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Old February 15, 2018, 03:07 PM   #26
FrankenMauser
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I'm in the "I hope you like permanent hearing damage"-crowd.
.357 Mag and .38 +P are not something that you will ever want to experience when discharged in a confined space; and will regret if you ever do.

NOTHING is pleasant in a confined space, but there are a few handgun cartridges that are far worse than even rifle cartridges -- absolutely brutal, and tend to cause instant, permanent hearing damage.

I have experienced far too many discharges by other people in confined spaces (whether a structure or a vehicle).
All have contributed to permanent hearing damage.

If I had to pick something to punish myself with as an HD option, it would be .45 Auto, with .44 Special close on its heels.
.357 Mag and .38 +P are not something you should be exposed to without hearing protection - even outdoors.


Plenty of people take the, in my opinion, idiotic approach that a person is, "better deaf than dead."
But, again, I think that is absolutely asinine when a person can do something, at the very beginning, to reduce the amount of potential damage by looking at other cartridges that are just as effective.

Just look at some quick numbers:
.357 Mag sound level: 164 dB
.38 Special sound level: 158 dB
.45 Auto sound level: 152 dB

.45 Auto will likely cause instant, permanent hearing damage if fired in, say, the hallway of your home.
.38 Special (not even +P) is FOUR TIMES louder than .45 Auto.
.357 Mag is FOUR TIMES louder than .38 Special, and SIXTEEN TIMES louder than .45 Auto.
(On the dB scale, an increase of 3dB means twice the sound energy.)
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Old February 15, 2018, 05:10 PM   #27
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...in my opinion. 38 is also an adequate round to defend yourself with. For those that disagree, ask them if they'd like to catch one center mass from a distance of seven yards? If their answer is no, then it's a suitable defensive round. If they say yes you should question their ability to make logical decisions to begin with.
Worthless "analogy". Ask any sane person if they'd "like" to catch a round from a .22 rf short center mass from a distance of seven yards and all would answer with a resounding "NO"! Would their collective negative answer make the .22 Short a "suitable defensive round"? Well, probably not.

On the other hand, those crazy enough to answer "yes" would likely be candidates for residencies in a rubber room where they couldn't hurt themselves...
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Old February 16, 2018, 11:32 AM   #28
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If you are going to have one pistol for home and carry the LCR 357 loaded with 38 special certainly seems like a solid choice to me.
My first choice would be a 9mm auto, but if I was going with a revolver I don't think there are any that would have a significant advantage over that choice.
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Old February 16, 2018, 02:13 PM   #29
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38 is also an adequate round to defend yourself with. For those that disagree, ask them if they'd like to catch one center mass from a distance of seven yards? If their answer is no, then it's a suitable defensive round.
How on earth does that follow?
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Old February 16, 2018, 05:57 PM   #30
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I've mentioned this several times before, I've fired the LCR with 158 grain .357 magnum rounds and just will not do that anymore unless some bizarre circumstance would force me into it. (Betting me a beer I wouldn't do it is close but not quite bizarre enough.)

I have and would again shoot 125 grain .357 magnum rounds but not very many.

I still like the revolver and would recommend anyone thinking about getting one to go for the .357 magnum model but as for me the higher power rounds in the little gun are just something I choose not to subject my hands to.
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Old February 16, 2018, 11:53 PM   #31
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Even in my all metal 6" GP100 I shot 80% 38 special level loads. Just really nice to always have the option. No way I would go with the 38 model for 4 ounces and a few bucks.
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Old February 17, 2018, 12:22 AM   #32
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It's very loud and recoil isn't that pleasant with 357 Mag....capacity is terrible and reload speed it so slow as to be considered dangerous. It's not a bad choice and I know this is the revolver subforum, but I'd seriously look at a tiny 9mm like an XDS, Glock 43, Shield or the new SIG P365. Not as good of ballistics (but a short barreled 357 Mag loses a lot of speed), but easier to shoot, not as loud, better capacity and much faster to reload.
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Old February 17, 2018, 01:02 AM   #33
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Old February 17, 2018, 07:20 AM   #34
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I like autos just fine, always have. But my favorite home defense handgun is my 3” GP100 loaded with 357mag.
I’m not too concerned about muzzle blast. My dad was in the army prior to WWII for a couple years, and then served in France and Germany in an armored car.

All those years, he was exposed to the muzzle blast of the 37mm cannon and 50cal M2 on his armored car as well as all the other small arms. He also spent some time teaching other units to use German machine guns like MG42 and MG34 in emergencies. All that time, he was lucky if he had a couple cigarette butts in his ears for hearing protection. Yet he seemed to hear fine in his 80’s.
You think a few rounds of 357 are worse than that?
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Old February 17, 2018, 03:46 PM   #35
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I had my Ruger LCR9mm out to the range this am. I have to give myself a pat on the back as I had a terrific day with the gun. Over two years of practice and more practice and training. I was terrible when I first shot this gun.
Like pocket guns etc. they require a certain skill set to shoot well. However it is one very fun adventure. I also bought a LCR22 to train with.
The 9mm is a gun I could shoot all day with no problems. Now shoot about 200 rounds a session each week. I would never come close to that with a 357. Recoil is three to four times as much. And forget shooting it in a house. You would definitely blow out a ear drum. Most likely have short term blindness and unless you are a very good shot, stand a big chance of killing or injuring someone in the next room or house.
I think there are better choices out there for Home Defense. I personally have a 18" shotgun with pistol grip and get plenty of training with it.
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Old February 17, 2018, 04:23 PM   #36
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Yet he seemed to hear fine in his 80’s.
You think a few rounds of 357 are worse than that?
As with virtually any other sort of injury, some people seem to be more resistant to hearing damage than average.

I can tell you that just one shot of full power .357Mag in a confined space without hearing protection left me with noticeable and permanent hearing damage in one ear. I have an acquaintance (ex-LEO) who was shot at and fired back with a .357Mag indoors and experienced similar damage to mine from those two shots.

Hopefully you inherited whatever protected your dad's hearing--or, better yet, hopefully you'll never have to shoot your home defense load without hearing protection.
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Old February 18, 2018, 02:00 PM   #37
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Bill Jordan that 38 Special is the most powerful round that the average man-most of us-can hope to master. Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Countess Sophie Chotek could testify to the effectiveness of the 32/380 ACP.
Again, for me the 357-4 " barrel, S&W K frame the smallest. YMMV.
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Old March 10, 2018, 08:17 AM   #38
Johny Smith
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Originally Posted by Reddragon504 View Post
Looking at the Ruger LCR .357 for home protection. Any feedback is welcomed.

Great gun ! But a piss poor choice for home defense, unless they are on top of you. A snubby is a belly gun a.k.a. get off of me. I'm stuck with one myself and hope I never have a home invasion.

Out on my walks it will be great when I get co-cocked and they start to rifle through my pockets looking for some cash. If I'm still conscious then it's game time, but remember we are talking bad breath distance.

If I was younger and in better shape to take care of a dog I'd have me a German Shepard again. They are fearless but not loony good around people and children. And natural protectors.

If I could afford it I'd get me a Mossberg .410.
But I may sell my LCR and just go back to the S&W Governor.
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Old March 10, 2018, 08:56 AM   #39
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Short-barreled anything is not the best weapon for serious combat use.

The Ruger LCR is meant to be the most compact and lightest wheel gun a person can carry. They are not meant as serious defensive weapons, in fact, no handgun can be expected to be a dependable stopper, handgun rounds are too weak in that area.

For home defense, if you can, pack a short shotgun or carbine rifle. Barring that, buy a full-sized handgun of at least .38 Special, 9mm Parabellum, or larger.

But if a Ruger LCR is all you can afford/manage/have room for, then buy it and practice with it. Re-inforce your doors with EZ Armor (door jamb armor) and good dead bolts. You need 3.5 inch door jamb screws. Cover your windows with 3M tape, meant to make shattering impossible. Put in a screen door. Never answer the door without a handgun on you.....expect the unexpected and you'll be much better off.

Assuming your state supports its residents over its thugs (Castle Doctrine), slow the enemy down at the gates, put on some electronic ear muffs, wait for them to come in, and let them have it. *You don't want to go deaf in the process. Call police when you have the time......"aviate, navigate, and communicate" in that order, always.
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Old March 12, 2018, 12:30 AM   #40
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... The Ruger LCR is meant to be the most compact and lightest wheel gun a person can carry. They are not meant as serious defensive weapons, in fact, no handgun can be expected to be a dependable stopper, handgun rounds are too weak in that area ...
I see sentiments like this or "a handgun is just something to get to your rifle". Yes, it's true that rifles can be much more powerful and can do considerably more damage to a body. Yes, hydrostatic shock becomes more relevant at higher velocities and rifles make velocity more accessible. Many people can be more accurate with a rifle too.

However, most modern handguns will still do "serious" damage. That damage might be less dramatic and the hits might have to be more precise but even lighter calibers like .380 or vanilla .38 special can, have, and do stop threats. Those little guys can often be more effective defensive tools than fists or small melee weapons in a crisis. More powerful choices in calibers like .40 S&W, .357 Sig, .357 magnum, .327 Fed Mag, etc. will do significantly more damage. To see that damage, try handgun hunting, varmint control, or even diverse plinking targets from the back of the pantry. Failing that, you can always watch Paul Harrell compare caliber and ammo against fancy meat targets on YouTube. (Heck, go do that anyway.)

The LCR is absolutely a "serious defensive weapon" and doubly so when you actually have it on your person in the event that you actually need to defend yourself. If you can have something better available, go for it. Just don't say that the LCR isn't a serious defensive weapon, much less that no handgun is.
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Old March 12, 2018, 03:50 AM   #41
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Ruger LCR .357 for Home Defense

for too many years, due to my location, my only home defense handgun was a 2” steel taurus model 85 38sp. it is reliable, hefty enough to absorb recoil and priced right then at $200, half the price of an lcr.

i tried and traded off two lcr, in 38sp and 22wmr, because of too much bang in a lightweight package, which made necessary practice uncomfortable, and i missed being able to shoot single action. i kept a lcr 22lr, which i sometimes carry. i can consistently put 8 fast 22lr viper rounds through 3” of tightly wrapped paper magazines at 3 yards offhand in 3” groups.

the 85 is a bit heavy to always be a ccw, but it worked well for me as my one, all around, versatile defense piece for many years.


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Old March 12, 2018, 06:45 AM   #42
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buy ear muffs and load it up.
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Old March 12, 2018, 07:02 AM   #43
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The only comment that I can offer is a 357 Mag discharged in confined quarters is so loud that it will deafen you for a while and when dark, the flash will blind you for a few moments
All I'll say is, on the outside chance the LCR has to be used for personal defense in the home. Better deaf than dead.
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Old March 30, 2018, 07:16 PM   #44
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I carry an LCR .357 loaded with ARX .38 Specials as my EDC. It's within easy reach 24/7.
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Old March 31, 2018, 10:33 AM   #45
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I have a LCR357 .. Being I have lightweight 12oz Charter 38Spl . .. I attended to use 357mag ammo ... I found Remington 357mag 125gr JHP a bit frisky in the LCR357 .. vs in my GP100 or Security 6 ... I then tried Hornady 357mag 125gr FTX .. I found tbem a bit less snappy ... So thats the ammo I found that worked well in my LCR357 ... I find the recoil with the LCR357 is much more manageable compared to my S&W 340PD .. The polymer frame of the LCR must absorb the recoil
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Old March 31, 2018, 12:19 PM   #46
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I find the recoil with the LCR357 is much more manageable compared to my S&W 340PD .. The polymer frame of the LCR must absorb the recoil
I think the frame of the LCR-357 is constructed of steel.
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Old March 31, 2018, 12:51 PM   #47
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Great gun ! But a piss poor choice for home defense, unless they are on top of you. A snubby is a belly gun a.k.a. get off of me. I'm stuck with one myself and hope I never have a home invasion.
I haven't laughed this hard in a while!
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Old March 31, 2018, 12:53 PM   #48
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The Ruger LCR is meant to be the most compact and lightest wheel gun a person can carry. They are not meant as serious defensive weapons
And the hits just keep on coming!
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Old March 31, 2018, 12:58 PM   #49
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Buy the LCR .357. Load it with. 38Spl +P. Consider yourself well-armed.

Oh....and buy ammo, use up, and repeat.

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Old April 3, 2018, 01:26 AM   #50
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I find the recoil with the LCR357 is much more manageable compared to my S&W 340PD .. The polymer frame of the LCR must absorb the recoil
I think it has more to do with the grips. S&W uses something similar on their X-frames. It works very well to cushion the shock. I don't know if Smith and Wesson has adapted that to their J-frames or not. I do know they still release a lot of guns with exposed back straps because, well, nothing transfers shock like having the naked metal frame pressed into your palm directly above your carpal tunnel?
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