Thoughts on .22 Mag pistol.

I’ve been thinking of getting a .22 pistol for awhile now. After giving it a little more thought, I’m thinking of possibly going with a .22 mag instead. The two negatives I’m thinking of are the Cost per round ( Looks to be around .20 per round even in bulk ) and the options available in a Semi Auto ( Kel-Tec PMR 30 and Walther WMP are two of the ones I’ve found) There seems to be a fair amount of options in Revolvers but not many in a Semi auto. This would be mainly something for target shooting but with the extra power may come in handy for varmint /pest control as well as serve for home defense. Yes I know a .22, even a Mag. is not Ideal. Anyone here own one and care to share their thoughts. Or even if you don’t own one care to share your thoughts?

I have a .22 mag rifle. I bought it after I owned two long rifles .22 and one LR pistol. I remember first shooting it and thinking WOW, its a .22 on steroids! They really crack. Ill bet the pistol will sound like shooing a full sized pistol caliber without all the fussy recoil?
I miss my .22 pistol RALPH WIGGUM!!!!

.22 mag pistols are loud ! Was at a public range once and someone was shooting it and the range officer wanted to know who was rapping off the rounds on the AR so fast . It was the .22 mag.

suzuki wrote:

I miss my .22 pistol RALPH WIGGUM!!!!

If it makes you feel better, I have given it a loving home.

I think a .22 mag pistol would be fun, but it’s hard to beat a .22lr for cheap* fun. Get one of each!

*barring ammo shortages

isu22andy wrote:

.22 mag pistols are loud ! Was at a public range once and someone was shooting it and the range officer wanted to know who was rapping off the rounds on the AR so fast . It was the .22 mag.

They can’t be as loud as a 9MM or .40 cal can they. I assume they are much louder than a standard .22 but not as loud as larger pistol Cal.

I was never a fan of the .22 mag

Just a thought. A .357 mag will shoot a .38 special. 2 guns in 1.
The .38 special is a better choice than the .22 mag
Fairly cheap ammo too.

fishthumper wrote:

They can’t be as loud as a 9MM or .40 cal can they. I assume they are much louder than a standard .22 but not as loud as larger pistol Cal.

In a pistol they are really loud: https://www.m1911.org/loudness.htm

The other thing is that standard velocity .22lr will usually be subsonic in a pistol (or right on the edge until you find a brand that is consistently subsonic) whereas 22mag will always crack.

personally would rather have a .22LR than a .22 mag. the ammo is way cheaper and alot easier to find at pretty much any store. the cheaper the ammo and easily found the more likely you will want to shoot it. the main thing that always holds me back for going out and shooting more is ammo price and availability of bigger calibers

I have the Kel-Tec PMR30 and love it ! I have a red dot mounted on it and shoots accurately. The “bang” isn’t as loud as the other guys might be saying, but I’m wearing ear plugs or muffs.

One other thought. It is ammo “fussy”. I have the best luck with CCI or Hornady.

And it won’t cycle on sub-sonic rounds. Get the “hottest” ammo you can find.

wkw wrote:

I have the Kel-Tec PMR30 and love it ! I have a red dot mounted on it and shoots accurately. The “bang” isn’t as loud as the other guys might be saying, but I’m wearing ear plugs or muffs.

Is the Kel-tec optic ready? Or does it have to be modified to mount a red dot?

haleysgold wrote:

I was never a fan of the .22 mag

Just a thought. A .357 mag will shoot a .38 special. 2 guns in 1.
The .38 special is a better choice than the .22 mag
Fairly cheap ammo too.

I think there are even less options in either a .357 or a .38 special in a semi automatic handgun.in fact I don’t think their are any in .38. There may be a a few in 357. But not many. Cost in the ammo is much higher than .22 mag I’d believe. I may be incorrect on that.

Another reason I’m thinking of either a .22 or a .22 mag is that it is something my wife can shoot when we go to the range. Something with a Little less jump than my compact 9mm

Absolutley no point in 22mag pistol.
You are not going to get more power from a 22mag in a short barrel of a pistol.
A .22 is not a defence gun.
Get a .380 for the reasons you gave.
S&W makes a nice EZ model.

mark-bruzek wrote:

Absolutley no point in 22mag pistol.
You are not going to get more power from a 22mag in a short barrel of a pistol.
A .22 is not a defence gun.
Get a .380 for the reasons you gave.
S&W makes a nice EZ model.

Yep. X2.
.380 is nice too. I have a Browning .380 1911 but smaller frame. Sweet. It does bark though.
Any .22 cal is not a defense weapon. Plinking yes.

fishthumper wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>haleysgold wrote:</div>
I was never a fan of the .22 mag

Just a thought. A .357 mag will shoot a .38 special. 2 guns in 1.
The .38 special is a better choice than the .22 mag
Fairly cheap ammo too.

I think there are even less options in either a .357 or a .38 special in a semi automatic handgun.in fact I don’t think their are any in .38. There may be a a few in 357. But not many. Cost in the ammo is much higher than .22 mag I’d believe. I may be incorrect on that.

Gotta clarify.
A .357 mag handgun, auto or not will shoot 38 special.
Will they cycle good. Dunno.
Revolver in .357 mag/.38 special will shoot as accurate as any auto…if you practice.
You said plinking and defense. .22 would not be a good choice for both.

1 more. .38 is not the same as .38 special.

I got one of these. You should too. It’s more of what you’re looking for. Collapsible stock so it’s like a pistol when you want it to be, like a rifle when you want it to be. 22 MAG, 30 round magazines

CMR30

Heritage Rough Rider 22 Revolver. Goes on sale often, was 79.99 after rebate at Dunhams. When I got mine couple yrs ago came with voucher to purchase 22 Mag cylinder for 30 with free shipping. Decent enough gun for price, shoots good, fun, economical, and nice to have choice of LR or Mag. Self defense wise, pretty sure a couple will tame a person a bit. If not, its a 6 shooter, let em have all 6.

mark-bruzek wrote:

Absolutley no point in 22mag pistol.
You are not going to get more power from a 22mag in a short barrel of a pistol.
A .22 is not a defence gun.
Get a .380 for the reasons you gave.
S&W makes a nice EZ model.

I’ve got a S&W in the .380EZ model that is super easy to shoot, clean, no recoil. It was something to get my wife shooting a bit and I keep it around if a buddy or the nephew who isn’t as experienced with handguns wants to go out to the range. It’s decently accurate for what it is and would offer more in self defense then the 22mag

I would opt away from a 22 mag if it were me. Especially for what you want to use it for

Bearcat89 wrote:

I would opt away from a 22 mag if it were me. Especially for what you want to use it for

I just thought for the additional cost of the ammo I’m likely to run through it each year it would be nice to have the little extra Power of the Mag. Like I said the primary use was just to target plink with it. I know a .22 Mag would not be a ideal defense round. Then again it would be better than nothing. I’ve watched a few video’s on the performance difference between a 22 Mag and a 380. Not all that Much difference. I know I would not want to be shot with one.

My opinion is that if you don’t have a .22lr pistol, that is what I would get. If you already do, then a .22 mag might be a fun addition.

I’m pretty sure you’re already covered in the self-defense department, so get something fun with cheap ammo for plinking.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

My opinion is that if you don’t have a .22lr pistol, that is what I would get. If you already do, then a .22 mag might be a fun addition.

I’m pretty sure you’re already covered in the self-defense department, so get something fun with cheap ammo for plinking.

I don’t already own a .22Lr pistol. That is probably the route I’ll end up going. This just popped into my head, and I thought it may be a better option.

Thanks all for your thought on this.

I’d just get a .22lr. There are so many hyped up .22mag ammos today that don’t focus on accuracy, just speed, that most don’t deliver very much for the money you have to spend on the shells. .22lr: soft shooting, way less noise, generally more accurate, much less expensive.

If you’re bent on getting a .22mag, get a Ruger Super Single Six 6″ bbl. Comes with both cylinders and has adjustable sights and is accurate, even with the mag cartridges at about 50 yards.

.22mag in a rifle can be quite accurate with the right ammo. Scoped, a rifle would make a nice 125-150 yard stopper for coyote or fox, or coon. The .22 mag makes a great squirrel or rabbit head shot gun too.

It’s optic ready. Armalaser makes a red or green dot that only fits the PMR30. It mounts under the barrel in front of the trigger guard. It turns on when you put your hand around the gun. I have one of those.
The green dot shows up better in daylight but costs a little more.