[Shooting Jack]

I know this is something I should know but since I don't I decided to accept the ridicule and ask some folks that do. Is there some reason why you can't shoot 22 long rifle ammo in a 22 magnum revolver. I have a couple of revolvers like my Ruger that has both cylinders. Is this a sales gimmick or what? I have never tried it but don't see why it wouldn't be ok. I've been told by one guy that he does it all the time. I'm not the type that goes around experimenting with things I don't know about. Jackie B.

 

[crusha]

The cases will rupture. The Outer Diameter of the cases is different between the two calibers. A .22LR has a "rebated" bullet heel. The case is the same OD as the bullet, but the "heel" end of the bullet is stepped down in diameter to fit inside the case.

A .22 Mag is like other "normal" calibers, 38 special, etc., where the bullet is not rebated, and the whole bullet is smaller in OD than the case (ie, the whole bullet could fit down inside the case if you kept pushing).

Therefore, the 22Mag has a larger chamber diameter than the .22LR, even though the bullets are the same, and if you fire a smaller .22LR in that larger chamber, the case brass is not malleable enough to expand that much and it will rupture and spew gas.

Don't do it! At minimum, you will spend a fun afternoon with a wire brush, trying to extract a stuck, ruptured .22lr case out of your magnum chamber (and remember that gas has to go somewhere, too, and the shortest path is towards your face).

 

[TOOLMAKER 251]

Shooting Jack, Ask the fellow that told you he shoots 22LR in a mag chamber if he also shoots 16GA. in a 12GA. chamber. Maybe he might try that too. 22LR. have 24,000 PSI. SAAMI max pressure.

 

[trapshootin hippie]

I have shot a lot of 22 out of a magnum cylinder, No problems to be worried about. The cases will probably split a bit, but the gasses definitely won't harm ya in any way. How could they get to ya.

Gne J

 

[crusha]

If you're shooting a revolver especially, remind everyone not to stand next to you, hippie...

 

[setter]

If you have both the .22 LR & .22 magnum cylinders that came with the gun (and that is what I understand from your post) then you're perfectly fine to fire the respective ammo in the proper cylinder. The .22 mag may prove the more accurate. Why ask for a problem by going against recommended practices (i.e. firing the .22 LR in .22 mag cylinder)?

 

[Haskins Bill]

If you have both cyliders then why would you even consider shooting 22lr out of the magnum cylinder? I believe 22 WMR barrels have a larger bore than 22lr. 22lr bullets work in the larger magnum bore becasue the 22 lr lead bullets obturate enough to be gripped by the rifling and work satisfactorily. It takes seconds to change the cylinders. I have a Ruger and a Colt that have both cylinders. As for scam part of it, then it is the one about there being a big leap in performance/velocity of the magnum over the 22 lr in a revolver. Mostly what you get is more noise and more flash from the magnum due to the unburned powder. 22lr case about .226 OD 22WMR case about .243 OD or thereabouts. I guess in a survival situation it would be okay but not just out plinking if you have both cylinders. Bill

 

[stokinpls]

Used to shoot .22LRs in my old Marlin 25M bolt gun. Didn't seem like it made much difference. 'course back then we didn't have Mini-Mags, etc...

 

[CalvinMD]

If you are looking for lower velocity and less noise then an idea is to shoot some of the 22WRF ammo ...which is totally safe and doable...its not cheaper just slower and quieter

 

[BT-100dc]

For safety reasons, don't do it. Don't know any manufactures who would recommend it. These two rounds are not interchangeable. Now if you're talking about a .38 Special being fired out of a .357 Magnum, then you're okay.
Darrell

 

[Brian in Oregon]

People got away with it back in the old days because they were using low and standard pressure 22LR. MOST of the time the 22 LR case was simply bulged, though split cases were not unusual. Then 22 LR high velocity ammo along with Mini-Mags and Stingers, and instead of bulged or split cases they were rupturing instead, blowing out the rims, and dumping hot gases and burnt powder into people's faces.<br>
<br>
NEVER at any time was this a recommended nor prudent practice.

 

[Shooting Jack]

Thanks Fellas. I got the message. If it was designed to shoot LR's it would say so on the barrel. Like some of my other guns that say, 22 short, long or long rifle. None of them say 22M. But then there is an H and R modell 666 that I picked up some time ago that says 22 Cal on the barrel. But on close examination of the cylinder it says 22 WMR only. None of my other WMR's say for anything else, just WMR's. No where does it say it is acceptable to use 22LRs in a WMR. Jackie B.

 

[BIG JIM IN BAKERSFIELD]

THESE GUYS MAY QUALIFY FOR THE "DARWIN AWARDS" AFTER SOMEONE GETS HURT.

 

[ricks1]

And you guys are on a trap field. No damn wonder they want to outlaw guns

 

[Savage99Stan]

A "friend" came to work one day and asked my opinion on why his North American Arms Mini Revolver burned his finger when he shot it. He showed me the empty case, which was a LR and had split. I asked him if his gun was marked 22 LR or 22M, he said M, and "did it make a difference?"

Shooting Long rifles, or longs or even shorts in a 22 mag chamber is wrong. Cases are such that if you wanted to, you could cut the rim off a magnum case and put a long rifle cartridge inside it. (I've also been told that people do just that so they can shoot LRs in a mag.)

I wonder what people think. Like one writer said, like shooting 16s in a 12.
Saw a guy at the rifle range shoot a 41 mag in a 44. Hollow bang, tumblehole in the target, pregnant case (he was lucky).

Most combination guns (22/22mag) are more accurate with one than the other. I know that 22lr bullets are .222 diameter and 22 mags are .224 (normally). .002" doesn't sound like much but if you work much with cast bullets you know that it can mean the difference between gilt edge accuracy and lousy groups.

 

[wolfram]

I did shoot some .22 LRs out of the .22 Mag cylinder in my single six many years ago. (one of those silly kid ideas) Nothing bad happened, just bulged cases and terrible accuracy. There is really no up side to this and if a case were to rupture you might be picking bits of brass out of your face, just use the correct ammo for what ever cylinder you have in the gun.