I love j_frames for pocket carry

Even more so than lighter or smaller guns

But I'm not gonna lie, the recoil bothers Me.

I can't get this itch out of my head to get a j frame in 22 magnum,  22lr isn't going to cut it, but I have no doubt that the ,22wmr would be ok down here in miami as a backup.

(, ok maybe a lcr but i hear the trigger blows)

I'm fairly experienced with revolvers and all kinds of 38 and, 357 types and rounds And I , am just looking to be talked out of it

6 round of 22wmr gold dots in an lcr....Yay our nay

 Maybe you should try before you buy, but I think the LCR trigger is a work of art.  Perfect.
 And I tell you what, unless they are just completely out of their mind and their head is in another dimension on drugs, a 22 mag is gonna stop a bad guy.  Especially if you get a few shots off.

Am I dismissing 22lr to easily?  Reliability and bad hammer hits come to mind.

I'd feel safe with good quality ammo.  But I'd still go 22 mag.

Why would .22 WMR be any different in that regard?  Still a rimfire...

I say get it. The trigger isn't too bad on the LCR I had in 22lr I sold to my SIL for a purse gun.

the LCR38/357 trigger is world famous, and amazing.

I've heard that to get 22's to fire, ruger had to change the LCR's trigger for the worse, though I haven't tried one myself.

I assumed the gold dot WMR's would show a higher level of reliability than any 22lr....  bad assumption?

I settled on WINCHESTER X38SMRP  as my 38 round, base on this old post by docgkr:
"We tested three .38 Special loadings for BUG’s out of a S&W titanium 2 inch J-frame. These loadings had recently been reported to offer good performance by other sources....  None of the loads tested above outperformed our current standard J-frame BUG loading, the Winchester 148 gr standard pressure lead target wadcutter (X38SMRP)."

It's not exactly a hammer on recoil, but I STILL didn't want to fire a ss j-frame all day at the range. (the nypd gold dot load was good for a few cylinders at best, 357 don't get me started).  I don't want to sound too prissy,but I really don't want to own/carry a gun that I don't LOVE firing (glock 26/19, 3" 357 L frame, etc).
and also that 38 load doesn't reload so easy given its flat front.  accurate as heck though.

anyhow, I'm not in any rush as the G26 does 99% of what i need, but I can't get the 22wmr j frame outta my head.

It's the method of ignition that matters, not who's making it.   Rimfire will always be less reliable than centerfire.

I love 22mag out to 125yds for groundhog extermination, but out of a shot barrel you are killing its ballistics.





They thought the 22mag semi pistol was going to be a great carry gun, they have the same power as a 32acp out of a 4" barrel.





Always remember rifle rounds out of pistols can loose %50 of their energy.



While a standard 40gr .22 Magnum (.22 WMR) round reaches velocities near 2,000 fps (600 m/s)
at about 355 ft/lbs of energy (Energy = .5 * weight * velocity^2 / 7000
/ 32.175) when fired from a rifle, the velocity and energy is
significantly lower when fired from a handgun due to the shorter barrel.
A standard 40gr .22 Magnum round fired from the PMR-30 is approximately
equal in velocity and energy to a standard 40gr .22LR
round fired from a rifle. At 1,200 ft/s (370 m/s), this is 127 ft/lbs
of energy. Lighter bullets and various .22 Magnum ammunition with faster
burning powder specifically manufactured for use in handguns can be
expected to reach higher velocities and greater energies.



 

speer says 10-11" of penetration out of short barrels, and it's gotta expand somewhat too no?

sounds perfect other than raw pounds of energy.

This, although in my limited experience, they actually don't even equal the .32acp. I get 149 ft/lbs with corbons from my P32. Test results for .22WMR revolvers from NAA's site show around 80-85 ft/lbs even in their 4" barreled "mini-master" version: http://northamericanarms.com/ball_mmmag

Much better than .22lr, which I get around 40-45 ft/lbs with from the old beretta 21a, but still not in my personal comfort zone. A 'defensive' round that's about half as powerful as a .32acp, combined with rimfire concerns (at least to me personally) isn't something I can bring myself to trust. If you can, you can; that's personal & subjective.

Don't do it.  I wouldn't go smaller than a .327 Fed. Mag. in a revolver.  I have 40rds of Gold Dots in that caliber, and by bullet weight and velocity they are comparable to a light 9mm.

I tried the trigger on the S&W 351PD and it cooled my lust for a .22Magnum revolver.

A very heavy trigger pull on a very light gun is not a great combo.

OP needs to try before he buys!

According to Wikipedia, yes.  I don't own a .327 firearm though.

whats teh take home price on a concelaed hammer j-frame?

just a question for OP.

have you ever shot a short bbl 22mag w\no ears on?

clown

I've never seen one in person.  It's a .38 world out there.

Not only 327 Federal but .32 H&R Magnums, .32 S&W Long, .32 S&W Short and .32 ACP. Basically everything but the .32-20. How's that for load variety? If I were to get one, it would be the Ruger SP101 if you could find it. Six shots too no less!

 I carry a M642 for a BUG in my left front pocket and a service pistol IWB.

Anyway I have arthritis and shooting a M642  using my left hand SUCKS .


Ive been thinking of the expensive S&W centennial  22lr or 22magnum.   looks like M642 but 22 caliber

For some reason they are listed at a higher price. and I have yet to see one at a GS

 Hell even 22lr revolver can be louder than 9mm/40S&W

I second the motion of the forgotten in between 32 - gives your j size six shots instead of five. Also you may want to look to carry 38 wadcutters in the 38 or solve the problem with an all steel j frame - mine is a model 36 and I can shoot any safe load all day. Lightest is not always best.

How's the recoil and muzzle blast with that?

Haven't shot one, but the reviews I've read say it's noticeably less than a .38 Special +P, using a 100gr or 115gr JHP round.

In my Taurus with 2" barrel the recoil is stout, in 4" Sp101 its plesant

Back in the mid 80s I picked up a Smith 651 SS J frame 4" adj sight Kit Gun in .22 WMR.  Left it with my sister for 3 years as a bedside gun as I went to Germany.  Rimfires don't always go off when you want them to!  Only used mine for woods roaming after that.  I would also recommend the Smith J frame in .32 cal if recoil sensitive.  From .32 ACP, S&W, S&W Long, H&R Mag or .327 Federal.  Remember the ACP case is semi rimmed (not totally rimless) and will headspace on the cylinder face (do check brands of course).  IIRC Smith has made the .32s frame in steel, alumiumn and titianiam alloy and with hammer (SA/DA) or Centennial DAO.


CD

I carry an LCR .38 almost every day.   I shoot it ok but it's by no means fun to shoot.   Remember a .38 snubbie is basically a hand to hand combat weapon.   Just get to where you can get 5 rounds on the B-27 silhouette at 5 yards and you're good.   I wouldn't go with anything less than a .38 for self defense.

.22 mag out of a rifle is a beautiful cartridge for small game.  It beats the balls off of .22 LR (which I also appreciate, but they aren't in the same ballpark), and serves a flat shooting "long range" purpose.  

IT ISN"T A SELF DEFENSE ROUND!   Especially out of a 1 7/8" barrel.  Use logic and reason.  Many people, MOST PEOPLE, see a .380 or .38 as a bare minimum.  You want to ignore the FBI test, ignore bullet weight issues, and choose a round meant for a rifle barrel out of concern for recoil.  You are ignoring logic and reason, change course.  Weight, and velocity are both needed.  A short barreled snubby isn't the right delivery system for a .22 mag.  You can go the .22 LR argument route but you are Ignoring logic and reason.  Speer MADE the 135 grain J frame round for defense purposes.  115 grain 9mm is often attacked for being inadequate, I carry 115 grain +p Corbon DPX.  I understand the light weight argument, I don't understand the .22 mag arguments....   It's a rifle round for varmints, putting it in a SUPER short revolver for defense simply doesn't make sense.  Even if it's convenient it doesn't make sense.  If you are going to carry a J Frame, don't carry a .22 mag, carry something heavier that expands.

I own a S&W 351C, in 22 mag.  I have the carry style one, with the hammerless feature, bit dot sight, and rubber grips.

Nice gun.

Not cheap, it was about 650 bucks.

Light as a feather, not bad recoil, sharp little crack for sound.

Heavy trigger pull, as do all rimfire revolvers, to crank down on a stiff hammer spring so it hits it fast and hard to get it to go off.

For more accurate work, you can feel on the S&W revolvers when you've moved the hammer back and it's about ready to fire - think a two stage style trigger - a longer pull to to the work, a little notchy style feel and let off, then a shorter, single action style pull to release the hammer.

There are some good short barrel designed ammo for the .22 Mag now - I use Horaday ammo in mine when I carry.

I don't think I've ever had (in maybe 300-500 rounds) a failure to fire, but if it did, you'd just pull the trigger again for a new round in the next chamber.

One thing about it, it builds up little brass chips from the firing pin strike, that get under the cylider star, and make it hard to latch the cycliner in after 30-40 rounds.  I just keep a small tooth brush in my bag and give it a cleaning after half a box of ammo.  But remember that if you're in Mogidishu and have to fight off a hord of goons with your 22 mag!

I carry it occasionaly, like if I'm just taking a walk around the neighborhood.  Most of the time I have it's big brother, a 640, in .357 Mag, with Rem GS loads, and a Crimson Trace laser grip to make a goon think about where the bullet is going to hit and what it's going to destroy.

There are better/worse carry guns out there.  it shines as a backup gun, like in an anlke holster.