Ruger LCR 9mm Review: Best Revolver?

In the big wide world of guns, why would you ever want a revolver chambered in 9mm? Well, that is exactly what we plan to uncover today with the Ruger LCR 9mm, a snub-nosed 9mm revolver. I originally wrote this review years ago and have decided to give a re-view after a few years and a lot of lead. Does the LCR in 9mm still hold up?

Ruger LCR 9mm

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A 9mm Revolver? 

The Weirdness doesn’t end there either. Yeah, it’s a 9mm revolver, but it’s also a polymer frame revolver. Ruger attempted to beat back the norm with the LCR series. Ruger wanted to release a lightweight, modern revolver but didn’t want the price tag of fancy metals like scandium demand. So they looked at the polymer…and made it work. 

The LCR series has been a huge hit. It’s a polymer body with a steel barrel, chamber, and internals. Weight’s trimmed, but the price doesn’t break the bank. Ruger slapped the LCR with just about every modern chambering you could imagine. We got the standard 38 Special, the 357 Magnum, 22 LR, 22 Magnum, and of course, 9mm. 

Why 9mm when so many great revolver cartridges exist? Well, of all the centerfire cartridges, the LCR chambers 9mm is the cheapest. At the same time, it’s more capable than the 38 Special but not as much of a hand cannon as the 357 Magnum from a short barrel. Plus, ammo is widely available, and defensive ammo comes in various weights and sizes. Heck, even reduced-recoil 9mm exists. 

The LCR 9mm is a capable short-barreled revolver that utilizes a common and affordable cartridge. This cartridge has tons of different loads and projectile options. It’s the most common centerfire cartridge currently on the market and the only one that falls well within the budget range.

Georg Luger might not have intended for his cartridge to see life in a revolver. Yet, here we are with a new kind of cool in the revolver world. In a world where automatic cartridges rule and the 9mm dominates, this makes choosing a revolver easy. I like to consolidate my calibers, and the LCR gives me a revolver experience in the caliber I shoot the most – that’s a big reason this is one of our top picks for best wheelgun.

Ruger LCR 9mm Features

1 DAO Trigger

2 Push Button Cylinder Release 

3 Moon Clip Cuts 

4 5 Round Capacity 

Reviewing the LCR 9mm – Our Take

One of the first things we gotta talk about is the absolutely fantastic trigger Ruger tosses in the LCR. It’s a fantastic design. In fact, it’s the best stock double-action revolver trigger I’ve ever felt. It’s long but smooth, consistent, and just overall an excellent example of a double-action trigger.

A nice trigger is much needed to get as much accuracy as possible out of the little gun. The rear sight is nothing more than a simple trench, and the front sight is a swooping ramp. Not much to align, and the 1.87-inch barrel isn’t giving you a ton of sight radius either. 

Since owning the LCR, I’ve learned a lot about shooting revolvers. I used to be able to barely hit a man-sized target at 15 yards, but a few years of practice have made it so I can easily hit an FBI Q at 25 yards. I’m putting those rounds in the chest and neck area. It’s not the same tight group I can make with a Glock 17 with a red dot, but it’s good enough to stop a threat.

That baby butt smooth double action trigger also makes the gun fast to shoot. I squeeze the trigger fast and hard, and slap the trigger guard and just keep going.

Controlling The Little Fella 

Like most little guns, the LCR has some bite to it. Enough so that after three or four rapidly fired rounds, it’s shifted a fair bit in my hand. The stock little grips were doing the gun any favors either. As a belly gun and up close and personal piece, it’s fine, but I don’t like planning for a specific defensive situation. I want a versatile option. 

This led me to replace the grips with something hair longer for a better, three-finger grip. That helped, but we have to judge the weapon as it comes, and it’s not the most shootable handgun. Even small guns like the SIG P365 prove to be a lot easier to shoot. Snub nose revolvers are not for those not wanting to practice hard and train often. 

The LCR is the revolver I shoot the most due to the low price of 9mm ammo. I have learned to really appreciate the gun. I am able to draw and shoot all five rounds into an IPSC-sized A zone in a little over 2.5 seconds. From concealment, that’s as fast as I’m going to get.

Outside of the small grips, I appreciated the gun’s ergonomics. The revolver uses a push-button cylinder release and an aggressively textured ejection knob to make ejection easy. Because 9mm rounds lack a rim, they have to use moon clips for ejection. These moon clips hold five 9mm rounds and act as speed loaders too. Drop one in, close the cylinder, and you’re good to go. It’s almost as fast as changing magazines. 

Revolver Reliability 

Like all revolvers, it’s tough to wrong in the reliability department. A well-made revolver doesn’t tend to have too many problems. The Ruger LCR eats through a variety of different rounds without an issue. Where you might find an issue is with crappy steel-cased ammo. Steel cased ammo expands when fired and doesn’t contract. It can stick and become hard to eject. 

Standard brass-cased ammo will treat you just fine and allow you to reliably fire, eject, and quickly reload your weapon. Steel-cased ammo will fire, will eject, but it won’t be nearly as smooth as stock standard brass-cased goodness. What’s neat to me is that the Federal Reduced recoil personal defense loads run without a problem in the gun, whereas some semi-autos may have issues with the lower-powered load. 

After years of owning this gun and shooting it a ton, I’ve also learned about something called crimp jump. Outside of .22LRs, this is the cheapest shooting revolver I’ve had so it gets shot a lot. The crimp on 9mm bullets isn’t very tight, at least compared to revolver cartridges. When a revolver recoils the ammunition moves back and forth with the gun, and the rounds can loosen in the cylinder.

When they crimp jump, the bullet disconnects from the cartridge case and can slide right out of the cylinder. Worst case scenario, it slides out and prevents the cylinder from rotating. Best case, it falls out and you get a pop instead of a bang. This seems to be a problem with heavier projectiles, like 147 grain, or even NATO spec 124 grain. It’s probably best to stick with 115, or thoroughly test your ammo in this gun.

Down to Brass Tacks 

The LCR generally presents an affordable revolver option with lots of great features. The standard LCR in 38 Special has an MSRP of $719, but the 9mm variant swings in with a higher MSRP of $829. That’s a substantial jump in price, but it’s still cheaper than most lightweight scandium guns and packs that amazing trigger. 

I’ll admit I’m tired of buying clips for the gun. They aren’t pricey, but I would advise you to purchase a moon clip tool to keep you from breaking the clips. Also, to avoid issues, I would designate a few clips just for defensive carry and not use them for practice. Buying clips and tools does add some cost to the gun, but it’s not significant.

So, in the end I think it is a bit pricey, however, it is really solid. I liked it enough to include it my list of overall best 9mm which you can check out here. It also got a mention on the list of top CCW pistols in this article, and was listed as one of the top revolvers. However, it didn’t get #1 so if you’re looking at revolvers, then be sure to check that out.

Ruger LCR 9mm Pros and Cons

Report Card
Shootability	It bucks, kicks, and fights you with every trigger pull. It’s not always friendly, but with enough practice, you’ll figure out how to tame it.	C
Reliability	It’s a handy little revolver that has a fair bit of bark with its bite, but it always bites. The gun eats whatever 9mm loads you throw through it. Steel cased stuff might get sticky, but it fires and ejects…just not smoothly all the time.	A
Ergonomics	The little grips might help conceal the gun, but they don’t do anything great for control. Other than that, it’s solid, smooth, and easy to reload on the fly.	B
Accuracy	Chic Gaylord once said any man carrying a snub nose should practice with 100 rounds a week. That’s like what it takes to be proficient with such a small revolver. The great DAO trigger helps, but it is still a gun that takes practice to master.	C
Value	While it’s a little more costly, the ammo savings alone will quickly justify the 9mm variant of the Ruger LCR.	B

Ruger LCR 9mm

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Our Grade

B

Reviewed by Travis Pike

Reader’s Grade

B-

Based on 20 Reviews

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The LCR is a great gun, a thoroughly modern revolver that chambers an affordable and potent round. It’s got a great trigger. It’s built like a tank and performs admirably. It’s perfect for self-defense or snub nose training. 

Ruger LCR 9mm Ammo

Range Rounds

MagTech 9mm 115 GR FMJ Ammo

Marketplace	Cost Per Round
Natchez Shooter’s Supply	$0.24
Brownells	$0.23
Palmetto State Armory	$0.34

Best Defense Rounds

Hornady Critical Defense 115 GR

Marketplace	Cost Per Round
Cabela’s	$1.24
Midway USA	$1.24

Ruger LCR Starter Pack

If you’ve decided to pick up the Ruger LCR 9mm, or found another firearm that suits your needs, there are some bare essentials you’re going to need to pick up in order to maximize its potential and your safety regardless of if it’s your first firearm or not.

• Gun Cleaning Kit: Otis All Caliber Elite Range Box on Amazon or build your own personalized cleaning kit with premium components.
• Shooting Glasses: All it takes is one piece of rogue hot brass, and you’ll learn the importance of shooting glasses. But not all glasses are built the same. See our recommendations for the Best Shooting Glasses.
• Hearing Protection: Firing a gun without wearing proper ear pro can be very dangerous and detrimental to your hearing. Find out the best hearing protection for you in our full length review.
• Storage: Check our our article on the Best Biometric Gun Safes
• Targets – If you’re wanting a great resource for shooting practice or zeroing your optics on your optics rifle or pistol, download our FREE Sighting in Targets below.

Upgrades and Accessories

Ruger LCR 9mm Accessories

1. Do-All Outdoors Steel Resetting Target		Rated For . 38 – . 44 Caliber Pistols High Visibility Targets Reset Without Walking Down Range	Check Amazon
2. 100 Round Ammo Box		100 Round Capacity Scuff-resistant textured surface Snap lock latch	Check Amazon
3. Pineworld Biometric Gun Safe		Reliable Biometric Scanner Sturdy and Well Built Cheaper Than Most Biometrics	Check Amazon
4. Decibullz Custom Molded Earplugs		Great In-Ear option Custom molded – super easy and comfortable NRR: 31	Check Amazon

Caring for your Ruger LCR

It’s critical not only to keep your guns secure, but also to understand how to care for your firearms properly. We’ve located a fantastic video below on this subject.

Important Links and Manuals

• Ruger LCR Manual
• LCR Series
• Ruger.com