My new LCR .22

[ruger22]

Went to town this AM and, wouldn't you know, UPS tried to deliver my LCR. If only I had been informed that it was shipped, I could have been here to receive it.

Just two weeks this time. I shipped it back to them just two weeks ago tomorrow. Fantastic!!

Congratulations, and I hope it's a really good one. I think mine was slow because they were between production cycles for it. Like I said somewhere here, it was test fired the same day it shipped.

For what it is, and how it's made, I'm happy with it. I think they would have done better to make all LCRs with a stainless frame like the 357 version. No marks in that, and the finish seems a lot tougher.

[Jack D]

Got it! And it looks nice. They changed the cylinder assembly (with crane) and the hammer. Don't know why the hammer was changed. I haven't fired it yet, but I did dry fire and the trigger is lighter and smoother.....at least it seems so.

Preparing for a camping trip, so may not have a chance to fire it today.

Update: I just put a fast 100+- rounds through it and it is much smoother (and faster) on the trigger pull. No misfires either. POI might be slightly different, but not positive about that. I was just shooting offhand and rapid fire to boot. POI with the laser grip seems to be the same, so maybe I'm wrong about that.

I like it!!!

[greener]

I like it!!!

That's what counts

[ruger22]

Got it! And it looks nice.

I like it!!!

Very glad you got good results, too, and a quicker turnaround than I I did. Maybe Ruger's getting caught up on things.

I'm happy with mine. I may take a little off the front sight to make it a better "trainer" for the 357. I think the finishes will be okay except at the forcing cone and cylinder face. These things wouldn't be "pretty" if they were gold plated........

[Jack D]

Got it! And it looks nice.

I like it!!!

Very glad you got good results, too, and a quicker turnaround than I I did. Maybe Ruger's getting caught up on things.

I'm happy with mine. I may take a little off the front sight to make it a better "trainer" for the 357. I think the finishes will be okay except at the forcing cone and cylinder face. These things wouldn't be "pretty" if they were gold plated........

If the finish comes off the cylinder again, I'll just polish it. I was more worried about the weird disintegration of the crane below the forcing cone. That has been replaced.

Mine shoots low, too and I just painted the ramp, on the front sight, with epoxy and orange "Day Glow" paint mixed in. That gives me a orange square in the sight picture and by using all of the orange in the sight picture, the front sight is ~1/16" higher than the top of the rear sight. Make sense? Anyway, it works for me without filing the front sight down.

[Jack D]

After 400 rounds and a good cleaning, my new cylinder looks as bad as the old cylinder. The crane looks the same as does the spots that looked bare on the old cylinder. Virtually identical in appearance. I rubbed a spot with my thumbnail and it came off......rubbing all of the spots near the forcing cone end of the cylinder and they all came off, down to the black finish. I tried rubbing the coved portion of the cylinder and I can scrape lead off there, too, but not enough to get down to the black finish. If it was a bare polished cylinder, I could brush it with a stainless brush.....and that may be what I do sometime in the future.

I've never owned a .22 revolver. I've shot a few, but never owned one. Maybe this is normal with .22 revolvers???? I've owned several .22 semi-autos and never had a lead problem......of course....no forcing cone....no gap to jump.

It's a cleaning problem......not so much a finish problem.

Added note: 400 rounds of Blaser ammo and not one FTF. I don't believe there were any in the first 100 either. A full box and no FTF's. Don't like the wax, however.

[ruger22]

I think the Blazer is round nose bare lead? That's likely to leave more leading. The Federal bulk I used has the copper washed bullets.

Everything on mine came clean with Hoppe's No.9 and a cheap toothbrush, except the forcing cone area and cylinder face. I gave up and brass brushed those. That made a crescent shape bare spot on either side of the forcing cone, and the frame corner above it has a narrow bare strip. The aluminum black made those almost disappear.The cylinder face has a fine shiny line around each hole, not bad.

I'm thinking I'll be more patient cleaning next time. I'm afraid any brush more agressive than nylon is too rough on the aluminum?

Maybe try some copper coated bullets next time, in whatever your favorite brand is.

[greener]

After 400 rounds and a good cleaning, my new cylinder looks as bad as the old cylinder. The crane looks the same as does the spots that looked bare on the old cylinder. Virtually identical in appearance. I rubbed a spot with my thumbnail and it came off......rubbing all of the spots near the forcing cone end of the cylinder and they all came off, down to the black finish. I tried rubbing the coved portion of the cylinder and I can scrape lead off there, too, but not enough to get down to the black finish. If it was a bare polished cylinder, I could brush it with a stainless brush.....and that may be what I do sometime in the future.

I've never owned a .22 revolver. I've shot a few, but never owned one. Maybe this is normal with .22 revolvers???? I've owned several .22 semi-autos and never had a lead problem......of course....no forcing cone....no gap to jump.

It's a cleaning problem......not so much a finish problem.

Added note: 400 rounds of Blaser ammo and not one FTF. I don't believe there were any in the first 100 either. A full box and no FTF's. Don't like the wax, however.

Picture?

All revolvers collect residues around the forcing crane and on the outside of the cylinder. It's more obvious on a stainless revolver. Sometimes it doesn't clean off too easily.

[Jack D]

Picture?

All revolvers collect residues around the forcing crane and on the outside of the cylinder to the old cyl. It's more obvious on a stainless revolver. Sometimes it doesn't clean off too easily.

compare this photo of the new cylinder and crane after ~400 rounds of Blaser ammo to the old cylinder. The lead sprayed areas are circled in red. There was a spot of lead on each chamber at the arrow, that I removed with my fingernail. These sppots can be seen on the old cylinder. I've spent some time cleaning this, so is not as bad as it was right after the shooting session. What I had thought was the finish coming off and damage to the crane is, in reality, just lead spray deposits. I'm wondering if copper clad bullets would lessen this problem.

The crane and cylinder are stainless, so removing the black finish and polishing the cylinder would, at least make it less noticeable and I would have the ability to use a stainless or brass "toothbrush" on it to remove the lead.



New cylinder


Old cylinder

[Jack D]

I said (above) that I had never owned a .22 revolver before this one. Memory has failed me again. I did own a Ruger Super Bearcat back in the 70's. Of course it was a SA with a non-fluted cylinder. I don't recall any leading problems with the Bearcat.

[greener]

That's not the gunk I see on the cylinder. I was going to take a picture of what I see, but I've screwed up and cleaned my revolvers.

Getting any lead splatters back in your face?

I believe I've read about this problem. Need to reem the forcing cone? Maybe I'll remember in our lifetimes.

[Bullseye]

How about the top of the crane; is that spatter or is that disintegration of the metal like on the last one.

R,
Bullseye

[greener]

I've gotten lead build up around the forcing cone, particularly the top strap that I've removed most easily with a pocket knife, but nothing like this.

Is this a timing or alignment problem? http://thefiringline.com/Misc/library/R ... check.html

[Jack D]

How about the top of the crane; is that spatter or is that disintegration of the metal like on the last one.

R,
Bullseye

It is all lead. Using a pen knife I have gently scraped it all off and the top of the crane is fine. After discovering this, I'm certain that the original crane was OK, too. It is just lead build-up. After a lot ot time scraping with my fingernail, the outside of the cylinder is beginning to look much better.

I'm now trying to come up with ideas to minimize the lead spraying or, at least, the cleanup afterword. Perhaps I could smear a light layer of gun oil or grease on the cylinder prior to long range sessions. Maybe copper plated bullets would minimize lead spray?? All of this spray (in the new cylinder) was burning Blaser cartridges. Federal bulk was used in the original cylinder.


I'm not adverse to polishing the cylinder and crane, so that I can use a stainless "toothbrush" on them to keep them clean. But that is a last resort.

Although I haven't checked thoroughly, the indexing and cylinder gap appear to be OK. The lead doesn't appear to be shavings that I would expect to see if there was a misalignment. It is more of a spray or very fine powdered lead. The accuracy is good (IMO).

[blue68f100]

Get some of the spray used for Mig Welding. It keeps the molted steel splatter from sticking to the nozzle works great for any kind of metal spray. Or you could put a light coating of grease on it just before you shoot then it should just wipe off when finished.