Directory / Ruger / .38 Special / LCR
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handgun

Ruger LCR

Ruger lists the LCR as a five-shot, double-action-only .38 Spl +P revolver with a 1.87 in barrel, a matte black finish, an aluminium monolithic frame with a PVD-finished stainless steel cylinder, a pinned ramp front sight with an integral U-notch rear, and Hogue Tamer Monogrip grips.

Scope note: Model 5401, the matte black .38 Spl +P LCR, and THE FIRST REVOLVER IN THE DIRECTORY.
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Several fields shaped by semi-automatic records read differently here. Chambering: `.38 Special` was added to the union on a user decision; "+P" is a pressure rating this revolver is rated for, not a separate cartridge, so it stays in the maker's wording and out of the grouping field. Ruger's page also names .357 Magnum, 9mm Luger and .327 Federal Magnum LCR models, all separate listings under the base-model rule, as are the LCRx and the .22 LR and .22 WMR models. RE-VERIFIED 2026-09-30, AND FIVE THINGS CHANGED. (1) RUGER PUBLISHES METRIC. The per-model spec sheet (specSheets/5401.html) prints barrel, length, height and weight in both systems, so no value on this record is converted any more. Ruger truncates its metric: 6.50 in is 165.1 mm and is printed 16.5 cm; 13.5 oz is 382.7 g and is printed 382 g. The centimetre figures are written here in millimetres, which is a decimal shift, not a conversion. (2) THE BARREL IS 1.87 IN, AS THE SPEC SHEET PRINTS IT. In August the record took 1.875 in from the JSON object on the models page. The spec sheet prints 1.87 in / 47 mm, and 1.87 is 1.875 cut to two decimal places, the same truncation Ruger applies to its metric. That is a display convention, not a conflict between two measurements, so the spec sheet's pair is recorded as published. (3) OVERALL WIDTH IS REMOVED. The August value (1.283 in) came from the bare `width` key in the JSON object for 5401, with no rendered label. On 2026-09-30 the models page embeds the object for model 5456 (KLCR-9, the 9mm LCR) instead, and 5401's spec sheet prints no width row at all. So no live Ruger document publishes a width for 5401, and a JSON key is not a label (the 2026-09-30 Ruger width finding). The dimensions row names the missing axis. (4) TRIGGER ACTION IS dao, FROM THE MANUAL. The August record left it unset because Ruger's structured `action` field, "Double-Action", is a catalogue shelf that spans double-action-only and double/single revolvers. The LCR and LCRx instruction manual discriminates. Its section "Operation of 'Double-Action Only' Revolvers" (PDF p. 16) says: "With the exception of the LCRx, all RUGER LCR models are equipped with a special trigger mechanism that permits only 'double-action' firing. The hammer is hidden within the frame and fire control housing and cannot be manually cocked." Model 5401 is catalogued LCR, not LCRx, so `triggerAction` is dao, and `system` carries the manual's words. `triggerActionSource` footnotes both action rows to the manual. The single-action instruction on PDF p. 19 is headed "To Load and Fire the LCRx" and does not apply to this model. This is the GP100 and SP101 method: the operating procedure, not the shelf name. Ignition and operating system are unset: the manual names a hidden internal hammer and a transfer bar without classifying the ignition (the Colt Python and GP100 call), and a revolver's cycling is not among the operating-system union's values. (5) THE WARRANTY IS RECORDED, AND THE YEAR NOW COMES FROM THE LAUNCH RELEASE. The manual's last page (PDF p. 40) says Ruger "has elected not to provide any written warranty, either 'limited' or 'full'", which is recorded as the warranty, as on the other Ruger records. In August the year came from 5401's embedded `introDate` (2009-01-14); that object is no longer on the page, whose `introDate` now belongs to 5456 (2014-09-15). Ruger's release "Introducing the Ruger LCR: an Evolutionary Revolver Design" (January 14, 2009) introduces the LCR by name, so the year stays 2009 with a launch source. WEIGHT SITS IN `weightUnloaded` because a revolver has no magazine, so that field's discriminating question does not arise; the basis says so. Slide finish is unset: a revolver has no slide, and Ruger publishes a firearm-level finish of Matte Black plus a cylinder finish of PVD. The page displays six further catalogue numbers (5410, 5418, 5450, 5452, 5456 and 5470); 5401's figures must not be carried across to them. Frame class is unset because Ruger publishes no size class. Also published and unrecorded for want of a schema field: a 1:16 twist with six grooves, a 7000-series aluminium monolithic frame, a polymer fire control housing, a stainless steel cylinder with a PVD finish, Hogue Tamer Monogrip grips, UPC 7-36676-05401-5, a $759.00 suggested retail price, California and Massachusetts availability, and a "limited availability" flag, which is not recorded as a production status (the G37/G38/G39 rule). KNOWN DEFECT ON THIS PAGE, LEFT UNFIXED DELIBERATELY: two row labels name parts a revolver does not have. "Magazine capacity" heads the five-round cylinder capacity, and "Slide finish" renders "Not yet verified" for a gun with no slide. The values are right; only the labels assume a self-loader. Fixing it needs the page to know what kind of firearm it is rendering, and `firearmType` is currently the single value "handgun", so it belongs with the Wave 04 schema decision.

Reference fields

ManufacturerRuger[2]
Manufacturer seriesLCR
Firearm categoryHandgun[2]
Manufacturer chambering38 Spl +P[2]
GenerationNot yet verified
Manufacturer listingListed on Ruger as model 5401, catalogue name LCR — one of seven catalogue numbers on the page, each with its own spec sheet[2]
Trigger actionDouble-action only[3]
Slide finishNot yet verified
ControlsReplaceable pinned ramp front sight with an integral U-notch rear; Hogue Tamer Monogrip grips; aluminium monolithic frame with a PVD-finished stainless steel cylinder[2]
WarrantyNo written warranty: Ruger states it has elected not to provide any written warranty, either limited or full, and refers owners to the implied warranties of their state's law[3]
MSRPNot recorded
Verification boundary: Published technical data are rounded, may not reflect manufacturing tolerances, and may change without notice. MSRP is not recorded: most cited product pages do publish a price, but it changes without notice and independently of the specification, so this directory has no field for it and the row stays blank rather than carrying a figure that would silently go stale.
Evidence tiers backing this record: Manufacturer. Unmarked values come from manufacturer documentation; any value drawn from a lower tier is labeled inline with that tier. Where two sources disagreed, the higher tier was recorded and the disagreement noted.

Sources

  1. [1]Accessed 2026-09-30
  2. [2]
    Ruger LCR — model 5401 spec sheetManufacturer Manufacturer spec sheet
    Accessed 2026-09-30
  3. [3]Accessed 2026-09-30
  4. [4]Accessed 2026-09-30

Common questions

Answered from this record's cited fields only. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing on a subject, the question is not asked rather than answered with a blank.

01What caliber is the Ruger LCR?

The Ruger LCR is chambered in .38 Special. Ruger writes it as 38 Spl +P. Ammunition should match the exact chambering marked on the firearm.

02How many rounds does the Ruger LCR hold?

Ruger lists a 5-round standard magazine for the LCR. Ruger lists no optional capacities for this record. These are magazine capacities; a round carried in the chamber is not counted here.

03What is the barrel length of the Ruger LCR?

Ruger lists a barrel length of 47 mm / 1.87 in.

04What are the dimensions of the Ruger LCR?

Ruger publishes length 165, height 114 mm / length 6.5, height 4.5 in (height: measurement basis not stated by Ruger; width not published). Any measurement basis shown is the manufacturer's own qualifier; where none is shown, the manufacturer states none.

05How much does the Ruger LCR weigh?

Ruger publishes 382 g / 13.5 oz (measurement basis not stated by Ruger; a revolver has no magazine, so the magazine question this field usually settles does not arise).

06Is the Ruger LCR striker-fired?

Ruger publishes "a special trigger mechanism that permits only "double-action" firing" as its own name for the action and does not classify an ignition type for the LCR. This directory records the manufacturer's wording and leaves the ignition field empty rather than inferring a classification the source does not state.

07When was the Ruger LCR introduced?

2009, per the source cited on this record. Where a manufacturer publishes no dated announcement, this directory records no year rather than estimating one.

08Does the Ruger LCR have a warranty?

Ruger states: No written warranty: Ruger states it has elected not to provide any written warranty, either limited or full, and refers owners to the implied warranties of their state's law. Terms are as published at the date this record was checked and may vary by region.