Of course you can. I keep forgetting I'm here with my betters who all grew up rich and had plenty of money to buy whatever they wanted. The problem with having too much is you were never stressed to improvise.
Yes, the LR is .222 and the mag .224. We have the same issues with the Jet, too. But there are some reloaders who just use .224, ignore the pressure and case wear issues, then shoot on.
The first thing you've got to understand is 22s aren't all the same. Its like golf balls, they're not all the same diameter either. So dig out your micrometer and a selection of 22s and begin measuring and recording (that's fancy for writing it down.) Not just the bullet at the fattest part, but the cases, too. Then hang around a range some time and pick up a selection of fired 22 mags. Look at the headstamps, no reason to pick up 50 all the same, pick up different ones. Then take them home and measure them, all just for fun.
Here's what you'll find. Brass isn't the same. Some expands more than others, some of it has better "memory" and shrinks back to where it was. What you're looking for is a bunch of it that will still chamber in your revolver after its been fired. Tight is good. Then go to the basement or workshop (I keep forgetting some of you folks live on slabs and don't have dungeons to hide in.) Take a dremel tool or big ole file and remove the rims from the mags. Start with just one of each head stamp.
Then you take the 22lr (or shorts or whatever) that measured out the smallest. You insert them in the magnum case and you have an adapter. It does work, but not always for every gun, or every brand of 22mag case with every brand of 22 LR. Doesn't matter, all you need are a pair it will work together. Then fire away.
Not sure why the big concern with 22 cases splitting. Try as I might, I can't reload them. But the "custom" adapters will prevent them from splitting. And you don't get real good extraction, so take along a short factory cleaning rod with a 22 caliber jag. You can just catch the end of the case (the mag case) and the entire thing will push out. Then its up to you to salvage them for another session, or not. You're only out the few minutes it took to get rid of the rim.
Its not the best way (the best is to never have even bought the 22 mag), but it does allow you to fire specialty ammo in the mag. Examples would be 22 shot (the mag shot shells cost too much), or BB or CB caps if you wish. I guess you could even fire the hyper velocity stuff like stingers. The price differential isn't enough to make it worth your time.
But if all you've got is 22 lr ammo and a 22 mag gun, you can make it work just fine. The accuracy is OK. A lot of folks have sought out M51s and wanted an extra cylinder. We even see the sets at gun shows from time to time. Most of us are old and can't even see the sights, much less the bull. How would we know if it was accuracy or the shakes?
Trust me!
