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Ruger LCR

• easy
• Shop tier 2
• high confidence
• Revolver
• revolver
• double action
• modular lockwork
• no sideplate
• concealed carry
• polymer housing
• double action only

field strip ~1 min · reassembly ~1 min

Specifications

Model-specific safety

• Opening the cylinder does not clear the revolver. Check every chamber individually and count them.
• Owner disassembly of the LCR stops at removing the grip. The factory manual states that further disassembly is not required for normal cleaning and should only be undertaken by trained factory service personnel. Do not apply GP100-style subassembly disassembly to this revolver.
• The LCR uses a polymer fire control housing on an aluminium or steel monolithic frame. It is not a scaled-down GP100 and its internals are not serviceable the same way.
• Never remove or install a loaded cylinder. A loaded cylinder can discharge if dropped or struck.
• The 9mm version requires moon clips. Do not attempt to fire it without them.
• Never flick the cylinder closed.

Under spring tension

• Cylinder latch spring

Easily lost parts

Grip retaining screw

Tools

Shop difficulty

Shop tier 2 Tier 2 — moderate among revolvers, for the full job: strip to the parts that get coated and put it back together working. Few parts (46) with the lockwork carried in a polymer fire-control housing, so less loose lockwork than a sideplate gun; but Ruger stops owner takedown at the grip, warns that the hammer pivot pin must not be fully removed, and marks the hammer strut, mainspring, pawl, transfer bar, firing pin and crane factory-fit.

Parts: 46 numbered parts (LCR base list incl. 9 mm moon clip; LCR/LCRx supplemental lists excluded (46 line items)), from Instruction Manual for Ruger LCR Revolvers — Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc., p. 31 ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com [1].

Bench time: about 20 min to strip, 30 min to rebuild (estimate). Estimated: grip, crane pivot screw, crane/cylinder, fire-control housing retaining screw and housing separated from the aluminum frame, sights. Assumes the polymer housing is not coated and its lockwork is left assembled; times rise sharply if the housing has to be emptied.

Small parts: 15 pins, 7 springs, 2 detents or plungers (counted from the manufacturer's parts list (one per key number unless a quantity is given))

What comes off for coating

• Grip and crane: grip screw and grip, crane pivot screw, crane and cylinder — fitted screwdrivers / Torx as fitted
• Fire-control housing: fire-control housing retaining screw; housing with hammer, trigger, pawl and transfer bar separated from the frame (lock — small punch (hammer pivot pin only pushed ~0.10")
• Frame: front sight and cross pin, crane release button, plunger and spring, cylinder latch parts as needed — pin punch

Special tools

• 1/8" or smaller punch — Pushing the hammer pivot pin about 0.10" (Ruger lubrication procedure) and the front sight cross pin
• Inch-pound torque driver — Crane pivot screw 23-27 lb-in and fire-control housing retaining screw 6-9 lb-in (Ruger figures)

Known pain points

• Ruger stops owner disassembly at the grip; anything beyond is for trained factory service personnel. (both)
  Source: Instruction Manual for Ruger LCR Revolvers — Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com [1] — “Disassembly beyond the level indicated in the Disassembly Section of this manual should only be undertaken by trained factory service personnel.”
• The hammer pivot pin is only to be pushed part way out; removing it completely leaves the revolver not working until it is correctly reassembled. (both)
  Source: Instruction Manual for Ruger LCR Revolvers — Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com [1] — “CAUTION: DO NOT COMPLETELY REMOVE PIN OR YOUR REVOLVER WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION.”
• Most lockwork parts are factory-fit, so a shop strip has to avoid disturbing them. (reassembly)
  Source: Instruction Manual for Ruger LCR Revolvers — Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com [1] — “* PARTS SO MARKED MUST BE FACTORY FIT”
• The crane pivot screw and fire-control housing retaining screw have specified torques on reassembly. (reassembly)
  Source: Instruction Manual for Ruger LCR Revolvers — Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com [1] — “Check the crane pivot screw and fire control housing retaining screw to ensure correct tightness”

Fit or check on rebuild

• Pawl and transfer bar positioned so the trigger guard swings home without resistance; trigger rotates and locks the cyli — Ruger’s own reassembly check.
  Source: Instruction Manual for Ruger GP100 Double-Action Revolvers — Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com [5] — “if the trigger guard will not lock into position, re-check the position of the pawl and transfer bar”
• Timing / carry-up and cylinder lockup in single and double action; dry fire both ways — Ruger asks for single- and double-action dry fire after reassembly; worn pawl or cylinder stop gives the "does not lock up" fault (entry commonIssues).
• Hammer and trigger side play (shims) where fitted — SP101 manual reassembly puts hammer shims either side of the hammer; Shooting Times measures side play with a feeler gauge.
  Source: Instruction Manual for Ruger SP101 Double-Action Revolvers — Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com [6] — “insert the hammer into frame with the hammer shims on either side of the hammer”
• Crane, front latch and cylinder latch lock the cylinder closed; cylinder spins free with no drag — Ruger’s function check (cylinder must spin freely; hammer must not cock with the cylinder open).
• Crane pivot screw 23-27 lb-in; fire-control housing retaining screw 6-9 lb-in — Ruger gives these torques in the LCR manual.
  Source: Instruction Manual for Ruger LCR Revolvers — Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com [1] — “Check the crane pivot screw and fire control housing retaining screw to ensure correct tightness in accordance”

This is Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's. How tiers are rated. Forum reports are owners' experience, not specifications.

Manufacturer videos

Official videos from Sturm, Ruger & Co.'s own channels, linked rather than copied. Where a video and the steps on this page differ, follow the manufacturer's manual and video.

• Ruger LCR® Disassembly Tech Tip RugerFirearms field strip · 2023-06-19
  Covers: Ruger LCR
• Ruger LCR® Reassembly Tech Tip RugerFirearms reassembly · 2023-06-19
  Covers: Ruger LCR
• Ruger LCR® Cleaning Tech Tip RugerFirearms cleaning · 2023-06-19
  Covers: Ruger LCR
• Tech Tip - LCR® Maintenance Ruger Firearms · plays on ruger.com maintenance · 2015-06-20
  Covers: Ruger LCR

Procedures

Patent drawings

not under copyright

Drawings from US patents on this design. A patent shows the invention as the inventor filed it; the firearm that shipped can differ in detail, and later production often does. Use them to see how the parts relate, not as a parts reference or a procedure. Per the USPTO, the text and drawings of a patent are typically not subject to copyright; each patent here was checked for a copyright notice.

US Patent 7,861,449 — Cylinder latching mechanism for revolver

Joseph J. Zajk · assigned to Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. · filed 2008-08-01 · granted 2011-01-04. Full patent (USPTO)

The LCR's separate firing-control housing, frame, barrel insert and the swing-out cylinder latch.

Why this is the Ruger LCR’s patent: listed on the maker’s patent-marking page — Ruger Patents — Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. ruger.com [4]: “LCR® 8,887,429; 8,359,777; 8,096,079; 7,861,449; D587,778”

US Patent 8,096,079 — Revolver trigger mechanism

Joseph J. Zajk · assigned to Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. · filed 2008-08-01 · granted 2012-01-17. Full patent (USPTO)

The LCR's double-action trigger, hammer and hammer-dog mechanism.

Why this is the Ruger LCR’s patent: listed on the maker’s patent-marking page — Ruger Patents — Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. ruger.com [4]: “LCR® 8,887,429; 8,359,777; 8,096,079; 7,861,449; D587,778”

Torque specifications

Notes: From Ruger's LCR instruction manual (p. 25), which writes the unit as "lb/in" — pound-inches, the same as in-lb. Both values are given as checks after lubrication, to be applied only if the screw has loosened.

Materials and factory finish

As stated by Sturm, Ruger & Co.. Prep, masking and cure depend on these; a polymer or aluminium part, a nitrided or anodised finish, and a blued steel part are each a different job. Variants with other finishes may exist — check the maker's page for the exact SKU on the bench.

Parts list

Transcribed from the manufacturer's parts list (Instruction Manual for Ruger LCR Revolvers — Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc., p. 31 ruger-docs.s3.amazonaws.com [1]) — LCR base list; the manual's supplemental lists for other LCR and LCRx variants are not included. Exploded view on p. 32. Key numbers refer to the exploded view in that document.

Function check

• Again, be certain the revolver is unloaded before any check.
• Visually inspect the revolver to ensure no components are damaged, missing, loose, bent, cracked, chipped, or peened.
• Open and close the cylinder and confirm it latches securely.
• Cock the hammer if the model allows it and confirm the cylinder indexes and locks at each chamber.
• Dry fire through every chamber in double action to confirm the action works properly.
• Confirm the grip screw is tight.
• If you observe excessive wear, stop using the revolver and contact customer service.

Maintenance

Lubrication points

• Crane where the cylinder rides
• Ejector rod
• Hammer and trigger pivots (one drop each)
• Cylinder latch

Cleaning notes

Cleaning is limited to the chambers, bore, cylinder face, and forcing cone. The polymer fire control housing is a sealed assembly from the owner's point of view and the manual keeps it that way.

Suggested inspection interval: roughly every 2000 rounds. This is a general guideline, not a manufacturer specification.

Wear parts to inspect

Hand · Cylinder stop · Forcing cone · Ejector rod tightness · Firing pin and return spring

Common issues

Similar manual of arms

• Ruger GP100

Sourcing