Quote:
Originally Posted by
Zapp Branigan 
| Problem with a "compact" auto or even revolver in 22 Mag is the cartridge is very inefficient in short barrels, it was designed around a 20" rifle barrel to get the great 1900+ fps it's capable of.
It's ballistics are just not that much better from a 3 or 4 inch barrel than some of the hyper-velocity .22 Lr's, and it costs a helluva lot more to shoot.
It has a long slow pressure curve that peaks late and that makes for a difficult design for an auto, even in a rifle. That's why Ruger gave up on the idea.
Too many drawbacks with no real benefits. |
Out of the shorter bbl guns the .22 WMR can give you ballistics similar to a .22 LR out of a rifle and this is a definite gain. Also some loads have been custom tailored to a short bbl loading--Hornady CD and Speer Gold Dot which have promise for a .22 WMR snub or any of the excellent NAA mini-revolvers (which are a great gun to carry when you are in a place you can't carry a gun or as a backup).
The point of the case and pressure is very well taken and many of the earlier 22 WMRs had feeding problems due to the length and characterisitcs of the round--DON`T know how the PMR-30 is faring but it was a hi-cap and would have promise but is a larger frame. For my money the 8-shot taurus WMR REVOLVER is the best bet (941). Even better is the short barrel single-six.