if you absolutely had to use a .22 for self defense?

CharlesT wrote:

This sounds goofy but you could load Stinger/minimag/stinger/minimag in the magazine. You would have the shock that the stingers deliver and the penetration of the minimags..

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Sure you could provided you have made sure your gun will cycle all the different rounds reliably.

-Cheers

CharlesT wrote:

This sounds goofy but you could load Stinger/minimag/stinger/minimag in the magazine. You would have the shock that the stingers deliver and the penetration of the minimags..

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Mixing ammo is about the only way I can get any of my autoloaders (in any caliber) to not feed reliably. I've actually done that just to failures. Start mixing case types (brass, steel and aluminum in one mag) and you are almost guaranteed to get a few failures from time to time.

Fact is, in a defensive situation you likely won't notice the heavier recoil of a bigger gun, and sore muscles won't be a mitigating factor if you live to tell of it. I'd go with at least a 9mm and keep [racticiing with the .22.

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Actually....

I have muscular dystrophy, severely limited hand and arm strength that will progressively get worse.

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Having seen a family member with the same condition, I wouldn't recommend 9mm. The OP rcognizes his situation and obviously doesn't feel comfortable with 9mm. That is very realistic of him as this isn't a situation where someone is just recoil shy or sensitive.

I agree on the fact that scoring them is bad. I'd stick with any fast moving, non hollow point cci round.

I think that by the time you got to a 22 at HD ranges, round type would not matter much. Of course, when it comes to using the thing, I'd get as close as possible to the guy and fire as rapidly as possible.

I said what I said because in my Ruger MKIII I can put the "assorted .22lr box" in it and fire with no problems. By assorted .22lr box I mean it's a myriad of ammos all in one box, left overs if you will.

There may be better choices on paper but I have carried and will carry with plain ol' CCI mini mags.

They arent just reliable, the round/recoil is very comfortable to me. It may sound silly when talking .22lr but the super rounds dont feel like the gun cycles as smoothly to me as compared to the minimags.

YMMV

A 327 mag will shoot all 32 cal ammo.

The '03 Colt is one if my favorite pistols. I own a couple of them as well as the '08 version in 380 ACP, and carry them from time to time.

Heads-up, though. It's not a design that tolerates being dropped while cocked and loaded very well. They've been known to fire when dropped.

-Matt

Looking at a heavier .32acp now, specifically the colt 1903 Hammerless .

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Good general idea, and a very nice gun, but maybe a trifle long in the tooth to be relied on for self-defense. For an excellent new-production handgun in .32 ACP, I would recommend a CZ-83:

http://www.cz-usa.com/products/view/cz-83/

The .32 version holds 15 rounds. It's a hefty, all-steel gun. The .32 round in a heavier gun like this is the ticket to low-recoil happiness.The available .32 ammo is mostly honest-to-goodness FMJ, which is what I'd use. Load up a couple of extra magazines, and you will have 45 rounds of FMJ centerfire at your fingertips, with no more felt recoil than .22 rimfire out of a mousegun. They can be run as DA/SA, or as a SA using the cocked-and-locked capability. And they have a decent trigger.

They can be a little hard to find -- everyone wants the .380 -- but you should be able to locate one on the Internet somewhere.

As for .22, another vote for CCI round-nose solid Mini-Mags.

haplesshero,

First off the ammo has to feed, extract, repeat with any mags you have.

Second, I prefer standard velocity, 40 gr lead round nose.

Deltaboy said:

A 327 mag will shoot all 32 cal ammo.

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No it will not, it will not shoot .32 ACP or will it shoot .32 NAA !

Very interesting read. Glad it has not degenerated into "don't use it, get this instead"... Pros and cons and suggestions, makes for a good read.

I have a similar issue with my wrists, broke them both when I was young. My hand likes to pop out of it's socket all the time and I could see it happening to me in a critical stage. As such, been looking at the .380, but mostly the .22. I had a J frame that I was going to buy for HD but am letting it go for 2 reasons. I had an opportunity to fire one with standard pressure .38 148g bullet. The recoil wasn't a lot, but on the third and fifth shot, the recoil popped my wrist out. Add that with a second look at the rifling (which is practically non existent, didn't have a bore light the first time around) made this a bad choice for me.

So to the OP, thanks for throwing this question out there in a way that has sparked good discussion. I hope you come to a good decision and share your experience with us.

Finally a .22lr thread with no bickering! I am of the opinion that ANY caliberis going to be effective at barstool distance. I knew a 250 lb man who was double tapped to chest...he was DRT. Not funny, I know. Just saying .22lr IS a lethal round in the hands of a lethal person ( ie: willing to pull the trigger til the threat is over).

I often pocket carry a Beretta 21A. CCI mini mags. It is an up close and very personal weapon. No more then 21 feet. At that range I can put em where I want em. I practice once per week on FBI targets. Two shots to the melon. Two shots to the boy parts/thighs of the perp. I know COM hits with a .22 lr don't have any where near the same effect of a centerfire round. However the 21A is what I carry, and what I will use if God forbid the situation calls for use deadly force to defend myself.
My other carry firearm is a S&W 442 loaded +p HP's.

I've been rethinking this topic a lot recently for a host of reasons my self. There is a practical list of criteria that a .22 defensive gun would need:

1) Minimum barrel length of 4" - to ensure adequate penetration

2) Compact design - for use in confined spaces

3) Good inherent stability - aid in instinctive shooting

4) Reliable high capacity magazines - in case statistical stop is not immediately achieved


If I were in OPs position, I would want something fairly light that I could still get both hands on. One of the 'PDW' type training pistols would be Ideal for that.

The magazine requirement essentially limits the choices to things that take 10/22, Black Dog, or GSG mags. These would be:
* KelTec PLR-22
* S&W M&P 15-22P
* GSG5 PK
* Ruger Charger
* Excel X-22P
* Tec-22

Of course this assumes that any one of those selections work, or could be made to work, well with various kinds of ammo.

I would carry at least one revolver in case a round doesn't ignite. I'd probably go with a pair of S&W 317's modified with night sights, chamfered cylinders, beveled cylinder front, trigger job and boot grips.

CCI seems just fine. More people are killed by .22 every year than any other rounds, I believe.

I'd try to get a close in ambush hit on the threat, press the muzzle up against my opponent's head, and then fire repeatedly. It maximizes the probability that I score an incapacitaion hit while under stress with a low caliber weapon. Admittedly, it's a terrible piece of advice, but if I am in a situation where a 22lr pistol is my only means of defense, I don't think cartridge choice is going to matter that much.

I just got the new m&p 22lr. I love it because the ergonomics so closely match my 9mm version. If needed I'd feel comfortable carrying it. Nice accuracy. Very nice actually.

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I'd try to get a close in ambush hit on the threat, press the muzzle up against my opponent's head, and then fire repeatedly. It maximizes the probability that I score an incapacitaion hit while under stress with a low caliber weapon.

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IMO that is the worst advice thus far in this thread. Talk about indefensible actions!

Have fun in prison.

Agreed. That advice is just utterly terrible for both tactical and legal reasons.

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Federal Bulk pack 22 LR is working well for me and the other 22 shooters that I compete with. It cost less then CCI and has good reliablity with numerous types of 22 pistols.
Steel Challange might be a fun training game for you.

mortablunt said:

I'd try to get a close in ambush hit on the threat, press the muzzle up against my opponent's head, and then fire repeatedly. It maximizes the probability that I score an incapacitaion hit while under stress with a low caliber weapon.

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Apparently, you thought that "self defense" meant "mafia assassin"........

Yep it seems the old federal bulk this last year has improved; or my weapons have?