question for gun lovers?

Ah, geez, did they talk you into that new LCR from Ruger? Its lighter than my S&W 642 J-Frame, and the 642 is absolutely not fun to shoot. I switched out the factory grips and splapped a pair of Ajax smooth pearlite grips on it, and I find it doesn't tear up my hand, and I actually get better purchase on the gun. Ruger makes, in my opinion, a nicely weighted gun, their model SP-101. I have two of them, and even with full house .357 Mag loads, perceived recoil is manageable. With .38 Specials, its not bad at all. I have the Hogue monogrip on both of the SP-101's, and honestly, its like shooting a completely different handgun. A friend of mine shot mine once, and ran out and immediately bought the Hogue grip for his SP-101. If recoil is a real problem for you, you may want to look at the .327 revolver that Ruger has brought out. Its the same SP-101, and perceived recoil is tame by comparison to the .357 Mag. If you do buy one of those, bear in mind its a brand new cartridge, not one that's been well established for decades like the .38 Special or .357 Mag. By the way, I have sausages, not fingers, and they are stubby. I wear a size 16 ring, and the SP-101 with the Hogue grips feel great in the hand. Light guns, like Ruger's LCP or the lightweight Smith J-frames are easy to carry, but a bear to shoot. Of course, if you ever get in a gunfight you won't feel the recoil, and may not even hear the gun's report. That's fodder for another discussion.

the heavier gun will make a difference in recoil but likely not enough for you to shoot +P ammo any easier than you are shooting non +P in the lighter gun. i would honestly suggest you go get a Charter Arms 357 Magnum revolver. Charter has come an long way in the last decade and they make a good gun now. The 357 offered by Charter has a ported barrel which cuts recoil by approx 40 percent. You may be able handle a 357 round in this gun but I'm sure if loaded with 38 spcl non +P ammo it will be your most manageable option in this caliber range.

I would keep the one you have for self defense and get a revolver with a 4 or 6" barrel to practice with. You may want to shoot one or two round with your short barrel, but do most of your practicing with the longer barreled handgun. I have a Dan Wesson .357 Magnum with 4 and 6" barrels. It weighs 38 oz or so with the 6" barrel. With the .357 mags the recoil is not bad at all. You get a lot of muzzle jump with the 4" barrel. If you do most of your shooting with a 4" or more barrel with a little heavier gun, the recoil will not be bad to practice with. If you have to use your short barreled on for self defense you will not notice the recoil.

I agree with the guy who suggested trading for a heavier pistol.

The Ruger Lightweight would be a handful for anyone. Even those of us who are "able" shoot 'airweights' just enough to stay 'qualified' with them... not the kind of gun one shoots for 'fun'.

If you want to keep the lightweight Ruger...try using 110 grain standard velocity cartridges. Back when the Feds were still issuing snub noses to agents the "Treasury Load" was found to have better expansion from the short barrels. +P loads and heavy bullets offer no superior performance in short snub guns.

Grips... I end up with Houges on all my revolvers... I have smaller hands and the Houge just makes the grip frame easier to control. Also, when you grip a revolver try to get the web of your shooting hand as high on the grip as you can... that reduces the fulcrum the recoil needs to flip the muzzle up some what.

Summation... if a little coaching, the right cartridges and some practice still leave this revolver you have unsuitable for your liking... I'd trade it for a Ruger SP101... or a Smith and Wesson STEEL framed J frame revolver. The extra weight really shows when we compare snub-noses in real shooting use.

I have encountered this same problem with some friends and I have discovered that Federal makes some reduced recoil Hydo-Shok ammo in 38 Special that will help with your problem. When someone chooses a handgun in a retail store and pick it because it is lightweight I believe it is up to the gun store clerk to inform them that the lighter the gun the more felt recoil there will be. I have seen record numbers of new used lightweight snub nose revolvers back on the shelves of my local store because people could not handle the recoil.

well, the .38spcl is actually a pretty mild recoiling cartridge. The only problem you are having is you purchased a very lightweight revolver, and yes, that makes felt recoil more noticeable. You have limited options.

1) purchase a standard weight revolver.

2) have the barrel oF your ruger ported to reduce muzzle rise.

3) work on grip strength and get better grips (hogue or pachmeyer rubber finger groove are great)

4) go to a smaller less recoiling cartridge and firearm. But you sacrifice effectiveness.

shoot safe

If you like the caliber and the feel of the pistol you should not have much problem shooting the pistol. A heavier weighted pistol will help but how you hold and shoot the weapon is very important too.

I have taught petite women (5' 4" 100 lbs) to shoot a short barrel (4") 44 magnum the same as shooting a .22 revolver. Shooting techniques play an important role in how you control your pistol. It should make little difference bewteen shooting a 38 +P and a 357 magnum. They basically shoot about the same.

Older, these are some of the best answers you're ever going to get on here. The varsity came out for you.

Both my pistols (357 & 45) are full sized 'heavy' steel platforms with rubber grips... It makes a BIG difference. I really enjoy shooting pistols now and have gotten pretty good.

I used to have a lightweight polymer pistol with a double-stack mag and I couldn't hit a thing. I would flinch after 4 or 5 rounds. I hated that loud slippery thing and have never missed it or regretted selling it.

The only thing I can think of, is to go to a gun shop, and try some different type grips. Grips make a huge difference, and they will help you a little bit, to absorb the shock, from the recoil. it sounds as if you are using the mildest of mild ammo for that gun, so there is not much more you can do. You can shoot 130 grain, but I'm not quite sure they make less than that.

Other than using larger grips with this gun, your best bet is to use lighter bullets.

Instead of 140 grain, or 130 grain, try some 110 grain bullets or so.

I notice a large recoil difference even between 158 grain practice loads, and 130 grain practice loads.