Ruger LCR 9mm Luger

About the Ruger LCR 9mm Luger

The Ruger LCR 9mm Luger (model 5456) is a five-shot, double-action-only revolver chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum, a rimless semi-automatic pistol cartridge headspaced and ejected in this revolver by means of full moon clips. It is the 9mm caliber variant of Ruger's Lightweight Compact Revolver line, using the heavier all-steel frame architecture shared with the .357 Magnum LCR to safely contain 9mm chamber pressures. Like the rest of the LCR family, it combines a polymer fire control housing, a 400-series stainless steel frame, and a high-strength PVD-coated stainless steel cylinder. Because the 9mm cartridge is rimless, the extractor cannot grip the case, so the revolver ships with three full moon clips that both position the cartridges in the cylinder and serve as a speed loader for simultaneous loading and ejection. The 1.87-inch barrel carries the LCR's signature patented friction-reducing cam trigger, delivering a smooth, non-stacking double-action pull of roughly 11 pounds. The enclosed hammer, snag-free profile, replaceable pinned ramp front sight, integral U-notch rear sight, and cushioned Hogue Tamer Monogrip make it a purpose-built concealed carry and backup revolver that feeds the widely available and inexpensive 9mm Luger round.

The 9mm LCR answered a longstanding request from concealed carriers who wanted a pocket revolver that shared ammunition and cost with their 9mm semi-autos. By adopting moon clips - a technique dating back to World War I revolvers chambered for the rimless .45 ACP - Ruger let the modern LCR digest the rimless 9mm Luger while keeping the same smooth cam trigger and lightweight snag-free profile that made the LCR a benchmark for carry revolvers.

Ruger LCR 9mm Luger specifications

Ruger first showed a 9mm LCR concept and made the 1.87-inch five-shot 9mm Luger version widely available in 2017, giving revolver shooters a snub-nose that shares ammunition with common 9mm semi-automatic pistols. Firing rimless 9mm from a revolver requires moon clips: the thin spring-steel clips snap into the extractor groove of the cartridges, hold all five rounds together, provide the rim the ejector star needs to push against, and function as a speed loader. The tradeoff is that reloads require the clips (loose 9mm rounds will not headspace or eject reliably) and clips can be bent if mishandled. To handle 9mm's higher operating pressure (roughly 35,000 psi versus about 20,000 psi for .38 Special +P), the 9mm LCR uses the all-steel 400-series stainless frame rather than the aluminum frame of the .38 Special model, raising empty weight to about 17.2 ounces (487 g). Muzzle velocity from the sub-2-inch barrel typically runs around 1,000-1,100 fps with a 115-124 grain load, well below full-length-barrel figures. The loaded weight estimate adds five 9mm cartridges (about 11.8 g each) plus a moon clip. An exposed-hammer LCRx 9mm (model 5464) allows single-action cocking.