Given the stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 situation, I’ve spent more time than usual cleaning out and rearranging things in the good ole gun safe. As part of that process, I came across the Ruger LCRx revolver chambered for .22 Long Rifle (22 LR) that I picked up in the summer of 2018. Given almost two years of ownership, a first impressions review probably seems inappropriate. However, this little revolver really hasn’t seen more than a couple of ammo boxes worth of range time. Perhaps this review would be better called a “current impressions” review, but I’m not sure that’s important as I’m writing this review now anyway.
I remember being at the sporting goods store where we picked this revolver up with my wife and youngest kid who was 10 years old at the time. It was the same day I picked up the Smith & Wesson Model S&W500 revolver. While I was admiring and considering pulling the trigger on the large hand cannon, my kid mentioned that she wanted to learn to shoot a revolver. At that point, I did what any good father and gun owner who really doesn’t need an excuse to buy another gun would do. I asked the sales person to show us some revolvers chambers in 22 LR.
After looking at a few options, we decided on the Ruger LCRx for a couple of reasons. It was light enough that my kid could pick it up. Small enough my kid could get a decent grip on it. Yet, also large enough to both my wife and I to get a decent grip on it. We figured it would be a good option to teach revolver basics to the kid and also enjoy it.
Out of the box, the Ruger LCRx included:
- 1 card board box,
- 1 manual,
- 1 cable lock,
- and the gun itself.
Nothing fancy. Just the basics. The best part is that the gun was range ready.
The gun has been to the range several times. It’s a good revolver and is plenty fun to shoot. The only reason it’s only had about fifty to a hundred rounds through it over the past two years is really just because I don’t shoot as much 22 LR as I probably should.
The rubber Hogue grip on the revolver are super grippy. It might even be better described as a little sticky. It feels really good in the hand and makes it easy for anyone with small to medium sized get a decent grip. Given the revolver has a smaller frame, folks with large hands may not have the same experience.
The sights are simple and work just fine. The front sight is a replaceable pinned ramp post. It also has a white bar on the ramp which makes it pretty easy to see. Some folks may opt to paint add some higher visibility paint on it, but I thought the white bar added enough contrast against the adjustable black blade rear sight that painting it wasn’t necessary. The rear sight is adjustable for both elevation and windage.
Weighing in at 17.3 ounces, this revolver is among the lightest revolvers I’ve picked up. However, that is of no consequence as the 22 LR offers virtually no recoil.
The gun is accurate. At least, it’s more accurate than I am.
I’ll offer no opinion on reliability as I really haven’t put this gun through it’s paces. But so far so good. I expect any reliability issues that do arise to be ammunition related. But that remains to be seen.
Aesthetically, I think this is a good looking revolver. I may be in the minority in saying these, but some revolvers don’t seem as visually pleasant as others and frankly I’d rather have a good looking stylish revolver than an ugly clunky looking one. The only thing I don’t really like about this revolver is the “read instruction manual” engraving. It reminds me of the “caution hot coffee” warning label on the disposable McDonald’s coffee cup.
As far as this being a good revolver to introduce new or younger shooters to revolvers, I do believe it’s a great option. However, that opinion is founded on extremely limited experience. My kid shot about half a box of ammo through it and came to the realization that she wasn’t a fan of the heavy double action trigger pull. While she did enjoy shooting it in single action, she found revolvers in general to be boring compared to shooting semi-automatic pistols or rifles. As they say, that was the end of that.
Several other people who were new to shooting revolvers have shot the Ruger as well. Pretty consistently, they shoot a couple of cylinders full before asking to try a revolver chambered for a larger cartridge.
Truth be told, I enjoy shooting revolvers chambered for larger cartridges more than shooting 22 LR. Frankly, that holds true for almost firearms. It’s not that I don’t like shooting 22 LR. It’s a fine round. I find shooting 22 LR to be a relaxing experience. It’s also inexpensive compared to just about any other cartridge that I can think of. However, I find shooting larger cartridges to be more exciting and I tend to prefer exciting shooting sport activities over relaxing ones.
All of this begs the question: who is this revolver for?
In my opinion, this revolver is for anyone who is both an avid fan/shooter of 22LR and revolvers. It really is a fine revolver. With an MSRP of $579, it’s a good value too. It’s also a great option to introduce people to shooting revolvers and to practice fundamentals. If that sounds like you and you don’t have abnormally large hands, then I recommend the Ruger LCRx chambered for .22 Long Rifle to you.