22lr lcr defense?

[boomer92266]

i have a friend who has bad wrists, he has had surgery and can't take recoil even from the 38, he's on a fixed income as well and wants the 22 lcr for low cost shooting and recoil. i do wish he could shoot a larger gun but his hand and wrists won't let him but he has good finger strength, i know any gun is better than no gun so what ammo would be best in the lcr 22? and would any of you carry the 22lr if you couldn't carry anything else? thanks

 

[rallye_red]

Just my opinion, but I love the 22lr CCI stinger 32 grain.

 

[Clovishound]

What about a .22 magnum? Much better ballistics with very little more recoil.

 

[pisgah]

I certainly would carry a .22 if I couldn't handle anything heavier. Better than empty hands, a rock or a knife, for sure. I'd try as many high-speed loads as I could get my hands on and choose the one that gave best reliability and accuracy -- and then, as with any caliber, practice, practice, practice.

 

[GunnyGene]

I have a .22mag LCR, and would recommend it. Hornady Critical Defense ammo is specifically designed for short barrel, but is a little pricey $14/50rnd box.

http://www.hornady.com/store/22-WMR-45gr-Critical-Defense/

 

[Captain America]

My wife carries a .22lr LCR every day, 8 shots and almost no recoil. She's very aware of her surroundings, she practices with it a lot and I don't feel she's "under gunned" at all.

 

[Magnum Force]

With a revolver, you don't have to worry about ammunition related malfunctions as much as you would with an semi-auto pistol. If you have a misfire, just pull the trigger again.....

If I was limited to a .22 because of physical limitations, a revolver would be my choice.

 

[boomer92266]

thanks, i will let him know. the one thing i worry most about is he loves hiking in the summer, around here coyote's, feral dogs are encountered often. a black bear is rare as hens teeth but possible. thanks again

 

[GunnyGene]

thanks, i will let him know. the one thing i worry most about is he loves hiking in the summer, around here coyote's, feral dogs are encountered often. a black bear is rare as hens teeth but possible. thanks again

Don't shoot a bear with a .22 of any description. All it will do is piss 'em off. :shock:

 

[Diamondtreo]

I have an LCR 22mag that I carry when I need something lightweight (Physically challenged - no waist to speak of & anything heavy carry drags my pants down!) The only thing I'm not fond of is the trigger pull, which is only slightly better than my KelTec P-11. It is so heavy that my wife, who loves the feel of the little revolver refuses to shoot it.

 

[Pat-inCO]

Have your friend look at the Ruger SR22P. Weight is similar but ten
rounds in the mag and reload is MUCH faster.

 

[RandyP]

A .22LR is more than enough in bear country as long as you have a partner with you. One shot to their knee-cap as you both flee and you'll get away without A SCRATCH.

 

[RandyP]

On a serious note, I would only use a rimfire for SD in a revolver configuration. Rimfire ammo DOES misfire and a second quick trigger pull of a revolver beats the snot out of clearing a jam or racking a slide in a crisis.

You might also check if a local gun range rents both LR and Mag 22 revolvers for your friend to try before buying. It goes without saying that the Mag will carry a slightly larger punch IF the recoil can be handled.

 

[mojo]

Is there anything that can be done about the heavy trigger pull on the LCD 22 mag?

 

[Pat-inCO]

On a serious note, I would only use a rimfire for SD in a revolver
configuration. Rimfire ammo DOES misfire and a second quick trigger
pull of a revolver beats the snot out of clearing a jam or racking a slide
in a crisis.

Don't know what ammo you are using but I had . . . ONE . . . misfire out of
the last case (5K rounds) of Winchester Silver Box.

That doesn't seem to be a factor . . . to me. :roll:

 

[Rumrunner]

My wife has bad arthritis and very little muscle. She couldn't handle my LCR 38 but can shoot the LCR 22. She stole my lazer grips for it as well. She staggers her cylinder with 2 Stingers, 2 solids, and so on. Reason for both is to handle any clothing be it winter or summer. Not sure which is better but both shoot good and to same POI.

 

[RandyP]

Congrats to anyone who has had nothing but success with .22LR ammo - I have experienced sufficient misfires over the decades to relegate my several .22s to range use only, not self defense. but IF a rimfire was all that was handy in a time of crisis, I WOULD grab it up in a split second rather than go unarmed.

 

[pisgah]

I have to say that given the several billion rounds manufactured each year the failure rate of .22 rimfire ammo is amazingly low -- but it is still higher than for centerfire ammo. It's just the nature of the design. Anyone wanting to minimize the risk of misfires would be wise to choose a revolver for self defense use, even if the theoretical advantage is small.

 

[Captain America]

My wife has no problem pulling the DA action trigger on her .22lr LCR or on my .22lr SP101, I shoot quite a bit of bulk ammo(WWB, Remington bucket-O-bullets, Federal bulk white box) and I rarely have a misfire.

 

[donut757]

I have LCR 38 and 22Lr. That little 22 is a great gun. it shoots well, and like stated, a malfuction occurs just keep pulling.

I hae boot grips on both my LCRs, .38 is not bad but i wouldnt shoot all day. What about the 9mm LCR? If there is a wrist problem, id sure be ok with a little pain after 4/5 shots fired to have 9mm over .22. For self defense, just the ability to present a fore arm is an advantage most times.