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Acouple of years ago my wife decided that my Taurus 605 should be hers. Being the kind loving husband that I am, a few months ago I put a new pair of Hogue grips(pink of cours she's a girly girl) on it which have the pinky extension b/c she didn't like the way her pinky was left out of the fun.

Which brings me to my point, the only revolver that I have for myself is a 7 1/2" super blackhawk .44mag. I'm going to come into some extra $ this week and just so happens that there is a gun show @ Big Town this weekend.

I've kind of had my eye on the LCR as well as the bulldog pug .44spl. my budget will be in the $400 range. I've shot both and like both.

Thoughts? As always I'm open to suggestions and comments. I realy appreciate all of the knowledge on this forum.

I've got a S&W airweight and though I feel a little underarmed with it at times, its size and weight make it so convenient to carry that I end up carrying it more than anything else. It also makes a great BUG when I'm carrying a semiauto. I've looked at the LCR and intend to pick one up eventually. Even if you don't use it as a primary it will make a great BUG.

Of the two revolvers you mention both can be a handful when you shoot them. The Bulldog is a lot of flash, bang and recoil in a small package. I've shot both and of the two I would go with the LCR it hurts but not as badly as a lightweight .44 Special does.

I'm dead set on a S&W Bodyguard .38. It doesn't start with .4 but it looks like a really well put together package for concealed carry. From what I understand they are selling like hotcakes so I doubt you'll get any give on the ~600 price tag.

MoJo wrote:Of the two revolvers you mention both can be a handful when you shoot them. The Bulldog is a lot of flash, bang and recoil in a small package. I've shot both and of the two I would go with the LCR it hurts but not as badly as a lightweight .44 Special does.

You should try shooting full house Hornady Critical Defense 125 grain .357 loads out of a scandium j-frame like my M&P340.

Actually, the flash and bang are pretty dramatic, but the recoil, while substantial, is well controlled by the diminutive grips, and it's actually not so bad to shoot at all.

BUT.... ...it costs nearly twice your $400 budget.

I have not shot Charter Arms, but I am very happy with my LCR. I don't think you will be disappointed if you go that route.

I can't speak on the .44, but, like karder, I'm pretty fond of my LCR.


TAM - how do you like the Hornady Critical Defense rounds? I just picked up a box of the .38 (non +p) 110 grain versions since I'm looking for a good defensive load. Too bad I can't set up an expansion test rig.

You might give some thought to the Taurus 650 (DAO) all steel .357 snubbie. I like mine and carry .38 in it but you have the option of .357. I like the bulldog but mine is pretty much the car/truck gun although it carries real well in a Simply Rugged pancake holster.

Thanks' for all of the great posts! I think I am leaning a little on the side of the LCR. I drive past S.A.W. twice a day so I'm kinda tempted to skip the gun show and pick one up there for $399. But then again I just love going to the gun show and being surrounded by all of the wonderful weapons that I'll never be able to own. Who knows I might find something else that really catches my eye in my price range. I'm stuck @ the $400 range after puchasing the new Dyson that my wife has been asking for the last several years. Those things cost as much as a gun! But my wife is a huge clean freak and the 15 year old hoover just didn't do the job.

The LCR is real appealing because my MK9 is on the heavy side for it's size. I've got the LCP and think it's great so having the revolver cousin would be cool. Maybe it it's just me but I always feel better with more than a .380, though I always have it in my left pocket as a BUG. Actually around the house in just shorts and a wifebeater I carry the MK9 in the right pocket and the LCP in the left, If I'm "dressed" the 1911 is @ 3:00 with the LCP in the left pocket.

I could go on and on about my ideas on carry arrangements, but I'll stop boring you nice folk and get back to work.

What do ya'll think about the LCR .357 mag.? They're selling on Gunbroker for about $450. I know the Taurus 605 is pretty tough with full house loads and it's all stainless.

stash wrote:You might give some thought to the Taurus 650 (DAO) all steel .357 snubbie. I like mine and carry .38 in it but you have the option of .357. I like the bulldog but mine is pretty much the car/truck gun although it carries real well in a Simply Rugged pancake holster.

This is my revolver choice too. Great gun.

RAM4171 wrote:Thanks' for all of the great posts! I think I am leaning a little on the side of the LCR. I drive past S.A.W. twice a day so I'm kinda tempted to skip the gun show and pick one up there for $399. But then again I just love going to the gun show and being surrounded by all of the wonderful weapons that I'll never be able to own. Who knows I might find something else that really catches my eye in my price range. I'm stuck @ the $400 range after puchasing the new Dyson that my wife has been asking for the last several years. Those things cost as much as a gun! But my wife is a huge clean freak and the 15 year old hoover just didn't do the job.

I could never understand why a vacuum cleaner would ever cost so much, but I look at it as domestic tranquility insurance. If my wife wants it, and I don't give her too much of a hard time as to whether it is worth the money, then maybe I will get the same understanding from her when I want another gun, or some new golf clubs, and she can't understand how it could be worth the money.

Now don't get me started on the $800 serger (sp?) that my wife absolutely "needed" after taking a couple sewing classes, or the $200 food saver thing, or the Magic Bullet, all of which sit unused in various places around the house. I have learned to just say "honey, if you really want it, and you think that its a good idea, then that's good enough for me."

I have the LCR in 357 and will tell ya that it does kick, it shoots 38's a bit better than the 38 LCR because of the additional weight, a few ounces I think. I carry it with 3 38 +P rounds and the last 2 are 357, if I ever need the last 2 I doubt that I would feel the recoil.... The LCR is the single most popular gun that we sell......

bnc wrote:I can't speak on the .44, but, like karder, I'm pretty fond of my LCR.

TAM - how do you like the Hornady Critical Defense rounds? I just picked up a box of the .38 (non +p) 110 grain versions since I'm looking for a good defensive load. Too bad I can't set up an expansion test rig.

I've only shot a few, since they are spendy, and the ones I shot were .357, not .38 Special. But I was able to fire 5 quick rounds and hit a steel plate from about 10 yards with all 5 shots. In .357, it was pretty darn impressive. By the final round, my hand stung a little bit. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't like shooting a softer load. I have some Winchester White box 110 grain .357 which isn't bad at all to shoot. I chose the Hornady ammo for carry because of its ballistic performance and its ability to still mushroom after passing through heavy clothing.

Stephen A. Camp published a review of the Critical Defense Ammo in .38 Special here: viewtopic.php?f=104&t=21291" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

BTW, I just now called Hornady to see if they had data on Critical Defense ammo fired from a 2" snubnose specific to the 125 grain .357 load. This is what their tech guy told me: From a 2" barreled .357 snubnose, we measured 1200 fps and 550 ft/lb at the muzzle. On their website, they claim 1500/624 for an 8" barrel, so they are registering a loss of 50 fps/inch of barrel in a 2" snubnose.

Well, went to the gun show yesterday morning. Some thing caught my eye pretty quick. Iwent ahead and parused all of the tables and came back to the first one.

I asked the seller if I could do a side by side comparison with th LCR. Took both guns in my hand compared weight and feel if the grip in my hand. Looked at fit and finish and overal estetics, and made my choice.

I am now the proud owner of a Smith and Wesson 642 airweight Talo edition with rosewood grips. I guess I'm just a sucker for a pretty face. I'll post pics later when I get a chance. Thanks' for all of your advice.