I’ve been carrying a Ruger LCR .22 LR since November 2022. Why? Necessity, then interest.

Necessity

September 5, 2022 I was dumbbell bench pressing the 95s. I start going down for rep 7 and something felt weird in my left wrist. I immediately stopped. I don’t know how to describe it, but… something… shifted? All those little bones in your wrist (carpal bones); if you know what the carpal bones look like, just imagine something… shifting, getting compacted by 95# of steel. Yeah. Makes you wince, doesn’t it?

I went shooting soon thereafter. Shot my P365XL with the Wilson grip and inserts. After 100 rounds I couldn’t stand it – the pain was too much.

I’ve been hangin’ with a few guys into revolvers (GuG, Hizzie). I mean, “the underwear gun” is a thing. And with the stuff Rhett‘s been doing. Well… I figured now’s a good time detour and play with this concept.

Yes, the LCR is hard to shoot it because it’s lightweight with a heavy-ass trigger, craptacular snub-sights. But I can shoot it… a lot. I can even shoot Federal Punch (my defensive load) and not feel bad about the money.

My wrist is getting better. No, I don’t think it will ever be the same. In fact, as I write this, something happened and getting up from the dinner table last night the wrist complained hard at me. But I can wrap my wrists and lift weights (straight pressure is ok, it’s angled-wrist – like I could do a push-up from knuckles not palms. Getting up from the table had a bent wrist). And I could probably shoot my other guns but… I’m kinda enjoying exploring this.

Interest

Not gonna lie. I just don’t always want to wear a gun. That whole “a gun’s supposed to be comforting, not comfortable”? Well, sometimes I want to be comfortable (don’t you?). A big-ass Roland Special in my crotch isn’t the epitome of comfort. 😂 But I get it. As I said, underwear gun is a thing. Mark wrote:

A reliable gun with a trigger I can use, sights I can see, with a weight that can be held by a pair of drawstring gym shorts, and with support gear that doesn’t require a belt. Caliber is irrelevant for this gun.

Definition of an Underwear Gun – The Evolution of the Underwear Gun

Drawstring gym shorts. Dude… that’s what I wear all day. I’m on Zoom all day – pants don’t matter. 🙂

There’s things about the LCR .22 that appeal to me:

• I can shoot it without pain (.22 LR, negligible felt recoil)
• It is small in size – unobtrusive on my body, in feel and appearance.
• It weighs about a pound, full loaded… a smidge more if in a holster (and every ounce matters in this context)
• It has a capacity of 8 rounds, which is pretty good all things considered.
• Modern ammunition like Federal Punch change the game for .22 LR.
• I like the “plastic” construction. It’ll hold up better to sweat and stuff, which is a thing with Texas summers.
• I have no real attachment to the gun, it’s not some treasured heirloom nor will it ever be. It’s made to be a functional machine/tool (see comment about sweat).

And so, I’ve been carrying it. In fact, I’m now looking at picking up another. I have been carrying it in a City Special. I just ordered an Enigma Express for it, as well as an Apollo.

Playing around with grips. Don’t care for finger grooves. Rubber hangs up clothing. Rogers is great (minimal grooves, pinky, textured yet smooth hard plastic), but it’s a little big, especially for pocket carry. The Hogue Black Rubber Bantam Boot Tamer Cushion Grip without Finger Grooves contains my acceptable trade-offs: slim, small, conceals well in pocket or on torso, no clothing hang-ups, ok no pinky but it is .22, can still shoot the gun acceptably.

Look… I’m at a point in my life where I’m not so interested in hunting. I just want people to leave me and mine alone. One block I loved from TacCon23 was Darryl Bolke’s “Mousegun Mindset”. Darryl frequently refers to guns of this type as “rule 1” guns (i.e. what’s the first rule of a gun fight? have a gun.). His block provided excellent perspective on tools, modes, and mindsets of carry with regards to so-called sub-optimal guns. It resonated well with where I’m at. For example, my wife will never go hunting for bad guys, but getting the rapist off of her is another matter.

Plus, it’s a new challenge. Something different to pursue. I know revolvers are becoming hip again. I don’t care about that. I was provided an opportunity (my wrist injury) and I’m answering the door, opening it to exploration. So far I dig it.

That said, I haven’t been putting in the work. Re-reading Mark’s writing provided me with some direction. While I do have access to the KR Training A-Zone Range, it’s still an hour drive. There is a small indoor range in town, and something like working Dot Torture from the ready is do-able and beneficial. I need to take better advantage of this. As I settle more into the new job, I may have the flexibility to make this happen.

It’s also been interesting to TEACH with this on my hip. I generally always teach with and for semi-auto since that’s 99.9% of students. It’s been surprisingly non-issue.

I’ll see where this goes…