Quote:
Originally Posted by fredj338
I could NEVER in good faith recommend a 22lr to anyone for SD. Two reasons; incredibly poor terminal performance & 22lr is notorious for being unreliable.
Recoil is a managed thing, isn't gonna happen on day one. A larger frame 380 would be the minimum. Recoil is milder than the small guns & more grip for more control. A steel frame 9mm would be next up, something like a 5906 or even single stack 1911. If anyone has difficulty racking the slide on just about any pistol, it is poor technique that is the issue. I can get an 8y or 80y old to rack a pistol slide, proper technique is the issue.
I start all my new shooters, old, young, male, female, strong or weak with a 22lr. Then we start moving up. I have gotten brand new shooters shooting decently with a 1911 & 45 target loads. 38sp wc are almost as soft as 22lr & a 3"-4", medium size 357mag with 148gr WC is a no joke decent SD gun with minimal recoil. If you can shoot a 22lr you can shoot that.
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My father, a decorated Army Airborne Ranger combat veteran (three bronze stars, a Presidential Citation, and about a pound of other stuff), usually packed either a Sterling 22LR pistol, or a Charter Arms Undercover. He told me more than once that a 22 will kill a man just as dead and just as fast as an Atom Bomb.
There is nothing wrong with his advice and I don't hesitate to carry either of his favorite little shooters from time to time.