LCR 22LR vs. 22WMRF

[leejack]

I've got my eye on these guns and have heard some really good things about them.

8 shots of LR vs. 6 maggies.

Which would you pick if you could take one home today?

Comments? Thanks!

 

[PAVTXER]

I have a few .22s.... Rifle, Charger, Pistol and Revolver. My revolver is a Taurus 94 9 shot SS and it shoots great. Inexpensive to shoot but just as much fun as a the biguns. 22 WMR is not that cheap to shoot, and it isn't getting much cheaper. Taurus 22WMR is 8 shot BTW.

What is your intended purpose..... CCW or Plinking? Both calibers have their preferred or intended uses. I do not have a 22 WMR BTW. So I will vote .22

 

[leejack]

I would say mostly used for snubby practice at the range.

Maybe serve as a nightstand gun for a family member as well.

 

[PAVTXER]

I would say mostly used for snubby practice at the range.

Maybe serve as a nightstand gun for a family member as well.

I would still say .22 since it is more common, less expensive and .... everyone should have a good .22 long gun and revolver/pistol in their collection. I think .22 also has more different round types... .22short, .22LR, .22 snake shot, .22 sniper, .22 subsonic etc etc..... And did I say... cheaper to shoot, just as much fun and has been used as PD as well. Just my opinion....

 

[meshugunner]

I had the LCR22 for a short while. The trigger pull was very heavy. I returned it. Rimfire needs more punch to fire reliably, so I expect rimfire DA to be stiffer, but this was over the top.

IMO, if you know how to shoot, go with the WMR. It's significantly more powerful. If you need to practice a lot, go with .22lr because you can probably afford to shoot thousands.

 

[donut757]

ive had the .22LR here since before summer. Ive put maybe a couple hundred rounds threw it but its a gun i will throw in my pocket when im just out of the woods during the fall,winter, or riding the fourwheeler.

if im out bowhunting i take the little .22 with me incase i stumble upon a snake i cant get away from. A shotshell or two will take care of it and not make a ton a noise if im going into the stand. If i see a snake itll likely be rite near me so a quick shot at only 3-5 feet. Ill normally split the cylinder up with a few shotshell, a few CCI Quiets, and then the rest standard velocity.

When it get to the spring and summer time ill take the .38 LCR and itll take care of the snake in warmer weather.

I think the .22wmr would serve the same purpose for me as the LR and maybe a little better, but the LR will get me by and its cheap to shoot. Those .22 WMR seems to be almost as much as .38s these days.


I also keep both 38 and 22lr LCR by the bed.

 

[louiethelump]

I would have gone with the 22 magnum until I saw the review on Gunblast and noted that the 22 magnum rounds with 40 grain bullets were giving NO MORE velocity than the 22lr 40 grain Velocitor, right around 1000 FPS. For two more rounds and 40 grain bullets at the same speed, I have to go for the 22lr gun which I already have. I was disappointed in the ballistics obtained in the gunblast review.

 

[mag318]

One thing to condider that Jeff brings up is that the 22 Magnum employs better bullets than the LR. Gold Dots, Critical Defense and now Winchester PDX1s are available in 22 Magnum.

I would have gone with the 22 magnum until I saw the review on Gunblast and noted that the 22 magnum rounds with 40 grain bullets were giving NO MORE velocity than the 22lr 40 grain Velocitor, right around 1000 FPS. For two more rounds and 40 grain bullets at the same speed, I have to go for the 22lr gun which I already have. I was disappointed in the ballistics obtained in the gunblast review.

 

[BornFree]

I voted .22 Mag for a number of reasons, but not the least of which is that .22 long rifle cartridges are complete unobtanium here (and most places). Absolutely none to be had for the last two months, and none in the re-supply pipeline. .22 Mag cartridges are still available here (but only in expensive 35 grain high velocity loads). It doesn't matter which of the two calibers is best, if only one of them is available to buy so that you can actually use the gun.

 

[Bob R]

I have had my LCR22 for quite a while now. It is my economical to shoot Practice/Training J Frame size revolver. I have shot bricks of 22 LR Bulk Pak through it. My brother also has one. No issues of any kind with either revolver. Mine had a better trigger out of the box than my brothers. That can probably be cured by trying to wear his out shooting it.

The LCR 22 is a must have for anyone who carries a J Frame size 38/357 for concealed carry. You can shoot bricks of ammo through the LCR 22 without hurting your bank account. Also with the lack of recoil any bad habits will show up in trigger control. The bottom line is, you can afford to shoot it enough to get good with a 2" airweight snub. The get good part will carry right on over to centerfire.

Now for the LCR 22M. I see this as a real success story also, for a completely different reason. Lots of lady shooters want a light weight revolver to carry around. In the 18 oz range is about it for maximum weight. All is well till they fire say an LCR 38 with +P in it, or practice 38 ammo for that matter. The term No Fun To Shoot comes to mind. They may pack the airweight 38 around, but they will not be shooting it to practice with.
Here is where the LCR 22M shines, Low Recoil. As long as the lady shooter has on hearing protection she can shoot an LCR 22M all she wants with no recoil issues at all.

A buddy of mine has been working with an older lady shooter the last few Saturdays at the range. He has not had her past a 22 LR so far. We have been discussing options for her Concealed Carry Handgun Choice. So far the LCR 22M is at the top of the list. We are both of the opinion she will not get comfortable shooting a 38 in anything light enough that she will carry it.

While a 22 Magnum is not the best choice for self defense, an Airweight 22 Magnum with her when she needs it, is way better than a GP100 in the night stand at the house.

My 2 Cents.

Bob

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

IMO, if you know how to shoot, go with the WMR. It's significantly more powerful. If you need to practice a lot, go with .22lr because you can probably afford to shoot thousands.

Most people who "know how to shoot" still like to stay sharp and even improve. The more rounds you put down range, the better off you'll likely be. That is true even if you "know how to shoot." I didn't learn how to shoot well just so I could shoot less.

BTW, my vote is for the 22LR.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

It may violate the spirit of this thread, but as long as I can get a convertible Single-Six . . . that's my pick.

Why limit yourself when such a smart option is available?

Thanks, Mr. Ruger!

:mrgreen:

 

[cjs1945]

Don't really want either one, but i would much rather have the 22 LR version. Much cheaper to shoot and i don't think the 1.875 barrel would allow the 22 mag to perform much better than the 22LR. I do really like my LCR-357 though.

 

[pjkid]

Finally found a dealer with a LCR 22mag for sale last week.
I think the 22 WMR is under appreciated as there is a big difference between a 22 LR and 22 WMR.

 

[louiethelump]

Not according to the gun test that was done on it. Maybe his chronograph is wrong................

 

[pjkid]

From Gunblast review:

A revolver that is chambered for the 22 Long Rifle cartridge, in the hands of someone that knows how to run it, can be an effective defensive weapon. Even better is the 22 magnum. The magnum does not have much more recoil than does the 22 Long Rifle, but offers a bullet that is traveling faster, and is made to penetrate deeper. Most 22 magnum bullets are of jacketed-lead construction, and hold up well upon impact, penetrating as deeply as a 38 Special Plus P hollowpoint from an equal-length barrel. Penetration is very important, and getting the bullet into the vitals is the goal.

 

[oldhunter]

I debated this issue for a few months and finally last weekend bought a new LCR .22 at a local gun show. Prices in this area ranged from $405 - $459. Monday I went to the range and shot indoors just to get used to trigger and also see how accurate this gun is with only two types of ammo that I brought with me. Trigger pull is a bit harder than with a LCR .38 that I shot a few weeks ago but will see what happens after a brick or two with the .22. Accuracy was decent as I shot from 20 - 50 feet and once I learned that I needed to hold at bottom of bull, I was able to keep most of my shots in black. Will return soon with several other types of ammo and begin process of learning best ammo for this gun. At home will begin dry firing that I hope will loosen trigger a bit. Yesterday I ordered a LaserMax laser from MidwayUSA that should improve accuracy.

Currently own a .22 mag in a Black Widow from NAA that usually is my BUG so this part of my decision to go with a LCR .22 LR.

When laser arrives and I get a chance to test it, I will give another range report.

 

[Chief_10Beers]

I would want both :mrgreen: .....................

 

[Ladobe]

I would have gone with the 22 magnum until I saw the review on Gunblast and noted that the 22 magnum rounds with 40 grain bullets were giving NO MORE velocity than the 22lr 40 grain Velocitor, right around 1000 FPS. For two more rounds and 40 grain bullets at the same speed, I have to go for the 22lr gun which I already have. I was disappointed in the ballistics obtained in the gunblast review.

Never read the Gunblast article you mention, but have read many others about the 22LR for personal protection, which ammo's for that use and done my own penetration tests. A Beretta M21 Bobcat was sold years ago, but another recently bought resides in my nitestand loaded with Velocitor's and a spare loaded magazine. It easily drops in a pocket for my wee hours of the night walks around the neighborhood, only stays loaded just to already be loaded for that use. I haven't kept a loaded firearm in the house for decades, just didn't feel the need. Don't really even feel much of a need to carry this M21. It's more for coyotes running the streets I have been attacked by here a couple of times than people. Just a better option than using my fist once and a walking stick the other for defense against them.

 

[catfish621]

I have chronographed a variety of 22 and 22 mag. There is no comparision, the mag is alway several hundred fps faster.

 

[camper]

Didn't vote, but prefer the magnum. Have a S&W 351 PD in 22 mag. 7 shot DA/SA for the best of both worlds.

 

[Will S.]

Here is an interesting video from CCI; on both .22LR and .22 WMR, including some comparisons on velocity and penetration of both. It is a 2 part video. The link to the 2nd part should come up at the end of part 1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pvK9QlQtrKI