22lr carry for defense??

[bearskinner]

No matter what you choose, carry QUALITY ammunition in it. A cheap lead bullet doesn't do much, but a 22CCI Stinger or Federal Punch bullets are much more effective on anything that gets shot. Practice with what you carry. A single 22 in the eye will put down a grizzly bear. A 45ACP that grazes an arm doesn't do much.

 

[jav]

I carry a lcp2 pocket carry when I am in running pants

 

[Dave P.]

As mentioned once above the reliability of .22 rimfire is a long ways from centerfires. I really can't
tell you the last time I had a centerfire fail to go bang, .22 ammo of any brand I've ever had in any
,22 I own has some failures. Less an issue in a revolver, just pull the trigger again...an autoloader
in a self defense situation will not be a good thing.
I fall into the camp of train mostly with the .22 and shoot the carry gun enough to be confident
with it even if you don't "like" it.
If it's a .22 or nothing, OK it's a .22

 

[irishjack]

I have a Bersa Firestorm in .380 which I like . It is small enough to be readily concealable but big enough for accurate shooting at normal self defense distances. Bersa also makes a similar size pistol in .22 LR. Neither one will break the bank as far as cost. It might be worthwhile to buy both, using the .22 for practice and familiarization making it easier to transition to the .380.

 

[BearBiologist]

It beats harsh language. A 22LR is better than nothing.

Generally a lighter bullet means less recoil. Check these out:

View attachment 40184

9mm Luger 100 gr FTX® Critical Defense® Lite - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc

Since their inception, conventional hollow point pistol bullets have performed well, but have never delivered 100% reliability, especially in self-defense situations. The patented Flex Tip®technology used in Critical Defense® ammunition eliminates the...

www.hornady.com

1. Been shot with a 22lr. Walked into the ER on my oewn. (I appear to have a pretty high pain tolerance: I once walked with 1/2 mile through knee-deep snow with two broken ankles. I walked on one for over a year until I insisted they operate, and they found a bone chip!). It did hurt a lot, but I was mobile!

2. In grad school, I guided part time on wild hogs. Learned bullet placement is supreme. She should practice, practice, practice until muscle memory is instinctive. Use a plated solid lead for maximum penetration.

3. RE: quoted post: I asked Massoud about FTFs in Glock G-43, when using 124 gr HPs. He said that, on a small pistol with a light recoil spring and slide, the +P loads may cycle the slide TOO fast, causing a jam. We went to a quality147 gr HP for my wife an the FTFs stopped. If jamming is a problem, look at heavier bullets or a different recoil spring.

 

[Joe Chartreuse]

I'm sticking with what I first wrote... practice mostly with the 22 and carry the 9.

I like Hvymax's suggestion of trying to find 'matching' guns... one in 22lr and the other in center fire.... 380 or better.

reminds me ... I have a 22lr slide and mags for a Sig P226... I know that P226 is more than most 'ladies' would want to carry but I bet there is the same out there in smaller pistols...
Sig p365 & Sig P322?

Well, Ruger makes what is essentially the same gun (LCPII .22LR and LCP .380). Except for some very slight recoil on the .380, feel and work exactly the same. The only difference between the two besides caliber is that the .22 LR is a 10 round mag, and the .380 holds 6.

 

[PRichardson87]

Train with what you will be carrying. It's absolutely useless to train with 22LR and then expect to manage the recoil of 9mm during a stressful SD situation. Find a reliable center-fire round with manageable recoil for YOU, and practice practice practice. JMO

 

[jav]

I have a Bersa Firestorm in .380 which I like . It is small enough to be readily concealable but big enough for accurate shooting at normal self defense distances. Bersa also makes a similar size pistol in .22 LR. Neither one will break the bank as far as cost. It might be worthwhile to buy both, using the .22 for practice and familiarization making it easier to transition to the .380.

Irish I also a 380 bersa it's one of my most accurate and reliable pistols I own

 

[pyth0n]

IMO NO. In my experience there are many miss fires with .22 ammo. I wouldn't/couldn't carry one or recommend one for self defense.

 

[Iroc]

My daughter is a small, lightweight young woman and she had nothing but problems with her Glock 42 .380 cycling, she could never get through a full magazine without FTF, stove pipes, etc, nothing wrong with the gun her husband and I could shoot it just fine. She moved on to an Sig 365 9mm about two years ago and has had no problems handing it, absolutely loves that gun. I'm in the camp that would tell you if she can only handle a .22 then that's better than nothing, but I think the more you have her out shooting the more you'll build her confidence in her abilities and she'll be able to handle something a little more heavy, just be patient with her, it's a learning curve and remember the gun that fits in your hand might not be comfortable for her at all. I'd take her into a few gun shops and let her handle every gun they have and see what fits her hand, as soon as my other daughter handled one of the 9mm S&W m&p's she new right off that's what she wanted. Good luck.

 

[blume357]

Train with what you will be carrying. It's absolutely useless to train with 22LR and then expect to manage the recoil of 9mm during a stressful SD situation. Find a reliable center-fire round with manageable recoil for YOU, and practice practice practice. JMO

I did say to also train with the carry pistol just mostly with the 22lr.... If on the terrible occasion one actually has to use the carry pistol the adrenaline will take care of the extra recoil. I doubt it will even be noticeable.

 

[lipofsky]

An Elderly gentleman was at the range one day shooting an old .22 revolver, at 25 yards he consistently hit the black on a B-3 target. He asked to shoot my P-95 and of course I obliged. Well I was probably half his age and yet he easily made me look like an armature, and with my edc gun to boot. I asked him how he learned to shoot so well and he simply said "practice" He said the revolver was 50+ years old and he carried it for self defense. I chucked and he stated that a direct hit with a .22 will beat a miss with anything else all day long. Lesson Learned.

 

[kmoore]

I will go back to the FBI testing, everyone can look it up on the internet. For a pile of reasons, they determine handguns rounds mainly just punch holes into the human body. Using that as a base they determined to effectively stop a human threat at 10 feet. Which can or not mean death. A bullet needs to penetrate 14-16 inches. 12 and under won't work, 18 inches is overdone.
Look up the .22lr rounds in gel block tests. I just spend a few minutes looking. I did not go through every test but the Federal punch almost gets there with 12-14. Stinger was 10 another brand was 8. So even if the .22 lr rimfire was a dependable cartridge (as in fires first time every time) as any centerfire cartridge it still ends up short in getting the job done.
What you choose to use to save your life is always up to you. I will use better.
With enough practice and maybe training/coaching anyone that shoots a .22lr handgun great, will become just as good with many more capable guns and calibers. Yep, a hit with a .22lr is better than a miss with anything else, but that way of thinking means to me, too cheap to practice or to buy a capable gun. Myself, if I miss with a 45, 40, 9mm, 357, 38spl or 380 that I may be carrying. I would also miss that shot with a .22lr. It just takes practice/range time.

 

[lipofsky]

I will go back to the FBI testing, everyone can look it up on the internet. For a pile of reasons, they determine handguns rounds mainly just punch holes into the human body. Using that as a base they determined to effectively stop a human threat at 10 feet. Which can or not mean death. A bullet needs to penetrate 14-16 inches. 12 and under won't work, 18 inches is overdone.
Look up the .22lr rounds in gel block tests. I just spend a few minutes looking. I did not go through every test but the Federal punch almost gets there with 12-14. Stinger was 10 another brand was 8. So even if the .22 lr rimfire was a dependable cartridge (as in fires first time every time) as any centerfire cartridge it still ends up short in getting the job done.
What you choose to use to save your life is always up to you. I will use better.
With enough practice and maybe training/coaching anyone that shoots a .22lr handgun great, will become just as good with many more capable guns and calibers. Yep, a hit with a .22lr is better than a miss with anything else, but that way of thinking means to me, too cheap to practice or to buy a capable gun. Myself, if I miss with a 45, 40, 9mm, 357, 38spl or 380 that I may be carrying. I would also miss that shot with a .22lr. It just takes practice/range time.

I think the original intent or discussion was about hand strength, and handling recoil. The best defense is to be proactive and prepared. just my $.02 worth.

 

[kmoore]

I think the original intent or discussion was about hand strength, and handling recoil. The best defense is to be proactive and prepared. just my $.02 worth.

Yes it was. But when some say .22lr is a good choice or a choice for SD. Facts don't show that is.

 

[Joe Chartreuse]

I have been reading a lot of posts regarding .22LR misfires. Although I use defensive rounds, by other mfrs., MOST of my shooting is done with ammo by a mfr. rarely mentioned here. They are known for making the very best rimfire ammo around- Aguila. I actually do not remember a fail from this mfr. ammo. I would also note that sometimes- in a semi- people just use the WRONG ammo. In a semi, you can't use subsonic. "Quiet" or other low velocity round. They won't have enough gas to re-cock properly. If not bolt action, you MUST use high velocity rounds to avoid failure.

 

[Joe Chartreuse]

Yes it was. But when some say .22lr is a good choice or a choice for SD. Facts don't show that is.

Really? You DO know that Bella Twin killed a grizzly bear with proper placement with a single shot .22 rifle, right? That certain pro killers used .22 LR as their signature weapon?

gunpolicy.org/documents/5561-22-calibre-rabbit-rifles-kill-more-people-than-any-other/file

 

[Richard C]

I have been researching some low-recoil 380 ammo that is actually quite powerful at short distances. Underwood Xtreme defender solid copper 65 or 68 grain bullets are very fast and pack high energy at short distances. These cost over a dollar per round, so you should get something like Federal - American Eagle 70 grain @ about $.76 per round for the range. I know that 90 grain bullets cost way less, but they also kick a lot more.

 

[Captain America]

My wife has her .22lr LCR with her at all times, it's loaded with CCI Mini Mags and has a Hogue green laser grip…I reiterate…she has it with her always. She practices with it and is extremely competent with it, she despises semi-autos and doesn't care for the recoil of larger calibers. Her favorite conversation is with men that tell her that her .22lr isn't enough, meanwhile their 9mm is collecting dust in the nightstand. That being said…

 

[Iroc]

View attachment 40456

That's a good one