Have the 22's lost some of their lustre?

[Wheel Fan]

Have the 22's lost some of their lustre?

Nope, just their bullets...

 

[labworm]

Honestly, when it comes to a .22, I would not own one.



In 2000 this was purchased, still performing without any problems and cost wise not a bad semi.

 

[DR505]

I find it sad and somewhat upsetting when those people who fail to keep a stock of necessities on hand try shift the blame to "hoarders" for shortages.

Actually just the opposite is true. It is those who refuse to maintain supplies stocked up for emergencies that causes shortages. The people who buy a box every time they want to go shooting are the ones lined up and keeping the shelves empty, along with all the new shooters. Those of us who stock up when times are plentiful are not the ones out buying during the shortage.

This is true of food as well any expendable and useable commodity that is consumed on a regular basis. Those who maintain a 6 month or longer supply of food, water, ammo and other necessities, do not go buying when the panic hits. It is the person who failed to prepare in advance, not the so-called hoarder, who gets caught up in the panic buying.

Rather than accept their responsibility for being a major part of the shortage problem they like to blame the very people who helped to reduce the demand during panic times by calling them hoarders.

To the man who wanders through life expecting the store shelves to always be full anytime he wants something, anyone buying more than he does is labeled a hoarder.

If a few more of these people would maintain even a minimal stock of most necessities, these panic spikes in supply and demand could be mitigated to a large extent. But no. It is easier for most to just blindly wander along and then cast blame on someone else.

Are we now to call those with more than a few guns hoarders of guns, those with savings hoarders of money, those with several cars hoarders of automobiles? For that is where the word hording eventually leads. It lays the ground work for eventual confiscation of other peoples supplies in emergencies and that is why this word is being introduced into everyday usage by newspapers and other mass media. It is a way to demonize those who prepare for disasters and bad times.

So it bothers me to hear that disgusting word being parroted and so badly misused here on this site in this situation.

It might have some application to those who try and stock up during the panic shortages, but there are not so many of those and they are a very small part of the cause of the current shortages. In reality they are just panic buyers who realize too late what being unprepared leads to. They are certainly going to pay a serious premium for their actions and be left holding a lot of over priced ammo when the prices do come back down.

The wording "Hoarder" is an emotionally charged demonizing word that should not be used lightly or without explaining exactly what is meant by the word. It is no different than any other stereotyping word, such as the worst of the racial epitaphs, or other racial comments that are intended to inflame without support and without thought.

You are hoarding all of the print space and letters.

 

[kimber 22]

You are hoarding all of the print space and letters.

That's funny!


Hey Finesse - you had me thinking I stepped into an episode of real housewives of we don't really care where you're from! I didn't know The Lefties had added hoarding to their list!

When I see people at gun shows who usually buy ammo by the case loading up their cars so the tailgate drags on the ground, or people filling a shopping cart at Cabelas with ammo, I call that hoarding. Some of them are actually speculators, looking to take profits from those who couldn't get any (presumably without reporting any income to a government agency that targets certain political groups). Back in January, a local gun shop reported that some customers were placing orders for a million rounds, and willing to pay more money to get to the head of the waiting list. I call that hoarding. It's out there, and we are not all trying to pass blame for our own actions onto someone else.

On the other hand, how much ammo is a "reasonable" supply, especially right now? .22 ammo has been in scarce supply for over a year already with no replenishment looming on the horizon. How many years of rimfire stock should one need to keep? With the number of new gun owners increasing dramatically, the supply doesn't show signs of returning to normal anytime soon.

Call it what you want, but none of us want to run out of ammo, and under the circumstances of the last few months, most of us simply do not know how much is enough to be able to go to the range when we feel like it.

 

[kimber 22]

I also remember in the L.A. riots the left-leaning citizens who were in for a rude awakening when they flocked to gun stores in an attempt to protect their property, only to be told of the background check and 5-day waiting period. Instant karma's gonna get you.

FWIW Lobster - I recall a 15 day waiting period at the time of Rodney King.

 

[Bello]

I own a 617 and a Glock conversion love them both I have small boys I use them with

 

[Waywatcher]

Have the 22's lost some of their lustre?

In my opinion, yes.

I don't own a .22 and I am less inclined to acquire one now.

 

[PatAz]

I've found anytime I own a .22 it will be the one I sell or give away.

 

[RV4driver]

I have three .22 rifles with two more on the way, (most likely for sale). I also have 6 .22 handguns, ranging from a Hammerli target pistol, to a Ruger Single Six, with some semi-autos in between. Great fun, and essential in my handgun classes.
But if you really, really want to watch lead go downrange, set up a dueling tree and pit the adults against the kids, the men against the ladies. Hint: Bring LOTS of ammo!

 

[IRONVIC52]

My first firearm was a S&W Model 18, bought in 1979, and I shot that thing until it was practially worn out. Thousands of rounds, piles of shiny spent brass on the ground, great memories and lotsa fun along the way. I'm looking for another .22 Combat Masterpiece, because it's very name says it all for me. Even if I have to drop 8 hun on the gun, with the value of the dollar deflated since 1979, I figure it's a reasonable price, relatively speaking.

A few years ago I sold off all my .22s and went into 9mm in a big way. But, every time I found bricks of .22LR on sale, I'd pick up one or two and stash 'em away. Right now I'm sitting on enough .22LR to last my lifetime (scary thought...) and just recently bought a Ruger 10/22 to fill the gap. I had almost forgotten how much fun .22 is to shoot and my girlfriend, who is not a shooter has taken a liking to the Ruger. That's the allure of .22 Long Rifle. It gets to you-it's fun, easy on the ears and hits the target with ease. Far from being obsolete or waning in popularity, the .22 is America's ambassador to the shooting sports, having introduced more life-long shooters to the joy of firearms than just about any other caliber.

 

[Sparrowbird]

I can't see a 22 ever loosing it's luster. In fact, the older I get the dearer mine are to me.

 

[ManxMariner]

I love to shoot. So, a .22 allows me to shoot all day if I want. I see so many guys with large calibers come to the range, shoot 20 to 30 shots and they are gone.

I shoot a little bit of everything but as I said, I love to shoot so the .22 allows me to do that much longer.

If I have to wait at the range, I get behind the guy with big cal. guns because I know they ain't gonna be there long

My 2¢

 

[brucev]

I have seen in recent years model 17, 18, 617 prices skyrocket.

I dont see it personally. I have no need for a 22 revolver. I dont see it as a training tool because of the difference between 22 and 38 ammo.

But now it seems with ammo prices so high for 22, there is even less of a reason to own/shoot the 22 guns. I see people trying to sell a brick for over $100, sorry, no thanks, I will pay a couple cents more and shoot 9mm or 38spl.

With extreme respect, I disagree. The prices of 17, 18 and 617's reflect the quality of the revolvers and the demand of the market. There is simply nothing produced by any other manufacturer that will hold a candle to these S&W revolvers for shooting at the range, in the field or for teaching/learning the basics of single and double-action shooting.

I have shot a truck load of .38 Special ammo in both K and N frame revolvers. I like to shoot double-action. It takes practice to get to where you can run a gun in DA and actually hit anything.

Early on I learned just how very useful a K-frame M-18 was in learning how to shoot double-action. I have fired many thousands of rounds of assorted .22 LR ammo through my little 18-3. When I hold my mouth just right and squint correctly I can shoot a 2 inch six shot group double-action at 25 yds. using that revolver. Recently I was fooling around with it on a B-27 target shooting 60 rounds double action drawing and firing at various stages from 5yd. on out to 25 yds. I shot a 598/600. I then took a 4" 15-3 and a 4" 66-3 and did the same routine firing 50 rds. from each revolver using 130 gr. FMJ's (which with these revolvers group low). Firing double-action you could cover the group fired with either revolver with you hand. I chopped out the bottom of the 10 ring and the top of the 9 ring... normal point of impact with these revolvers using this 130 gr. FMJ ammo.

Ammo prices are at the present abnormal as is the availability of ammo in almost every caliber. The other day at Wal-Mart I found and bought 3 boxes of Federal Auto-Match 40 gr. LRN .22 ammo for $14.47/325 rds. The price was a little over $45 for a total of 974 rds. of .22 LR ammo. Yesterday I bought 1,000 rds. of Fiocchi .22 LR 38 gr. HP high velocity ammo for $75. In that same shop the cheapest .38 Special ammo ran $22/50 rds. That is a very large difference in price, even at the inflated prices that are the current norm.

 

[parkerdt]

LOL! I put 500 rounds through my 18-3 today, and had a BLAST doing it. Cost was about 4 cents a round, although I can't replace it for that, right now, I still have plenty on hand.

And, BTW, I paid $620 out the door for that 18-3 in ~98% back in September of 2012. What's not to like?

Dave