My first post...(gonna get yelled at!)

[snubbiefan]

Gordon...I too have seen many deer killed plum-dead with a 22 LR, as well as all those big hogs I discussed earlier. When I was a kid growing up on the farm...the 22 was considered by my dad to be the high-powered gun that us boys could ever carry-n-shoot until we were trained on it's use. We had an alligator decide to move into our pond. My brother was 15 before I was and he had shot the gator numerous times with the single-barrel .410 (which daddy would let us squirrel hunt with), but never made it do anything but go back under the water. He finally convinced dad that he was old enough to handle the 22 single-shot. He became a crack-shot with that little 22 and he took off gator-hunting one day. I was in the yard and heard him shoot....and then yell at the top of his voice for help. I ran down to the pond to see the 7-foot gator lying there in the waters-edge with a bullet-hole right between the eyes....dead as a hammer. Like you said....its all in placement.

 

[JamesArthur60]

I remember an ER doctor telling me he finds more internal damage from 22 shooting victims than the larger calibers. That little round bounces everywhere. This can be debated forever. Each one of us has to make a personal decision, based on current facts, shooting experience, and maybe a simple gut feeling. I suppose we could all say that little 22 beats nothing. Then again, many feel comfortable carrying nothing. It all comes down to you, and you alone. That's my 2 cents worth and I'm sticking to it.

 

[.357magger]

No offense intended, no, really, but...

what do antedotal stories of deer head shots, hog head drops, alligators between the eyes, or what grandpa used to say have to do with the potential of having another adult (maybe) male and/or males, high on narcotics or even adrenaline (THE most powerful drug), doing their best to kill YOU? If you've ever had this happen to you, or frankly ever seriously considered it, I think you'll get what I'm driving at.

You truly can convince yourself of anything I guess but there is a reason that no police department, military, security service et al uses the .22 anything in anything other than a deep cover or total last ditch tool.

Better than nothing? Sure is and I wouldn't want to get shot with one but betting the life of myself and/or my family on just that choice? Uh....no.

Happy Blasting to all.

 

[617X10]

If you'd move away from New Orleans I bet you wouldn't have to worry so much about those hopped up crazy crackheads.

 

[.357magger]

If you'd move away from New Orleans I bet you wouldn't have to worry so much about those hopped up crazy crackheads.

Where do you live? Rockwell Painting County? Is it on this planet?

Okay, how about BB guns? Yeah...that's the ticket, BB or pellet guns. After all, I wouldn't want to be shot with one right? And I remember back when I was in short pants, Grandpa told me about hitting a bird in the head, flying, with a pellet gun. By Gosh, it fell right out of the sky. Must be lethal then. And I remember hitting a rabid cat in the eye socket... And don't forget the time....

Gents, life or death is just that. No guarantees for any of us. But is seems to me that the decision to arm yourself at least realizes that God did not create us all as physical equals, that sometimes humans travel in packs for nefarious purposes, and that if confronted by such evil, you may have to defend your life. That occurs in New Orleans or Palookaville, USA. Daily.

Why not pick a butter knife if you think that is the best tool available. I disagree and the OP's posts indicate that there are much better choices for this task even in his own home. Would a very lightweight .22 be perhaps the most comfortable? Probably so. But that's not my criteria for that tool selection.

YMMV, and almost certainly will. Have a nice day.

And say hello to Goober, Barney, and Sheriff Andy if you see them.

 

[snubbiefan]

I keep hearing about these crazed crack-heads getting shot with 45's and various magnum loads...still running around and I fully believe that happens. Based on that, if you have this crazed, doped-up maniac running at you...nothing you shoot him with is going to knock him over short of a 2 x 4, or a cannon anyway, unless you are good enough, or lucky enough to take his head off with the first shot.

I am pretty sure that most bad guys, or punks that see the barrel of whatever you have pointed at them are not going to consider the caliber. He/she is going to know that they will be hurt at the very least.

 

[Bob B]

OMG! I guess I really started off on the .22 debate again. I do apologize to all forum members for that. I think that "JimmyJ" has the answer to my dilemma: carry the 317 as a back-up only (for me it will be pocket or ankle) and carry the 640 on the hip or sometimes the G19...cold weather only in a Galco Miami Classic. I do not reside in a "high risk" area, but I still do very frequent visits to my 92 year-old mother...lives in the same house since 1940...neighborhood has turned to absolute ****...had gang graffiti spray painted on her garage doors Easter Sunday...drug deals at the house across the alley...and pit bulls in several residence yards before I can get to the nearby park to walk. Thanks for all the great advice...I have listened! This is a super forum. Regards.

Bob B.

 

[snubbiefan]

Bob....this old debate has been around since we all have. It's about as bad as Harley owners arguing over what brand of oil that simply must be used, or the motorcycle will fall apart. It's always lots of fun.

I can go out and stand on my front porch and draw a mental full-circle of houses around me that have been hit by house-burglars over the past 18-months. They just keep coming, getting arrested (sometimes) and as soon as they get out of jail they come back.....EXCEPT to my place. Every time I go out into the yard I always have a gun in full view so anybody can see it. I make a point of just going out in the yard and woods around my house and shoot stuff for fun. I wave at my mail-man with a pistol in my hand and anybody else passing by. I have a scabbard on my tractor with an 870 short-barrel shotgun in it that anybody can see.. I wear my shoulder holster when I mow the lawn.

Just making it public knowledge that you "carry" in itself can be a deterrent to these punks you are talking about. If you don't have one already....get legal with a permit and make it well-known that you most likely have a weapon on you when people see you. Let them believe that you are just crazy enough to shoot somebody. All I have had to do, so far, is stick the barrel of my 686 in the face of one of these pieces of trash that reached for my truck door handle one night. I have not had any uninvited guest since.

They don't usually carry guns. Simple house burglary (as it has become now days) is not serious enough to keep them in jail. If they have a gun...then it becomes armed robbery and they try and avoid that charge.


PS: If you ever want to sell that 317 let me know. I am looking for another one.

 

[ssgmac]

Women killed rapist with .22 Last week here in Duluth, GA

A 53year old Women shot and killed a Rapist with a .22 after struggle with him naked, he caught her off guard in the shower and as she fought him off she told him she had $ in the bedroom and the $ was a .22LR she emptied it into him. He collapsed in the front yard and died of his wounds!!

 

[snubbiefan]

It's a wonder she was not sued by the ACLU, or some money-hungry relative. Maybe he trailed enough blood through the house to substantiate her allegation. That's the only thing about shooting this trash, they almost have to complete the crime before you can defend yourself and feel legal doing it.

 

[Bob B]

Just gotta tell ya another reason that this forum is so great. When I mentioned the Galco hoster that I sometimes used, it was the "small of back" holster. So when I tried to enter those three letters, all I saw was ***, rather than "sierra, oscar, bravo". Then when I mentioned my Mother's neighborhood turning extremely "ethnic", all that was printed was **** versus "charlie, romeo, alpha, papa". It is really nice to not see so many expletives on a website. Yes, I do recall that my MOS was a "field radio operator" (series 2500) in 1969 near DaNang. Regards.

Bob B.

 

[senecaap]

The problem I have is the .22lr not firing (yes I know this is rarer with CCI in general and the Stinger in particular). I don't know how many times I have been plinking or squirrel hunting and heard a "click" rather than a "pop" after pulling the trigger. In these situations I just try again and on the 2nd time under the hammer it usually goes off. Not acceptable to me for self defense, but that's just me.

 

[Buford57]

Sounds like you worked your situation out. Not trying to reopen the whole mess, but I'd be willing to bet that many of the people killed by .22s and .25s each year "die of wounds" rather than being DRT, and also that the number probably includes a fair number of suicides. I've seen more than a few people who stuck a .22 rifle in their mouth to end it all. Some even succeeded.

Two DRT cases I recall were a .45 ACP between the eyes and a .22 LR HP to the chest. Removed the aorta quite neatly. But since stopping a threat to you is more of a priority than whether the attacker eventually dies, the largest concealable handgun you can shoot well is likely your best choice.

 

[youngda9]

"how crazy is it" Very crazy. A .22 will not stop someone very fast...not like a larger caliber. Especially someone on drugs wanting to do harm to you or your loved ones. Not a smart idea.

 

[Joed49]

A .22 rf for defense? What good is it to you if you're dead and your attacker dies a week later? Stay with something bigger and use the .22 for plinking and practice.

 

[Joe in SC]

If it was all I had I would carry it. We know that's not the case, so to be honest I think it would be a mistake. I'm not even confident with a 9mm. I like a bigger bullet, preferably one that begins with a 4.

We all can score faster, more accurate hits with the rimfire. But, if confronted with a life or death situation, which is what we are talking about here, then, if and when that moment comes I want to bring everything I can to the fight.That's why a 357 mag., a 40 S&W or a 45 ACP rides with me most (99%) of the time.

I'd give it some serious thought.

 

[photoman]

I think you're crazy to carry a .22, but that's just me.

Saw some little guy on one of those worlds scariest police video shows get shot point blank with a cops .45 in the stomach and he just kept goin'. Fighting an assailant high on meth or crack, and with todays people much bigger and fatter than ever before, a little .22 seems a poor choice.

It does raise the point that if one is going to carry a .22 rimfire, they would to well to get really good at head shots. Don't even bother shooting them in the gut.

 

[irishjig]

Self propelled Howitzer, but still can't get it down my pant leg.

 

[Klondike Mike]

I think it was Steve Martin as a mob guy in "My Blue Heaven" that opined that when you get shot with a .22 "it bounces around inside your head until you die".


and he continued, "a 38 or 45 makes for too much dry cleaning." I thought that scene was hilarious. Mike

 

[PALADIN85020]

On occasions when my mode of dress precludes other bulkier and heavier guns, I carry a 317 in an ankle holster; it's about the only gun that doesn't feel like a boat anchor to me when carried that way. It's loaded with 8 rounds of CCI's "Quik-Shok." The bullets in these hyper-velocity rounds are designed to split into three pieces on impact with flesh, causing maximum internal damage.

When nothing else might be available, I suspect that there would be a deterrent effect on anyone being pointed at with a handgun of any caliber. Anyone actually wanting to be shot in the face with 8 rounds of .22s please raise your hand?

John