22 for self defense

[snoopy]

Trying to decide on a carry gun for my wife, her 6in 357 just wont work! Anyway, a guy at the LGS actually recomended a 22lr and it got me thinking. Now I realize its not an ideal manstopper, but if its light and she will carry it..... well thats a n advantage. However with the ammo situation being what it is, then maybe something reloadable makes more sense ie more practice. She does have small hands and is proficient with a revolver.Sorry if this has been kicked around before, Im sure it has, just wondering what you guys think. I'm planning on letting her get some range time with a 9mm auto, but the one I have is a 459 smith and the grips are, well, you know. I have to plan a purchase wisely due to finances, and if she takes to the semi auto, then there will be more choices and we may go and rent some different models. anyway thanks ahead of time.

[imashooter2]

.22LR is much more effective than harsh words. I would rather see a J frame with .38 wadcutters, but if'n .22 is what you've got. Carry it.

[historicfirearms]

One thing to watch with 22 revolvers is heavy hammer pull and resulting heavy trigger pull. They need a heavy main spring to reliably set off rimfire primers. My wife tried a S&W 22 revolver but with her small hands she had trouble cocking the hammer.

[dubber123]

The rimfire priming system is the least reliable one currently in widespread use. I have experienced many, many times more malfunctions with rimfires than center fires. If you really have no choice, it certainly beats nothing. If the gun of choice is available in any center fire caliber, I would recommend that first just based on dependability. A .38 revolver is usually available more inexpensively than some of the larger calibers, and can be handloaded to very low levels if need be, or pretty warmly if desired.

[osteodoc08]

If a revolver, get a 38 special J frame and some of the "lite" loads. They can even be had in pink tipped bullets.
If a semi auto, there are tons of small 380acp out there.
You can make the case for the 22, but have you seen any premium ammo lately?

[725]

J-frame or the like. .38 Spec. with a warm wadcutter. Doesn't have to be nuclear, but what she shoots well.

[prsman23]

Ruger lcr 38 special. Very light.

[contender1]

I've been teaching NRA Women On Target clinics for 14 years now. Lots of ladies have learned how to shoot & have come to enjoy shooting from us.
That said,,, let's touch on a few things.
First, if SD is the main reason, rule number one for a gunfight, have a gun. If a .22 R/F is all you have,, it's better than nothing.
Next, as it's been noted above, for ignition, a revolver in 22 is a bit harder to pull for many ladies, so a semi is usually the better option. HOWEVER,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
A semi-auto has MANY drawbacks for ladies.
It has more "controls" to make it work. (Slide, safety, magazine, magazine release,)
Until a person spends a lot of time using a semi, they do not develop the muscle memory skills to operate all these w/o thinking about it.
Next, pulling a slide back on some guns, can be harder on the ladies.
Loading a magazine with ammo can be harder on the ladies.
Under stress, (an attack or actual need for a gun) problems can be compounded. The normal reaction is for a woman to focus on the aggressor, NOT on what to do. If the gun is in the purse, in a pocket, winds up in her "off" hand etc,,, a semi can become a bigger problem than you think. If fired from inside a purse, pocket, it can jam.

These are a few things to consider.

Next, time for physics.

A lighter gun is easier to carry, yet has more recoil. A heavier gun has less recoil, yet is harder to carry.

Choices have to be made, and they have to be made by HER!!!!!!!!!!! Not anybody else.

We have found that by far, through the hundreds who have taken our clinics, that the most often chosen firearm, that fits the bill the best for most is the compact, steel framed DA revolver.
Of the choices, it's at the top of the list for the KISS method. (Keep It Simple Stupid)
A good quality 357 mag in a short barrel, with a set of grips to fit HER hands, loaded with light 38 spl ammo can easily be practiced with. Yet, for carry & SD, good 357 mag SD loads will be the ticket.

Now, all that said,,, you still have to find what she likes & then I strongly suggest you have her spend a lot of time practicing with it. And not just standing in a lane, punching paper with a normal 2 handed grip. Make her use one hand & then the other without any assistance from the other hand. (She'll find that clearing a jam with just her off hand will become an issue quickly.)
I would recommend an instructor who works a lot with women to do some of the teaching. She will learn a lot.

But, back to the OP about a 22. There is a lot of differences between a 6" 357 mag & a 22 R/F. You have to find a gun she likes & can operate EASILY!

Can a 22 be a SD firearm? Absolutely!!!! Is it the best choice? Not generally, but by far it's better than no firearm, and better than 25 acp or 32 acp, & even 380 in some cases.

[tazman]

There is an indoor shooting range I frequent that is run by a family. 3 members of this family are women. While at the range(also a gun shop), they all carry. Because of the situation they can have whatever gun they wish. One carries a revolver. The other 2 carry semi-autos in different calibers(380 and 9mm). 2 of them are NRA instructors. I would not want to be the one any of them were shooting at.
As others have said, the woman needs to make the choice as to what she wants to carry. What she is comfortable with and what she will become proficient with. If she is going to carry it she needs to be familiar with it.
Stress does interesting things to people. Man or woman, you need to have sufficient familiarity with the weapon that it can be used almost without thinking about it since during a stressful situation you will be reacting more than thinking. Proper training and practice are the keys.

[Low Budget Shooter]

One of .22LR's main advantages used to be low price, making for lots of practice. Nowadays, however, I can cast bullets and reload for .38 special considerably cheaper than I can buy .22!

[NavyVet1959]

I have been in areas where the only think I could conceal was a .22LR. It's better than nothing, but definitely not my first choice. I always considered it something that you empty your entire cylinder / mag into your assailant and then expedited your retreat with the hope that it slowed them down enough. A well placed .22LR round can definitely kill someone, but whether you end up making that "golden BB" shot during an emergency situation when you need it most is perhaps something that you should not want to stake your life upon.

Many women that I have met have problems pulling back the slide on a semi-auto of any respectable caliber. It's not so much the arm strength, but rather the grip strength. They just cannot hold onto the slide well enough. If I was going to go the .22 route, I would look at the RIA 17+1 .22 TCM 1911 handgun. It also comes with a 9mm barrel. I would not suggest the CZ-75D that I recently acquired since the slide is relatively compact and I suspect that many women would have a problem griping it to cycle the slide.

For my wife, I just give her a DA/SA and leave a round in the chamber.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

when i was a kid my friends Dad used a 22 Rifle to kill a 800 lbs cow. one shot point blank right in the head cow went down
like a ton of bricks. that same year i shot a raccoon out of a tree it took 9 shots out of my HR pistol. now i have shot and killed
a lot of things with one shot out of a 22 but for a carry gun no way would i pick a 22 pistol and trust it i would look at a SP101
or J frame

[snoopy]

Well, this aquisition will be purely for SD. All the comments so far have mirrored my thoughts exactly and the recoil issue with a small gun was the very reason the 22 was being considered. She walks a cross country trail on a regular basis so whatever is chosen has to be light in weight. Thanks again

[NavyVet1959]

Well, this aquisition will be purely for SD. All the comments so far have mirrored my thoughts exactly and the recoil issue with a small gun was the very reason the 22 was being considered. She walks a cross country trail on a regular basis so whatever is chosen has to be light in weight. Thanks again

There's a lot to be said for one of the 2" 7-shot .357 mag revolvers, especially if you reload for it. You can load it down low enough that it have the recoil of a .22 initially and slowly up the powder as they get used to it. Load it with 0.360" (000-buck) round balls at 69 gr for even cheaper practice.

[Gray Fox]

My wife commandeered my S&W 642 lightweight hammerless .38. I load some moderate loads with plated hollow base wadcutters with the hollow facing forward. Performance in gallon jugs of water in a row has been good. The speedloader or speed strip she carries has Remington 110 grain jacketed hollow points for ease of reloading.

The other aspect of whatever your wife carries is how fast can she get it into action. Attacks along hiking trails are usually pretty fast, so if she plans to carry the weapon in a fanny pack or such thing she will need lots of dry fire practice to see if it is even workable. Whatever carry mode she chooses will have to become ingrained to succeed under stress. Hope this helps, GF.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

look at there new 9mm 17.2 oz http://www.ruger.com/products/lcr/models.html

[nagantguy]

.22 over the .45 at home or a rock. Largest hog I ever seen seen taken was with one head shot from a .22, it was already mad and worked up, one round between the eye and ear dropped not like a stone. Shot placement and first round hits are all that matter is the point I'm making. Shot placement and first round hits are all that matter, everything else is an acidemic exercise.

[bangerjim]

Friend bought a 380 lite-weight (plastic) semi with built-in laser dot for his wife because she "did not want anything heavy", and it "felt right" at the LGS. Well, it is NOT heavy.........and it almost dislocates her wrists when she fires it! Weight is needed in small guns, any gun for that matter! If your wife is a big gal (doesn't sound like it), mabe it will work, but even I (at 183# and strong wrists) felt the thing was very awkward and almost painful to shoot.

I like my 38SPL snub nose revolver! The wife does too. She also has a S&W 22LR semi that we have never had a mis-fire at the range with, as some mention above. It pulls very easy and cycles like a dream. The mafia used 22's a lot! Excellent for up close and personal, but probably will just PO a big attacker at a distance.

I like 9mm, 38SPL, 40 S&W, and 45 ACP. All are "carry-able" and perform well. You need to take her to a gun store with an indoor range that allows you to try different guns they will loan out. My local ones will lend your the gun for free as long as you buy their ammo. And they have "lady's days"!

But I feel a revolver is a very nice gun. Of all the pistols my wife has tried, she likes revolvers the best.

"If ya can't get-er-done in 5 or 6 shots, ya might as well throw in the towel"

banger

[tazman]

look at there new 9mm 17.2 oz http://www.ruger.com/products/lcr/models.html

One of the women I mentioned carries a Taurus snubby in 9mm. It uses moon clips. I know for a fact the gun shoots well enough at short range to be effective.
Being a revolver you could load it down if you wish.

[Mk42gunner]

I agree a 6" revolver will be hard to conceal, and more weight than many people (male and female) want to carry all day, every day.

I have seen too many misfires with .22LR to want to trust the life and wellbeing of my loved ones to the reliability of a rimfire. Plus by the time you get to a .22 that is easy to operate (and reliable), you have a gun that is almost as large as a 6" revolver.

If she is comfortable with a DA get her a smaller gun. You don't say what the .357 she has now is, but I am guessing either a K or L frame equivalent. Be advised that a smaller gun my need a smaller caliber to be somewhat comfortable to shoot.

My best advice is to take her to a range where she can try out various guns before you buy something that might or might not work for her.

I think a two or three inch J frame in .32 H&R would be a lot easier to shoot well than one in .38 or .357. Heck, I have no desire to fire full house .357's from a J Frame.

Let her decide what she is comfortable with, as long as it is reliable.

Robert