Ken Boyd
Member
I have a K 48-4, 4 inch barrel.
Is this adequate for home defense?
Any difference in factory loads?
Thanks for your advice.
Is this adequate for home defense?
Any difference in factory loads?
Thanks for your advice.
22 mag for home defense?
- Thread starter Ken Boyd
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We keep a 22 mag 2 inch around with a fast expanding bullet from a short barrel. Mainly my wife carries it around. Hornady and others ammo mfg are out there. I'm at least a 38 cal but you know I don't want to get shot with anything. A nice firing 22mag placed right is ok. Personally I like the round but I like a larger caliber for defense
rick1085
Member
Maybe a little better than a Louisville slugger.
And thats arguable.
However certainly beats nothing.
If there are strength issues?
You Could always sell it and buy a .38 special.
And thats arguable.
However certainly beats nothing.
If there are strength issues?
You Could always sell it and buy a .38 special.
Mtnfolk325
Member
I just went through this with my 85 year old Father, my Brother & I are both retired LEO's. Dad has kept one of our former Duty Guns for a house gun for years, 1st my Model 59 & then my Brother's while mine went out for a refinish & re-spring job ( I Retired in 2001 & my Brother in 2011 ). Last week, Dad and I went out to shoot the 59 some. We found he couldn't shoot the 59 very well due to recoil, so I had him try my 4" Model 64-3. He didn't have enough hand strength to shoot it well in double action. Solution, he took my Grandson's Ruger 4" MkIII 22/45 home. He was able to shoot it fast and accurately & it was no problem to rack the bolt, another difficulty he had with the Model 59. Sometimes you just have to go with what works for you, in my Dad's case it is 10 rounds of 22LR that he can handle fast & accurately ..... ;o)
Not my personal first choice, but it is better then nothing
Why not get him a 12 gauge SxS? 8" to 12" barrels loaded with less lethal
Nothing is scarier than looking down those big twin muzzles as they are being pointed at you with shaky old hands
silentflyer
Member
I have shot some wet phone books with a 4" Taurus .22 mag with the Hornady personal defense loads, about 2-3 of inches of penetration and good expansion. Not a .357 by any means, but a nasty hole. It is something I bought for a lady friend with really small hands who didn't like the recoil of a small .38.
Picked up a 2nd one I keep in the tackle box loaded with mix of snake shot and regular rounds. if the canoe flips over on the river and I lose it my feelings wouldn't be hurt nearly as much as losing or dunking a S&W 48.
Picked up a 2nd one I keep in the tackle box loaded with mix of snake shot and regular rounds. if the canoe flips over on the river and I lose it my feelings wouldn't be hurt nearly as much as losing or dunking a S&W 48.
Doug M.
Member
*Why not get him a 12 gauge SxS? 8" to 12" barrels loaded with less lethal
"Less lethal" is a badly flawed term and you should get it out of your vocabulary. (My co-author and I have been working on an article on that issue; it's a problem ...) The barrels make that an NFA weapon of some kind (can't recall which category, not my thing), and if you have only one weapon or set of weapon options, it needs to be the best you can shoot well with the best ammo possible. Anyone who is unlawfully present in one's home is almost certainly a lethal threat and should be dealt with as such; any lesser response is ... unwise, shall we say. Slugs are the default in a shotgun; #1/00/000 is a specialized load but workable. If the physical capacity to shoot a 9mm auto or K frame .38 ain't there, I would bet a lot that a shotgun is going to be a serious problem, too. I have seen references to a couple of articles about "old guy guns", but don't have good links. They are on sites dedicated to fighting with guns, nothing at all about collecting, target shooting, and the like. If you are not comfortable with the harsher views expressed, not good places to visit.
I have seen some pretty savvy folks refer to the .22 Mag, at least from a longer barrel, as potent beyond expectations. I am also aware it is harder to get, and LOUD for what it is. I suspect, all things considered, the ability to obtain and shoot .22LR would make that a better choice for an OGG, provided that one can find a platform that works ergonomically. I may yet look hard at an LCR .22LR for my wife for that reason; she is small and has some infirmities that make a more serious choice somewhat unwise.
As for the original question: if a 48-4 is what you have, and you shoot it well, with ammo chosen for use on people (remember body size, clothing and the like mean that some hunting loads will not be great choices due to a lack of penetration), by all means, it's a decent choice. It is certainly better than a pencil, a feeble punch, and harsh language. "The perfect is the enemy of the good enough."
So you and your co-author are writing an article to say that 12 Gauge rubber buckshot is not "LESS LETHAL" than 12 gauge lead buckshot
Doug M.
Member
Sort of. The terminology should be "less than lethal" or some other phrase meaning "not intended to cause death or great bodily harm". I am aware that the Florida statute uses the incorrect terminology, but it is clownshoes from the start.
ColbyBruce
Member
Developed for personal defense with a .22 magnum.
If the .22 mag is all you have, by all means use it. There are better calibers for personal defense, available in a wide variety of reasonably priced firearms.
If the .22 mag is all you have, by all means use it. There are better calibers for personal defense, available in a wide variety of reasonably priced firearms.
That is a Short Barreled Shotgun or SBS as defined under title II of the National Firearms Act of 1934
All barrel lengths of Shotgun are legal under Federal law. 18" and 26" is just the boundary that separates a Title I shotgun from a Title II shotgun
Class III is actually the type of FFL dealer license needed to sell them to end users. The term has nothing to do with owning them or defining them
Most home defenses do not end with the firearm even being fired.
coltle6920
Member
I think that I would prefer a bigger caliber for home defense but if the only firearm I owned or could use was a 22mag it would be my Keltec PMR-30 with 30rd capacity.You get someone in your house pumped up on meth you don't want to be reloading a revolver while he's still coming at you.
I'd rather be spraying than praying! (if you know what I mean.)
I'd rather be spraying than praying! (if you know what I mean.)
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We have beaver problems in the ditches at the farm. 22 long rifle from a rifle or a handgun just won't take them down as they are a tough critter. 22 magnum will do a job on them! I have always been impressed by the power of this cartridge. Very effective on four-legged varmints, and I think it would make most two-legged varmints go away.
Stargater
Member
In my view, the .22WMR is fine for home defense from a revolver. And, I also believe that .22LR ammo out of a Ruger Mark II/III also would be a fine home defense pistol. What makes the latter a good defense gun is that ìt 1) puts out so many rounds in so short a time that few could survive that kind of volley and 2) the round has plenty of energy to enter a human body, but not enough to successfully exit it. The .22WMR has substantially more, and has shown itself to be a good stopper of men. So out of a revolver, I'd go for the .22 mag.
