22lr lcr defense?

O

old fart

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i have a friend who has bad wrists, he has had surgery and can't take recoil even from the 38, he's on a fixed income as well and wants the 22 lcr for low cost shooting and recoil. i do wish he could shoot a larger gun but his hand and wrists won't let him but he has good finger strength, i know any gun is better than no gun so what ammo would be best in the lcr 22? and would any of you carry the 22lr if you couldn't carry anything else? thanks
 
My choice is the CCI Velocitor. Seldom ever have a misfire with CCI ammo. Second choice would be regular CCI HV solids. I stoke my LCR with these and yes, I carry it concealed sometimes when I feel like it.

If it is to be a "house gun", I would suggest the new 3" LCRx in 22LR.

Make sure the gun is reliable in terms of ignition and function. Hate to just buy and never shoot until that one time you need it and it doesn't go off on any cylinder.
 
I know a few people who are in a similar situation, they just can't handle the recoil.

In those cases where they're going to use 22lr I recommend a revolver and cci stingers.. although 22's suggestion of velocitors is fine too.

It would not be my first choice but it's still a gun, Rule #1

So to bottom line it ya I think a LCR would be a good choice loaded with some quality ammo.
 
Test the high velocity .22 loads thoroughly I had a .22 revolver that had all sorts of problems with them. Regular velocity rounds would work just fine. It was for a similar situation with my mother.
 
CCI minimag round nose. Hollow points don't really work on .22, so penetration is the way to go.


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Every tool we use has advantages and limitations.
Old Fart, explain to your friend how to best use a .22 for defense.
Lots of fast hits, not shooting once or twice and waiting for the results.
Thanks to the generally excellent accuracy of .22s and lack of recoil, it's very doable,
Probably better than a larger caliber gun for most folks with physical limitations.
All it takes is practice.
 
Get the Ruger LCR in .22 magnum. Hornady makes a "Critical Defense" load for it. It's a 45 gr. bullet and gelatin tests with it were quite impressive. I'd rather pack a .22 Mag. than a .22 LR....just my $0.02.
 
thanks, i will let him know. the one thing i worry most about is he loves hiking in the summer, around here coyote's, feral dogs are encountered often. a black bear is rare as hens teeth but possible. thanks again
 
Aikibiker said:
Test the high velocity .22 loads thoroughly I had a .22 revolver that had all sorts of problems with them. Regular velocity rounds would work just fine.
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What sort of problems, and was this occurring with cheap HV bulk pack or quality HV ammo such as CCI?

FWIW many .22LR revolvers have fairly tight chambers, which leads to problems with cheap bulk pack, which tends to be dirty and sized slightly large to shoot better in cheap semi-autos. SV rounds often work better because most users are focused on fine accuracy, so ammo makers offer a higher-quality product; it burns cleaner and is sized more uniformly. This is an ammo quality issue and not a strictly HV vs. SV issue, so the key is to use higher-quality HV ammo. :)
shootbrownelk said:
Get the Ruger LCR in .22 magnum. Hornady makes a "Critical Defense" load for it.
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That's a dandy idea in theory, but according to several posters on this forum, this ammo is perpetually out-of-stock everywhere, on backorder for so long that many online sellers are now listing it as unavailable. Same goes for the .22WMR Speer Gold Dot. :(

Additionally, if you want something harder-hitting than .22LR, there's a strong case to be made for buying an LCR in .327 Federal Magnum and loading it with .32 S&W Long. The cost is not much higher than .22WMR if you shop online, availability is currently better than .22WMR, and you have the option to step up to .32 H&R Magnum or .327 FedMag.
 
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I would also suggest a 32 caliber revolver of some kind. 32 S&W has no more recoil than a 22, to me at least, but it shoots a much larger piece of lead. My wife has severely damaged wrists and has no trouble shooting 32 S&W long revolvers.
 
For home defense, I'm going to be a little contrarian and suggest a Ruger 10/22, with the largest functional magazine allowed. Because the .22 doesn't have a lot of oomph to it, so one would have to poke a lot of holes in an enemy.

An intruder might be just angry at the first or second time he's been shot, but after he's been shot about 15 or 20 times, things may be different.


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shootbrownelk wrote: Get the Ruger LCR in .22 magnum. Hornady makes a "Critical Defense" load for it. It's a 45 gr. bullet and gelatin tests with it were quite impressive. I'd rather pack a .22 Mag. than a .22 LR....just my $0.02.
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I would also recommend the 22 magnum and here is why. The 22 LR in a short barreled pistol will give around 70 ft. lbs of energy and hollow points aren't worth the bother because IF they expanded your penetration goes to pot. A 22 Magnum from a short barreled pistol will give closer to 22 LR RIFLE performance as far as energy is concerned.

Look through NAA's Ballistics tables.....they will be quite revealing. NAA Ballistics

Just my $.02 but backed by real world data.
 
With properly placed shots and high velocity standard 22LR rounds (1250 fps) the gun can be great for defensive use. Coyotes and medium sized dogs are no concern. Big dogs or coyotes interbred with wolves could be a problem but most will leave when hit with a bullet. Black bears, as long as they still have a fear of people should not be a problem. If you have to use a 22 on one you want to hit it in the back side or the neck. Stay away from head shots.

You know your friends abilities better than we do and his level of expertise/training. The newer 32s (magnum or higher capacity longs) could be an advantage if he is able to handle them but if the 22 is all he can handle then maybe he should have a hiking partner. (he could put a round into his partners knee as a last resort to get away from a nasty critter) :)
 
Use Stingers, they have a nasty habit of bouncing around inside the body and turning internal organs into paste. By far the best manstopper in .22 LR, lot's of knock down power factor and energy dump. :D

Seriously, I would stick to solid for improved penetration. That is the name of the game in this caliber, you need that bullet to reach vitals.
 
Model12Win wrote: Use Stingers, they have a nasty habit of bouncing around inside the body and turning internal organs into paste.
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I still have the 22 LR solid that went up my arm and ended up behind my shoulderblade. I am only one data point but I know from first hand experience what a 22 is like when it plays pinball inside of you. From a rifle vs. a short barreled pistol is apples and oranges. Read my linked data to get a REAL WORLD view of a 22 from a handgun.
 
All the data and "real world" tries to show what is lacking or the advantages of rim fire ammo in a self defense situation don't mean spit if the 22 LR is all your body can manage to use. I agree with heavy solid bullets and I will give credit to the hyper velocity 22 rounds to take advantage of the added velocity in a short barreled gun (as long as they function and are not too much for the shooter). The physical limitations of the user are really what will determine which ammo will be used. No matter what he chooses you should help him get as much practice as he can manage with his chosen gun and ammunition. Start him out at 10 feet with a small (1") bullseye and let him get good with it, moving the target back as he gets more comfortable. Help him buy different brands and kinds of ammo in small quantities to find out what his gun will shoot reliably and then buy a couple of bricks of the "best" stuff.
 
CCI minimag round nose. Hollow points don't really work on .22, so penetration is the way to go.
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That depends upon the HP design in question.
Some are exceptionally effective, while some others might as well just be straight RNs.

Personally?...
I'd probably run 40 gr RN ammo.
 
Definitely stick with CCI. In my experience, it ignites every time. I'd probably go with the 40 Gr lead truncated cone, 40 Gr Velocitor, or Stinger.

Regarding the Ruger LCR, go with the 3" to wring out the most from that little round.
 
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