.22 LR for SD. FMJ (CRN) or HP?

[smitholdtimer]

Uncomfortable 380 shooting

Just a thought, I have recently seen a finger extension for the Kel-tec P3AT magazine that makes quite a difference in the amount of grip you have and increases the control you have when firing the weapon. If, in fact hers is this brand of weapon, she may be very surprised at the improvement. Certainly cheaper than a new .22 rim fire revolver. If I remember correctly, Ruger sent all the LCP owners an extra clip with finger extension upon their return to the customer after they recalled them. Don't mean to plug other brands on the S&W Forum but am not sure this was mentioned specifically.

 

[617fan]

I would go with any 40 grn lead of premium manufacture and would feel much better armed than quite a few of the idiots I have seen shooting "serious defense calibers" at the range. Safest place around some of them would be holding their target.

 

[USAF385]

I thank you all for the advice. (good advice, as usual)

There are a few options and I'll be looking them all over. Personally, if she really wants something that small, I'd prefer the .22 mag in a revolver....

but she most likely won't carry a revolver.....

 

[GatorFarmer]

You might ought seek out a Walther PP (German made) auto in .32 ACP. These will kick less than any of the later micro .32s and are well made pistols. A fair number came in surplus, in excellent condition, from the Germany police not too long ago. Not much recoil, not much muzzle blast either. True, they are still a blowback auto, but the larger size makes them easier to handle and they even have real and very functional sights.

If you're eliminating revolvers, none of the various small .22 autos are very reliable. The most commonly encountered are the Beretta 21A and the Taurus. I shot my Beretta 21A extensively, but never considered it all that reliable. You'd actually want to try to find a .25 auto if it is to reliably go bang. The 21As in .25ACP are said to work well enough and even my shiny chrome Lorcin functions.

Revolver wise, the solution to the problem is the out of production Models 30 and 31, which came in 2 or 3" lengths and were steel J frames chambered for the .32 S&W Long (and could also fire the older .32 S&W). These are about as low recoil as a center fire handgun is ever going to be and also have less muzzle blast than a similar .38.

 

[montezumaz]

You might consider a Taurus 991 .22 magnum with CCI Maxi-Mags.
My wife also doesn't like recoil ... so I got her a CZ83 .32 with Sellier-Bellot .32 Auto FMJ.
The Taurus is heavy and the CZ is very light ... recoil is pretty much the same.

 

[Krull]

I wanna ask one question:what kind of .380 are we talking about? I know the smaller ones do buck around a bit so maybe something bigger.

If you go .25 auto.....oh,gawd-just load up on FMJ and shoot straight!

 

[BigRich315]

+1 on Stingers for .22LR. In my experience hunting and such with them they can get pretty nasty for their size. I also suggest trying .22Mag first. That extra umph(oomph?) does alot.

 

[flop-shank]

+1 on Stingers for .22LR. In my experience hunting and such with them they can get pretty nasty for their size. I also suggest trying .22Mag first. That extra umph(oomph?) does alot.

+1.................

 

[orionengnr]

Don't know what kind of .380 she was using, but:
After shooting a K-T P3AT and a K-T P-32 back to back, the difference in recoil between the two was amazing. Enough so that my best bud's 90-lb wife (who had never fired a handgun) went from my MkII to the P-32 without any trouble at all.

(Unfortunately, also enough to convince me never to carry a .32. Felt like a cap pistol.)

Equally importantly, she could carry and conceal the P-32 effortlessly.

But if you can get her comfortable with a .32 for a while, maybe she can work her way up to the .380 or 9mm, or a .38....

 

[BreakerDan]

For what it is worth, I heard from an old Texas Ranger that in his experience, a 22 magnum pistol with a hollowpoint was just as deadly as a snubnose 38.

I guess I would load up with CCI minimags or stingers. Just make sure
you use good quality bullets, not the variety value packs.

 

[diamonback68]

You called it "her .380", but didn't state which kind or brand. If it's a blow back operated semi it will have more felt recoil than locked breach semi like the Colt Mustang or Ruger LCP.

 

[grymph]

Get her this. It does what you want

Get her the Charter Arms 22 Pathfinder Combo. It is double action and shoots both 22lr and 22 magnum. She can practice with one and carry with the other. Its the cure for this issue, and she will like it a lot. Its a bit pricey though compared to the other 22 revolvers on the market.

Personally, I think carrying Magnum calibers is wisest. Most semi-autos just don't have the umph to penetrate, particularly the prefragmented or hollowpoint versions. I prefer a heavy fast FMJ flat nose or ball. In the smallest of calibers i think this concept is what works. In 22,25,32,380,9,40,45 you need more speed and energy to reliably expand a hollowpoint.

If It doesn't have the word "magnum" in its name then it should be FMJ flat nose or ball.

I know this statement will step on some toes but who cares that is why this is a forum. I'm just trying to help.

 

[flop-shank]

I don't agree.

There are incredibly reliable expanding bullets available today, even in slowpokes like .45 ACP. For most defensive purposes hollowpoints are the way to go in all major service calibers.

 

[Horseless Trooper]

I like the Remington Viper Hyper-velocity solids for .22 pocket pistols. Nice 36gr truncated cone bullet that looks like it will be less likely to glance of bone than the round nose designs. I killed 30+ injured deer with it over the years from my IJ TP22. Granted they were all head shots but it never took more than 1. I recently switch to the Aguila SSS 60 grain round. So far I have shot just one deer with it and it worked fine.

 

[79ipa]

hmmm

straight up soft lead.