I'd carry the 351PD, that's the Airlite .22 Magnum 8 shot. If I had to carry a .22 snubbie, that is. But I'd much rather carry a .32 Magnum than a .22. I think the .22 LCR is a cool idea as a trainer for the people that carry the LCR in a proper caliber.
Perhaps I should modify the question: Does anyone have experience with any of the three .22lr revolvers mentioned in the first post? What do you think of them? Why?
I have a couple of hundred rounds through a rental 317 and like it enough that I intend to purchase one when I demob in March. Apex makes a trigger kit for the J Frames that has gotten good reviews from people who know, though I've not tried one yet.
What is the advantage of the 22 mag vs the 22 lr for this application? I would think that with the short barrels, there would be little velocity gain at the expense of a whole lot more blast and much more expensive ammo.
Semper Paratus,
Steve
My commentary on the 317 is based on a fair amount of range time with multiple examples, as well as second-hand info from folks I know who own them.Originally Posted by Le Français
My commentary on the 43 was based, obviously, on the original Model 43 and not the re-release. Don't know anything about the deuce-deuce LCR other than the press releases; I've only shot the .38 version, and a very early writer-sample gun at that.
On the .22lr terminal effectiveness front: when it comes to dropping the hammer on a bad person, we're hoping that the action forces the person we're using the gun on to stop whatever it was he was doing to make us shoot him in the first place. While a bad guy getting hit and deciding that he's passed the pain threshold he's willing to live with and buggering off is far from the worst outcome, instantly rendering him completely incapable of further hostile action is the desired goal. No handgun is a guarantee of that, but I think experts on what bullets do to people will tell us that some options on the market are better at accomplishing that goal than others.
As for the 317:
I tend to shoot mine with bulk .22 ammo, generally the Remington Golden Bullet ammo I buy for my Advantage Arms kit. In my shooting the 317 has been pretty accurate. The sights on my snub nosed model are not great (some models have longer barrels and better sights) but if I do my part on my sad little indoor range I can keep the shots in the 9 ring of an NRA bullseye at 25 yards. Outdoors I've used the revolver to make cans dance at over 50 yards. Not on the first shot, but once I figured out the Kentucky windage of the ammo I was using I could hit things with it. If you stuck to a known type of ammo you practiced with, you could conceivably take small game with it.
The da trigger isn't anything to write home about, but the sa trigger is pretty good. The quality of the Da trigger gets worse as the chambers foul and the rounds no longer sit completely flush in the cylinder. Eventually the revolver will seize up entirely because of this...so if you want to shoot several thousand rounds with no cleaning, no dice.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have carried the revolver concealed. It is considerably lighter than my 442 and so doesnt bounce around as much when I'm on the treadmill as the 442. Since having a .22 on my person was better than off body carry of the 442 I used it in that circumstance. I didn't buy it for carry, though. I bought it to improve my da trigger control skills and to get better at shooting revolvers, especially longer range accuracy with snubs. It has done well in that role. It's also fun to plink with. I've never had the opportunity to kill any small game or nuisance critters with it...but if I were to purchase over again looking at field use I'd definitely go with at least one of the longer barreled models.
Originally I purchased a model 18 for my .22 revolver ambitions, but the barrel was so badly misaligned on it the sights were unusable. Thus I had to let it go. I'd happily strangle a thousand kittens to find one of the older production kit guns like the model 34 in .22 or .22 magnum (fantastic round for small game, IMO) at a reasonable price. I'd do unspeakably evil things for a good model 17 or a Diamondback.
3/15/2016
I might be able to help you out there, call me sometime.
I have alway enjoyed "guys like to talk .45, shoot a 9, and carry a .38." The corollary to this ought to be "guys hate to shoot a .38."
Besides being amusing, this thread has become expensive, as I am now on the search for a .351 (.22 magnum) and 43C (22 LR) for inexpensive practice.
PS: Just bought a hard to find S&W 43C, and they have one left:
http://www.kygunco.com/products2.cfm...sson-43c-22-lr
Last edited by GJM; 12-20-2011 at 03:10 PM. Reason: add URL
No they don't. Damn it!
Thanks to those who responded. It seems (if one cares to sift through the thread for answers to the original question) that the 317, properly cared for, is reliable and accurate. Possibly the lack of input on the other two choices is due to the fact that they're relatively new to the market.
To answer a few questions I saw regarding my motivations - as I mentioned earlier, this thread was born simply as a way to get input on a question that I was curious about. I don't like the idea of carrying a .22lr revolver, and I am certainly not compelled by any law, policy, or physical infirmity to do so (or to be limited to that choice). My carry gun is a G17 RTF2 carried AIWB.
I have no opinion on moving the posts, but the way it was moved makes it look like I initiated the thread, which obviously was not the case.
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