Pat Riot
Contributing Member
I would use a .22 Magnum revolver if physical impairments affected me to where I could not shoot anything with more power.
Penetration is not as critical when the head is the target.
The OP put this topic in the revolver section with a focus on carrying as primary or a backup. I don't think the PMR 30 would make for a good backup gun given its size, however .22 mag snubs are perfectly adequate for that role.Really? The OP asked, "Anyone here ever consider using a 22 magnum for ccw /self defense as their primary or secondary gun"
The PMR 30 uses Win. .22WMR ammo, so it is a .22Mag. Certainly not a pistol I would carry but, I have little doubt some who own one would and do. While the round is "lacking" to say the least having 30 rounds on the pipe would be nice I guess.
You make it sound like .22 Mag could barely go thru a wooden board.I would disagree with that. If you're aiming for the cranial cavity, you have to get through to that cavity. Thick bone. Armor plating for the brain. If the bullet doesn't have enough oomph to bust through, or a hollowpoint goes SPLAT instead of boring through, you're gonna be in big trouble.
I hear a lot of things Charter is "going to do" with regards to new guns, but I don't believe it until I see it. I heard a rumor something about adding adjustable rear sights to the .32 Professionals... someone debunked that. I've heard for 6 months that Charter is going to make an 8 shot .22 and I've yet to see one.I also hear .. in the future Charter is going to add two more holes in the cylinder of their 22mag revolver ...6 to 8
This is a good option for a light recoiling SD revolver ...
A Ruger LCR 327 ... loaded with 32 Long
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I hear a lot of things Charter is "going to do" with regards to new guns, but I don't believe it until I see it. I heard a rumor something about adding adjustable rear sights to the .32 Professionals... someone debunked that. I've heard for 6 months that Charter is going to make an 8 shot .22 and I've yet to see one.
The OP put this topic in the revolver section with a focus on carrying as primary or a backup. I don't think the PMR 30 would make for a good backup gun given its size, however .22 mag snubs are perfectly adequate for that role.
I agree, but the frequent reasons why some won't touch a .32 revolver of any flavor is they can't find .32 ammo in Bubba Joe's Backwoods Gun & Smoke shop or they live in a state that doesn't allow people to buy ammo online.32 S&W long is a far better cartridge and has similarly light recoil.
Not sure about that. 'Most' that get shot in the head, even if the HP goes splat, isn't going to still be 'in the game'..unless chemically aided.I would disagree with that. If you're aiming for the cranial cavity, you have to get through to that cavity. Thick bone. Armor plating for the brain. If the bullet doesn't have enough oomph to bust through, or a hollowpoint goes SPLAT instead of boring through, you're gonna be in big trouble.
Several years ago I wanted a NAA .22 caliber for pocket carry around the house. I was trying to decided if I wanted a .22lr or .22 mag, so I charted the average of the velocities from the "Ballistics By The Inch" site to see how the two rounds compared out of a short barrel. Seeing as how the model I wanted has a 1-1/8" barrel, I decided the .22mag offered very little advantage out of a short snubby.
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Now if you're comparing the .22 mag to a centerfire cartridge, I don't think it compares well at all, unless for "reasons" you need something with little recoil but you still have the hand strength to pull a heavier rimfire DA trigger.
The problem with "Ballistics By The Inch" for revolvers is that the barrel measurement datum is different than for rifles and pistols (semi-auto / fixed-breech), and not directly comparable to their charts.
My .22 NAA Mini with the 1 5/8" barrel would measure 3" on their chart. Even with the cylinder gap loss, ballistics with a 40 gr CCI FMJ are significantly higher than a 40 gr .22 LR Mini Mag out of the same gun with it's conversion cylinder.
I chronographed my 22mag revolver and it was spitting out 40gr bullets at 1,450fps. Regular 40gr 22LR from a rifle is usually about 1,250fps and we know those are deadly.
Funny you say that. I have a Ruger LCR22WMR that my wife and my daughter both shoot, Both mention that the trigger pull is a little stiff, but manageable. They both used it to qualify for their CPL and did extremely well with it. It's certainly stiff compared to my LCR357 but that's the difference between a center-fire and rim-fire.The short barreled .22 and .22 Magnum revolvers that I've looked at have had the worst trigger pulls ever. Stay away from them!
I prefer to look at the "Real World Weapons" info at BBTI. Unfortunately, the shortest barrel real gun they show for .22 WMR has a 4.6" barrel.
In these cases, I like to look at the info reported at NAA on their own revolvers. Such as what is reported on the 2" barreled Black Widow at the links below.
.22 LR - https://northamericanarms.com/ballistics/ball-bwl/
.22 WMR - https://northamericanarms.com/ballistics/ball-bwm/
Both linked from - https://northamericanarms.com/ballistics/
For 40 grain ammo, the CCI Mini Mag in .22 LR is hitting about 850 fps. For semi-direct comparison, the CCI Maxi Mag is hitting about 988 fps.
Very good points there FFGColorado.Not sure about that. 'Most' that get shot in the head, even if the HP goes splat, isn't going to still be 'in the game'..unless chemically aided.
The short barreled .22 and .22 Magnum revolvers that I've looked at have had the worst trigger pulls ever. Stay away from them!