first, choosing a 22lr caliber firearm for protection assumes that you are a normal, sane, law-abiding civilian who needs to break contact with the threat; not a cop, armored car guard, bailiff, soldier, big game guide, criminal… if you are truly facing the imminent threat of ms13 gangbangers invading your home, you have way more worries than caliber choice. if you likely have frequent contact with meth-heads, low-life acquaintances or nasty drunks, remove yourself from their company. if you work in a late night convenience store find another job. firearm caliber choice is one of many choices that we make in life. protection is layered, a firearm is but one layer, smart life choices and physical barriers are crucial forms of protection.
anyone trained in a 22lr firearm is better off. if 22lr is all you can physically or financially handle then get one and be done. buy alot of good ammo for it (cci these days) and practice alot. 22lr is easy on your wallet and body, so practice with 22lr is actually fun.
it is really tiresome to hear the immature canard that getting shot with 22lr will only anger the attacker. if you can financially and physically handle a larger centerfire caliber then by all means go there but folks who ask about 22lr for protection already have an inkling of their own limits. never belittle one’s inner voice. hits trump misses and no centerfire firearm offers a proximity fuse.
i have owned, and shoot alot, many rimfire firearms. in brief, ruger owns rimfire. a ruger 10-22 semiauto rifle and a ruger sr22 semiauto pistol loaded with $10-12/100 cci minimags are easy choices, cannot go wrong. use only factory mags. single-action revolvers are great outdoors pieces, too slow yet better than absolutely nothing for home protection. double-action rimfire revolvers (ruger lcr, taurus 92, s&w 317) have stout trigger pulls. the ruger mark and 22/45 handguns are a tad heavy. the ruger lcp22 is kinda small and might be troublesome to manipulate by persons with hand arthritis. taurus tx22 and s&w m&p 22 compact could be worthy choices too, but i’ve not tried them.
those of us with gray hair now likely started out shooting a 22lr rifle in boy scouts, nra, 4h, ffa or a high school club. as we age out and move on from this earthly vale we will likely finish with a 22lr firearm. for everyone younger, the seal team wannabes, gun store cowboys, etc, you will get here too one day so be understanding and please keep an open mind.