.22 For a Carry?

[indiucky]

However, rim fire is a poor choice for self defense. Just not enough damage to meat or bone.

Another thing to consider is the unreliability of rim fire ammo.....It seems out of every 50 pack I shoot there is always one or two that need another go around the cylinder to fire...It's just due to the way rim fire ammo is made....Supposedly CCI is the best because they make sure the priming paste is completely around the rim.....

I carry a .22 up at the farm for critters but always tucked away unseen is a .357 J Frame.....Like I said, .22 is for critters, not defense...

IMHO

 

[Expat]

We used to have some proponents here... they said more people were killed by .22 than any other cartridge.

 

[HoughMade]

11 rounds of .22 to the face. We aren't in Afghanistan.

 

[brotherbill3]

Another thing to consider is the unreliability of rim fire ammo.....It seems out of every 50 pack I shoot there is always one or two that need another go around the cylinder to fire...It's just due to the way rim fire ammo is made....Supposedly CCI is the best because they make sure the priming paste is completely around the rim.....

I carry a .22 up at the farm for critters but always tucked away unseen is a .357 J Frame.....Like I said, .22 is for critters, not defense...

IMHO

Reliability is definitely an issue with rimfire (and from my recollection of my youth) more so NOW than say 30-35 yrs ago.

I had to HUNT and test very carefully the ammo selection for the 21A ... VERY specific -
ONLY CCI Mini-Mags and Velocitors functioned - every time - (well std vel. CCI worked reliably but not necessarily for SD).
That was IT. Any others and it would Jam - note: I've heard different ammo from other owners of it, but still "X, or maybe Y" type or no go boom.
The revolver was not so much of an issue ...

BUT - modern 22 LR ammo I have many FTF's (the 2nd F can be feed or fire) - in the 21A and in my (now 40 yr old) Marlin.
I never remember having ANY issues as a kid of 10-15 (starting 40 yrs ago) with my marlin as a kid shooting the dirties thunderbolts ever; and NEVER cleaning it.
It just worked and so did the ammo. ...

Anyway -
If you go that route or carry the 22 - test the ammo - the only advantage is - "its cheap and easy" to try it all and find what works.

 

[Coach]

We used to have some proponents here... they said more people were killed by .22 than any other cartridge.

Mostly with AD/ND circumstances would be my guess.
INGO has proponents of nearly everything.
Jeff Cooper had an article in one of his books about rim fire in riot control. But not because it was lethal but because it would likely not be. He advocated a .22 to the lung of riot leaders to cut the head off the snake without killing anyone.

I am not a liberal I am not going to tell someone else what to do with their life, but I am not going to endorse something that I disagree with either. I have a carry gun match on January 24th, and I am allowing .22 just to see how it goes on paper. I hope to make these matches a regular thing. I hope that it will provide some evidence on the shape, size and caliber of guns and ammo as it relates to carry. Perhaps some lessons will be learned. Perhaps it will be surprising. (to whom may be another question)

 

[jkdbjj]

If I had a choice, I would choose something with a larger caliber. If I did not have a choice, I would be thankful to have it.

 

[Expat]

I still worry about carrying 9mm on occasion....

 

[VERT]

Coach is correct.

Now for my opinion. I would take my chances and carry an 8 shot .22 Ruger or Smith snubby as an only gun before I would carry a micro .380. The .380 being a a major step up from any .22, .25,.32 auto. That is how crappy those little ear, nose and throat guns are for their intended purpose. That said people do manage to use them to defend themselves.

 

[Liberty Sanders]

Coach is correct.

Now for my opinion. I would take my chances and carry an 8 shot .22 Ruger or Smith snubby as an only gun before I would carry a micro .380. The .380 being a a major step up from any .22, .25,.32 auto. That is how crappy those little ear, nose and throat guns are for their intended purpose. That said people do manage to use them to defend themselves.

During my lawdog days I saw many shootings involving mouseguns. .22's and .25's were ghetto favorites, at least in my day. People shot with .25's were more likely to survive. I saw cases of them (and one .32 auto) bouncing off of people's skulls.

It is often said that .22's kill more people than the others and my admittedly aging memory tends to verify that. Bear in mind that people don't necessarily die at the scene when shot with a .22. Outside lubricated .22 rounds carry with them any miscellaneous detritus that they come in contact with and cause some truly nasty infections after the fact.

 

[Coach]

When I did my instructor certification course with Tom Givens he told a great story of a .380 failing to get the job done. There were around 20 LEO's in the room and it seemed like everyone of them had seen a similar case first hand were the little calibers failed.

I am a historian. I don't need to experience everything in order to learn a lesson.

 

[natdscott]

I am a historian. I don't need to experience everything in order to learn a lesson.

hehehe...

-Nate

 

[DRob]

I, too, have heard that .22s have killed more people than any other round. However, IIRC there was a caveat stating it was due to the huge number of .22s that were in circulation. Not because it is/was a round of choice. Stories like that never die.

National Rifleman magazine ran an article a while back on the topic of self defense handgun ammo. One aspect they addressed was the psychological impact on a person realizing they had been shot. They gave it more credence than I would and I doubt it applies at all to somebody who is high. It is interesting that there is .22 WMR ammo marketed as a self defense round. If there is such a round in .22lr, I'm not aware of it.

 

[EricG]

This flies in the face of folks with the "shot placement" argument. Then you ask them what do they carry, its not .22

 

[Coach]

Shot placement is key no one with any sense would argue that. Not many opportunities to hit the Central Nervous System with a .22 on a human. That makes getting a stop pretty tough. Like I said earlier. Hit a tear duct and we can start thinking about other things. That is pretty tough to accomplish and I doubt that folks carrying a .22 are putting in the training hours.

 

[Ballstater98]

[video=youtube_share;TTTV5GXSLZM]http://youtu.be/TTTV5GXSLZM[/video]

[video=youtube_share;cGgFiICf71o]http://youtu.be/cGgFiICf71o[/video]

 

[GIJEW]

Whoever it was that said .22 is a good SD caliber left off the 3.

while good shot placement is key to stopping power, it's not a sure thing--especially with a handgun. FWIW a bro-at-arms who in the element flanking the enemy, told me of finding a 20' blood trail with a dead Syrian at the end of it, with only 3/4 of his head. 7.62x51mm or .50BMG? It's academic

 

[Coach]

I am watching the videos out of curiosity. Nothing in the first video changes my mind. I am just starting the second video. The Ruger SR 22 sucks and it is the number one gun. The guy in the video talks about the unreliable nature of the ammo and then goes on to say this gun has not malfunctions with ammo. My experience is quite different.

 

[rhino]

Whoever it was that said .22 is a good SD caliber left off the 3.

while good shot placement is key to stopping power, it's not a sure thing--especially with a handgun. FWIW a bro-at-arms who in the element flanking the enemy, told me of finding a 20' blood trail with a dead Syrian at the end of it, with only 3/4 of his head. 7.62x51mm or .50BMG? It's academic

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Coach]

Those videos make me want to puke.

 

[Leadeye]

I always look at a 22lr handgun as better than nothing, or like BBI says a sharp stick. I have seen a 9 shot H&R 22lr put to use effectively in a defensive situation.