LCP 22lr as an everyday carry

Help Support Ruger Forum:

Joined
Jan 2, 2005
Messages
3,951
Location
Northern Illinois
I've never fired one of these, but the tiny size with its 10+1 capacity is intriguing. I had the original LCP years ago and got rid of it since I could not accurately fire that gun worth a damn. Recoil made it very unpleasant to shoot and getting it back on target after each round was more than I could do readily. And yes, I know that 22lr is not considered a serious round, but as some YouTube videos are stating, it can allow for a break in contact with the bad guy, and that is a win in my eyes. My current EDC is the LC9s, and sometimes I wonder if in the real world the 22lr is all that much different than a 9mm, and the ease of carrying this tiny gun makes it very tempting. Thoughts?
 
Joined
Dec 17, 2015
Messages
2,363
Location
Reading, Pa
Busterswoodshop said:
It wouldn't be my first choice , but I am pretty sure that if you shot someone 10 times in the face with a .22 , they wouldn't come back for seconds.

I say that all the time but it's 8 from my wife's LCR. She has it with her at all times, she practices with it, and she's aware of her surroundings. She has been asked about how effective her .22 would be many times and 9 times out of 10 the person questioning her is not carrying at the time nor do they ever practice. So the answer is that her .22 is far more effective than their Glock that's collecting dust in the nightstand.
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
5,195
Location
Southwest Washington
I have as an EDC a LCPII .380. I found it to be much more accurate with better sights and a more comfortable feel in the hand then the original LCP. I like it a lot.
I also have the .22 version of the same pistol. I find it to be very comfortable to shoot and accuracy is surprisingly good. I too have considered it as an EDC. The 10+1 is a positive and I think with some of the high velocity rounds that it could be quite effective.
I am still mulling the idea, but am seriously considering the move. More range time evaluation needed. Good luck with your decision.
Dave
 

jgt

Buckeye
Joined
Jul 30, 2008
Messages
1,000
Location
coleman texas
There was a time I carried a Smith & Wesson model 61 "Escort" 22LR for my everyday carry gun. It was accurate and reliable. Very sub-compact in size.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
9,933
Location
missouri
For real??
I have an SR22 that I swapped a perfectly good MK2 fixed sight 22 for(wish I hadn't). It's small and handy but I don't have much confidence in the accuracy or effectiveness of it's use. Generally speaking no one wants to get shot with anything so the little gun has some intimidation effect. Otherwise, although I've tested every sort of 22 LR ammo I could find, I've not found anything really worthy of "self defense" use. Sure, any gun is better than no gun and well paced bullets will make a difference or maybe even be successful but I fail to see the need to intentionally handicap one's self with an underpowered option if something else is available.
Many of the "experts" still argue that the 9mm is inadequate yet folks keep asking about or recommending the 22 LR--I simply don't understand this.
 
Joined
Mar 24, 2002
Messages
6,243
Location
Oregon City, Oregon
The forever rhetorical question. Can a .22LR be used for self defense needs?

There's no doubt a rimfire can kill just about anything. A sane and rational person will stop at the sight and sound of a .22LR, and especially after being shot by one. But when adrenaline and/or drugs are involved, a person can absorb tremendous damage before being stopped. Until a person bleeds out, completely runs out of oxygen, or the central nervous system is incapacitated, a person otherwise fueled by the aforementioned adrenaline or drugs, can continue to fight and inflict harm on a victim.

I have shot animals with center fire rifle cartridges, and the animals continue to have enough stamina to run great distances, seeming to be unaffected until the final collapse. Other animals, hit the same way by the same cartridges, have dropped in their tracks. All of them hit in the head or cervical spine stop immediately.

That's the crux of the .22LR. Unless you disrupt the central nervous system, there are no other guarantees of immediately stopping an assailant. The same could be said of center fire cartridges, but the chances are much higher of inflicting enough damage to hasten neutralizing the threat.

Another thing. Anybody that shoots .22 LR regularly will recall episodes of misfires. I cannot recall the last time I've had a misfire with any center fire cartridge.

All that said, I would greatly prefer to carry a rimfire handgun than no handgun at all.
 
Joined
May 29, 2011
Messages
493
I have the LCR 22 and the LCPll 22, I shoot 380 pocket guns as a hobby and shoot them often. Of the two, the LCR is a much better choice. Practice with it often and you can do wonders. A real solid firearm. Much more reliable. And a great trigger. I am not a fan at all of the LCPll triggers. I train and practice with the LCR very often. When I get done, I love to set up Clays at the 50 yd burn and just take my time popping them.
I never ever thought about a 22.cal for defense, untill one day when I was shooting the blazing Aguila ammo as fast as I could pull the trigger, It was kind of a awaking. I thought, dang, I would hate to get 8 fast rounds of this stuff into my face and throat. And being a 22.cal you can become very proficient. Is it a viable weapon, Hell yes. Maybe not the best, but for sure a weapon in the right hands.

3tmEwDH.jpg
 
Joined
Mar 29, 2017
Messages
1,743
Location
Idaho
My 2 cents worth, Topic Self Defense. A gun is better than no gun. Some guns are better than other guns. A gun that the user cannot hit his/her target is useless. A gun that the user does not practice with is almost just as useless. A gun that the user has to mentally think how to operate the gun is also almost useless.
Stats are lacking in this field, but the idea is just displaying a gun before an attack, stops most attacks. When CCW holders shoot, the average round count is about 1 shot to stop the attack. (Not saying it killed the dirt bag: That is completely different) The whole idea about CCW is to being able to stop/prevent an attack.
So, pick your gun, use it, know it well. Be confident that you can do what it takes to save your life. If not move on to a different gun, caliber, holster and start over.
If asking me, is a .22lr going to be my CCW. No way.
Maybe someday it will, but at that point it would likely not be carried everywhere due to physical limitations.
 

Snake45

Hawkeye
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Messages
9,119
Location
+4020
WAYNO said:
Another thing. Anybody that shoots .22 LR regularly will recall episodes of misfires. I cannot recall the last time I've had a misfire with any center fire cartridge.
Wayno finally hit it. .22 rimfires are notoriously unreliable. Personally, I wouldn't trust ANY .22 rimfire with my life. If I absolutely HAD to for some reason, it would have to be a gun that wouldn't have to be "cleared" or racked or un-jammed after a dud, one that you could pull the trigger and immediately get another chance. And that narrows the choice down to a DA revolver.

FWIW, the most reliable .22 ammo I've ever shot was CCI Mini-Mags (have only had one dud with those), and the least reliable is Remington Golden Bullets (very regular 1-2% failure rate).
 

Pat-inCO

Hawkeye
Joined
Oct 17, 2009
Messages
5,922
Location
In the AZ oven (Phoenix basin)
vito said:
My current EDC is the LC9s, and sometimes I wonder if in the real world the
22lr is all that much different than a 9mm, and the ease of carrying this tiny
gun makes it very tempting.
:shock: . :roll: REALLY?! :shock:

The actual "real world" says that if the simple presence of a gun is not sufficient,
then the 9mm is the minimum caliber you want.

If recoil is your problem, look at the Sig P365. Very close to the size of an SR22P
and also close to the same cost to purchase. - - - Another inexpensive choice
would be the Taurus G2C that runs around $300 (LESS than the SR22P).
 

Snake45

Hawkeye
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Messages
9,119
Location
+4020
Pat-inCO said:
The actual "real world" says that if the simple presence of a gun is not sufficient,
then the 9mm is the minimum caliber you want.
I agree with this, although .380 ammo has improved to the point where it is very tempting.

OTOH, 9mm handguns have shrunk to the size of .380s (logical, since the two cartridges are very close in size), so the only reason to choose a .380 over a 9mm would be reduced recoil and/or spring strength. (Keep in mind that you will not get full 9mm performance out of a .380-sized gun due to the shorter barrel.) 9mm practice ammo is also usually cheaper than .380 due to volumes sold, but in today's particular ammo environment, I don't know about price or availability of either. :?

The IDEAL situation IMHO is to have two identical guns, one in .22LR for cheap practice and the other in a serious caliber for serious work. :wink:
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
5,195
Location
Southwest Washington
Snake45 said, "The IDEAL situation IMHO is to have two identical guns, one in .22LR for cheap practice and the other in a serious caliber for serious work. :wink:[/quote]"

I do have a LCPII in .22lr and .380. It is my opinion that a .380 is as effective as a 9mm out to about 25ft. The differences at that range isn't significant. There is nothing as small as an LCPII in 9mm anyway. I carry mine unseen everyday. I am still of the opinion that if you have high end 22lr defense ammo that you have fired enough times to determine it's reliability in your small pocket semi-auto that it can be a viable option. AGAIN, just my opinion.

Dave
 

Pat-inCO

Hawkeye
Joined
Oct 17, 2009
Messages
5,922
Location
In the AZ oven (Phoenix basin)
There was an interesting show on TV tonight (Phoenix market). One of the "True
Crime Network" shows. It was about the Philadelphia Mob, and the changes it went
through in the early 90s. - - One of the trigger men was shot THREE times in the
head with a .22. He then proceeded to attack the shooter, who had drawn a knife
after the .22 didn't do the job. The newest shooter was killed by the guy that had
been shot to start the incident.

Granted, ammunition has improved since 1995, but by enough to make it worth
carrying? Color me skeptical.
 
Top