My morning perusal of The Firearm Blog’s RSS feed uncovered this entry about a Ruger LCR that suffered a catastrophic failure. I generally agree with the concept of a timing error, though of course there are other possibilities.

I lean toward the timing theory because of my own observations. I’ve not yet been able to take an LCR apart, but I have handled quite a few. In this admittedly small sample I’ve noticed that the gun’s timing is later than normal, meaning that the cylinder locks up very close to the point that the sear releases. Since I’ve not been on the inside of the gun I can’t tell whether it’s a design or assembly error, but it stands in stark contrast to the way Rugers usually time.

In a typical SP101 or GP100, the cylinder reaches lockup considerably ahead of the sear release. Timing problems with Ruger revolvers are unusual compared to a S&W or a Colt, which makes those LCRs that I’ve seen definitely stand out. It would not be outside the realm of possibility to get one that is actually out of time, perhaps enough to cause this kind of a failure.

With such a radical new design it’s always prudent to proceed cautiously. My recommendation to those considering an LCR is to buy it in person, and check the timing before completing the transaction.

-=[ Grant ]=-