The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: The Revolver Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old October 12, 2012, 01:47 PM   #26
coyota1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 6, 2008
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 663
As I stated before on this thread, I have a NAA 22 WMR. I like the size of the gun as much as the caliber. I also have the mini 22 lr. It's nice and small, but it's much harder to shoot effectively than the magnum.
coyota1 is offline  
Old October 12, 2012, 04:58 PM   #27
Redhawk5.5+P+
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 4, 2012
Location: NV
Posts: 743
"I" don't see the need for a 22mag in a handgun. I see it better used in a rifle.
Redhawk5.5+P+ is offline  
Old October 12, 2012, 05:16 PM   #28
osbornk
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 11, 2012
Location: Mountains of Appalachia
Posts: 1,598
I was at Walmart earlier this week and bought a box of 9MM for my pistol and a box of 22 MAG for my rifle. The cost was nearly the same.
osbornk is offline  
Old October 12, 2012, 06:43 PM   #29
Guv
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 24, 2012
Location: South Texas
Posts: 2,126
I had a beautiful H&R clip fed semi auto rifle! Still have nitemares about getting rid of that thing, worst gun related decision I have ever made!
Guv is offline  
Old October 12, 2012, 06:53 PM   #30
tulsamal
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 25, 2004
Location: Vinita, OK
Posts: 2,552
I have a S&W M48 made in 1960. It's a beautiful revolver with that wonderful old school blue. A six K-22 with the punch of .22 Magnum. But after I bought it and started shooting it, I discovered it has "issues." I posted about it on the S&W forums and discovered it's a "known issue" and you "just have to live with it." The issue is that extraction is difficult after only six shots and gets worse quickly after that.

The reality seems to be that .22 Magnum works great in a single action since you eject one piece of brass at a time. But in a double action you eject all of them at once. Depending on the particular brand of ammo and the particular gun, it can be a real issue. In my M48, the first six rounds eject with one firm palm slap. But I'm already telling myself that the clock is ticking. The next six may or may not eject with a good push. Sometimes I end up really pushing. As I said, it depends on the brand of ammo but within 32 rounds of ammo... I'm totally done until I totally clean the gun. It just becomes impossible to get the empties out of the cylinder. But if you look at the cylinder after it is clean, those holes are perfectly mirror smooth. It's not a manufacturing issue, it's a double action revolver issue with the magnum ammo. Lots of M48 owners experience the same thing. I've even considered selling it but it's just such a pretty gun. And it does shoot well. And you don't just stand around plinking a couple hundred rounds with a .22 Magnum anyway!!

Gregg
tulsamal is offline  
Old October 13, 2012, 01:27 AM   #31
bamaranger
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 9, 2009
Location: North Alabama
Posts: 8,273
Ruger

Has Ruger . does Ruger, do the SP revolver in .22 mag? That would be a nice combo.
bamaranger is offline  
Old October 13, 2012, 02:22 AM   #32
FloridaVeteran
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 26, 2012
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 399
Now that I have a PMR-30, I like it a lot! I bought Critical Defense at $9+/box online and Super-X is about $7+ at Wal-Mart, so I'm not sure how folks are getting .38Spl. at those prices.

My wife has always been terrified of recoil because a female friend talked to her about how horrible it is before I first took her shooting. She even convinced herself that a .32 Long kicked too much. So I gave up and bought her a Smith 351C and she loves it. Expensive, but nice light little 8-round snub and she is not afraid of it.

Since we thus had our first .22WMR, there was no reason not to buy a PMR-30 for myself. And it cost less than her Smith, including extra mags.
FloridaVeteran is offline  
Old October 13, 2012, 07:47 AM   #33
rodfac
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 22, 2005
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 3,619
Redhawk5.5 has it right I think... and I'd opine that there's nothing inherently wrong about the .22 Magnum cartridge...for its intended use, as I understand it, as a rifle based varmint round for those that couldn't afford the bigger center fire cartridges and liked the idea of a rim fire...i.e. less noise in populated areas and good workable accuracy out to 125 yds for wood chucks, crows, ground squirrels etc., and cheaper than the center fires.

Ruger came out with the Single-Six in a switch cylinder gun that appealed to many, myself included, and I bought one for my wife in early '73. It's been used to teach a lot of new shooters over the years, but in all honesty, we've used the .22 Magnum cylinder maybe a dozen times. It just didn't make sense in a revolver...our use being cheap single-action practice in an accurate gun. The gun is a joy to use...once it's out of the holster...but that big, undercut hawk's bill front sight snags a lot of leather duff on the way out!

The magnum, at considerably more expense, did not fill that 'cheap practice' niche, and too, the muzzle blast wasn't appealing. Our 5-1/2" barreled gun is very accurate with the .22 lr cylinder in place...good groups (see pic below) at 25 yds with selected ammunition are easy from a rested position...but the .22 Magnum is not that good...more like 2+" at the same distance. As a hunting round, for varmints up close, it would work out, but for squirrels, rabbits etc., I'd say it was excessive unless head shots were made...difficult for all but an expert with any handgun.

So...from my viewpoint, it's a 100+ yd small varmint round when housed in a suitable rifle, but fills no discernible need in a handgun.

Best Regards, Rod

__________________
Cherish our flag, honor it, defend it in word and deed, or get the hell out. Our Bill of Rights has been paid for by heros in uniform and shall not be diluted by misguided governmental social experiments. We owe this to our children, anything less is cowardice. USAF FAC, 5th Spl Forces, Vietnam Vet '69-'73.

Last edited by rodfac; October 13, 2012 at 07:53 AM.
rodfac is offline  
Old October 13, 2012, 07:55 AM   #34
tulsamal
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 25, 2004
Location: Vinita, OK
Posts: 2,552
Quote:
So...from my viewpoint, it's a 100+ yd small varmint round when housed in a suitable rifle, but fills no discernible need in a handgun.
Other people have already pointed out that it does have self defense potential. I have a NAA Mini Master myself with two cylinders. I practice with the .22 LR cylinder. Also use it with that cylinder when I take it with me fishing. But I have chrono'ed that little gun with both cylinders and there is a substantial difference between .22 LR and .22 WMRF ammo. The four inch barrel helps compared to some of those much shorter barrels I'm sure. If I carry that little gun as a hideaway BUG, I put the .22 Magnum cylinder in it.

Gregg
tulsamal is offline  
Old October 13, 2012, 08:01 AM   #35
rodfac
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 22, 2005
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 3,619
Tulsamal...Can't see the self defense use, personally, even as a BUG. Of the half dozen LEO's of my acquaintance, none use any .22 as a BUG. I'd say that practice with a more suitable caliber would solve recoil sensitivity issues, and the same size BUG frames are also capable of handling bigger cartridges...my opinion, only...

Just curious, is that a 4" barrel you have on that NAA Mini Master?...The googled pic I just saw showed a couple with what looks to be 4" barrels.

Best Regards, Rod
__________________
Cherish our flag, honor it, defend it in word and deed, or get the hell out. Our Bill of Rights has been paid for by heros in uniform and shall not be diluted by misguided governmental social experiments. We owe this to our children, anything less is cowardice. USAF FAC, 5th Spl Forces, Vietnam Vet '69-'73.

Last edited by rodfac; October 13, 2012 at 08:28 AM.
rodfac is offline  
Old October 13, 2012, 11:54 AM   #36
L_Killkenny
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 2, 2007
Location: Iowa
Posts: 2,676
In a rifle the .22m is a niche round. Great if you're mandated by law for use on larger critters where a .22lr isn't quite enough (some states and areas don't allow centerfires for certain times and uses) or in areas where the extra umph and noise of a centerfire would be a definite no no.

In a handgun it's perhaps the biggest joke going. Frankly if you need more than a .22lr than you need a centerfire. The .22m is a squirrel and bunny gun (same as a .22lr rifle) but it's far from a requirement for that job and not big enough for anything bigger and/or tougher. Just bite the bullet and buy a .38. Bigger, better, more versatile, not much if any more expensive to shoot.
L_Killkenny is offline  
Old October 13, 2012, 12:31 PM   #37
Joe_Pike
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 30, 2010
Posts: 1,581
Quote:
Tulsamal...Can't see the self defense use, personally, even as a BUG.
Quote:
Bill Jordan was reportedly a fan of the .22Mag and actually considered it to be a reasonable choice for self-defense.
Seems like pretty high praise to me.
__________________
Stay Groovy
Joe_Pike is offline  
Old October 13, 2012, 12:33 PM   #38
Obambulate
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 22, 2011
Posts: 582
Nevertheless, people have defended themselves with .22 handguns for 100+ years, and will continue to do so. Like I said, I'd happily trade my 5-shot .38 for an 8-shot DA .22 Magnum. I essentially already HAVE traded it for a 5-shot SA .22 Magnum, which I carry 90% of the time. I do sometimes carry a 2nd 5-shot .22 as a NY reload.
Obambulate is offline  
Old October 13, 2012, 12:56 PM   #39
Bob Wright
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 10, 2012
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Posts: 2,986
I want to qualify my remarks concerning the .22 WMR. My .22 WMR revovler was a Ruger Single Six Convertible, with adjustable sights. I often referred to it as a "Baby Blackhawk." So with this one revovler I had the option of economical .22 L.R. and the .22 WMR cylinder for hunting.

As to having a revolver dedicated solely to .22 WMR, not so handy a gun.

Bob Wright
Bob Wright is offline  
Old October 13, 2012, 01:48 PM   #40
natman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 24, 2008
Posts: 2,604
I love the 22 mag - in a rifle.

In a pistol the slow burning powders used for maximum performance in a rifle produce blast and flash all out of proportion to the performance, which is roughly equivalent to 22LR in a rifle.

Why anyone would deliberately choose the 22 Mag from a pistol for defense when there are so many better centerfire rounds available is beyond me.
natman is offline  
Old October 13, 2012, 02:07 PM   #41
dorc-1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 17, 2012
Posts: 106
Finally got my PMR 30 broken in. It's strictly a bedside/trail gun. It now feeds my favorite 30gr V-max reliably and will do so if I clean and oil the gun after use. The V-max seems to be the most accurate round out to 25 yds, and I love the explosiveness. Not the FN 5.7, but close enough. Anytime you can take a grapefruit size cavity from a torso or leave an arm dangling with one shot, it's a great deterrent for such a small caliber.
dorc-1 is offline  
Old October 13, 2012, 11:00 PM   #42
Chasesf1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: October 7, 2012
Posts: 7
Quote:
Code:
Why anyone would deliberately choose the 22 Mag from a pistol for defense when there are so many better centerfire rounds available is beyond me
The reason is that the .22 mag is cheaper to shoot, it produces energy out of a pistol similar to the 38 special (you can see ballistic info in my previous post), newer ammo is really mean for the 22 mag, and I get 8 rounds in my concealed revolver instead of 5.
Chasesf1 is offline  
Old October 13, 2012, 11:24 PM   #43
Redhawk5.5+P+
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 4, 2012
Location: NV
Posts: 743
Although I'm on the na-say side of the 22Mag handguns, I do think the Kel-Tec PMR-30 is a pretty cool concept.

14oz and 30 shots. That's cool, I'll get one if the deal is right, I even have some box's of ammo I bought years ago.

TBS, I'd also get a rifle if the deal was right.
Redhawk5.5+P+ is offline  
Old October 14, 2012, 01:39 AM   #44
Hook686
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 22, 2005
Location: USA The Great State of California
Posts: 2,090
Back in 60's I bought one handgun for target shooting and squirrels shooting when hiking in the mountains. The primary purpose was the .22lr use. The .22 magnum struck me as 'Frosting on the cake' when I bought the Ruger Super Single Six. When I was hiking I carried the .22 magnum rounds in the revolver. When I wanted to shoot at squirrels I changed cylinders and shot away with .22lr rounds. One hand gun, the Ruger Super Single Six worked for me for several years. I have other handguns now and have not shot .22 magnums in maybe 30 - 40 years. I still have the revolver though and a couple of boxes of .22 magnum rounds.
__________________
Hook686

When the number of people in institutions reaches 51%, we change sides.
Hook686 is offline  
Old October 14, 2012, 02:36 AM   #45
22-rimfire
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 19, 2005
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 5,323
I like the 22 WMR round. People believed it would dissappear when the 17 HMR came out. It didn't, and I wager it is more popular than before.

I am not a huge fan of the caliber from a handgun. It is certainly more powerful than the 22LR. The muzzle blast is substantial compared to a 22LR.

Most folks who have the Ruger Single Six seldom change the cylinders out from 22LR. My belief is that you should have a dedicated 22 Mag revolver/handgun if you want to shoot the caliber with any regularity.

I think a rifle in 22 Mag is a very good survival type weapon with fairly broad capabilities along with ammo that is fairly compact.

Most don't shoot their 22 Mags much because of the cost of ammunition. But if you shoot factory loads, it is cheaper than centerfire choices.
22-rimfire is offline  
Old October 14, 2012, 08:29 AM   #46
L_Killkenny
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 2, 2007
Location: Iowa
Posts: 2,676
Quote:
it produces energy out of a pistol similar to the 38 special (you can see ballistic info in my previous post),
You're so called ballistic info is bunk my friend. The .22m outta a handgun is no where near the .38sp, more along the lines of a .32 long. The special and the .32H&R trounce (and I mean severely) all over the .22M.
L_Killkenny is offline  
Old October 14, 2012, 12:28 PM   #47
natman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 24, 2008
Posts: 2,604
Quote:
The reason is that the .22 mag is cheaper to shoot, it produces energy out of a pistol similar to the 38 special (you can see ballistic info in my previous post), newer ammo is really mean for the 22 mag, and I get 8 rounds in my concealed revolver instead of 5.
Which merely illustrates - yet again - why energy is not as valid a means of comparison that some people think it is.
natman is offline  
Old October 14, 2012, 02:54 PM   #48
Pointshoot
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 23, 2004
Posts: 236
I like it in rifles, not in hanguns. Too loud. I'd rather use a mild 38 Special for general 'woods walking' use, over a 22 mag handgun.

But I usually use a 45 Colt or 44 Special when woods walking. I like to switch to heavier 45 Colts or 44 Mag if big critters may be around (griz).

Last edited by Pointshoot; October 14, 2012 at 03:33 PM.
Pointshoot is offline  
Old October 14, 2012, 03:35 PM   #49
coyota1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 6, 2008
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 663
natman, I believe the 22 WMR out of a rifle be close in energy to a 38 special out of a pistol.
coyota1 is offline  
Old October 15, 2012, 07:52 AM   #50
micromontenegro
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 28, 2010
Posts: 645
If I had to sell or give away all of my guns, my six inch Model 48 would be the last to go. It was my first pistol more years ago than I care to mention, and to this day it is the one I shoot best- by quite a margin.
micromontenegro is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:44 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.12697 seconds with 10 queries