Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .38 or .22 mag for concealed carry.

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CLICK ON YOUR CALIBER OF CHOICE

My dad had a derringer that shot 22mag. Pearl handle. Contained 2 bullets. Very loud. Guess men were not as tuff back then. He said, "you want to give a man EVERY opportunity to change his mind".

That said, a 38 would keep you safer.

I have seen a single shot pants pocket gun that shoots either a 45 or a 410.

The reality we face is the FACT that in a small snub revolver, even standard pressure .38's can have a bark that's more than our beloved seniors are willing to handle. And the lighter the gun, the worse it gets.

Ballistically, the .22 mag has some impressive stats, and it IS famous for penetration, and not just of Kevlar vests. The problem is, most ballistics stats are from a rifle, not a handgun. And when we go to a handgun, the velocities are horrid, severely imparing the performance of this litle pipsqueak.

I think the best course of action is to find someone who has a small .38 special and have your senior friend first try it out. I would recommend a 148 grain target wadcutter as the try out load, and if it's borderline, then just use that 148 wadcutter for defense, which will still be much better than the .22 magnum.

Probably the chief advantage of the .22WRM as a self-defense round is that it will stay in the body of the target, usually in the form of several jacket fragments and a larger core/base fragment if a softnose or hollow point. It makes one hell of a mess in the abdomen; ask any big city emergency room doc. Just like a little grenade.

Staying in the target is a great advantage if you are shooting inside of a multiple dwelling--avoids collateral damage which could well mean your wife or kid. Even a .38 wadcutter is likely to penetrate thru a human body at very close range. And then what? You can't control where it goes. If you use a .38 in that kind of situation, it better be loaded with Glasers.

In Florida a few years ago, I bought my S&W 651. The dealer said they couldn't keep them in stock, in spite of the high price. They were commonly known as the "Senior Citizen's Friend" or the "AARP .22 Special".....at "inside the trailer" ranges, a .22WRM with hollow points will do quite well. (Keep in mind that NONE of the weapons mentioned here is a "stopper" at these ranges unless it gets inside the brain or spine. But they are all sure "attention getters"!).

Since I can handle a small .357 with near full power ammo, that's what I would choose.
But I'm not your Grandpa. So, it's up to him.
I've used both on game. I've seen people killed or shot with both. Both work, that's for sure. We buried two cops who were shot with a .22 Mag from a Hi Standard Derringer at arms lenth. One took one in the heart and was dead right now. The other took one in the stomach and got off four rds - all misses - before dying.
As a rule, almost all .38 Special loads are pretty weak from a 2 inch. In fact, standard .38 special ammo won't shoot through some heavy coats.
I have serious doubts about a 2-4 inch .22 Mag round shooting through any kind of body armor.
If you pick a .22 Mag, I'd go with nothing shorter than a 4 inch gun. The 2 inch models loose too much velocity. All small .22 Mag revolvers are very loud.
See what he can shoot well is my advice. Even if it's "only" a .22 LR. E

Years ago, I had a 651 Smith (3" J frame WMRF).
Don't remember the exact numbers but chrono measured velocities were not impressive; maybe enough to yield 30% more energy than .22 LR in a similar revolver.

Why not .38 Spl. 148 Gr. wadcutters out of a 2-3" barrel?

I think they'd make it through some clothing.

http://www.handgunsmag.com/ammunition/HG_wickedwadcutters_200901/index.html

The 22 mag vs. 38 question has been well addressed.

Several folks offered other caliber/model choices. If he is an inexperienced shooter, be cautious about caliber/model choices. He needs to try what he will get.

When I was younger, I got my now-wife a snub SP-101 357 for her first gun. Hey, it was small, fit her hand, and 357 is the sh%t, right? Well, she had trouble shooting it well. Many years later, she good with it, but my point is, this was not the best beginner's gun. In fact, it would have been tough to pick a worse one. Too short, too hard to handle while figuring out trigger control, sight alignment, grip, etc.

Someone also mentioned the Kel Tec 9mm. I have a PF-9. I love it, in spite of it's inherent challenges, but would NOT recommend it for a novice. It carries great, but is not the easiest to shoot. Wifey now has a USP Compact in 40 S&W, and does well with it. She has real trouble getting the PF-9 to run. It is definitely not a beginner's gun.

Either way, by all means hook him up with something. Even a 22LR beats a sharp stick! Just make sure it is something that will do what he wants. Trying candidates is huge.

Well my friends I shared your opinions with my grandpa and a few days later I came home and he had purchased a Taurus .327 6 shooter with a 2" barrel beautiful little gun and he got decent deal on it from a local dealer.

...nice choice...when he shoots it let us know how he likes it and does with it.

I am glad to see the .327 making some headroads finally. It is unfortunate that it comes at a time where ammo is the same price as gold...

Bob

If you have a choice, hands down .38 special. What I'd suggest if a small gun is preferred is the S&W 3" barreled M60 .357 with adjustable sights, swap the rubber grips for the laminated "lady smith" grips because the rubber will stick to clothing. Feed it .38 specials. The Ruger SP101 is also a really nice gun but the .357/.38 versions do not have adjustable sights.

I've carried a .22 magnum when that's all I had. It's vastly better than unarmed. But a .38 or .357 is even better yet.

Tom

For many years I carried a High Standard deringer in .22 mag. Mostly now I carry a S&W 649 in .38spl. At certain social occasions the .22 mag still goes in my pocket.

The .38spl is clearly the better round. But sometimes descretion plays a role.

o