I carry one in 38spl with a 3" barrel. It is light and easily carried. I practice with it shooting DA only and get good results, recoil is not what you'd expect from a light handgun.

If you get the 22LR model, it will be easily carried and shot well. I leave it to the owner as to how they feel about "stopping power."

A gun you'll practice with and carry is better than one that isn't shot much and left in the truck.

 

I have one in 22mag and it packs some punch. The trigger is heavy but you get use to it and mine has smoothed out from shooting it. I wouldn't be afraid or ashamed to carry it ever.

 

Trigger's heavy, but I can keep it on the plates at 25 yards. :bthumb:

 

I have one that I bought to have cheaper practice for my .357 LCR. Regular practice helps with such a short sight radius. I keep the Hogue boot grips on both, smaller and won't "stick" to a pocket. I wouldn't hesitate to carry the .22, at least it has eight rounds. Still no match for the Hornady XTP .38s that I carry in the .357, though.

There seems to be a significant variation in trigger pulls on the .22. I bought the best of four that the dealer had, and still a couple pounds more than the .357. Two others were a lot heavier.

I would recommend against steady use of hyper rounds like Stingers or Velocitors. The aluminum frame may not take the beating too well, and LCRs have a sloppy cylinder fit. Both of mine have endshakes of .007, and Ruger tells me up to .010 is okay. Considerable "wobble" on the crane as well; very simple design like High Standards or H&Rs..

 

I love my LCR 9mm for EDC. Moon clips allow for fast reloads. 9mm XTPs will do the job. Hogue boot grip really hides it in the pocket. Ammo cheap enough to practice with regular FMJs. Have a Lasermax on it that is great. Used to carry NAA 22 magnum Pug.

 

Stopping Power

In today's world most of the bad guys are hopped on some sort of modern day drug,and trying to protect you or your family with a.22 is just crazy.Now this is my opinion.If I have to protect me or my family I want something to stop the situation.Now I do have many Rugers,my carry weapon is XDS.45 ,and yes it's a good sized gun but I know that I have something that will STOP anyone. I know everyone likes different things.But me bigger is better. I don't want to discourage your choice,but think about it.Whatever your choice is,take time practicing drawing,shooting,standing,sitting,etc,etc.Even better try to find an IDPA event near you.They will show you a whole new world of shooting.

 

lcr loaded with 22lr yellow jackets at 3 meters yielded 3" groups completely through a 3" phone book, offhand, rapid fire. easy and handy piece. works for me.


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My wife carries one. She tried an LCR in 38 and didn't like it. She is not a gun person so the 22 is better than nothing. At 7 yards she can keep all 8 rounds in a group that can be covered by your hand.

Being able to pull the trigger to bypass a dud primer is a plus.

 

I have a retired cop for a friend. I am envious because he can concealed Carry in LA county. Sigh.
Hi previous carry gun was a compact 9mm Kahr. Hard to shoot, gave him nothing but trouble and heavy.
As the saying goes, the gun you left at home does you no good. He accompanied me on a new gun purchase A SP101 22 and I mentioned the LCR to him. The sample in the store had a great trigger. He bought it on site. When wee picked up the guns, he loaded with Hollow point Federals, stuck it in a pocket holster and was amazed as to how nice and light it was to carry. Loves the gun. Hi Viz sight next.
I know it's a 38 and not a .22 but the question is, how good a shot are your with a .22. Are you a bad shot with a .38? I'd say carry what you can shoot well and also is comfortable so you will carry it.
I have a LCR in 22 mag and I'd carry it because of arthritis.
Check out the .22 penetration tests on Youtube.

 

A few months ago I was helping a lady friend with a gun purchase. While in the gun store I suggested a revolver because some semi-autos are a bit tough for a small female to rack the slide. The women behind the counter disagreed and handed me an LCR .38 and told me to dry fire double action. Now I'm old and weak but could barely cycle that thing. Absolutely the heaviest trigger pull I've ever experienced. Based on that particular gun, I can't imagine Ruger ever being able to sell one.

 

I've handle many an LCR and the DA trigger pull is one of the best. When you say you are old and weak, were you carried into the store?

 

Now now lets not crap on old people with arthritis. Your day is coming on a rocket sled.
Something to consider. The rimfires will definitely have a harder pull than a center fire gun. If you watch the Youtube video and reduce the rimfire spring by 2.5 grains you will have a nice pull comparable to a centerfire as I did in my .22 mag, but may compromise reliability in the long run.
I'd consider getting a six shot LCR in 327 Federal Magnum. True the magnum lands are going to be probably near recoil with .38 +P ammo BUT you can load it with .32 longs and cut the recoil way down with a decent trigger pull, even hand load to tailor it to her abilities.. 32 Long is not a strong load and I have not checked the Foot pounds delivered but it might be close or better than a .32. You give up two rounds for a better trigger pull.
This does not get better if you get a SP101-22 or a Smith and Wesson 65-3 for example. all have stout pulls.
If she can handle a semi auto, get her a LCP and put a Twisted Industries .22 conversion on the gun. Light slim, compact and .22 long rifle. Something to consider.
If she can handle a semi auto Get her a used Smith and Wesson 2214. GREAT pocket .22.
Light, flat, compact, easy to carry. Safety is awkward but I love mine. Go for around $400 to $450now in excellent condition.

 

Looked up some numbers
32 Long wad cutters have about the same muzzle energy as a high Velocity .22 around 125-35.
.22 magnums are about 325 muzzle energy and a .32 HR magnum is about 250.
Interesting.
I thought my LCR in .22 mag was quite snappy.

 

I sometimes carry my LCR in .22 LR concealed. It is light and has 8 shots and I have no problems with the .22 LT as a self defense round. I have no intention of taking on some well-armed gang or terrorists. Self defense for me means I cannot get away and must fight; from as much cover as I can find. Because firearms can be so difficult to conceal well, I usually end up carrying a smaller caliber. In winter I upgrade to my LC9 and carry it in a coat pocket. In summer, the LCR 22 LR works just fine.

 

I know the question asked was about the lcr 22lr but if this is for concealed carry there are better options when you take into account the heavy trigger pull. My wife has arthritis and great difficulty racking the slide on her sr22 so she carries one in the chamber with the safety on. The double action trigger is easy to pill. We looked at the lcr in 22 mag and knew she couldn't pull the trigger well. I carry a Sig p238 which is small enough to carry in my pocket and fun to shoot. IMHO to carry a 22lr for protection should only be an option if you can't physically handle something bigger or accurately shoot something bigger.

 

.22lr or ?

My wife has rheumatoid arthritis. , but after all the .22s I have, 1 pt22, sr101, single 10, etc. she settled on my S&W 642 with Hogue Fingergrip, with .38 cal., not plus p's. Shots better than me, right proud of my girl at only 60y/o! And she has her own ccw for going on 9 years now. I buy the cheapest 38s for practice, but Hornaday Critical everyday. Makes a mess inside when expanded, but we feel better having them to carry. I have even carried my Taurus Poly-Protector in .38. Used to have only pink grip, but I got a green grip from Taurus. But am not feeling under gunned with anything we carry. Practice, practice, practice aim gets better and more importantly the loud noise isn't so noticeable. :bthumb:

 

I wish they would make a P238 in .22 lr. Either that or Twisted Industries make a .22 conversion.
I love the small Smith and Wesson .2214 I have. Accrate, reliable, flat and pocket friendly.
I am limited in my ability to shoot a larger caliber. Arthritis and a wrist reconstruction. I have a LCR in .22mag that I've lightened the spring on, also a .22lr I've also lightened. (See Youtube videos) So far I can shoot them but the crack of the .22 mag is uncomfortable.
Life changes things. Luckily, I am an excellent shot and I think I could place several of those .22 rounds where they would do the most good.
Check the You Tube videos on .22lr penetration tests. Pretty impressive.

 

My wife carries the 22LR LCR. I have one too and carry it when out for a walk or doing yard work. We did our own ammo testing and found CCI Velocitors worked best penetration wise and ended up looking like a wadcutter when removed from the ballistics gel. The Velocitors penetration was superior to Stingers and Mini-Mags which did not expand in 10% ballistics gel.

 

i took my lcr 22lr out today for some exercise in the fresh winter air. i fired about 250 rounds of blazer, cci standard, cci quiet, winchester high velocity at both 10-15’ paper plate targets and 50’ range debris in the berm. the winchester was the best ammo, no duds, most accurate. the lcr did surprisingly well hitting chunks of 3-6” chunks of wood at 50’. i took off my ear protectors to learn how each round would sound if i had to shoot in an unplanned, non range setting. the quiet actually made a sharper crack. the temp was only 10f and my fingers got numb and gave out as i shot up all my ammo. the lcr 22lr remains a favorite go-to ccw.