Imagine a hammerless revolver built around the popular 9 mm cartridge. This is the Ruger LCR 9mm, a creation that begs the question-could it be the perfect concealed carry firearm? Or are there flaws that prevent it from achieving legendary status? As a devoted 9mm fan, I couldn’t resist heading to the gun store with my wife to pick one up to see if it’s a firearm worth carrying.
Ruger LCR 9mm from Author
Ruger LCR 9mm: Why You Should Buy One
Initially, my wife chose the Ruger LCR 9mm as her primary concealed carry gun. Given her discomfort with carrying it on her person, we decided that a hammerless revolver in her purse was a suitable alternative.
The Hogue Tamer Monogrip fits nicely in her hands, and since I don’t have large hands, it also feels great in mine. Since it’s made by Ruger, I knew we were getting a well-made (400-series stainless steel monolithic frame), reliable firearm that would last us for years.
The benefit of using a revolver as a concealed carry firearm is the reliablility. With fewer moving parts, it’s less likely to break or jam. Reliability is vital in a life-threatening situation.
At 6.5”, it’s compact enough to carry on your person or in a small purse. The hammerless design means it won’t get snagged as you remove it from the holster before firing the 5 rounds in the chamber.
I thought the LCR 9 mm’s 17.2 oz weight kept it from having too much recoil, but my wife thought differently. It’s also reasonably accurate, considering its barrel length is only 1.87″, but we won’t be entering any long-distance handgun shooting competitions with it!
Why You Should Pass On The Ruger LCR 9mm
Even though I occasionally enjoy shooting the Ruger LCR 9mm, there are several reasons why we purchased another pistol for my wife to use as her concealed carry.
9mm ammo is my favorite concealed carry round in a semi-auto pistol; however, since the LCR is a revolver, Ruger had to use moon clips for the caliber to be used effectively. I initially thought this would be great for reloading, and it is if you have the moon clips preloaded. When you don’t have them pre-loaded, it takes much longer to reload.
We all know the maximum number of rounds limitations of revolvers, and even though this is a smaller 9mm cartridge, it still falls victim to those limitations. Hence, you only have 5 rounds to stop the threat, which is not exactly ideal.
While I love the hammerless concept for concealed carry, it’s also a double-action trigger with an incredibly long trigger pull, which makes being consistently accurate a challenge. You will have to practice with it often to maintain the feel of how far you must pull the trigger.
Also, speaking of the trigger, I noticed that Ruger conveniently forgot to mention how heavy it is. Not only is it a long pull, but it takes a lot more finger strength than I want to focus on in a high-pressure situation. You’ll definitely get a workout in taking this gun to the range!
Parting Shots
As a big fan of Ruger firearms, it pains me to say that given all the drawbacks of the Ruger LCR 9mm, I don’t recommend carrying it as a primary concealed firearm unless it’s you’re only option; however, I don’t hesitate to carry it as a backup to my Smith & Wesson M&P Shield.
Author Biography
Wes Littlefield was exposed to the outdoors at a young age by his parents. There are countless pictures of him hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting as a kid with his family. Today, he continues that tradition with his wife and daughter. When he’s not outdoors, he writes about disc golf, kayaking, and other outdoor activities as a full-time freelance writer and content creator at Ammo.com, Anglers.com, and many other outdoor publications.
All images are original from author.
