.22 LR Handgun for Self Defense? This Guy Seems To Think So

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My wife shoots a Walther P22. She likes to shoot it and will go to the range with me. She doesn't like to shoot the 38s,9mm, and bigger guns. She has her CCW but doesn't like to carry. She keeps it near her at night and travels with it when she is alone. Because she can shoot it likes to shoot it, this is the best choice for her. She carries the stinger CCI rounds in it most of the time and Practices with the CCI Mini Mags. I let her know when I'm coming in late at night I don't just walk in on her. I sure as hell don't want to get shot by anything.
 
Rastoff said:
Shot placement trumps caliber or capacity every time.
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I AGREE WITH Rastoff. I READ A STORY ABOUT AN LEO, WHO WAS KILLED BY A SINGLE .22LR TO THE ARMPIT, WHICH TRAVELLED TO HIS HEART. THIS WAS AFTER HE SHOT HIS KILLER 5 TIMES IN THE CHEST WITH HIS .357 MAGNUM. HIS KILLER SURVIVED. SURPRESED RUGER SEMI-AUTOS IN .22LR WERE USED FOR WET WORK BY SOG UNITS IN VIETNAM. MOB HITS HAVE BEEN MADE USING .22 LR WEAPONS. STATS INDICATE THAT THE .22LR KILLS MORE PEOPLE THAN ANY OTHER CALIBER EACH YEAR. THIS IS MORE AN INDICATOR OF THE POPULARITY OF WEAPONS CHAMBERED IN THE .22LR CALIBER, RATHER THAN THE KILLING EFFICIENCY OF THE CARTRIDGE, IMHO……….………..
 
Rastoff said:
Shot placement trumps caliber or capacity every time.
Click to expand...


Very true but the average citizens panic when involved in a gunfight and will not have a chance to aim at the proper spots to stop the threat. Bullets will be flying all over the place. A skilled person will definitely hit its target.
 
Well, that's the point, isn't it? It doesn't matter if you have a .22LR or a .50BMG if you can't hit the target.

The venerable .22LR might not be my first choice for self-defense, but a larger round is useless if you can't hit the target. So, good training and proper practice is essential. In all seriousness, we spend too much time debating the value of caliber or capacity when we should be spending our time on technique and tactics.
 
That relatively new introduction by Keltec in the .22Magnum sure is an interesting piece. Controllable firepower. The magazines were developed with a fully automatic variant of the pistol. They work. Now imagine somebody delivering thirty hits to a person in a frantic hurry. Hard to say someone would be able to survive it and still accomplish too much ill. All that being said I would not go elephant hunting with an AK just for controllable capacity. Power has its place.
 
Many people have been killed with the 22 LR, especially when fired
from rifles. Probably because so many people own them even if they
don't own any handgun and cheap semi autos are the norm these days making accurate multiple hits easy. But I still think the 22 LR is a poor
choice for SD carry in a handgun.
 
The issue with a 22 for defense is not the caliber, as, placement trumps caliber. The issue is how the rimfire cartridge is manufactured with the priming compound being placed around the rim. I have pulled the bullet from many dud 22's picked up at my club to use the bullet for casting, and while I have never encountered a case with no powder, I have encountered cases with little to no priming compound, or the compound has separated from the rim and mixed in with the powder, leaving none for ignition. I want a primer in my defense caliber.
 
Excellent point about rimfire reliability. If physical issues limited me to .22 for self defense, I would choose a revolver to more quickly get to the next round in the event of failure to fire. Rather than the SR22, my choice would be the LCR 22.
 
Once upon a time, in a far away place I work plainclothes in a "Special Unit" and was advised to not have anything that looked "Cop". NOW if you can imagine Jimmy with long hair, facial hair, wearing old "Hippie Style" clothing and carrying a Ruger standard model 4" semi pistol loaded with high speed solid lead bullets ***. I felt the .22 LR would be
adequate. .
 
My wife had a walther p22. One day while we were out back shooting, she had a few failures to feed and multiple failures to fire. The failures to fire happened with three different types of ammo.

After that, she said "ok, I see what you mean." and not long after we traded it in. I had told her a few times I didn't trust .22 lr's reliability for defense, she saw it first hand.

Honestly, if I trusted it would fire every time, it would be a different story for me. It sure wouldn't be my top choice, or second, or third....
 
Camster said:
No one faced with a handgun is going to be studying the bore diameter in order to determine their chances of survival.All will be considered deadly.
Click to expand...

I have never heard of anyone yelling "get them it's only a 22"
 
The 60 gr Super Sniper round is probably best for the 22lr in a defense situation. Gives good penetration even from very short barrels. It was designed to penetrate a human skull at 200 meters from a rifle. I read a story about a guy who does deer control for cities. He uses a suppressed 10/22. He said he couldnt use the 60 gr load in the city as it will completely penetrate an adult deer skull at 70 yards.

You may find this load will tumble a bullet because it needs a faster twist. 1 in 9 is about right and barrels for the 10/22 are available. In handguns at closer ranges this in not a problem. In a gel test, this load did 750 fps from a Beretta mini pistol and penetrated 10 inches.

This load function fine in my S&W 22S and my Ruger Standard Auto.

If you must use one, think of the 22lr as a remote controlled ice pick.
 
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The great benefit of the 22 is the great skill that folks can acquire with this very pleasant cartridge. It encourages practice, doesn't intimidate new shooters and ammo is still relatively inexpensive, facilitating lots of practice.

A 22 in the eye is very effective, and the 22 lends itself to good shooting.

Not only is the 22 better than nothing, it's better than many higher power cartridges in the hands of a large proportion of shooters.
 
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