Girlfriend (maybe future wife) is wanting a handgun for home protection and general use maybe CCW in the future. She does not like recoil. Anyone have any experience with the LCR in .22WMR. Please dont start a she should get a (.357, 9mm, .380, .44 magnum, .454, ETC.) she wants a .22 and I think she would like a .22WMR. So I like the LCR platform but have not shot one. TIA

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

No personal experience with the LCR, so I'm sorry I can't give you a more direct answer. If you already have a .22 she's happy with, I might have an idea worth investigating...

Years ago, my brother briefly owned a Smith (K frame?) revolver with both LR and WMR cylinders. Back when we both had varying interests, and would buy, sell, and trade without a second's thought.

Something along those lines would be pretty good for an intro to Home Defense. Less expensive & quieter practice, more effective stoked with mags while at home.

Come to think of it, that's something I'd like to have now! Anyone have a spare cylinder fitted to their 17 or similar?

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Virtute et armis

I LIKE .22WMR . , But , and a major But , it is less than pointless in a snub bbl. I have chrono'ed a 40gr jhp at a full 1400fps from a 4.75 in revolver. This is nothing to sneeze at , yet mild recoil. But from a 2in , you are only getting 900-ish , yet a severe muzzle flash and blast aka performance of a 4in .22lr , yet unpleasnt.

For HD use , with minimum recoil , yet effectiveness signifigently above .22lr , a full size .22WMR is viable.

If the envelope of a small frame snub revolver is the given , .22WMR is poor choice. BeTter would be .32Mag , or even .32 S&W Long .

Yeah, but I've got a 4" 17-6 thats been with me for about 30 years. Seen lots of time in the holster, both running a trap line and just walking the woods year-round. Plenty of honest holster wear, but still shoots well enough to pot a bunch of squirrels each fall. Not so pretty that I'd hesitate to have a WMR cylinder fitted, if I knew it to be practical.

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Virtute et armis

You can't lose with the 22LR for a beginning shooter. Best way to break them into the sport. In time you can always move on to something else. Also, for those who claim the 22LR is anemic, many people have lost their lives to that cartridge.

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Lost in Penn's Woods

I tried one out at our local range a few months ago. I liked it and may eventually buy one as a concession to my wife's carpal tunnel, which makes it difficult for her to handle even standard .38 loads from my 642. I found the trigger pull smooth, the accuracy quite good and the blast and flash unobjectionable, but I said that about .357 snubs, too. I may buy one and if the light of my life decides she doesn't like it, use it as my fishing gun.

There are several test reports out there showing performance of the .22 Win Mag Gold Dot short barrel load in ballistic gelatin similar to the Gold Dot .380. The standard .22WM loads were intended for rifles and long-barreled revolvers. One of the modern .32 loads would an alternative if you can find the gun.

Other than shotguns to the head, I've seen 2 shootings where the loser was DRT - one from .45 ACP Ball between the eyes and the other a .22LRHP in the chest that destroyed the aorta.

IMHO she would be better off with a gun she was comfortable shooting and willing to carry than a high-cap blaster that terrifies or hurts her. Take her to a range that has one for rent and let her try it. She may make the decision for you - and probably should.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

A snub nose revolver in any caliber will be a challenging firearm for anyone to shoot, let alone a new shooter firing a very 'boomy' cartridge such as 22WMR. Rimfire LCRs also suffer from a heavier trigger pull than their centerfire counterparts in an attempt to ensure reliable ignition of the rimfire primer. If she needs a CCW immediately, that's probably your best choice.

A home defense option for the recoil shy for HD is a Ruger 10/22 with 40 grain solids loaded in a BX25 magazine. A rifle will be easier to aim, have much less recoil, and will have much less flash and boom than even a 22LR pistol, and with 25 rounds on tap, she can keep firing until the bad guy drops. While not the best defensive choice, it is an option for the recoil shy.