22 magnum, 351pd for CCW

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ltgem612

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I've read the hundreds of posts discussing the 22lr for ccw and self defense but I have not come across anything that discussed the 22 magnum particularly the S&W 351pd 7 shot 10oz revolver loaded with any of the three new rounds designed not for a rifle but a 2" barrel pistol namely the Hornady, Speer and Winchester PDX1 which is supposed to come out at 1200 fps. In the old day when you only had ammunition designed for a rifle the 22 magnum wasn't much better than the 22lr but now with loadings tailored for short barreled pistols and bullets designed to penetrate 12" and expand I am wondering what everyone thinks about this revolver for ccw. I also cant find anything where anyone has actually chronographed these new rounds to give us a true idea as to what velocity they actually obtain. NAA's website has some info but doesn't test all the newer rounds. Some "claim" they are as effective as a 380acp. How about it guys????
 
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It's more about shot placement than anything else so your .22 mag is better than nothing, remember one-shot-stops are a myth. Practice as often as possible and if you shoot this better than other guns carry w/confidence.
 
I'm not familiar with the new short-barrel ammo in .22 Magnum. It sounds promising, but very far from a lightning bolt. As always, Old cop nailed it. Shot placement, and lots of practice. And with the .22M stuff, several rounds.

I prefer a slower, heavier bullet: .38 Special 158 grain +P LSWCHP. But if the little .22 Mag projectiles will really expand, and you hit an assailant with enough of them, they may stop a threat.

One comment I've heard several times about .22 Magnum snubbies is that they are extremely noisy little rascals, with a very sharp muzzle and cylinder-gap blast. Guess that could be intimidating to a thug on the receiving end.

If the caliber and weapon suit you, go for it.
 
IMO,

muzzle flash and noise would be bad, and recoil would be very sharp.

If the stated gun were all I had, yes I would carry it.
 
ltgem612 said:
I've read the hundreds of posts discussing the 22lr for ccw and self defense but I have not come across anything that discussed the 22 magnum particularly the S&W 351pd 7 shot 10oz revolver loaded with any of the three new rounds designed not for a rifle but a 2" barrel pistol namely the Hornady, Speer and Winchester PDX1 which is supposed to come out at 1200 fps. In the old day when you only had ammunition designed for a rifle the 22 magnum wasn't much better than the 22lr but now with loadings tailored for short barreled pistols and bullets designed to penetrate 12" and expand I am wondering what everyone thinks about this revolver for ccw. I also cant find anything where anyone has actually chronographed these new rounds to give us a true idea as to what velocity they actually obtain. NAA's website has some info but doesn't test all the newer rounds. Some "claim" they are as effective as a 380acp. How about it guys????
Click to expand...

Having read that much on the subject, you should know the general consensus regarding .22 is that the round is inadequate for CCW. .22 Mag is somewhat less inadequate, but you are far better off with a larger caliber. Can .22 or .22 Mag be lethal? Absolutely, but so can a marble fired from a slingshot.

If you like the .22 Mag, shoot it and carry it. If you yield to the majority of forum advice, you'll get a .38 Special or better.
 
personally ... I think I'd like a full sized 32.
cheap to shoot and reload ... great range gun.
as for what Ill bank my life on ... I'm going to get a little more spendy.
 
I like my 351PD.I asked a person in the know if he ever had a person shot with a 22mag.He told me...I had one Jim,when i cut him open he was really torn up inside!He said 22mag .is a NASTY round! I have no tbl with the round.Guy sold the 351 to me cause he didn't have faith in the round.I was "forced "to buy it for $400...it also was equiped with a lazer!
Jim
 
GLVO said:
muzzle flash and noise would be bad, and recoil would be very sharp.

If the stated gun were all I had, yes I would carry it.
Click to expand...

Beg to disagree with ya on all of the above. I carry and practice with the tiny NAA PUG in .22 mag. as a hideaway backup. It's no louder than anything else I shoot in a handgun, has modest recoil, and as for muzzle flash...well, it doesn't compare to the flame thrower 2.5"mod. 66 I've used. From what I understand, the .22 round has a tendency to bounce off bones and tear up a lot of tissue in the process. The .22 mag. has greater velocity and penetration than the .22 LR. I don't claim it's a sound primary defense caliber.
 
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I notice a heck of a lot of unburned powder when I shoot .22 mag from my 6" revolver. You're not getting the full potential by any means.
 
With the new 22 Mag loads tailored for use in short barrels, these rimfires have evolved quite a bit. I recently tested all 3 (Gold Dot, PDX1 and Critical Defense) out of a 2" barrelled revolver firing into water jugs. They all expanded and penetrated into the 3'rd 1 gallon jug. The Winchester PDX1 was the best performer followed by the Gold Dot. After shooting about 100 rounds of each brand I can report they are all quality loads with no missfires and total positive ignition. I think these loads are made to a higher standard since they are geared toward CCWs.
 

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Great report, mag318. I've heard positive about the SB ammo, and your test confirmed with good penetration and bullet expansion results.
 
.22cal for a self defense round comes up a lot on this forum...NOT ENOUGH HORSEPOWER ....it's that simple....
 
I'd never carry it as my primary, but I started respecting the round many years ago, after I saw a dashboard video of an officer who died when a dirtbag shot him in the armpit with a little NAA .22. The officer unloaded his entire cylinder into the bad guy before he bled out. Autopsy showed the .22 bullet transited the officer's chest cavity and pierced the aorta. The killer was hit several times with .357 mag, but lived. Would I choose to carry a .22 for SD over a .357 mag? No. Can a .22 kill a man? Yes.
 
new short barrel 22 magnum ammo

I guess my post wasn't clear: The real question was has anyone chronographed the three new 22 magnum rounds that are designed for a short barreled pistol and not a rifle. My intent was to see if the velocity is actually what each of the three manufacturers claim you get out of a two inch barrel. Only someone who has a 351pd and a chronograph(along with each of the new rounds) can verify what their muzzle velocity really is. As to the adequacy of the 22 magnum(not 22lr) that really is each persons opinion which while I respect was not the original intent of my question. That debate is endless. I haven't been able to find anything on the internet that verifies what the manufacturers claim these new short barrel rounds achieve thru actually testing of the rounds for the weapon(351pd) in question.
 
You asked the cc question in your second sentence before asking if anyone had chronographed the new .22 mag short barrel loads. Mag 318 performed his own test of new .22 mag ammo, which was ignored by the naysaying big bore (boor) diehards. It went south from there. I hope you get the answer to your chrono question, as it also interests me. I bought a box of the .22 mag Speer Gold Dot SB on the recommendation of a gun store clerk and former HP Trooper who said it fired tighter groups for his .380, but I have not used it yet in my NAA Pug.
 
A gun is a gun. Bigger caliber is better, but if you have it available ad can carry it, you're better off with it than without it. Having a gun, any gun, is going to give you more of an advantage than bare hands.
 
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