Posted on 01/10/2022 7:48:04 AM PST by COBOL2Java
These little wheelguns pack more punch than .22 LR pistols. But is it enough to get the job done?
The Smith & Wesson 351 PD Airlite shown with a smooth rosewood compact grip
But the most common concealed-carry handguns made for this round are short-barrel, double-action revolvers. This year Taurus USA re-launched the previously discontinued 8-shot Model 942. This snubnose revolver series includes all-steel and aluminum-frame models chambered in .22 LR and .22 Mag. But Taurus is not the only option available. Smith & Wesson's 7-shot 351 PD Airlite J-Frame has been a steady seller for several years. Ruger offers the 6-shot, polymer-framed LCR with a concealed hammer or the LCRx with an exposed hammer that can be manually cocked for single-action fire. Like the Taurus models, the Charter Arms Pathfinder series includes steel or aluminum frames. Perhaps the most unusual .22 Mag revolver currently available is Standard Manufacturing's S333 Thunderstruck. This double-barrel handgun fires two rounds out of its 8-shot cylinder with each pull of the trigger.
Ruger’s lightweight LCR has a frame made of aluminum and polymer
At first glance the .22 Mag. cartridge looks like a stretched version of the .22 LR., but that's not actually the case. It's a much newer cartridge that was introduced by Winchester in 1959 as an upgrade to the older .22 Winchester Rimfire (WRF) cartridge. The .22 Magnum has a longer case, thicker case walls, and an ever so slightly larger bullet diameter. While .22 Mag. is less expensive than most center-fire pistol ammunition, it costs noticeably more than .22 LR. In most cases, the cost of .22 Mag. ammunition rests somewhere in between that of .22 LR and semi-automatic pistol cartridges.
One advantage that shouldn’t be overlooked is the fact that these snubnose revolvers are built using the same frames, barrels and grips as their respective company’s .38 Spl. models. As a result, a wide variety of holsters is readily available and easy to find, like the Galco Scout 3.0 holster shown here.
Stick with 40 grain or heavier bullets for the best performance with snubnose revolver How does the performance of .22 Mag. revolvers measure up to other concealed-carry options? Like other short barrel handguns, it produces solid defensive accuracy at ranges of 7 to 10 yards. The following list shows the muzzle energy ranges for the Ruger LCR and the Taurus 942 along with test results for two .22 LR pistols. I've also included short barrel center-fired pistol and revolver results for comparison:
| .22 WMR: | 1.87" Barrel = 113 to 126 ft.-lbs. | (Ruger LCR Revolver) |
| .22 WMR: | 2.00" Barrel = 98 to 116 ft.-lbs. | (Taurus 942 Revolver) |
| .22 LR: | 2.00" Barrel = 67 to 75 ft.-lbs. | (Ruger LCP II Lite Rack Pistol) |
| .22 LR: | 4.00" Barrel = 79 to 113 ft.-lbs. | (Taurus TX22 Pistol) |
| .380 ACP: | 2.50" Barrel = 163 to 174 ft.-lbs. | (NAA Guardian Pistol) |
| 9 mm: | 3.20" Barrel = 277 to 300 ft.-lbs. | (Taurus G3C) |
| .38 Spl: | 2.00" Barrel = 296 ft.-lbs. | (Ruger SP101) |
That being said, the .22 Mag. is still a .22-cal. rimfire cartridge. Statically speaking it’s more likely to fail to fire than a center-fire round. Although its performance can sneak up into the .32 ACP pocket pistol ranges, it simply can't compete with the performance of a .380 ACP pistol or a snubnose revolver loaded with reduced recoil .38 Spl. loads.
The Taurus 942 all-stainless steel version
22Mag would be better than nothing for SD.
Personally, I’ll stick with my .45ACP
My skinny little wife carries a 38+P S&W 642
“My 9mm small concealable is a S&W M&P Shield”
“Same, bought it before the P365 came out.”
Same here to both of above posts. 9mm 124gr HSTs seems enough for me.
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“The main issue is reliability”
In my experience, 22 LR is very reliable FIRED FROM A REVOLVER. I honestly don’t remember ever having one NOT fire from my revolver. That includes using my little NAA derringer. From a semi-auto? Whole different ballgame.
It’s all in the shot placement. One in the eye stops any assailant, many permanently.
Shot placement, shot placement, shot placement...
Ditto
I don’t see the point. If it’s the same size as a .38 snubbie, then get a .38 snubbie and fill with +p hollowpoints.
Any gun is better than no gun.
Which no bullet has.
The closest to being able to do that is .45 Long Colt.
During the Philippine insurrection our troops had .38s.
The bad guys were attacking them in the jungle or high grass with machetes.
Three of our guys could empty their .38s into the attackers before the attack was stopped. Those 3 guys often died of their wounds.
The Army took back the .38s and re-issued .45 Long Colts, used in the Indian wars.
One shot from the .45 in the center of mass and no more Mr. Machete.
At 900 feet per second, it is comfortable for the shooter.
It just shoves against your hand and wrist, rather than the painful rap from higher velocity shells.
That big hunk of slow moving lead does the job.
It should work well on a meth head attacker.
I would tend to partly agree with you. However, gun reliability is only half the issue.
Ammunition reliability is the other half. The manufacturing process for rim fire too often leaves ‘gaps’ along the rim where there is insufficient or no primer. So a firing pin strike on the rim where primer is properly distributed results in a good discharge while a firing pin strike on the rim where there is a primer ‘gap’ results in a misfire. We have all probably had .22 misfires and after removing the cartridge, placed it back in the chamber with a different orientation, and now it fires when struck. (Why waste that 5 to 10 cents, eh?) But for defensive use, I dont want how I load the cartridge to be a game of roulette.
Just as much an issue for semi-autos is how one deals with the misfire, stove pipe, or double feed malfunctions. Most .22 magazines are made of materials that dont stand up to harsh treatment, which when you are doing mag changes or emergency reloads under stress can lead to a bent or folded and useless hunk of tin instead of a loaded pistol.
JMO, but .22s make good fundamental trainers, but not great defensive guns.
Superman ducking......LOL
Way back when I got my carry permit I bought a .380 semi-auto. My husband was a firearms instructor in the Army and he said it would be accurate for the test and to use but eventually wanted me to carry something more powerful. I prefer a revolver because it’s hard for me to use a semi-auto.
His logic is that while a .22 might be more accurate at distance, the .38 or a .357 has more power. He said in self-defense you don’t need distance. Self-defense should be up close and personal. In the case I am close to a crazed 200+ pound man that is high on meth, or whatever, the .22 might not stop him. A .38 or .357 will.
I carry a S&W Airweight .38 snubnose in a DeSantis pocket holster in my right front pocket. My keys and wallet are always in my left front pocket. Only had to use mine once to shoot a pitbull that had my corgi by the back of the neck trying to shake him to death. With my left hand holding onto my dog's leash I was able to draw the .38 from my right pocket with my right hand and shoot the dog twice. No need to rack the slide and no danger of accidentally shooting myself.
That Smith & Wesson 351 PD Airlite looks awesome...
Would be a great Mother’s Day present for a great-grandmother I’m married to...
I like my PMR30. It’s like a pocket AR. I figure if I miss, the muzzle flash and report will scare em to death.
I would rather have my J frame .357mag than a .22mag.
“It just shoves against your hand and wrist, rather than the painful rap from higher velocity shells.”
Thus the mass-energy (sic) of the 45 only shoves against the wrist. Obviously not enough to stop a charging msn
I own a Colt Frontier Scout SAA with .22LR and .22 Magnum cylinders and I took it target shooting with the magnum cylinder and a buddy of mine stepped back after the first round I fired and said what the hell kind of cannon are you firing!
As for the original post I would prefer a .38spl in a snub nose revolver but if it came down to it the .22 Mag would do in a pinch, it’s a nasty round with the right ammo.
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