Any Experience with the Ruger LCR in 357 Magnum?

I'm at a momentarily happy place in life, where I've got a little bonus money beginning to burn a hole in my pocket. I've realized that over the last 2 years, I've bought 3 handguns, all for other people (a mint S&W Model 10 skinny barrel for my mother, a Glock 17 for my son and a Glock 19 for my daughter; son and daughter shoot their Glocks now, but won't receive possession until they are grown-ups and live outside the house; Mom and I go shooting together once or twice a month with her Model 10). I've decided it's time for me to get something for myself.

Overall, I'm happy with my current collection for the most part, and don't see any huge gaps. Ok, maybe I should get a 1911 again, but I'm still concerned about a semi-auto that could potentially require tuning of an extractor to operate properly. As an unrepetant wheelgunner, I don't know if I could live with that.

I've been reading lately about the Ruger LCR 357 magnum, and that has some serious potential if what I've read is correct. I've shot an LCR in 38 Special with 158 grain +p handloads and was quite impressed with the trigger, accuracy and ability to handle recoil. My question is, have you fired an LCR with full power 357 mag ammo and, if so, what are your thoughts?

Not sure yet if I'd actually carry 357 mag ammo in it, but I've done much stupider things, and it's a distinct possibility if it doesn't beat up my shooting hand too much.

If it works out, the LCR would replace the S&W 638 and 642 that live in my off-hand front pants pocket as "Wheelgun, Part Deaux" in my concealed carry defensive strategy.

If I end up getting the LCR, I'll get photos at dusk with 357 mag 125 jhp flame-throwing ammo to post.

Sorry, no experience with the .357 mag LCR here.  Like you, however, I have shot the LCR in 38 with some +p ammo, and it wasn't too bad.  

Something in my brain keeps telling me that plastic and revolvers shouldn't be mixed.  Even though my father-in-law has an LCR that keeps on working, part of me thinks that at some point, the polymers will degrade and the gun will just break.  Maybe part of it is nostalgia--nobody in the old westerns ever carried plastic revolvers.  I guess, however, if you consider the LCR as a tool, it can be viewed like a glock or similar--and it will probably keep on working like any other self defense tool.

Yeah, I don't disagree with you on the polymer revolver points. I also question whether a lot of use with full mag ammo wouldn't help contribute to more wear and tear on the plastic frame.

On the other hand, I've been doing my best to wear out a Glock 20 with full power 10mm ammo for a while now, and it continues to laugh at me.

I'm a bit on the fence between this and an SP101. Only issue holding me back is, I think that SP101 could get pretty heavy in a pocket, especially considering that the other side will be carrying either an n-frame or GP100.

Dang, being a rootin-tootin magnum carrier can be a lot of work!

I generally have issues with REALLY short barreled guns. The LCR is a snubbie, and while I own ONE (S&W Airweight) I have no desire to own any more. Not having the number of wheelies you guys do, I woould be looking for something in the 3-4" range. IIRC the ballisticsbytheinch.com site showed that velocities tended to do pretty well until you dropped below 3". Then they went all to heck.

I have a buddy with one, and I put a few cylinders through it. I was very, very pleasantly surprised. As you stated about the .38 Special, it was smooth, accurate, and nice handling. Due to my past experience with a S&W 640 (Which was the most painful handgun I've ever fired, including the uber magnum bear guns) I was really quite surprised by how manageable it was with full power .357 Mag.

I had some VERY VERY hot Freedom Arms only loads I slid into it accidentally, and it handled them quite well also.

I just sold off a very nice SP-101. I guess I'm just weird, but I didn't like the weight, or the way it carried in comparison to my normal EDC revolver, which is (humorously) an N frame .45 Colt.

Considering the smoothness and carry-ability, I'm one of the odd guys that thinks more highly of the LCR than the SP-101. I can give many more details, if you'd like, but that's just a basic summary of my experience.

Yeah, I have also noticed a difference in the smoothness. Since I'm looking for a weak hand carry gun, and it's gonna be shot the most with my weak hand, that smoothness gets pretty important.

Over the weekend I got to compare an LCR to my S&W 638 with Pachmayr Compac grips (the ones with rubber on the backside), and the LCR was noticeably shorter and smaller. That 638 is pretty shootable with those grips, but they make it almost too long in some pockets.

That LCR trigger reminds me a lot of a trigger on an S&W 65 I have that Denny Reichhard worked on. If I can remain logical and calm, I'll probably end up getting that LCR.

On the other hand, I do go through some moments when I'm eyeing guns like the Talo edition Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 mag Bisley grip with 3 3/4 inch barrel, and I'll get to thinking, "Man, what I REALLY need is that . . . to, uh . . . defend my family in case dinosaurs roam the Earth again.

I'm not a Wheelie, but when looking for a CCW for the wife, I got to try a .357 LCR with .38S range loads.

I really, REALLY liked it.

Great trigger, light double action pull, workable sights, controllable, comfortable and damn accurate. (3 of 5 in the 10, 2 in the nine-ish: 7 yards, slow fire.) If I were to buy a revo for CCW (I'm not), the LCR would be the one.