The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Are .22 magnums any good for self defense?

Webleymkv · October 2, 2011, 01:31 PM

I think that the .22 Magnum fills a very particular niche in that it's probably about the best cartridge available in extremely tiny guns (NAA Mini-Revolvers and the like) and that it also may be a good option for extremely recoil-sensitive shooters.

I, personally, would only trust a rimfire cartridge in a revolver due to the increased risk of misfires. Among the common rimfire cartridges (.22 Short, .22 Long, .22 Long Rifle, .22 Magnum, .17 Mach 2, and .17HMR), I think .22 Magnum is probably about the best one. I would also feel better armed with a .22 Magnum than I would with a .25 ACP provided that the .22 Mag is in a revolver.

That being said, I'd put just about any other cartridge for .32 ACP on up ahead of the .22 Magnum in my list of preferences. Other than the NAA Mini's and their clones like the Charter Arms Dixie Derringer (which I have little-to-no interest in) the smallest guns available in .22 Magnum are S&W J-Frames and similarly-sized guns from Taurus. In that size gun, there are many more substantial cartridges such as .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Federal Magnum, 9x19, .38 Special, and .357 Magnum available. The only really good reasons that I can think of for someone to carry a J-Frame size gun or larger in .22 Magnum is because that is the only gun they have or because they are so sensitive to recoil that they cannot handle a more substantial cartridge.

October 2, 2011, 01:31 PM	#15
Webleymkv Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 10,446	I think that the .22 Magnum fills a very particular niche in that it's probably about the best cartridge available in extremely tiny guns (NAA Mini-Revolvers and the like) and that it also may be a good option for extremely recoil-sensitive shooters. I, personally, would only trust a rimfire cartridge in a revolver due to the increased risk of misfires. Among the common rimfire cartridges (.22 Short, .22 Long, .22 Long Rifle, .22 Magnum, .17 Mach 2, and .17HMR), I think .22 Magnum is probably about the best one. I would also feel better armed with a .22 Magnum than I would with a .25 ACP provided that the .22 Mag is in a revolver. That being said, I'd put just about any other cartridge for .32 ACP on up ahead of the .22 Magnum in my list of preferences. Other than the NAA Mini's and their clones like the Charter Arms Dixie Derringer (which I have little-to-no interest in) the smallest guns available in .22 Magnum are S&W J-Frames and similarly-sized guns from Taurus. In that size gun, there are many more substantial cartridges such as .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Federal Magnum, 9x19, .38 Special, and .357 Magnum available. The only really good reasons that I can think of for someone to carry a J-Frame size gun or larger in .22 Magnum is because that is the only gun they have or because they are so sensitive to recoil that they cannot handle a more substantial cartridge.