22 mag for self defense?

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5of7

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A friend of mine asked me to get a S&W Airlite PD in .22 Mg., so I did.

It is a very nice pistol, a 7 shot gun with a 2" barrel. When I asked him what he wanted it for, he told me as a carry gun for his daughter.

Now as far as the gun goes, it is nice and light and should carry well in a purse, but I advised him regarding the external ballistics saying that he was probably looking at a little less than 1000 fps from that 2" barrel, and didn't he think that she would be better served with an LCP of an LCs, each of which were better choices than a 2" 22 Mag.

He was adamant, which I can understand, given that he had just ponyed up $600+ for the .22 Mg.

Did I give him a bum steer about the .22 mg., or was I right. 8)
 
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While not my first choice, that would have been a .38 spl of some sort, I feel she'd be pretty well protected. It's really more about shot placement than caliber, anyway.

Interestingly, I've found that steel "J" frame sized .38's, are easier to handle than any of the lightweights, even those in .22 mag.
 

GunnyGene

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Depends a lot on the ammo. Hornady Critical Defense .22wmr is specifically designed for short barrel handguns. It's about the best you can get in this application. See this: http://www.hornady.com/store/22-WMR-45gr-Critical-Defense/
 

varminter22

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You made a good point. But in the end, his daughter probably should shoot/carry whatever she is comfortable and proficient with.

Maybe the .22 Mag is the ticket, at least for now. Maybe she'll be inspired to select another caliber in the future.
 

5of7

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Well after I told him about the ballistics, I felt a little bad about it. He is after all a friend of mine and he had just spent about twice the money he needed to for a PD gun that is a little short in the powder dept.

I gotta learn to keep my mouth shut... 8)
 

k22fan

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5of7 said:
Well after I told him about the ballistics, I felt a little bad about it. He is after all a friend of mine and he had just spent about twice the money he needed to for a PD gun that is a little short in the powder dept.

I gotta learn to keep my mouth shut... 8)

No, you gotta learn to speak up before your friend passes the freeway exit.
 

Ray Newman

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"But in the end, his daughter probably should shoot/carry whatever she is comfortable and proficient with."
--Varminter 22

BINGO!
 

ADP3

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Have your friend look at the ballistics for a NAA Black Widow (2" Barrel) over at http://northamericanarms.com/ball_bwm

They show a mean of 1300 fps w/ CCI 30gr +V JHP, 1193 fps w/ Win Supreme 34 gr JHP and 1098 fps. w/ Win 40gr JHP. The 2" J-frame in .22 Mag ought to have velocities close to these which all exceed 1,000 fps.

Best Regards,
ADP3
 

GunnyGene

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ADP3 said:
Have your friend look at the ballistics for a NAA Black Widow (2" Barrel) over at http://northamericanarms.com/ball_bwm

They show a mean of 1300 fps w/ CCI 30gr +V JHP, 1193 fps w/ Win Supreme 34 gr JHP and 1098 fps. w/ Win 40gr JHP. The 2" J-frame in .22 Mag ought to have velocities close to these which all exceed 1,000 fps.

Best Regards,
ADP3


Here's another comparative chart of FPS by the inch: http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/22mag.html
 

planetcat

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I carry my lcr .22 mag every now and then. Even though I'm a big bore guy, that little revolver is so easy to shoot and incredibly accurate. I don't feel vulnerable with it. It might not stop a gargantuan pcp addict, but I wouldn't want to be shot by one. Tell your friend his daughter should feel safe carrying it. Hopefully she never needs to use it in a defense situation.
 
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As I always say when this subject comes up, talk to a trauma doc or EMT in a big city about what .22 WRM does when it hits a human center mass (You will get lots of cussing first, I'll bet). A lot of killing power, not so much stopping power, tho. Multiple hits help.

There is also certainly something to grandpa's remark about .22s....
 

REP1954

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A quality rimfire magnum round in a revolver of quality make and build is for sure a force to contend with. I have never had a failure to fire with good quality 22 Mag ammo and gun combination. Buy cheap and get cheap.
 

CraigC

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It's a long way from ideal but surely enough to make any would-be attacker think again about his choices. Better for her to have a .22Mag at all times, versus a .38 she's afraid to shoot and leaves at home.
 

contender

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We teach a lot of ladies how to shoot for the first time through our NRA WOT program.
We get that similar type of question all the time.
ANY firearm must fit the person, AND they must be able to operate it. What works for me will not work for most ladies.
Before he plunked down any $$ he should have gotten her into a class to learn what SHE was comfortable with.
Offer to take her shooting & leave him at home so she can relax w/o daddy looking on. Teach her to use her gun & offer to let her try a few others,,, to see if she if she likes them. I do tend to strongly suggest the simplest operating handgun for those folks who only occasionally shoot. That would be the DA revolver.
 

noahmercy

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Five-of, you are exactly right. The 22 Mag has well-documented inconsistent expansion when fired from handguns. That means a tiny (.223") hole through the target most times and muzzle blast from a snubby 22 Mag is surprisingly obnoxious. A much better choice for a recoil-shy shooter is a gun chambered in 32 S&W Long, 32 H&R, or 327 Federal. A hot 32 S&W Long with a semi-wadcutter or wadcutter bullet (pretty sure Buffalo Bore makes a couple loads along these lines) will do far more damage than a 22 Mag from a short barrel, and doesn't have the flash and bang which can be more intimidating than the recoil to some folks. Step up to the magnum rounds when the shooter is proficient and comfortable and you have an exceptional performer that won't abuse the person behind the trigger.

And before anyone trots out the "lethality" of rimfires, a defensive gun need not be lethal, but it better STOP the threat. Unless a tiny bullet expands to make a bigger hole AND gets deep enough to reach vital organs, or it hits the central nervous system, it is very unlikely to keep a bad guy from hurting or killing you. 22s have a proven poor track record of being fight-stoppers, particularly when the bad guy is under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, or is mentally unstable...which pretty much covers 90% of the scumbags one might have to shoot.
 

Old Dog Soldier

Bearcat
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May 25, 2013
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contender said:
We teach a lot of ladies how to shoot for the first time through our NRA WOT program.
We get that similar type of question all the time.
ANY firearm must fit the person, AND they must be able to operate it. What works for me will not work for most ladies.
Before he plunked down any $$ he should have gotten her into a class to learn what SHE was comfortable with.
Offer to take her shooting & leave him at home so she can relax w/o daddy looking on. Teach her to use her gun & offer to let her try a few others,,, to see if she if she likes them. I do tend to strongly suggest the simplest operating handgun for those folks who only occasionally shoot. That would be the DA revolver.


SOUND WISDOM !!!!!!!!

ODS
 
Joined
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Granbury, TX. USA
Great write-up.

http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2015/6/8/the-22-magnum-for-self-defense/

.22 mag. Is actually pretty impressive and some of the newer load configurations actually outperform .380.
 

welder

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CraigC said:
It's a long way from ideal but surely enough to make any would-be attacker think again about his choices. Better for her to have a .22Mag at all times, versus a .38 she's afraid to shoot and leaves at home.

I feel the same way. She may well use the little rimfire as a starting point and move up, but if she doesn't she still has more defense that the vast majority of people out there concerning handguns. It will give her confidence and a much better chance to defend herself should she need to. I have friends and family who carry nothing except a cell phone and I would be happy if they would consider any gun in any caliber. The fact she shoots and carries is the main point. BTW my first gun was a BB gun followed soon by a single shot Sears .22. We all start somewhere.
 

stevemb

Hunter
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Some good advice thru above posts so I'll just add..add the 50gr Federal 22mag HP to the ammo try list.
 
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