This may put some nickers in a twist

[aphelion]

A quote from famous author/shooter Ernest Hemingway on the effectiveness of the .22 round. Ernest's favorite platform was the Colt Woodsman:

"Now standing in one corner of a boxing ring with a .22 caliber Colt automatic pistol, shooting a bullet weighing only 40 grains and with a striking energy of 51 foot pounds at 25 feet from the muzzle, I will guarantee to kill either Gene Tunney or Joe Louis before they get to me from the opposite corner. This is the smallest caliber pistol cartridge made; but it is also one of the most accurate and easy to hit with, since the pistol has no recoil. I have killed many horses with it, cripples and bear baits, with a single shot, and what will kill a horse will kill a man.

Like the reference to RFK some posts back, not exactly a typical self defense scenario, is it? And with all due deference to Ernie and his confidence in his shooting ability, I believe he wouldn't be able to do it 100% of the time. Gene and Joe could move and they were hip enough to not just come straight on. I wonder if he could do it 50% of the time. Of course, all we can do is speculate. (I wouldn't bet against Jerry Miculek tho) And stationary targets at 'regulation' distances hardly constitute an equivalent scenario, either. As others have said, a .22 would be 'better than nothing'. But why settle for 'better than nothing' if the stakes are that high?

 

[mbliss57]

It was good enough for a 17 year old TJ Lane, a high school student to kill 3 fellow students and wound 2 others in 2012 at Chardon HS, 8 miles from here in Ohio. Again, not a self defense situation but a testament that the little .22lr round can be deadly with correct shot placement. I have never carried one for SD. My rounds I have used for carry.. 9MM, 38 spl +P, .357 mag, 45ACP and 10mm. MY go to gun is the 4513TSW 3rd gen in .45ACP.

 

[stantheman86]

I have an NAA .22 Short in my pocket right now

I often carry my .22 LR mini as a primary, sometimes backup CC gun.

I figure 5 Velocitors should be good for last ditch emergency protection at point blank range. I sure wouldn't want to take one in the head or heart (or anywhere).

As for my .22 Short I figure it would get me safely through a day of helping my parents with yard work.

 

[bigmoneylewis]

If you have to shoot someone in a defensive situation , it's always best to kill them . Remember..a dead man can tell no lies in a courtroom. What you don't want to do is shoot someone , put them in a wheel chair, get sued for every penny you got and have them
tell a jury "I was just askin' that man fo' some spare change , and he shot me!"
It's just best to put them down with only one or two shots, and a .22 means you will probably need 5 or 6 center body hits , and still
may not get it done. The general rule of thumb, carry as a minimum,
a .380 , but preferably .38 or 9mm .
Sure it's all about bullet placement and a .22 can get the job done
IF YOURE LUCKY, but in a high stress, heart pounding, fast moving unfolding of events , I don't want to have to throw "luck" into that equation. I need a little bit more of a sure thing .
Just my personal opinion.

Lewis

 

[semperfi71]

I carried one of these for a few years in an ankle holster while hunting big game. I still carry it once in a while. I carry CCI Stingers which have good penetration. I tested it with over 200 rounds to make sure it fed well. Shot to point of aim at 25 yards. I bought it for about $140.00 in about 1991. They were made by ErmaWerk and shipped to the distributor in parts and assembled in the United States. They can still be found online from time to time and still cheap.

I admit that today we have .380s (I have a Diamondback) that are smaller.

 

[aphelion]

It was good enough for a 17 year old TJ Lane, a high school student to kill 3 fellow students and wound 2 others in 2012 at Chardon HS, 8 miles from here in Ohio. Again, not a self defense situation.....

True, it is analogous to 'shooting fish in a barrel' and irrelevant to self defense, which I presume the OP is thinking of when he says every day carry.

 

[raljr1]

I know that when the caliber discussion came up and my pals said that a 22 or 25 was useless because they didn't have "stopping power", I always asked how they'd feel about taking one or two in the chest.....It always gave them pause.....not ideal, but certainly better than your fist....just keep pulling the trigger till it stops going bang.

 

[Nedroe]

Why Not........

That's what I made 'em for.
17-8 TEN SHOT

617-1 6 SHOT

22lr has long been a mob favorite.

Ned

 

[aphelion]

I know that when the caliber discussion came up and my pals said that a 22 or 25 was useless because they didn't have "stopping power", I always asked how they'd feel about taking one or two in the chest.....It always gave them pause.....not ideal, but certainly better than your fist....just keep pulling the trigger till it stops going bang.

Not very relevant. Sure someone shot with a .22 is likely to need some surgery and may well succumb to their injuries later. That isn't the point.

22lr has long been a mob favorite.
Ned

Seems like sneaking up on someone and popping them in the back of the head or shooting them while they are trussed up like a Christmas goose isn't relevant to a self defense situation either.

 

[Voyager28]

Carried a 9 shot 22 magnum snubbie for a long time. Still have it and still love shooting it. But, at my age now, eyes not as good and hand not as steady, I want something with a bigger BOOM when the booger hook hits the bang switch.

Bob

 

[OldDominion]

I carry a NAA mini .22mag loaded with CCI hps. every day in a pocket holster. I call it my "Last Gasp!" gun. It's not my primary carry piece, but in the event of an extremely close encounter (inches), if held to the ear or other sensitive areas it will be effective.

 

[wildenout]

On Sundays at church I carry a small .22 Cobra in my pocket. I like it, and could make it work if'n an emergency were to occur.

 

[BigBill]

I thought about it but never have. The 22cal bullet (long rifle high speed) is me of the worst rounds to get shot with. Every bone it hits it bounces off it.
The bullet can bounce around in the body like a pinball machine. I been told the 22 is no joke.

I have a cute little 323 h&r revolver. It's the size of my Palm almost. For travelling light it can do.

 

[at_liberty]

This seems like a litany of rationalizing to avoid carrying any weight or bulk, i.e. avoiding dressing to conceal a real gun. No one seems to budge. They seem to want to talk like they have combat experience with the mighty .22LR. I don't care except that I think it is poor mentoring to suggest carrying such a gun for self defense. It is too easy to march out the rhetoric that people can do what they want rather than to offer suggestions with some personal integrity. It is pretty far removed from center-of-mass, stop a threat with one shot.

During my last outing with the 617, I had, I believe, two misfires from CCI 40 grain lead, standard velocity Target, which raises the question of whether 22LR is reliable enough ammunition.

 

[deriter]

But I guess I see that with a revolver, if there is a misfire, ya just pull the trigger again. Now with a semi auto, that could be an issue. But the good ole revolver just keep on going. Do they still make the 17-8 10 shot? If so, is it still a j frame?

 

[Nedroe]

17-8 10 shot......

There's plenty of 'em around. They are K FRAME, & properly modified, look just like this.

If you want something really different, try a 17/19 Frankengun, like this

Ned

 

[BCDWYO]

I never have. I agree that if its all I had it would be better than nothing, but thankfully I have better choices for EDC and self defense.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I have an NAA .22 Short in my pocket right now

The NAA in my pociet is .22LR I carry this probably 80% of the time I ma carrying.
Say...speaking of .22's the Ruger SP101 4.25" 8 shot .22LR is probably as close to perfect for a kit/outdors gun one can get.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/guns-sale-trade/381789-wts-nib-sp101-22-price-adjustment.html

 

[at_liberty]

The NAA in my pociet is .22LR I carry this probably 80% of the time I ma carrying.
Say...speaking of .22's the Ruger SP101 4.25" 8 shot .22LR is probably as close to perfect for a kit/outdors gun one can get.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/guns-sale-trade/381789-wts-nib-sp101-22-price-adjustment.html

Chuckle..."outdoors" is not necessarily "wilderness" or even a legal place to shoot. I am prepared with a nice holster to carry my 617-2 crossdraw, if I ever have such an application, but would carry at least an EDC as a primary gun, perhaps a .44 Special.

 

[Doc TH]

.22 LR

Those who express their belief that the .22 is a "popgun" and unsuitable for defense should research the exploits of an Israeli sky marshal and special agent Mordechai Rachamim. In 1969 he responded to an attack on an El Al aircraft in Zurich, killing several terrorists with a Beretta 71. In 1972 he was part of a team that recovered a hijacked Belgian airliner in Tel Aviv, again dispatching a hijacker with his Beretta 71. These were not barrel-to-head assassinations, but gunfights.
For myself, I would be more likely to choose a .38 revolver or 9mm semiauto, but I have no doubt about the effectiveness of a .22 for self defense purposes.