LCR in .22 or .22 mag?

[76shuvlinoff]

I was as a gun show today and happened to look at what I thought was a Ruger LCR in .22lr. After I picked it up I saw the tag said .22 mag. How does .22 magnum perform in the shorter barrel of something like an LCR? I would expect it to be extremely loud (.357 loud?) but is it as effective as say a .38 spcl? It was a nice lightweight wheelgun, maybe even something for the wife to try but I've never fired a .22 magnum pistol.

Thanks
Mark

 

[adcoch1]

I've had a few different 22mag pistols, and even in a super short barrel they are about as powerful,if not more so, than 22lr out of a full length rifle barrel. But a 38 makes for a much bigger hole and has quite a bit more potential to stop a man sized critter UNLESS shot placement is perfect. I have no experience shooting an LCR, but it should be easier to shoot than a 38,so increased accuracy and quicker follow up shots may make it a pretty decent defensive handgun. It would be very loud, but not like a 357. In the LCR though, for the money, I would probably go for the bigger calibers in a defensive role.

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[FL-NC]

I've never fired 22 mag through a chrono, so the velocity question is def. valid. They are loud, though and I know they will do more damage than a .22 LR. Probably not a bad choice for someone who is recoil sensitive or just not a very avid shooter, provided said shooter is strong enough to employ the wheelgun's DA trigger effectively. Maybe just the ticket for the disabled person with use of 1 arm, or something like that. Also beware of lube and moisture on rimfire rounds- the crimp isn't that tight (you can spin the rounds in the cases sometimes). I would probably err on the side of caution and replace the rounds in the gun every couple of months if it is used for HD or CCW. I store all my RF ammo in sealed cookie tins. Or the tin that stupid fruitcake came in for xmas 10 years ago. Kept that nasty thing fresh.

 

[BSA1]

The 22 Magnum is a little cartridge that someone forgot to tell it that it isn't supposed to perform like a medium bore centerfire round.

There are self-defense cartridges made especially for short barrel revolvers by Hornady, Speer and Winchester. I only have first hand experience with Speer Gold Dot which is a outstanding performer in my Taurus M-941.

The bad news is 22 Magnum ammunition has disappeared in my area at least for the past year. I suggest you locate some before you buy the gun.

 

[76shuvlinoff]

Thanks,
she shoots .38s out if a 4"SP101 but the .357s from it are out of her comfort zone. Of course the SP is a different animal than the LCR. I would prefer at a minimum she had .38s or 9mm at her disposal and maybe the .38 LCR is a better choice than the .22 mag. but 22 mag is better than .22lr ....,but is it really better from a snub?

 

[Tallball]

They are also made in 327 magnum. One of the great things about this caliber is that it will also fire S&W 32 long, which has almost no recoil but shoots a MUCH larger piece of lead than a 22 magnum.

 

[Boarhunter]

I have three LCRs...22LR; 22 mag; and 38 special. They are all nice guns, and the two rim fire versions are a delight to shoot. And more practice equates to better proficiency. Of the three, though, it is the 22LR that rides in my front pocket every day, all day. Since the snubbies, for me, are not for fighting gangs or wars, but instead to get someone off my back (to paraphrase the saying), I prefer the eight rounds of 22LR Stingers to the lower round-count of the other two guns. Just my preference.

Just to tell the full story, though; I also generally have a CZ RAMI 9mm on my hip except in my office or in my home.

BOARHUNTER

 

[TTv2]

.22 Mag is a legit defense round from a snubbie, the problem is exactly what BSA1 said in .22 mag is in the middle of a Houdini vanishing act. .22 mag is tougher than LR to find right now, specially the jhp bullets made for short barrels.

As for the LCR, the .22 mag model only has 6 shots. To me that's just not acceptable given Taurus makes a 9 shot model.

tallball mentioned the .327 LCR... that would be a better than .22 mag. You can get ammo for it, even if it's low power .32 long target loads or powerful .327 ammo.

But if your question is .22 LCR or .22 mag LCR, I'd say .22 LR for the reasons of ammunition availability and price.

 

[weblance]

Does 22 Magnum have more energy, and effect, than a 22 LR from the same short(2")barrel length? Yes. Is it effective as a Self Defense round? Maybe. It is a major compromise, but does offer a choice for someone who doesn't have the ability to handle a weapon that has heavy felt recoil.

 

[jimbo555]

It also gives you 7 rounds in the j frame size model 351c that weighs 10oz.

 

[Hammer059]

It offers little ballistic difference out of a barrel that short.

The .22 mag is more expensive, harder to find, and IMO just makes a little more noise.

The .22lr is cheaper and very available, meaning you can practice more. AND you get two more rounds with the .22lr.

For me it's a no brainer. I plan on getting an LCR in .22 long rifle.

 

[TTv2]

Does 22 Magnum have more energy, and effect, than a 22 LR from the same short(2")barrel length? Yes. Is it effective as a Self Defense round? Maybe. It is a major compromise, but does offer a choice for someone who doesn't have the ability to handle a weapon that has heavy felt recoil.

the big difference and advantage .22 mag has over LR in a snub is the premium defense jhp's are made for shorter barrels and get decent velocity, BUT also expand quite reliably up to about .375" diameter.

Energy transfer is what helps with stopping someone, penetration is desired for CNS hits or vital organs. Defense oriented .22 mag does both, .22 LR doesn't expand by in large, but it can penetrate... and sometimes it can't.

But for reasons mentioned above, it's probably better to go with a .22 LR snub than a .22 magnum, unless someone's sitting on a brick or 2 of .22 magnum jhp.

 

[MedWheeler]

Also beware of lube and moisture on rimfire rounds- the crimp isn't that tight (you can spin the rounds in the cases sometimes).

With .22LR and shorter, yes. In those rounds, the bullet heel is narrower than the rest of the bullet, and that's what is shoved into the case; the bullet body and the case are the same diameter. There isn't even any real crimp.

In the Magnum load, the crimp is just like that on a centerfire round, with the case being wider than the bullet. The bullets certainly should not be any looser than would a .38 Special bullet in its case.

 

[AlfonsDeWolf]

Pay attn to the .38LCR trigger vs either of the .22's. They are ALL different. Then ask yourself what can the .22's in that barrel length do what the .38 cannot. I like some things about the .22 mag in longer barrel lengths, but 6x.22mag would get 3rd place for me. I would look at 5x.38 vs 8x.22lr here.

 

[TfflHndn]

I strongly recommend you dry fire a .22M LCR before buying. It's a STIFF trigger. Not so much that it would affect a cylinder of shots, but for practicing it can put someone with weaker hands off the gun. I don't even like putting a box of ammo through it (though I do from time to time, in the vain hope that the trigger will lighten up after a few hundred rounds). I have heard that the centerfire LCR triggers are much better. I'd definitely do some comparing.

 

[cocojo]

If its for carry 38 special but for fun 22lr . I own the 22 mag and wish i bought 22lr. Just a cheaper round to shoot. The 32 in 32 h& r is a nice compomise for carry. I would get the 38 and shoot wadcutters or standard velocity loads.

 

[jstert]

american rifleman reviewed the ruger lcr 22wmr awhile ago: short barrel negates power. i had and disposed of the lcr 22wmr, tho i love this round in my 5.5" ruger single six. i ccw a lcr 22lr. very easy to carry, with 1-2 speedstrips of yellow jackets. i consistently shred a 3" phone book, in 3" groups, at 3 yards in a fast ammo dump. since my defense strategy is to evade and escape, and not seek a fight, the lcr 22lr works for me.


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[Kiln]

I'd go .22lr. There are hypervelocity loads available that are worth considering that cost about $8/50 while .22 mag runs considerably more and bleeds energy quickly from a short barrel.

 

[TTv2]

I'd go .22lr. There are hypervelocity loads available that are worth considering that cost about $8/50 while .22 mag runs considerably more and bleeds energy quickly from a short barrel.

that's not true. .22 Mag not only is faster than .22 lr, it's going faster with a heavier bullet. For the distances that a short barrel is used for, the energy loss is not an issue.

 

[Old judge creek]

I did this little comparison for myself some 5 years ago.




The bottom line is that from a short barrel, there's not "all that much" difference. OTOH: the 'flash-bang' on the receiving end is much greater with the 22 mag.

Regardless, with such a short barrel the point is moot, IMO. There's a very real reason, for me at least, why the 38 Special was part of this choreograph testing.

 

[jimbo555]

There are 22 magnum self defense rounds from hornady and cci now specifically for handguns that penetrate and expand more than any 22lr. The problem is finding them for sale!

 

[Waveski]

Old Judge Creek- Very nice tabulation. The one thing that validates the 22 mag is the availability of SD rounds. IF , that is , those SD rounds will perform at 841 fps...?

 

[cocojo]

Just for clarification I chronied the 110 Federal hydra shok from my Ruger LCR and got average of 935 which is 214 ft lbs of energy.