ruger lcr or smith bodygaurd

[spacelegged]

im trying to decide on a new and 1st wheel gun. i think ive narrowed it down to either the bodygaurd or lcr. im not sure if i want the 38 special or 357 in the lcr. the bodygaurd has the high mounted laser that i think ide like but im thinking i might want alittle more power and get the 357 lcr. when it comes down to it do i really need the extra punch from the 357. idk? i do want to carry this particular piece as a secondary.. if anyone has any thoughts on this jump in and sound off, ide like to hear from you. thnx ingo..

 

[VERT]

Don't know if I should comment because I don't own either. I have handled quite a few LCRs and what I like is the lightweight. The .357 model is going to add weight and recoil. I personally would rather shave a few ounces off the gun then gain whatever small advantage the .357 will give in such a short barrel. A buddy of mine ordered an LCR with the Crimson Trace grips. Can't wait to get my hands on it.

Sorry I don't know anything about the Smith and have not handled one.

 

[spacelegged]

thats cool vert.. i look forward to a range report of ur friends lcr..

 

[cosermann]

To me, the LCR hits a sweet spot of weight/power, so I'd go for such in .38. There's a fair amount of sound, fury, recoil, and flash associated w/.357 in these short barrels that, to me, just isn't worth the extra fps when compared to quicker follow-up shot times from the .38.

If you want a laser, the LCR with the Crimson Trace grips works more intuitively (think stressful situations), imo, doesn't require that you do something with your trigger finger to turn it on (like the S&W) and is truly ambidextrous (what do you lefty BodyGuard owners do? use your thumb or off hand?). To me, it's funny S&W makes a big deal out of their "ambi" cylinder release on the BG, and then hangs the laser and it's switch off the right side.

Since, I don't use lasers on snubbies, the added cost of the S&W (laser NOT optional) was a factor as the std LCR is only $398-ish.

There was a BG range report thread a while back. Here's a link if you missed it.

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/102029-smith_bodygaurd_38_range_report.html

 

[printcraft]

psssttttt......

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/-handguns/113742-ruger_38_lcr.html

 

[dom1104]

I own the smith bodygaurd, I like it a LOT more than the Ruger LCR.

Slimmer, trimmer, more comfortable to shoot, and doesnt have that giant rubber grip.

I carry my J-frame revolvers IWB, and hogue - ANYTHING just grabs onto belly hair and.... yeeaugh.


If I could buy one without the laser, I would. But its there for range use and whatnot. Doesnt bother me.

It is a sweet shooting revolver tho.

 

[scottka]

I can't comment on the BG, but I have the .38 LCR and I love it. If you're worried about the bigger Hogue Tamer grip, they offer the crimson trace which is a smaller grip and also a newer boot grip that is slimmer and shorter than the Tamer. You can get the LCR with an big dot front sight.

 

[Jvernon]

I own the .357 LCR, it's the wife's carry gun. Why not have a something that shoots .357 and .38? They are both the same size. The .357 weighs 17.1 oz, the .38 is 13.5 oz. The .357 has a stainless steel frame, the .38 is aluminum. I've shot both. The .357 absorbs recoil better due to the steel frame. The .357 recoil is not bad at all with the Tamer grip, you really need to shoot it to see what I mean. The wife doesn't mind shooting .357 though it, she does prefer .38 though. I think the LCR trigger blows away the BG, which I've also shot. And the quality seems better. Actually it's the best DA trigger I've used. I have a J frame, K frame and Taurus 65 to compare. I'm not a laser fan but you can get a Crimson Trace grip for the LCR. The XS big dot is really sweet though, which I have. The CT grip seems hard and probably won't absorb recoil as well. The Tamer grip is kind of big but Hogue makes the boot grip for it. I haven't shot the boot grip so I can't comment on the recoil but it is .5 oz lighter than the Tamer. After writing this I think I need to get a .357 LCR with the boot grip and big dot for myself now since the wife won't give hers up.

 

[TheEngineer]

While i have no experience with the LCR, i have shot the Bodyguard and can say this...without a doubt, hands down the single most painful handgun I've ever shot. Not sure what exactly it was, but every pull of the trigger made every bone in my hand ache

Now i have pretty large hands, so i blame it more on me/my grip than i do the gun...but i have shot a lot of different firearms/calibers in my life and have never had this painful of an experience before

 

[8th SPS USAF]

LCR has a great trigger BG not so much BG has small grip, LCR has the right size for most everyone that shot mine Lg or Sm

 

[MTN]

I got the .357 lcr and love it. 357's are fun to shoot but not that many. I carry .38 spl+p for self defense. One thing I did notice with the stock grips is that it doesn't let you use a speed loader to well.

 

[swmp9jrm]

The LCR in .38 spcl is my EDC gun. It's full of 135 gr +P Gold Dots. The Tamer grip makes it comfortable enough to shoot that I don't mind range practice - a good thing for a carry gun. Can't speak to the BG as I've never handled or shot one, but I am completely satisfied with my LCR.

For MTN:

These speedloaders are supposed to work with the LCR grips: 5 Shot J2-357/38 Accessories

 

[Jvernon]

Yep, the 5 Star speed loaders work with the Tamer grip.

 

[speedracer302]

The bodyguard is available without a laser. A buddy just got one at the 1500. I didnt think they were either.

I like the S&W over LCR. The integrated laser option sold me. I didnt consider some of the things raised earlier (like hitting a button in a panic), but I love the Bodyguard.