Anyone carry a S&W 351c, or other 22 mag?

[george burns]

I was looking at the 7 round 22 mag as a backup gun, and reading some god reviews about newer 22 mag rounds. As a long time shooter and over 40 years carrying daily, I always felt the 22 mag was an iffy round at best. But there seem to be a lot of people carrying them now.
I never carry anything below a 9mm, the past 20 or so yrs. used to be a 38 hollow point hand load, before these 9mm wonder guns took over, now in my 60's I was thinking a 22 mag would be a pleasure to carry with it's lightweight and 7 round capacity.
But thought I would ask here first,

 

[200Apples]

.

I was thinking a 22 mag would be a pleasure to carry with it's lightweight and 7 round capacity...

You aren't kiddin'. Hardly know it's there in your pocket (or IWB, or ankle, or...) but I've gotten used to a heavier 7 + 1 .45ACP Kimber Ultra CDP II I wear in a Bianchi fold-away.

But first, some historical trivia you might find interesting:

Bill Jordan thought the Airweight Chief's Special (at the time he wrote "No Second Place Winner" in 1965) chambered for the then-new .22 MRF (WMR) would be a great backup/"hideout" gun, especially when summer clothing was worn. He thought the .22 mag a "wicked little cartridge". See Page 77 of the paperback edition.

I bought a 7-shot Model 351PD way before I read Jordan's book referred to above first because it was so light in weight (10.8 oz unloaded) and second to have as a companion sidearm to a Henry H001M .22 mag lever carbine. Turns out Smith & Wesson produced the gun Jordan was thinking of after all! and it wasn't the first time the company paid attention to the likes of Bill Jordan, Elmer Keith or Skeeter Skelton (the .41 Magnum comes to mind...).



The trigger is heavy as are all J-frames but moreso because this is a rimfire. I purchased a Wolff reduced-power hammer spring and installed it recently and experienced 100% reliability the last time I shot the gun. The DA trigger is now much lighter than it was and the SA trigger is delightful, as it was.

A 40 grain jacketed hollerpoint (not copper washed) travelling over 1000 fps is nothing to sneeze at. Check the expansion in this webpage image featured on a CCI/Speer webpage and used in a Chuck Hawks story...




Speer Gold Dot .22 WMR Short Barrel Personal Protection Ammo
By the Guns and Shooting Online Staff <--- story

 

[AlfonsDeWolf]

Everyone loves to talk "hollowpoints in everything". Not me. For me .22's are too light to push an expanded round far. Why not a jsp(which don't expand at lower velocities) or fmj? They (along with .32's) are known tumblers going sideways from around 3-8 inches point in ballistic gel and ultimately penetrating around 50% more (check on that for yourself to be sure). (Btw, h.p's may not expand at all at short barrel velocities.) Winchesters may give you highest velocities for 40gr in short barrel

 

[Tallball]

Just get some kind of 32 instead.

LCR is available in 327 now. I own several snubs in 32 H&R.

I would not feel comfortable with a 22 magnum. 32 magnum is a whole other ball park.

 

[BSA1]

Bill Jordan thought the Airweight Chief's Special (at the time he wrote "No Second Place Winner" in 1965) chambered for the then-new .22 MRF (WMR) would be a great backup/"hideout" gun, especially when summer clothing was worn. He thought the .22 mag a "wicked little cartridge". See Page 77 of the paperback edition.

Indeed!

I like to compare the 22 Magnum from a handgun to being stung by wasps.

For some people a single wasp sting can be fatal if they don't get prompt medical attention.

However for most of us a single wasp sting is very painful and a big attention getter. It causes you to stop what you are doing, look around for more wasp buzzing around and getting out of the area fast.

Now consider being stung multiple times by wasps. Multiple wasp stings do regularly kill healthy adults. So being shot multiple times by 22 Magnums is a life threatening event.

I have a Taurus M-931 8 shot revolver and 200Apples has a 7 shot S&W which I think are both very good choices. I think Ruger missed the boat by only chambering the LCR for six rounds as there is plenty of metal in the chamber for 7 or 8 rounds.

Things have really improved since ammunition companies are making ammunition especially for excellent performance from short barrel revolvers. The Speer Gold Dot is a great cartridge.

 

[AlfonsDeWolf]

BSA1......humor, right?

 

[MedWheeler]

Being shot once with even a .22LR is far more dangerous to far more people than is a wasp sting.

 

[Hoppes Love Potion]

The 351c is my carry weapon of choice. I love the light weight and 7 round capacity. I also like that I can practice with my carry ammo. The sights are perfect for a short distance gun, with a Big Dot front sight and a deep U-shaped channel in the rear. The trigger is stiff, which can affect accuracy, but also makes for very safe carry. With practice you will learn to keep the front sight steady through the trigger pull. For someone with less finger strength, the 351 PD might be a better choice since it can be fired single-action.

 

[witchhunter]

Mine is an old S&W 651. It is my favorite gun out in the woods especially. It will drop anything. I feel completely safe with it.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Not a J-frame, but a frequent EDC for me is a NAA Mini with the 1 5/8" barrel.

 

[Tacoma]

I've owned a few 22 mag handguns but none in a "carry" gun.
Here's my 2 cents why:

-22 mag looses most of it's energy advantage out of short barrels. (I'm not convinced it would be an instant fight stopper.)
- 22 mag burns dirty in revolvers. I've had several jam up from fouling in one range session.
-22 mag cost near the price of 38 special
-22 mag has an offensive muzzle blast that is way disproportional to it's muzzle energy.

Not saying a snubbie in 22 mag would be a horrible choice but there are many better.

 

[Hoppes Love Potion]

You might be surprised at how destructive the .22 Mag can be, even out of short barrels. The Speer Gold Dots were designed for use in a 2" barrel.

 

[FROGO207]

I have a 9 shot High Standard Sentinel Mark IV in 22 WMR and it is an OK carry. Not a 45 for sure but up close and personal I am sure it would do the job with a small dose of shot placement. It has a 2 inch barrel and is plenty accurate at 7 YDS for me. I have had good results with some of the CCI and Winchester loadings with the polymer tipped bullets when tested in wet newspaper. The Federal JSP rounds are good but do not expand so much when I tested them as well.

 

[Coyote3855]

Doesn't address the OP's interest in a backup gun, but I carry a KelTec PMR30 when I'm working around our property. Very effective on feral cats and ground squirrels, and with 31 rounds in hand, I feel well armed in the very unlikely event of an encounter with a two legged varmint.

 

[jimbo555]

I carry a 351c while out on my property daily. Love the lightweight and after you get used to the trigger it's easy to hit stuff. Fun little gun!

 

[franco45]

I've been considering a Charter Arms Pathfinder Lite in 22 magnum. They're about 10.5 oz. and less than half the price of a 351.