thoughts on 8 n 9 rd .22 as ccw?

The new Gold Dot ammo for the 22Magnum is an interesting critter. Tuned for 2" to 4" barrel performance, too. There's some eight-shot 22Mag J-class guns that this might work well in, and of course there's NAA minis, the Ruger Single Six series, etc.
 
From the accounts I have read in the Rifleman, the perp(s), usually run away when the shooting starts with no correlation to the size of the cartridge being used. Therefore, it would at least seem to be a sufficient tool for the job.
 
if you can hit with a 22lr you are ahead. until a miss from a centerfire produces shrapnel or concussive shock use a 22lr which you find enjoyable for alot of practice. i rely on a ruger lcr 22lr as the only widely available, utterly reliable 22lr ccw revolver. h&r are heavier, sw317 alloy cylinders stick when hot from range practice. all that said i would like to try a lcr 327.
 
well not to say that the 22 cal(.25 ACP included) isn't a CCW option, but it mostly depends on OP's definition of CCW, sure the 22 cals are better for "true" pocket gun/bug gun/deep-conceal because of size and/or weight constrains(although .25ACP is the best "option" in a semi due to not being rimfire), however i CCW a SR1911 CMD, but a 22 cal semi will do if that's the OP is confident with the 22cal for CCW.
 
32 is better every day of the week and twice on Sunday. 32 s&w long has the same "recoil" as 22, to me anyway. 32 h&r magnum doesn't have much, either. It wouldn't be my first choice, but I would be okay with 32 h&r if my 38's and 44's weren't available.
 
32 s&w long has the same "recoil" as 22, to me anyway. 32 h&r magnum doesn't have much, either. It wouldn't be my first choice, but I would be okay with 32 h&r if my 38's and 44's weren't available.
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.32 S&W Long definitely has more recoil than .22 LR. The bullets are more than twice as heavy, with the recommended SJHP coming in at 98 grains vs the average 40 we see in .22 LR. They definitely hit harder! The value is that it is a centerfire cartridge with higher wheel capacity and lower recoil than the next-lowest option: 38 special.

For less recoil than that, you could use .32 S&W. It's a puny centerfire cartridge that's terribly hard to find and usually comes only in LRN. I don't recommend it.

Personally, I think .32 H&R Magnum is great. It's on par with or a little better than vanilla .38 special in terms of power. The modern .38 +p hits harder but not by enough that I'd trade an extra shot for it. I have no qualms with .32 H&R Magnum as personal defense against average bad guys or dangerous animals like dogs or coyotes. Recoil may or may not be too much for a person who struggles with .38 special.
 
That's why I wrote "to me, anyway". Just due to basic physics, I would think that the much larger piece of lead must push against your hand more. However, I personally find the recoil of 22 and 32 S&W long to both be so negligible that I barely notice either one. It's like the difference between being struck "forcefully" by a larger or smaller feather.
 
... I personally find the recoil of 22 and 32 S&W long to both be so negligible that I barely notice either one. It's like the difference between being struck "forcefully" by a larger or smaller feather.
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That's an excellent point. While it is a significant difference, there's something to be said about scale. Comparing these relatively low-energy cartridges where the hands meet the gun, it won't feel like a huge difference for most people. However, the difference where the bullet meets the target should be more pronounced. The point is that in moving from .22 LR to .32 S&W Long, you don't trade much to get a whole lot more. :)
 
Would I like something "better?" Sure, I'd like to be out of there, but if that isn't possible, well, it's a lot better than crying and begging "Please don't hurt me."
 
As a 54 year old who has been shooting since he was 6, I've fired a lot of .22 rimfire. And there is no such thing as an "utterly reliable" .22 LR because there is no utterly reliable rimfire round. The darn things just don't go bang sometimes. Sure, really high end premium ammo does it less but I bet I've had 10-100x more misfires/duds with rimfire ammo than centerfire ammo. And that's with ammo just pulled from the box and loaded into the gun. With that heeled bullet and sticky lubed bullet... sure seems like they would be even less reliable if carried around for months before being shot.

True enough... "better than nothing." If I was really going to do it, I would go .22 WMRF. You can use jacketed bullets which should be cleaner and give you more reliable expansion. And whether it is because they cost more (?) I've had a lot less duds in .22 Magnum. Could just be because I've shot a heck of a lot less of them. I still wouldn't be thrilled about it for an every day primary. I do sometimes carry a NAA Mini Master with four inch barrel in .22 WMRF as a BUG. In that application, small, light, and totally submerged carry is the most important thing. I've got both cylinders and playing around has shown me the Magnum round out of that four inch barrel hits a lot harder than the LR one.

I like the Ruger LCR. Not really the looks but the way it works and how light it is. And they make a .22 WMRF version. Although the trigger isn't as nice since it has stouter springs for the rimfire hammer. But really... the .38 Special version is very light. If really sensitive to recoil, buy the heavier .357 Magnum version and then feed it very light .38 Specials. The full wadcutter .38 Special target loads would be nothing in the recoil department and still be much better than a rimfire.

Gregg
 
there is no such thing as an "utterly reliable" .22 LR because
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Way at this point I would choose a 22lr semi-auto. Even with "restrike." Restrike hits the same spot on the rim and rimfires usually fail because the primer isn't in the spot hit by the firing pin.
With a double action revolver that has proven reliable with the chosen ammunition in the past, you can be pretty sure you will at least get capacity-1 shots by just pulling the trigger. For an 8 shot LCR that is 7 shots. Not terrible.

Additionally, even if they close the revolver is more likely to continue shooting once the wrist is angled etc. Firing any semi-auto with your wrist bent as is common at very close ranges frequently results in "limp wristing" malfunctions. Worth figuring out a way to practice those shots if you can. Very few ranges look favorably at holding the gun low and shooting across your stomach at belly button level and obviously not using the sights though.

It will probably be close no matter what. When it gets close and serious most people either curl up in a ball or start using whatever is available to them for defense until disabled or exhausted. A rock, stick, the pavement, their nails, teeth, forehead, office supplies, furniture, whatever. If a knife is handy...
There are a lot of close situations where, even if carrying, pulling a gun wouldn't be the best. It takes a lot of training to use a pistol at "on top of you" ranges with reliable results.
 
I purchased a............

............High Standard Sentinel Mark 4 for my old age. It's a 9 shot .22 Mag revolver. I'm 54 now and fine with all my centerfires so far. However, due to long term Lymes disease, arthritis is setting in on all my joints. So I'm preparing for my old age. Gotta shoot it more though. Trigger sucks and needs to be worn in more. I would have faith in well placed shots with Hornady's critical Defense. Nice revolver. All steel. Almost no recoil.
 
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