LCR 22LR or 22WMR for EDC

[Ed Bulldog]

have narrowed my next EDC firearm to a 22LR vs 22WMR - because of health reasons

QUESTIONS:
1) what has been your experience with the LCR 22LR or 22WMR for EDC-?
Pros & Cons
2) what 22LR or 22WMR do you utilize with your LCR or LCRX -?

Thank you

 

[hittman]

Welcome to the forum

 

[GunnyGene]

The only difference is in slightly higher muzzle velocity for the wmr in short barrel guns, and ammo price. WMR is jacketed instead of plated like LR, which is somewhat better for controlled expansion, imho.

 

[hittman]

The LR holds 2 more rounds than the 22 Mag but ( at least around here ) 22 Mag is about same price as 38 Special so …. More trade-offs.

 

[davevabch]

The LR holds 2 more rounds than the 22 Mag but ( at least around here ) 22 Mag is about same price as 38 Special so …. More trade-offs.

You can get a hell of a lot more practice and training with 22.cal. And with that amount of constant shooting, you can become damn good at shooting this gun. And 8 fast shots to the head, neck and Throat will give anyone a bad day.

 

[peachhead]

You can get a hell of a lot more practice and training with 22.cal. And with that amount of constant shooting, you can become damn good at shooting this gun. And 8 fast shots to the head, neck and Throat will give anyone a bad day.

What he said.
on the other side of that coin-
I am a 22mag fan from a long way back, I own an LCR in 22mag. I like it, I have no issues carrying it as an EDC (in fairness, I have a few guns I swap between). Ammo is certainly more expensive than 22lr. There are a couple of self defense loads out there that I know of in 22mag. Another admission: I don't use any of them, I prefer Hornady Vmax. I am not a die hard proponent of dedicated self defense loads. If I ever have to shoot somebody, I don't think they are going to laugh at me and point out I am not using the correct HP buffalo bore load. I think they are probably going to be: bleeding, in pain and more than likely trying to get as far away from me as possible so they don't get shot again.

Anyway, it's pretty much up to you. Recoil is not a factor, 22mag is louder but it is more powerful than 22lr. If you can shoot accurately and comfortably with either one then you can just close your eyes and pick one.

 

[hittman]

Since I already carry a 38 Special LCR I'd likely go with the 22LR.

 

[Ed Bulldog]

What he said.
on the other side of that coin-
I am a 22mag fan from a long way back, I own an LCR in 22mag. I like it, I have no issues carrying it as an EDC (in fairness, I have a few guns I swap between). Ammo is certainly more expensive than 22lr. There are a couple of self defense loads out there that I know of in 22mag. Another admission: I don't use any of them, I prefer Hornady Vmax.

Thank you for your response
The LGS has a LCRX 22WMR Snubby for the same price as the LCR 38

I have shot the LCR 38 in the past - not using wadcutters- recoil was right at the border - this before my heath issue

I go the range 1 time a month.

How loud is the 22WMR in comparison
To a standard 38-?
My cancer medications side effect is fatigue and muscle weakness- so this is the reason for my injury-!

 

[sharpblade7777]

I have both and I would go with the 22lr. 8 rounds versus 6 rounds and out of that barrel length you are not giving up much in knock down power. Plus the lcr 22 mag has a horrible trigger pull on mine.

 

[pyth0n]

For ignition reliability, the .22WMR.

 

[arfmel]

I have both and prefer the .22 mag of the two for social situations. As stated earlier, I've had more duds with .22LR.

 

[verdigris]

My LCR .327 is my edc but I would have no problem carrying my LCR .22 LR with good ammo like Federal Punch for SD. Seems to me .22 WMR would be unnecessarily loud and stout from a 2 inch barrel. From a 3 inch or more barrel it would be good.

 

[eveled]

.22LR. More capacity, cheaper ammo, quieter.

 

[davevabch]

Since I already carry a 38 Special LCR I'd likely go with the 22LR.

I own the LCR38, Smith 642, LCR9mm. I bought the LCR 22. for a number of reasons. One was to get as much training as possible with the Snubs. And the LCR 22. has paid off in great dividends
I also bought it for outright FUN. I love shooting the Snubbies. Actually my favorite guns to shoot. After training, we end up placing clay Pigeons on the 50 yd Bern and just having fun shooting at that distance. The 22..cal does have a stronger trigger, but shoot it often and I personally do not really notice it. The 22.cal really hones the DAO trigger perfection.
Personally I say, no matter what caliber you have in a Snubby, get a 22. to go along with it.

 

[Guv]

I would opt for the mag because of ignition and how it's case holds the bullets tighter.
My personal choice would be the 38 Spl for many reasons including more reliable ignition because of the center fire primer.

 

[eveled]

One potential issue with either for someone with arthritis or other hand issues is the trigger pull on rim fire revolvers is typically very stout to have reliable ignition.

I have a Beretta 21 semi auto, but has a nifty tip up barrel that makes racking the slide unnecessary unless there is a jam. It seems to be the perfect gun for week arthritic hands

 

[Ed Bulldog]

I own the LCR38, Smith 642, LCR9mm. I bought the LCR 22. for a number of reasons. One was to get as much training as possible with the Snubs. And the LCR 22. has paid off in great dividends
I also bought it for outright FUN. I love shooting the Snubbies. Actually my favorite guns to shoot. After training, we end up placing clay Pigeons on the 50 yd Bern and just having fun shooting at that distance. The 22..cal does have a stronger trigger, but shoot it often and I personally do not really notice it. The 22.cal really hones the DAO trigger perfection.
Personally I say, no matter what caliber you have in a Snubby, get a 22. to go along with it.

Thank you for your message
I agree
Shooting a Snubby is fun - challenging- makes one a better marksman - did I say FUN
THANK YOU AGAIN

 

[Ed Bulldog]

One potential issue with either for someone with arthritis or other hand issues is the trigger pull on rim fire revolvers is typically very stout to have reliable ignition.

I have a Beretta 21 semi auto, but has a nifty tip up barrel that makes racking the slide unnecessary unless there is a jam. It seems to be the perfect gun for week arthritic hands

Thank you for your message and potential option

 

[ChiefTJS]

I'll vote .22lr if you're looking at the LCRx. 2 more shots and way less noise but I will warn you the trigger pull is stout on the rimfire. I have a 3" in .22lr and it's a good gun for sure, I do wish there was a nigh sight option but I can live with it. Have you looked at the .32's? They just introduced a .32H&R magnum snub and you can always use .32 Longs as well and both are very low recoil. For that matter both rounds can also be used in the .327 Federal versions with a heavier frame for even less recoil. Good luck.

 

[bowzette]

You can get a hell of a lot more practice and training with 22.cal. And with that amount of constant shooting, you can become damn good at shooting this gun. And 8 fast shots to the head, neck and Throat will give anyone a bad day.

Dave is right on. I have the LCR .22lr. Whether any handgun caliber is effective is a matter of shot placement. With any firearm but especially a handgun, and a double action snubby especially, you have to shoot and dryfire a lot. The difference between a miss with either caliber doesn't matter. And a shoulder hit is the same effect. If you hit a vital area with either the LR or Mag will likely be the same effect. You will either get good hits or not. You can shoot a lot more LR for the same price of the .22 Mag which means you should be more proficient with the LR. The main issue with the LR is quality of reliable ammo. I would carry the Federal Punch which is designed for short barrel revolvers (doesn't work in my Taurus TX22 pistol), or the CCI velocitor, or CCI 40 gr MM. You want reliability and penetration. Double action on my LCR is around 14 lbs. With sufficient dryfire practice this isn't an issue even for old beat-up hands like mine. The problem with the LCR trigger is it has a great trigger pull but a weak reset that requires the trigger to return all the way out. It takes practice to not short stroke the trigger. If you haven't practiced a lot in a panic situation you are likely to short stroke the trigger after the first shot. And with either caliber of .22 you want to place as many shots as you can. I have a number of handguns of various calibers to include .357. I occasionally carry the LCR .22lr and don't feel unarmed when doing so. Not the best choice but certainly deadly if you can shoot it well.