Anyone A Big Fan Of The .22 Magnum?
- Thread starter Joe_Pike
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Jayhawkhuntclub
New member
It's a neat cartridge. But I can shoot 38s cheaper. So I do.
I could see buying a LCR if it came out in 22 mag for personal defense though. It would be pleasant to shoot in a pocket sized revolver.
I could see buying a LCR if it came out in 22 mag for personal defense though. It would be pleasant to shoot in a pocket sized revolver.
Obambulate
New member
I also love the .22 Magnum. I have a few NAA revolvers in .22 Mag/LR and use them for CC with Speer Gold Dots.
I would jump on an 8-shot LCR in .22 Mag. I believe it would be more effective in many self defense situations than a 5-shot .38 Special. The extra shots and lack of recoil could prove to be the difference someday.
I would jump on an 8-shot LCR in .22 Mag. I believe it would be more effective in many self defense situations than a 5-shot .38 Special. The extra shots and lack of recoil could prove to be the difference someday.
Redhawk5.5+P+
New member
"I" don't see the need for a 22mag in a handgun. I see it better used in a rifle.
I have a S&W M48 made in 1960. It's a beautiful revolver with that wonderful old school blue. A six K-22 with the punch of .22 Magnum. But after I bought it and started shooting it, I discovered it has "issues." I posted about it on the S&W forums and discovered it's a "known issue" and you "just have to live with it." The issue is that extraction is difficult after only six shots and gets worse quickly after that.
The reality seems to be that .22 Magnum works great in a single action since you eject one piece of brass at a time. But in a double action you eject all of them at once. Depending on the particular brand of ammo and the particular gun, it can be a real issue. In my M48, the first six rounds eject with one firm palm slap. But I'm already telling myself that the clock is ticking. The next six may or may not eject with a good push. Sometimes I end up really pushing. As I said, it depends on the brand of ammo but within 32 rounds of ammo... I'm totally done until I totally clean the gun. It just becomes impossible to get the empties out of the cylinder. But if you look at the cylinder after it is clean, those holes are perfectly mirror smooth. It's not a manufacturing issue, it's a double action revolver issue with the magnum ammo. Lots of M48 owners experience the same thing. I've even considered selling it but it's just such a pretty gun. And it does shoot well. And you don't just stand around plinking a couple hundred rounds with a .22 Magnum anyway!!
Gregg
The reality seems to be that .22 Magnum works great in a single action since you eject one piece of brass at a time. But in a double action you eject all of them at once. Depending on the particular brand of ammo and the particular gun, it can be a real issue. In my M48, the first six rounds eject with one firm palm slap. But I'm already telling myself that the clock is ticking. The next six may or may not eject with a good push. Sometimes I end up really pushing. As I said, it depends on the brand of ammo but within 32 rounds of ammo... I'm totally done until I totally clean the gun. It just becomes impossible to get the empties out of the cylinder. But if you look at the cylinder after it is clean, those holes are perfectly mirror smooth. It's not a manufacturing issue, it's a double action revolver issue with the magnum ammo. Lots of M48 owners experience the same thing. I've even considered selling it but it's just such a pretty gun. And it does shoot well. And you don't just stand around plinking a couple hundred rounds with a .22 Magnum anyway!!
Gregg
bamaranger
New member
Ruger
Has Ruger . does Ruger, do the SP revolver in .22 mag? That would be a nice combo.
Has Ruger . does Ruger, do the SP revolver in .22 mag? That would be a nice combo.
FloridaVeteran
New member
Now that I have a PMR-30, I like it a lot! I bought Critical Defense at $9+/box online and Super-X is about $7+ at Wal-Mart, so I'm not sure how folks are getting .38Spl. at those prices.
My wife has always been terrified of recoil because a female friend talked to her about how horrible it is before I first took her shooting. She even convinced herself that a .32 Long kicked too much. So I gave up and bought her a Smith 351C and she loves it. Expensive, but nice light little 8-round snub and she is not afraid of it.
Since we thus had our first .22WMR, there was no reason not to buy a PMR-30 for myself. And it cost less than her Smith, including extra mags.
My wife has always been terrified of recoil because a female friend talked to her about how horrible it is before I first took her shooting. She even convinced herself that a .32 Long kicked too much. So I gave up and bought her a Smith 351C and she loves it. Expensive, but nice light little 8-round snub and she is not afraid of it.
Since we thus had our first .22WMR, there was no reason not to buy a PMR-30 for myself. And it cost less than her Smith, including extra mags.
Redhawk5.5 has it right I think... and I'd opine that there's nothing inherently wrong about the .22 Magnum cartridge...for its intended use, as I understand it, as a rifle based varmint round for those that couldn't afford the bigger center fire cartridges and liked the idea of a rim fire...i.e. less noise in populated areas and good workable accuracy out to 125 yds for wood chucks, crows, ground squirrels etc., and cheaper than the center fires.
Ruger came out with the Single-Six in a switch cylinder gun that appealed to many, myself included, and I bought one for my wife in early '73. It's been used to teach a lot of new shooters over the years, but in all honesty, we've used the .22 Magnum cylinder maybe a dozen times. It just didn't make sense in a revolver...our use being cheap single-action practice in an accurate gun. The gun is a joy to use...once it's out of the holster...but that big, undercut hawk's bill front sight snags a lot of leather duff on the way out!
The magnum, at considerably more expense, did not fill that 'cheap practice' niche, and too, the muzzle blast wasn't appealing. Our 5-1/2" barreled gun is very accurate with the .22 lr cylinder in place...good groups (see pic below) at 25 yds with selected ammunition are easy from a rested position...but the .22 Magnum is not that good...more like 2+" at the same distance. As a hunting round, for varmints up close, it would work out, but for squirrels, rabbits etc., I'd say it was excessive unless head shots were made...difficult for all but an expert with any handgun.
So...from my viewpoint, it's a 100+ yd small varmint round when housed in a suitable rifle, but fills no discernible need in a handgun.
Best Regards, Rod
Ruger came out with the Single-Six in a switch cylinder gun that appealed to many, myself included, and I bought one for my wife in early '73. It's been used to teach a lot of new shooters over the years, but in all honesty, we've used the .22 Magnum cylinder maybe a dozen times. It just didn't make sense in a revolver...our use being cheap single-action practice in an accurate gun. The gun is a joy to use...once it's out of the holster...but that big, undercut hawk's bill front sight snags a lot of leather duff on the way out!
The magnum, at considerably more expense, did not fill that 'cheap practice' niche, and too, the muzzle blast wasn't appealing. Our 5-1/2" barreled gun is very accurate with the .22 lr cylinder in place...good groups (see pic below) at 25 yds with selected ammunition are easy from a rested position...but the .22 Magnum is not that good...more like 2+" at the same distance. As a hunting round, for varmints up close, it would work out, but for squirrels, rabbits etc., I'd say it was excessive unless head shots were made...difficult for all but an expert with any handgun.
So...from my viewpoint, it's a 100+ yd small varmint round when housed in a suitable rifle, but fills no discernible need in a handgun.
Best Regards, Rod
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Other people have already pointed out that it does have self defense potential. I have a NAA Mini Master myself with two cylinders. I practice with the .22 LR cylinder. Also use it with that cylinder when I take it with me fishing. But I have chrono'ed that little gun with both cylinders and there is a substantial difference between .22 LR and .22 WMRF ammo. The four inch barrel helps compared to some of those much shorter barrels I'm sure. If I carry that little gun as a hideaway BUG, I put the .22 Magnum cylinder in it.
Gregg
Tulsamal...Can't see the self defense use, personally, even as a BUG. Of the half dozen LEO's of my acquaintance, none use any .22 as a BUG. I'd say that practice with a more suitable caliber would solve recoil sensitivity issues, and the same size BUG frames are also capable of handling bigger cartridges...my opinion, only...
Just curious, is that a 4" barrel you have on that NAA Mini Master?...The googled pic I just saw showed a couple with what looks to be 4" barrels.
Best Regards, Rod
Just curious, is that a 4" barrel you have on that NAA Mini Master?...The googled pic I just saw showed a couple with what looks to be 4" barrels.
Best Regards, Rod
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L_Killkenny
New member
In a rifle the .22m is a niche round. Great if you're mandated by law for use on larger critters where a .22lr isn't quite enough (some states and areas don't allow centerfires for certain times and uses) or in areas where the extra umph and noise of a centerfire would be a definite no no.
In a handgun it's perhaps the biggest joke going. Frankly if you need more than a .22lr than you need a centerfire. The .22m is a squirrel and bunny gun (same as a .22lr rifle) but it's far from a requirement for that job and not big enough for anything bigger and/or tougher. Just bite the bullet and buy a .38. Bigger, better, more versatile, not much if any more expensive to shoot.
In a handgun it's perhaps the biggest joke going. Frankly if you need more than a .22lr than you need a centerfire. The .22m is a squirrel and bunny gun (same as a .22lr rifle) but it's far from a requirement for that job and not big enough for anything bigger and/or tougher. Just bite the bullet and buy a .38. Bigger, better, more versatile, not much if any more expensive to shoot.
Obambulate
New member
Nevertheless, people have defended themselves with .22 handguns for 100+ years, and will continue to do so. Like I said, I'd happily trade my 5-shot .38 for an 8-shot DA .22 Magnum. I essentially already HAVE traded it for a 5-shot SA .22 Magnum, which I carry 90% of the time. I do sometimes carry a 2nd 5-shot .22 as a NY reload.
Bob Wright
New member
I want to qualify my remarks concerning the .22 WMR. My .22 WMR revovler was a Ruger Single Six Convertible, with adjustable sights. I often referred to it as a "Baby Blackhawk." So with this one revovler I had the option of economical .22 L.R. and the .22 WMR cylinder for hunting.
As to having a revolver dedicated solely to .22 WMR, not so handy a gun.
Bob Wright
As to having a revolver dedicated solely to .22 WMR, not so handy a gun.
Bob Wright
I love the 22 mag - in a rifle.
In a pistol the slow burning powders used for maximum performance in a rifle produce blast and flash all out of proportion to the performance, which is roughly equivalent to 22LR in a rifle.
Why anyone would deliberately choose the 22 Mag from a pistol for defense when there are so many better centerfire rounds available is beyond me.
In a pistol the slow burning powders used for maximum performance in a rifle produce blast and flash all out of proportion to the performance, which is roughly equivalent to 22LR in a rifle.
Why anyone would deliberately choose the 22 Mag from a pistol for defense when there are so many better centerfire rounds available is beyond me.