People always say things like "it's better than nothing", "it's better than throwing rocks", "it's better than a stick but, not much." I wonder how many have been shot by a .22 or a .25 or a .32 and how many would volunteer to be so shot. My housemate was shot with a 5.7 X 26 - basically a super .22. It was a nasty nasty nasty wound. Tore her arm up. The same intruder shot out the back of his skull and 1/2 of his brain with the same gun. I know because he left them all over my den floor. I have a friend who was in special forces in Vietnam. After that he worked as a mercenary for unnamed foreign powers. Somewhere in there he did "contract work" for certain U.S. agencies. For concealed carry, he carries a .22. This very thread mentions people killed by .22s. Lots of people are killed or seriously injured by "small" guns - guns that are "little better than throwing rocks" - .22s, .25s, .32s. I may be mistaken but, believe that virtually all police officers prior to the last 1/2 of the 20th Century carried .32s. I believe that the .32 was standard Nazi issue for quite awhile. Hitler killed himself with a .32. But, hey, these gun sites are full of experts who will tell you that those guns are essentially "useless" for self-defense. Well, I'm not an expert. In fact, I freely admit that I don't know anything. So, ignore me. Listen to the experts.