a militarization of our police forces.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/23/california.mcdonalds.massacre/index.html

One thing that I find intriguing is the fact that the first officer on scene had an opportunity to take out the gunman – but did not.  In many of these high death count incidents there is a recurring trend on the part of the first responders – inaction.  I guess I really can’t blame a police officer for being concerned about their own safety.  Many if not most police officers have families, they have children, they want to go home and see them tonight.  But at the same time I am left wondering how many others would have gone home if the first responding officers acted with trained initiative instead of inaction.

San Diego – he arrived, saw the gunman. Had an opportunity to take him out. But he assumed there were others and he’d get surrounded. And took a passive position.

Columbine – officers arrive and do nothing. They respond as if it’s a hostage situation long after people are being shot and executed.  Two young gunmen who when finally confronted took their own lives. How many would be alive today if they had been confronted earlier.

Even more recently we had a shooting in which several died while police waited outside for ages.

Inaction, it may not get you killed. But someone will probably get killed by it.  Just read up on the Battle of Antietam and General McClellan’s inaction.

Thune Amendment – For CCW Reciprocity “Close But No Passage”

I do apologize to my readers if you were unfamiliar with this proposal. I usually try to keep my readers informed. However, I have been traveling and visiting family this past week.  And had limited access to the internet.

We were very close, 58-39, with the majority in support of it’s passage. However, 60 votes were required for the passage and we fell two shy.

One of those deciding votes was Arlen Specter (yes, the Senator who finally showed his true colors). I love that Arlen Specter argue’s from a states rights perspective on this one, really…we have reciprocity for automobiles which are not protected by the Constitution and lead to the deaths of thousands. However, his claim that it will not endanger the rights of gun owners is far from true. One accident, and an unplanned detour into Maryland can turn you into a felon.

It is my hope that incorporation of the 2nd Amendment will lead to the eventual passage of a reciprocity law.

Furthermore, I have made a decision. Last year I took on the role of NRA-ILA EVC (Election Volunteer Coordinator). The purpose of which is to help distribute information and organize volunteers for the election of endorsed candidates and support legislative action. I have reached a point that if Arlen Specter receives an endorsement I cannot in good conscience support him.  He has voted against the piece of legislation that is to me, personally, the most important.

***

SnowFlakesInHell has some good coverage of how it went down here

What guns for my mother….

This weekend I spent some time shopping for handguns with my mother.  We went to a newly built Cabela’s about an hour away.  Figuring they’d have one of the better selections in the area.

My mother has some firearms experience. Our family owned a Ruger .357, and she always loved shooting it. A few months ago Freedom Armory had a S&W demonstration, my mother was down visiting that weekend so we went to the demonstration. My mom tried out a number of firearms including an M&P in 9mm, & 45, a 1911 and a few revolvers including some airweights and a .44 Magnum.  I used the demonstration to show her how the difference in weight affected the perceived recoil. That the .45 in 1911 had less perceived recoil than the 9mm in polymer. My mother really liked the 1911, describing it as being akin to a smooth whiskey.  While she did notice the kick and feel of the various revolvers, she did well with them all.

So what were the requirements that we were looking for?

First and foremost my mom wanted a .22LR, as she has access to a small cultural club that has a 22 caliber rifle range in the basement.  And I believe that a .22 is a good choice. Ammo, while not abundant these days, is still affordable.  Allowing for a great amount of practice.  My mom is also fond of revolvers.  So she was leaning toward getting a revolver chambered in .22LR.  And maybe getting a second firearm down the road.

So we had a couple of options for a .22: a) revolver, b) dedicated semi-auto, c) a conversion kit for a semi-auto such as a Glock or 1911.

We looked at a number of the .22 LR revolvers. Discussing single-action versus double-action, with the latter being my mother’s preference. (She suffers from trigger finger and carpal tunnel. So the idea of having to cock the hammer for each firing did not appeal to her.)  She was also leaning strongly toward revolvers, as that is what she has past experience with. Semi-autos are an unfamiliar territory.

They had three models to choose from. A Taurus in a smaller to mid-size frame. A full size S&W, and a third Taurus that was a small compact in the J-frame style.  The S&W was priced higher than we were wanting to pay.  The mid-size Taurus was $379.  I did not like the trigger on the Taurus. The S&W was significantly better. The J-frame Taurus was a little better than the first Taurus but still no where near as nice as the Smith.   Furthermore, my mom really did not want a snubbie .22LR.

I really wasn’t quite satisfied with the Taurus. I didn’t like how it felt and the trigger was atrocious.   While I am not opposed to using a .22 for self-defense, I did not feel confident about relying upon that particular Taurus.  The Smith & Wesson, while having a nicer trigger was a little too big for my mother. Even I had to extend a bit to reach the trigger.  Furthermore it was nearly $800.

While there I also had my mother handle a couple of Rugers. Namely a 3″ SP101 chambered in .357, and the Ruger LCR chambered in .38 Special.  My mom was familiar with the concept of how the weight of the gun affects the perceived recoil.  But I re-explained to her that the 3″ SP101 would be a much easier firearm to shoot than the LCR, however, it was significantly heavier. The triggers on both the SP101 and LCR were much easier to operate than on Taurus, and while I might start a flame war. We even preferred the trigger pulls of the Ruger over the .22 S&W.

So we weighed the benefits and disadvantages of each:

3″ SP101
+ Reduced Recoil
+ Old Proven Design
+ Can shoot either .357 or .38 Special

LCR
+ Lightweight
+/- more recoil due to it’s weight, but a design that softens it a bit
- .38 Special only
- new radical design, not as proven
+ if she didn’t like it, she could sell it (namely to me)

She liked both firearms. But we went back to the fact that my mom needed a 22 caliber pistol. So we discussed this fact. As I really wasn’t too keen on the Taurus they had. And it was the only double-action, non-snubbie that was in our price range.

I suspected that my mom’s desire for a .22 revolver stemmed from her unfamiliarity with semi-autos. Why? Because I went through this same situation in my mind when I became a gun owner.  I made a suggestion.  For $40 less than the Taurus we could get a Browning Buckmark.  It’s a .22 but a semi-auto. I said to my mom “If the only reason you’re hesitant to do so, is because you have no familiarity with semi-autos. Than wouldn’t it make a lot of sense to get familiar with semi-autos via a .22?”

My reasoning made sense; perhaps  because it was the same reasoning I used on myself when I bought my Ruger MKIII. And I could have suggested the MKIII but being aware of the difficulty in disassembly I thought that could be a roadblock for my mother. I had heard a lot of people recommend the Buckmarks as well. In fact, usually I hear people say get either a Ruger MK or Browning Buckmark avoid the Walthers, Mosquitos, and others.

So I suggested that we consider getting the Browning Buckmark instead of the .22 revolver.   Then purchase a second firearm for personal defense. Namely, either the Ruger SP101 or LCR.  This idea seemed to jibe well with my mother. Especially when she realized that her only reason not to was a lack of familiarity. And that she did want to eventually understand how to utilize a semi-automatic pistol. (I also think she became much more keen on the idea when she held the Browning Buckmark in her hand. She was amazed how comfortable it was with the soft molded rubber grip.)

So we returned to the other table to evaluate the two Rugers.   The salesman spent a fair amount of time with us, even though there had been a line behind us and he was the only one at the counter. I wager the fact that we were discussing the possibility of buying two firearms made us a worthwhile customer. If they’re considering two, they probably at least buy one! Thankfully, by this a second employee arrived to help the other customers.

It was a tough decision to make. Both the SP101 and LCR were very nice revolvers. While my mom was a bit disappointed in the fact that the LCR did not chamber .357 Magnums. (She loves the kick of a gun.)  I ensured her that in such a light gun the .38 Specials will be quite akin to .357 Magnums, and not to worry.  She did like the feel of the SP101. Felt it had a nice weight. But when I asked her would she be comfortable carrying that on her person, say in her fanny pack all day. She she shook her head and said “No…”

We finally decided upon the Ruger LCR.  The deciding factors were that she’d be more likely to carry it.  And it had the easiest trigger of any of the revolvers we had tried that day.  This is important because of the nerve damage she has suffered. It was also the deciding factor for me in encouraging her to go with the LCR. I know my mom is not defrayed by the kick of a gun as many are, in fact quite enjoying it.  But she would be deferred by the hard mechanics of a trigger pull. Had she bought the Taurus we first looked at, I’d be concerned about her being able to pull the trigger in another 5-10 yrs.  Where as I felt confident that she would be able to successfully, and repeatedly pull the trigger on the LCR.  A final caveat, the fact that I would like to get an LCR, I gave my mom the following offer – if you get the LCR and decide you want something different, I’ll buy it off of you. (While I really liked the 3″ SP101, it really would be more akin to a slightly smaller version of my GP100. I could not justify buying it at price. Where as the LCR would fill a niche in my collection, is on my list to buy, and therefore would not have difficulty buying it off of my mom if the need arose (although I doubt such need will arise).

So enters into the statistics another 50+ yr old woman joining the ranks of new gun owners!

- N.U.G.U.N.

PS – Yes, I’ll give everyone a range report on the LCR in the next week or two. I am very curious to know how it feels as well.

Cabela’s – Nightmare Shopping Experience

For the past several days I have been out-of-state visiting friends and family. Hence, the shortage of blogging. It’s been nice seeing old friends, and showing off Jericho to my family.

One event this week I feel compelled to blog about. My mother recently received her CCW permit (a requirement for purchase of a handgun where she lives).  When I was very young we lived in San Diego, and at that time we owned a .22 rifle and .357 Ruger Security-Six. However, we ceased being a gun owning family when we moved to Connecticut.

About a year ago my mother had an incident in which she rented an apartment to a convicted Federal felon.  We dealt with three different law enforcement branches (local police, post master, and parole officer).  My mom decided it was time to once again become a firearm owner.  So having received her CCW permit, it was time to purchase a firearm (or two).  Knowing I was coming up she waited for me so that she’d have some guidance in purchasing.

We decided to go up to the brand new Cabela’s.  There are sadly a lot less firearm dealers in Connecticut than in Pennsylvania. A true shame as Connecticut’s firearm heritage is vastly rich. In fact, Connecticut could easily be called the “gun capital” of America from a historic perspective.

So after an hour drive we arrived at Cabela’s, with family in tow.  My mother and I went upstairs to the firearm racks while my wife took our two children through the store looking at all the fish, bears (“grrrrr” as my daughter would say), and other animals.

We grabbed a ticket from the counter and spent some time looking at the glass cases filled with handguns.  We made a mental list of a few prospective purchases. Finally, it was our turn with the service rep. We handled a variety of handguns (which I will be detailing in a follow up post).  We settled on two firearms we wanted to purchase.

We had decided to take advantage of a Cabela’s promotion to earn $25 in points. So we were instructed to go downstairs to sign-up for the credit card.  Upon going downstairs we were informed that they were have computer problems but they should be up shortly. 30 minutes later they were still down.  It was quickly beginning to be obvious that they were going to be down for a while.  They said we could fill out an application and they would process it later that evening.  We asked would we still receive the discount – and were told no. Not unless we came back and made another purchase.

My mother asked to speak to a manager.  He agreed to give us a $10 gift card in lieu of the loss of discount.  But it took nearly an hour before we finally received our gift card.  Okay, so we were now ready to purchase the firearms.  We went upstairs, only to be told that the computer system that was needed to conduct the firearm purchase was a part of the same system as the credit card processing system and was also down.

Now realize that during all of this time my wife is trying to manage a newborn and a two year old who is increasing getting more restless. We spent some time shopping for accessories in hope that the computer system would come back up.  No such luck…

So after an hour drive, and 3 hours at Cabela’s, we had an hour drive back home – empty handed. The feeble $10 gift certificate not even coming close to the cost of the gas wasted in traveling to Cabela’s.  We would have to take a second trip on Monday. An hour up, and an hour back down. This time we were able to get the credit card application processed and to purchase the firearms.  But we still ran into problems. Somehow my mom’s new Cabela’s credit card was issued with an expiration date of 2007.  Which delayed out purchase. Finally, we arrived home with all the goods in tow.

***

This is by far the worst shopping experience I have ever had in the firearm purchase realm.  While many of the employees were apologetic.  One employee seemed on the virge of tears, frustrated that I was so dissatisfied and planning to call corporate headquarters.  Frustrated because the means to resolve my frustration was out of his hands.

This is a clear case of over-computerizing. Computers facilitate processes. But the failure of a computer system should not eliminate a store’s means to operate and conduct sales. Cabela’s corporate office should have provided it’s employee’s with a means of conducting such sales and processing. Even if it was nothing more than calling a central office and processing via phone. Cabela’s very nearly lost a $1,000 sale. Frankly, Cabela’s owes my wife an apology.

Rest assured I will be contacting Cabela’s corporate office.

Arizona governor signs restaurant carry bill into law!

Great news for future NRA Annual Meetings planned for Phoenix, AZ.  No longer will we be encumbered by a silly restriction, nor endangered by it.  This is a great victory!  Congratulations to all my friends in Arizona.

http://www.fox11az.com/news/topstories/stories/kmsb20090714jc-az-gov-guns-bars-law.3d29ec6e.html

NRA + Social Networking

Those of my generation are quite aware of the influence of the internet.  Many in their twenties and early thirties utilize the internet on a daily basis. We have no landlines, just web enabled cell phones and high speed data lines (who needs an old telephone line?).  However, much of the gun community is unfamiliar with the internet, new media, or social networking.

The National Rifle Association is making some strong progress toward changing that…

Twitter
http://twitter.com/NRAILA

Blog
http://nrablog.com/

YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/NRAVideos

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2246211058

And of course the websites of the NRA (join if you’re not already a member) and the NRA-ILA (sign up and join the ranks of those fighting for our rights)

SWAT Gone Wild

In the past we have discussed concerns related to SWAT team actions, particularly those in Maryland, but in general as well. The growing tendency of SWAT actions that are unjustified, often in plainclothes, and which have a tendency to lead to the death of man’s four-legged friends.

REASON magazine has published (and is available online) a great article entitled “SWAT Gone Wild”. While there is very little included that has not already been covered within the gun blogger community. The article nicely consolidates a number of stories, providing an excellent summary of the problem.

Sarah Palin (firearm related NOT resignation related)

Sarah Palin was a guest on Michael Dukes’ “Firearms Friday”.  The show also featured a call from Ted Nugent.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hwtYDJNph89FVHGTBMIaR9ibk6OgD99BVAIG0

It’s a shame that America is going to lose a very pro-gun governor.

–

Anyone got a link to audio?