22lr in a 22mag

[drh 22mag]

Can I shoot 22lr out of my Ruger 22mag ?

 

[PO2Hammer]

No. It's not like using .38 special in a .357 magnum.
.22lr uses a smaller diameter case than .22 mag. There's no support in the chamber for the brass or the bullet. The bullet will likely be shaved by the shoulder of the mag chamber.

 

[Seancass]

Also, because the 22LR case is smaller, it will usually split when fired in the Mag chamber, which is always a bad thing.

Of course, if you're killing food or zombies in a post-apocoliptic world for survival, go for it.

 

[drh 22mag]

Thank you :wink:

 

[JFB]

here is the 22 mag chamber versus a 22 LR carthridge

 

[Rodfac]

I've done it many times, with an old 3-screw Single Six. I've never had a case split, and accuracy was around 2" at 25 yds from a sitting rested position, when the .22 lr cartridges were fired in the Mag cylinder. That does not make it a good practice, and in each case, it was a screw up on my part. Use the dedicated cylinders for the cartridges intended. All that not with standing, I did not find any damage to the .22 Mag cylinder. The previous responders to your post were absolutely correct, and I would heed their advice. Best Regards, Rod

 

[COR]

I've done it a lot and the accuracy isn't terrible at all...the NM does split he case a lot of the time. It's more just a matter of not grabbing 2 cylinders for me, it's probably safe to say it isn't a good practice...however I have not shot my eye out yet...

 

[Mike Armstrong]

I'd be worried about a stray piece of brass ending up in my eye, by coming out the cylinder gap or bouncing back from the target. You'd be surprised (or not) how big a microscopic bit of hard or molten material feels when it's in your eye....happened once when my neighbor was shooting .22 LRs in his Winchester pump ".22 Special" (.22 WRF, the father of the Magnum, which has the same chamber dimensions except for length). He was doing it because he was a cheap SOB. Every case split lengthwise and they didn't eject most of the time, but he just wouldn't read the tea leaves.

I would only do this if my life depended on having a gun that shot, and there was no alternative. It just isn't that hard to find and fit an LR cylinder.

 

[Hondo44]

This is an often asked question and I always recommend shooting the right ammo, period. But I have done some tests. The Ruger cylinder throats on both the LR and Magnum cylinders measure the same on my various convertible single sixes, .225". So the LR bullet is stabilized before it hits the barrel forcing cone, therefore doesn't shave the bullets and accuracy is not much different than shooting from the LR cyl, although guns vary as always just as they do with different brands of ammo which they favor.

The cases always bulged but seldom split not withstanding the rifle situation above which is a horse of another color. A split case is no worse than a ruptured primer a split case head on any other cartridge, which also is not a normal occurance but even when everything is done right, it does happen. That's why we have an absolute rule to wear safety glasses, place hands in the safest possible position, etc., etc.

So the risk factor is low, but why stack the law of averages even a little more against oneself? I don't do it as a practice and recommend the same to all.