I am asking those who have a .22 magnum revolver or experience with one, for their thoughts on using one for overall protection. My mother shoots and carries a .38 S&W 642 and is a little overcome with the recoil of it and perceived recoil prior to shooting it. I have given her lessons on the use of it,tried all kinds of grips and loads and have no problem with her capability using a firearm when need be, but she has arthritis and the 642 seems to beat her hands up pretty well after only shooting 50 rounds and after a while at the range, I can see it is intimidating for her to shoot with. Getting a steel framed gun is out of the question as is a 32 revolver.

So this brings me to the thought a .22 magnum revolver like the LCR. I know it is a small projectile but am curious if anyone carries or uses one themselves for protection. I know ammo can be finicky but am looking for those with experience with a 22 magnum for general protection and ccw. I am asking this in this forum as I am looking for real answers and we all know how some people can be on the other parts of this site,especailly G.D.. Any help would be appreciated.

22 caliber revolvers usually have a heavy trigger pull to set off rimfire primers.
Not much can be done there or reliability can be compromised.
You said no 32 and you have already done the 38.

I am getting the tarass 327 when one can be found.
But that is 327 magnum.
A nice little 32long will be the ticket in that.

And I believe that would be just the ticket in Op's case.

I'd go with the 30 super that just came out last year..

I bought my mom a Kel-Tec PMR.  It's small, light, has almost no recoil, easy to rack the slide, and holds 30 rounds.

My mother carried a steel j frame for years but age has caught up so at 78 I got her an LCP 2 in 22lr. The slide is easy to manipulate and 11rds of 22lr is plenty.

327 might be a huge upgrade w/o much recoil.

Thanks for the responses so far. The .327 might be something to look at but cost of ammo and let alone trying to find it, may be problematic. I should have stated she is not comfortable with a semi-auto as she has had a couple prior but she does not have the dexterity or knowledge,(or willingness to learn for that matter as she is too intimidated by them). The revolver suits her perfectly and she is the most comfortable with it.

Why shoot 50 rounds all atone time? 38 wadcutters a few at a time will not hurt. 50 rounds of ANY center fire ammo in a lightweight revolver will tire or make one at least uncomfortable. BTW 327 ammo is hotter than 38 wadcutters. But you can shoot 32 magnum or regular 32. I would stick to 38. In a critical situation one will not notice recoil.

OP, maybe get her a steel framed revolver & try shooting .38 wadcutters out of it instead of throwing defensive loads from one of the lightest revolvers on the market?

DA pull on a .22 magnum is gonna suck a bit, if she wants less recoil get an ALL STEEL .32 H&R Magnum or .327 Magnum & run .32 S&W through it.

Thanks for the info. but as she is getting older, the all steel guns are not easy for her to use/handle due to their weight. Sadly, there are not many guns on the list to fit her. Other than a 22. lr, which I think is definitely not a suitable gun to rely on,  so I thought the .22 magnum although loud, might not be as punishing on her as is the 38 special recoil is for her. We tried many types of .38 ammo but she gets intimidated by them in general. I know it is like finding a needle in a needle stack,as far as getting a gun she is comfortable with and can shoot efficiently.

Went through the same thing w/ my 80 yr MIL, ended up putting her into the long bbl Ruger SR-22.  She can pull the DA trigger on the 1st shot, and can cock the hammer to rack the slide if she has a malf.  40 grn CCI LRN Mini-Mag will penetrate @ least 12" in gel, and Eley has a 42 grn LRN.

Try target wadcutters 1st, if that doesn't work, look for .38 Colt loads, will chamber & fire in .38 Special.  If still too much, go for a .32 H&R or .327 Magnum & run .32 Smith, the Ruger LCR DAO is supposed to have a particularly good trigger.

Have her try the trigger pull of an LCR at a store/range before committing to it.  I have a Smith 351 .22 Magnum that I like a great deal.  The cartridge of choice for .22 Magnum is the CCI 40gr Gold Dot load that is specifically meant for short-barreled pistols.  It is a not a .22 Magnum rifle round in that blast and flash are minimized.  Google gel results if interested but it is a surprisingly capable load for penetration and even some bullet expansion.  Hornady makes a Critical Defense load in .22 Mag as well.

It is certainly a better choice than a .22lr.  I have several different .22 Mag firearms and while a rimfire cartridge I don't recall a single dud in many years of shooting.  I suspect the .22 mag cartridge is produced in small lots and that leads to better overall Q/C.

Thanks for the input. She had a LCR prior and liked it but she wound up giving it my nephew as a bug for duty use. The trigger is much different as we know between Ruger and S&W with the S&W having an edge. I agree some form of .38 would be perfect even the other .38 wad cutters were just too much,especially as she is getting older. After looking at the cost of anything in the .327/.32 caliber, it is crazy at how much standard practice rounds are and that is if you can even get them. I figure the .22 magnum is better than a sharp stick and appreciate the info.. Thanks for all of the help.