Ok I'll bite...

I'm licensed to carry in my state..

I have absolutely no problems carrying a 22lr for self defense as long as it's an appropriate sized pistol. For example, on occasion I'll carry my Beretta mod 71. It is ridiculously reliable. My EDC alternates between a 32acp and a 380 and I get picked on by my pals at the range who carry larger mainstream calibers from 38 special to 40s&w.


My mindset is that I carry to defend myself. Not blow the offender's head off.. And if being shot or shot at stops the offender then the pistol regardless of caliber has done its intended purpose. It is no secret that we can for the most part all shoot a smaller caliber handgun faster and more accurately than larger caliber. I can fire off all 8 shots with my Beretta mod 71 in 22lr at 7 yards a heck of a lot faster and put all 8 rounds in the butter zone than my 38 special 642 snubby. Under stress and without warning which gun will put more rounds on the bad guy? The one you can shoot faster & more accurately with. If it's a 22lr or 25, or 32acp then so be it. Those rounds are lethal and can kill.

Get on YouTube guys, watch all the surveillance videos of civilian self defense in action and 99.9% of the time when a civilian pulls out a gun regardless of caliber, the bad guy/s take off. Caliber was not a factor.

My mindset, is to stop the person/s from attacking me. However mainstream magazines and online reviews & so called "experts" will lead us to believe that a successful defense is when you "incapacitate" the bad guy. Bigger is better yadda yadda yadda... Way too much talk about caliber and gel tests expansion bla bla bla... lets talk about actually being about to shoot and hit the target first... With that. I can guarantee with a 22lr, I will hit the target..