The answer to at least two requests on Ruger's "Tell the CEO" link -- the LCRx in .22 Long Rifle.

I'm in line to get the new Ruger LCRx 22, but it hasn't arrived. My friend, one of the people who actually went to the "Tell the CEO" link on the Ruger website to ask for this version of this gun, ordered one up as soon as he saw the press release. His gun has arrived. He said, "Try this one out while you're waiting on yours. You can tell me what shoots best in this gun." See? Knowing that .22 rimfire guns tend to be accuracy sensitive as to the ammo they're fed, he was going to have to go through a range of rounds to find what shoots best – so why not get me to do it? The LCRx holds eight rounds of .22 LR ammo, has a three-inch barrel and weighs just over 17 ounces. The rear sight is adjustable and the front sight is a pinned ramp with a white line on the face of the sight. The trigger is rounded and smooth. The Hogue Tamer Monogrip is longer than the Hogue Tamers on the two-inch LCR revolvers – it's similar in shape, but not size, to the Jordan Troopers by Herretts. The trigger pull is smooth but heavy – it's trying to light rimfire priming. The frame around the cylinder is aluminum and the "fire control housing" is made of polymer. The cylinder is made of stainless steel and has a PVD finish. The hammer is exposed (the "x" in LCR) facilitating single-action shooting. As I had an opportunity to shoot this new style "kit" gun -- and I was more than willing to help him find an accuracy load -- I took the gun and four loads out to the black-powder/rimfire range at the gun club and gave the LCRx 22 a try. Using a range bag as a rest, I shot the LCRx 22 at the close-range target-backstop, about 22 paces away from the front line of the firing points. The first load I tried was a premium load, Federal's Hunter Match. Featuring a 40 grain bullet and nickeled brass, it's a maximum effort accuracy load that's given superb results out of Ruger's Mark IV Target, Mark IV Competition and American Compact Rimfire rifle as well as a Smith & Wesson Victory pistol. I also had Winchester's Super-X 40 grain high velocity load, Federal Range Pack 40 grain high velocity and CCI Standard Velocity 40 grain solids. Even in single-action, the trigger's not light. It takes a determined press to drop the hammer – but the break is clean. The front sight with its white face is a terrific field sight – in fact, the sights generally are superb. My eyes are not. As the gun is very light and three of the four loads were high velocity, I expected more muzzle movement than I got. I believe the near absence of recoil has more to do with the form factor of the revolver and the stocks than it does the caliber. It's a different feeling gun. All loads struck left on the targets. The first five rounds were Hunter Match: two in the black, likely the first two rounds fired as I was 'learning the gun' followed by three high left, with two of those in one hole. Being favorable to the gun, I concluded that this sample may work out well with Federal Hunter Match but it'll take more shooting.

The double-action press wasn't light but it was smooth. Holding on the right side of the fifty-yard steel silhouette led to 8 hits for 8 rounds fired.

Winchester Super-X was dead on for elevation but the group centered about 1 ½" left of center. With a pair in the same hole, five hits went into two-inches. I experienced vertical stringing for the Federal Range Pack ammo and about a four-inch spread. The CCI Standard Velocity went into 1 ¼". The group was two inches high and 1 ½" left of center. I didn't adjust the sights – it's not my gun. I took the LCRx 22 to the bull's eye bay and worked on the fifty yard IPSC steel target. After going 8-for-8 hits double action at fifty yards – and running out of time – I had to stow the gear and get to work. Lightweight 22 revolvers are, in my experience, difficult to shoot well. After using three variations of J-frame 22 revolvers – just under 11 ounces for the lightest, followed by one that's just under 12 ounces and the heavy-hitter at 25 ounces – I found that the lighter guns required an exaggerated follow-through after ignition. Once that was determined, I had to keep a sub-12 ounce gun from moving during a trigger press of around 10 pounds. It's clear that the 17.3 ounce LCRx 22 isn't in that class – but it's less steady than a 25 ounce .22 revolver. Based on my short experience with it, I think this will be closer to the all-steel gun than the 'fly-weights' in terms of handling. I'm very happy with this gun so far. This is hopefully to be followed by evaluation of a factory sample – stay tuned. -- Rich Grassi