22 wmr or 38 special or 44 special for ccw

357smallbore said:

All 3 are revolvers. 22 WMR has 4in barrel, other two have 3in barrels. All ammo is Speer Gol Dot. Which would you carry for ccw daily and why? Can't reload.

1. 22 WMR 40gr Gold Dot (9 rounds) High Standard MKIV Sentinel / 25oz weapon
2. 38 Spec135gr +p Gold Dot (5 rounds) Taurus 85 / 21oz weapon
3. 44 Spec 200gr Gold Dot (5 rounds) Rossi 720 / 28oz weapon

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I'd carry any one of them depending on which day of the week it was.

I'd reach for the Rossi most often though. Caution... He who takes an interest in the .44 special better be set up for handloading beforehand.

Me I'd carry #2 for an EDC I would not even consider a 22 rimfire for self-defense and the 44 in at 28 Oz is just too heavy for me to carry every day

The one you shoot the best. These caliber wars get old.

Take each to a range. Draw and fire with each one. Which one gives you the most hits at 7 yards within 3 seconds? That’s your carry gun.

I would assume the 85 is the most size efficient?

Due to my own experience with my Taurus 85UL, I vote for that. Reasons, smallest size for the power and a wide range of factory ammo to pick from.

#3

3

A Taurus 85 UL is my constant companion.

#2

Any one of them on the right occasion....but the .38 most often. Lighter weight matters in daily carry for me.....I have enough trouble keeping my britches up!

the 38 for optimum power, concealability, and availability/price of ammo.

I like the 85 for carry, but would like to have your Rossi for my collection..

I wouldn't consider rimfire for SD.

I've carried several Taurus 85's over the years and would cheerfully do so again. It's a good size for a carry piece.

I have two Rossi 720's and like them very much. My somewhat similar Charter Arms Bulldog is my carry piece for overalls. (With its holster it fills the bib pocket properly.)

If I had the 85 and the 720, I would carry the 85 most of the time due to size/weight.

For carry, I have and sometime still do, carry a .38 - I have had and carried the 85.

So that would be my answer.

But - I have also carried and sometimes still do in winter in a coat pocket a .22wmr revolver.

Opinions:
I don't really think caliber matters that much (my opinion) as most will never have to use their carry gun and there is no way we will ever really know how many time just having a gun that the bad guy becomes aware of in one way or another has stopped an assault, rape, attack, etc or how many times that first shot (hit or miss) has deterred a crime - as these (I suspect) often go unreported since there is no guarantee you are gonna come out on the plus side of the legal system in today's world - which means caliber did not matter and as far as the world knows, it did not happen. There is also the other side of that coin where someone may say they have pulled or fired their gun and the bad guy has left and this event may not ever have happened.

Carry what you feel best carrying, shoot best, and can most accurately put on target in my opinion.
Some can't shoot something that recoils more than a .22LR for medical or personal reasons
Some can shoot .45 ACP or 44 mags well and carry those.

other info:
FBI stats back up that it takes 2 rounds to stop an attacker in just about any caliber if a shot is fired at all
Depending on which report you read caliber matters or caliber does not matter, but most recent reports say mid calibers are most often used in the last few years. That does not mean if you banned 9mm or .38 people would not get shot with something else, it just means 9mm and .38 are most commonly carried these days
Last comment - not sure if this is still accurate as data changes all the time, but, for the longest time the .22 LR was responsible for more gun deaths in the USA than any other caliber.

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I have a Taurus 85 with a 3" barrel that I carry on occasion. I agree with others that 38 Special is a good all around caliber.

22WMR would not be my first choice but I would take it over 22lr and 25ACP. Though to be honest, I would rather carry 22WMR in my Kel-Tec PMR30 versus a revolver. I know bigger and bulkier but I have 30 rounds on hand without needing to reload.

I have no experience with 44 Special so can't comment. Though I would take for woods carry that if I had to worry about bears or mountain lions.

357smallbore said:

All 3 are revolvers. 22 WMR has 4in barrel, other two have 3in barrels. All ammo is Speer Gol Dot. Which would you carry for ccw daily and why? Can't reload.

1. 22 WMR 40gr Gold Dot (9 rounds) High Standard MKIV Sentinel / 25oz weapon
2. 38 Spec135gr +p Gold Dot (5 rounds) Taurus 85 / 21oz weapon
3. 44 Spec 200gr Gold Dot (5 rounds) Rossi 720 / 28oz weapon

Click to expand...

It depends on your custom of dressing, the comfort of your holster, your tolerance for recoil/muzzle blast, and your body build.

357smallbore said:

All 3 are revolvers. 22 WMR has 4in barrel, other two have 3in barrels. All ammo is Speer Gol Dot. Which would you carry for ccw daily and why? Can't reload.

1. 22 WMR 40gr Gold Dot (9 rounds) High Standard MKIV Sentinel / 25oz weapon
2. 38 Spec135gr +p Gold Dot (5 rounds) Taurus 85 / 21oz weapon
3. 44 Spec 200gr Gold Dot (5 rounds) Rossi 720 / 28oz weapon

Click to expand...

Is this a real question?

As someone who's carried one or another .38 snub for much of the last decade, I'd go with the Taurus 85, without a qualm.

---edit to add---

Why? The Taurus 85 is a j-frame equivalent. It's small enough and light enough to carry all the time, without fail. Other folk's tolerance is different, but I find I don't consistently carry things much larger or heavier than my steel Taurus 605.

It's also pocketable, which the others aren't. Important for the way I carry.

Grips, holsters and speedloaders are not difficult to find. They will be for the Rossi and the High Standard, which haven't been made for a while.

Carrying a revolver these days is "quirky". (Either on the hipster side or the Fudd side.) .22 Mag and .44 special for carry is extra-quirky.

The Taurus 85.
I'd consider the 22WMR but in a different firearm.

Monster Zero said:

I'd carry any one of them depending on which day of the week it was.

I'd reach for the Rossi most often though. Caution... He who takes an interest in the .44 special better be set up for handloading beforehand.

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<ha ha>. Yep. As someone who's started dabbling in that realm, I'm wondering where the original poster is finding his .44 Gold Dots.