Light Weight .22 Automatic Pistol

GatorFarmer · Jan 4, 2015

I would suggest the much less expensive Phoenix Arms HP22. I have had several. I remove the magazine disconnect safety - you yank a part out with pliers - and superglue the firing pin safety "off" and then you have a slick little pistol. They are very inexpensive and so are mags and the optional longer target barrel. I have or close friends have had prpbably a dozen of them over the last 20 years. A single example in .25 didn't work right, the rest were very reliable.

Simply carry it with an empty chamber if possible, though cocked and locked is an option.

Another option is one of the various inexpensive .22 single action revolvers made either domestically or in Italy. Slow to reload, but very simple mechanics.

I also have a small Jiminez JA22, the current version of the old Jennings. They were popular plinkers back in SC. My example works fine, and again it is very inexpensive.

weblance · Jan 4, 2015

tops said:
I looked up info on the Taurus PT22 and it stated to unload the gun to tip the barrel and pick the shell from the barrel. Does the gun not have an extractor? The tip up barrel Beretta 21A does not. Larry

The Tip-ups do not have an extractor. They rely on gas pressure to blow the empty casing out of the barrel. There have been quite a few different models and chamberings from Beretta, and a few from Taurus. None have an extractor. This is the Achilles Heel of the Tip-Up design. If you have a failure to fire, and rack the slide to extract the dud, and chamber the next round, you will simply ram the nose of the next bullet into the chambered cartridge that didnt fire. It is a trade off you pay for, with the ease of loading, with a Tip-Up barrel.

If the chamber is kept clean, the motion of opening the barrel with the release latch, will usually fling the dud round clear.

weblance · Jan 4, 2015

The OP asked for a light weight pistol for Defense, and plinking. I cant, in good faith, sit here and not call out the recommendation for a $100 pistol(Phoenix) or the Single Action Revolver(Bearcat). Neither of these would I ever recommend to a "friend", for defense.

I value my life (and my recommendation)to a much higher quality gun, than a $100 pistol that you have to yank out the magazine disco, and super glue the firing pin safety. What do you suppose would happen in court, if this woman used a pistol modified in this manner, for defense?

The Bearcat is a high quality firearm, but there are certainly better choices. Simply pointing a revolver at some criminals will be enough to stop the encounter, but if she would ever have to actually fire the weapon, its low capacity, slow fire rate, and the fact that reloading is very slow, could easily get her killed.

There really isnt a perfect handgun for someone with physical issues such as arthritis, or low hand strength. I have been through this with my wife. We tried numerous handguns, and finally settled on a Ruger LCR-22 WMR. My wife still has enough strength to operate a Double Action trigger, but she doesnt have the strength to control a heavy recoiling weapon. The lady in question, may not have enough strength to be able to operate a Double Action trigger. Does she have the strength to operate the slide of an autoloader? Can she load rounds into a magazine? Does she still have enough dexterity to manipulate the safety, and magazine release of an autoloader? These are all things that have to be considered for each person.

tops · Jan 4, 2015

weblance said:
The Tip-ups do not have an extractor. They rely on gas pressure to blow the empty casing out of the barrel. There have been quite a few different models and chamberings from Beretta, and a few from Taurus. None have an extractor. This is the Achilles Heel of the Tip-Up design. If you have a failure to fire, and rack the slide to extract the dud, and chamber the next round, you will simply ram the nose of the next bullet into the chambered cartridge that didnt fire. It is a trade off you pay for, with the ease of loading, with a Tip-Up barrel.

If the chamber is kept clean, the motion of opening the barrel with the release latch, will usually fling the dud round clear.

Thank you for your reply. My wife has a Beretta 21A that she uses some for target practice but would never carry it for self defense because it doesn't have an extractor. Several times she has had to use a stick to punch out the fail to fire. Since several people recommended the Taurus I wondered if it had an extractor. Clearing the barrel on either gun with a fail to fire would be a neat trick while a bad guy was banging on your head. Larry

Louchia · Jan 4, 2015

weblance said:
The OP asked for a light weight pistol for Defense, and plinking. I cant, in good faith, sit here and not call out the recommendation for a $100 pistol(Phoenix) or the Single Action Revolver(Bearcat). Neither of these would I ever recommend to a "friend", for defense.

I value my life (and my recommendation)to a much higher quality gun, than a $100 pistol that you have to yank out the magazine disco, and super glue the firing pin safety. What do you suppose would happen in court, if this woman used a pistol modified in this manner, for defense?

The Bearcat is a high quality firearm, but there are certainly better choices. Simply pointing a revolver at some criminals will be enough to stop the encounter, but if she would ever have to actually fire the weapon, its low capacity, slow fire rate, and the fact that reloading is very slow, could easily get her killed.

There really isnt a perfect handgun for someone with physical issues such as arthritis, or low hand strength. I have been through this with my wife. We tried numerous handguns, and finally settled on a Ruger LCR-22 WMR. My wife still has enough strength to operate a Double Action trigger, but she doesnt have the strength to control a heavy recoiling weapon. The lady in question, may not have enough strength to be able to operate a Double Action trigger. Does she have the strength to operate the slide of an autoloader? Can she load rounds into a magazine? Does she still have enough dexterity to manipulate the safety, and magazine release of an autoloader? These are all things that have to be considered for each person.

My wife also settled on a LCR22. She can handle the trigger pull just fine but recoil can be a problem. She can fire 2 or 3 rnds from my 442 38 spc, and then have to stop. But if needed for SD she could handle it.

vrichard · Jan 4, 2015

Would one of these work for her.
Dick

Or maybe a little Colt 25 cal.

BobX · Jan 6, 2015

I'm new here, but being as I just went through the '.22LR pistol' decision making process, I thought I'd contribute.

Of the new polymer .22LR pistols, I chose the M&P 22 Compact to teach my kids firearms safety and shooting. A recent purchase that has been to the range once, but even my 7YO could work the functions (short fingers presented minor challenges), and I would recommend this as one to look at. I won't speak to accuracy, as I haven't spent enough time with it, but it reliably loaded three different standard velocity round types we put through it that day. I'm not a big fan of the trigger safety, but can say that it certainly worked to prevent my 7YO from pulling the trigger without getting his short little finger onto the lower portion of the trigger.

I learned to shoot on a S&W 422 my dad and I bought new a long time ago, and I think it too would be an excellent pistol for the caliber. The slide pull was super light, and the accuracy was excellent.

Light Weight .22 Automatic Pistol

GatorFarmer

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weblance

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weblance

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tops

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Louchia

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vrichard

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BobX

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