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DVC9 · November 8, 2006, 06:32 PM

The 22 Mag is a potent little cartridge.

This state also allows 22Mag to be used for deer hunting.

Would I carry it for self defense? Not as a primary weapon...

That said, I have carried a S&W Md 650, J frame 3" in 22mag on many occasions in the Kit-Gun role ,hiking, camping, or as a backup when hunting.

If you do any of these activities, thats a good reason to consider a 22mag.

A good 22Mag like the Airweight you mentioned will have much less recoil
than the centerfire calibers, which will assist in accurate shot placement and followups. 22 Mag solids are known for good penetration and have been known to defeat level II vests.

To me the primary downside of using the 22 Mag in a (Deep cover) defensive roll are that
1) Rimfire rounds are somewhat less reliable than centerfire. (Though in the mag not by much, and in a revolver you simply pull the trigger again.)

2) Should you need to, reloading is somewhat more awkward due to the small size of the cartridges. You might check to see if HKS makes speedloaders for that rev. I have some for my 650 but I don't know about the one you mention.

No matter how tough these guys think they are a properly placed mag, is going to put them through some "Changes".

There is an anecdote about the first armed female officers in NYPD, being armed with 22 Mags. As the story goes, there were indeed a few incidents of their use by officers and each time the shooting was a fatal.
It caused a stir among the Male officers who were not very happy with the 38spl round nosed lead they were issued.

The cartridge is considered , arguably, as good as anything under 9mm or 38spl.
With any of the lesser calibers the issue is going to be putting them where they need to go.

November 8, 2006, 06:32 PM	#25
DVC9 Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2005 Posts: 150	The 22 Mag is a potent little cartridge. This state also allows 22Mag to be used for deer hunting. Would I carry it for self defense? Not as a primary weapon... That said, I have carried a S&W Md 650, J frame 3" in 22mag on many occasions in the Kit-Gun role ,hiking, camping, or as a backup when hunting. If you do any of these activities, thats a good reason to consider a 22mag. A good 22Mag like the Airweight you mentioned will have much less recoil than the centerfire calibers, which will assist in accurate shot placement and followups. 22 Mag solids are known for good penetration and have been known to defeat level II vests. To me the primary downside of using the 22 Mag in a (Deep cover) defensive roll are that 1) Rimfire rounds are somewhat less reliable than centerfire. (Though in the mag not by much, and in a revolver you simply pull the trigger again.) 2) Should you need to, reloading is somewhat more awkward due to the small size of the cartridges. You might check to see if HKS makes speedloaders for that rev. I have some for my 650 but I don't know about the one you mention. No matter how tough these guys think they are a properly placed mag, is going to put them through some "Changes". There is an anecdote about the first armed female officers in NYPD, being armed with 22 Mags. As the story goes, there were indeed a few incidents of their use by officers and each time the shooting was a fatal. It caused a stir among the Male officers who were not very happy with the 38spl round nosed lead they were issued. The cartridge is considered , arguably, as good as anything under 9mm or 38spl. With any of the lesser calibers the issue is going to be putting them where they need to go. Last edited by DVC9; November 11, 2006 at 06:12 PM.