.22 for Self Defense?

[Daekar]

I have always thought of 22LR as acceptable under some circumstances because I never imagined relying on a single hit. If you break into my bedroom, you are getting a full mag dump from the 22 rifle in my wife's hands at the least. You might get some 158gr boolits from my S&W too if I can hit you... but the rifle won't miss.

[FergusonTO35]

A .22 wouldn't be my first choice but it wouldn't be my last choice either. Confidence goes a long way. I would rely on a .22 with quality ammo any day over anything .44 caliber. Why? Because I know I can put the little .22's where they need to go and fast. A hard recoiling handgun is just a noisemaker for me, I can't shoot them worth a darn. Was it really that long ago that everyone was saying the 9mm is worthless as a defensive round, and dredging up stories about bad guys taking multiple hits from them and continuing to fight? Supposedly, just last summer a cop in Eastern KY put 6 9mm's into a female perp before she stopped, and then remarked "these (danged) 9's are going to get us all killed!" The person who told me this was in LE and in a position to know.

[charlie b]

And that same person could probably have put a mag full of .45acp with same results. All depends on bullet and what it hits.

[ACC]

As someone who has been shot with a .22 RF, I would not want to be shot again. I was 8 at the time and myself and my little sister who was 4 were in our back yard. Our neighbor at the time decided to give his 6 year old son a .22 rifle for Christmas. After a few beers (probably more than a few) he and his brother brought the rifle out to "look it over". What they forgot was that it was loaded. Lucky for me it hit me in the left shoulder about 3 inches from my sister's head. Hurt bad. My dad jumped the fence and smashed the rifle then took me to the emergency room where the DR. told me I was lucky since it was a hollow point and flattened out on my shoulder blade. If it would of been a solid it would have kept going who knows were.

The funny part, if there is one is that our neighbors tried to have my dad arrested.

That been what it is, I would have to say that the gentleman in the video was spot on. A .22 is a whole lot better than a sharp stick. I would recommend solids only to get better penetration.

ACC

[Nueces]

I have a standing weekly lunch with a small group of local cowboy shooters. One member owns the ranch that hosts our nearest club range. We got to discussing defense of our vehicle's cockpits, as in repelling boarders or jackers from the driver's seat. We all carry, but, in general, a proper body carry tends to be hard to reach when buckled in. The ranch owner recommended a vehicle holstered Keltec PMR-30. I thought about it and bought one, to be carried in a Kydex holster at the back of the steel Tuffy center console in my Jeep.

30 rounds of hollow point 22 WMR in one magazine, plus a spare mag. Anticipated range measured in inches, right handed use, as the left is restraining the hand with the blade reaching through the window.

A special use pistol for a special situation.

Oh, yes, we mostly live out in the Texas hills and avoid travel to urban areas. Cockpit defense sidearms are not visible from outside. I have a steel locking underseat drawer in case of need.

[arch408]

I had a .22LR pistol fire in a holster. The bullet went through 3/4 inch of leather before it went through my calf. The entry and exit wounds looked exactly the same. They were over 1 1/2 inches in diameter and looked hamburger. The impact almost knocked me to my knees. It felt like I was hit by a baseball bat. I don’t want to go through that experience again! The scars are a constant reminder.

[dverna]

I had a .22LR pistol fire in a holster. The bullet went through 3/4 inch of leather before it went through my calf. The entry and exit wounds looked exactly the same. They were over 1 1/2 inches in diameter and looked hamburger. The impact almost knocked me to my knees. It felt like I was hit by a baseball bat. I don’t want to go through that experience again! The scars are a constant reminder.

So do you think a 9mm would be a better choice if you are going to shoot yourself? Lol

[Daekar]

So do you think a 9mm would be a better choice if you are going to shoot yourself? Lol

Well... no... lol. Well said.

On the other hand, the older I get, the more I realize that sometimes more is just more. If something smaller, lighter, easier, and cheaper can achieve the required results, then there is no virtue in something larger, heavier and more expensive. I think an interesting comparison is 9mm vs 357 magnum, although it's not 100% analogous. The 357 is significantly more powerful, especially in full-sized guns that are built to tolerate the original 45KPSI loadings. However, if the 9mm is sufficient... why choose the larger, heavier, louder, more expensive, harder-to-control round? (I say this as someone who carries a 357). If we change arch408's post to be about a negligent discharge with a 9mm rather than a 22LR and your post to invoke the granddaddy magnum, the same implication is present - the magnum would do more damage, therefore it is better. We know that's just not necessarily true.

I'm not saying that 22LR is the ideal CCW cartridge for everyone in all situations, but I do think that dismissing it entirely isn't justified by the evidence.

[FergusonTO35]

Well spoken!

[onelight]

I believe the whole point of this exercise is not to qualify the .22 as your main defensive weapon but to show in a pinch or out of necessity it is not wholly inadequate. I think he proved that point quite well.

I agree he did a good job showing that.
I always enjoy HrFunks videos

[BunkTheory]

ah yes, the recoil argument,,, now i hate to break it, ive you have even level loads in a 9mm and a 357 magnum, the revolver is going to be easier to shoot.
have never seen anyone saying that the light weight plastic guns in 9mm are enjoyable.. Have seen some feel that elmer keith or skelton loads in a 357 magnum are more fun then "self defense loads" in a compact or sub compact semi auto in 9mm

[Thundarstick]

Having nearly 40 years in the medical field I've seen people die from nearly every caliber you can name, and I've seen them live after being pierced by nearly any caliber. My experience is in line with the.22 works about as well as anything else EVENTUALLY. It's all about what the bullet hits and how important it is. Bigger holes work faster for sure, but small holes bleed out just the same. One neat habit of the .22lr is that it usually has enough umph to get into the chest cavity, but not enough to get out, so the bullet follows the path of least resistance until it runs out of energy. This path usually involves soft things inside a body that are very important, like major arteries or veins, and soft vascular organs like liver, spleen, or kidney.
Would I advocate for, or recommend a .22lr for first line carry, absolutely not! They are however about as lethal as any other handgun, EVENTUALLY.

[oldsalt444]

A 22 for self defense is advisable only for experts since your limited to head and neck shots. I mean someone with serious competition experience. But yes, it's much better than no gun at all.

You want solids for self defense for penetration. Hollow points are for small game. That's what I carry in my "church gun".

[BunkTheory]

A 22 for self defense is advisable only for experts since your limited to head and neck shots. I mean someone with serious competition experience. But yes, it's much better than no gun at all.

You want solids for self defense for penetration. Hollow points are for small game. That's what I carry in my "church gun".

if your using a smaller cartridge then 38 special, 38 smith and wesson, or even 380 acp your more into the "insert muzzle into rapists ear canal before firing"

[tazman]

That's why they were called belly guns. You put the barrel against the person's belly and pulled the trigger.

[FergusonTO35]

How about, just carry what you are comfortable and confident with? You are still better off than the person who is unarmed.