Suggestions for CCW .22LR

+1 p22

I own several handguns (9mm,45,10mm,and .22s),And the p22 is a good stressed encounter gun.It is small enough not to be taken away from you with leverage,and with minimal recoil very accurate.I keep 10 hollow point CCIs in the clip and 1 "shotshell" in the hole as a warning injury.....

I was with you until that last part about a "warning injury."
As Machiavelli said, "Never do an enemy a small injury."
M. Ayoob once had some legalistic points about why not to "shoot to maim."

A needle to the trachea MAY be lethal. No handgun is ideal for self defense. In picking a .22, you are saying that you are so confident that when everything is going wrong around you, you KNOW you will be able to get a critical hit. Combat and police shooting statistics show otherwise.

My dad just took the class for his carry permit. At the last minute, my mom said she wanted to go too. For the shooting test, she used a borrowed bull-barrel Ruger Mk II. As far as I know, she hadn't fired a handgun in at least 20 years. she was limp-wristing and couldn't hit anything, getting stovepipe jams. They told her to get a little practice and come back again. My dad said he was going to have to get her a .22 to carry. I repeated to him what I said earlier in this thread. If it's anyone who I actually care if they live or die, they will not carry a .22 to use defensively. We will teach her to shoot a .38. We will look at medium-size 9mm. Handguns really only kill by causing cavity trauma. the hole created by real defensive rounds is exponentially larger than that of a .22. When we are talking about handguns, we are talking about which round has the highest likelihood of causing enough cavity trauma to stop the bad guy from doing what he is doing. If you fail, you die. If you want to hang your life on a .22, go ahead. YOU aren't my mother.

I keep 10 hollow point CCIs in the clip and 1 "shotshell" in the hole as a warning injury

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This is just plain naive.

Even if the shotshell ejected, that well have been your only shot.

Choosing a .22 for a "stressed encounter" (fer cryin' out loud!) when you already possess better guns and calibers is incredibly foolish.

What state is it that permits you to 'warn' someone with birdshot? In MY state, we call that aggravated assault.

You should try to be nicer. You don't know if someone has CTS or some other wrist problem, if they are afraid of recoil, if they need extra deep concealment or any other number of reasons for a .22.

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Look, you're asking the wrong guy to smile and say what the poster wants to hear when the entire premise is faulty.

IF he had wrist issues, then he should've mentioned that. I'm not going to speculate all possibilities in case one of them might apply.

My Mother-in-law can't handle recoil at all, yet, she actually enjoys firing the Keltec .32. It also lends itself to deep concealment options easily.

Most pocket-size .22's are not reliable and therefore make a poor choice for a defensive gun, so any ammo cost savings is moot.

So why would anyone who has given the matter serious thought still opt for a pocket .22 ?

if they need extra deep concealment

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Again, where are the .22 autos that are smaller than a .32 Auto or a .380 Kel Tec or similar?

Spaniards

Here's a couple that are hard to find but worthwhile:

Astra Constable - Looks like a PPK, very well made, reliable. Last made in the 1990s

Llama 1940s-1950s - Mini-1911, very well made. I've been looking for one for years. People that have them don't sell them.

For now my Pocket .22s are made by NAA

I have been working on the 22 for CCW recently. Its true it is small but I too will carry it as a CCW on occassion or as back up to a 380. OK this is what I have learned. The NAA 22 Magnum loaded with CCI TMJ 40 gn. I have it in a folding handle. The gun in this round with give quite bit of penitration for the small round, also a loud gun, which is good in some situations. Causes the BG some shock. HP are a bad idea in this small gun, as expansion is unlikely. With folding grip you get a good handle on the gun and can become acurate at about ten feet or so. I would only load four rounds in the gun for safty. Good luck with your decision

I used to have a little Taurus PT22 with the tip up barrel. Nice little gun. I used to drop it in my pocket for trips to the mailbox and short walks around the property.

Not my first choice in a defensive firearm to be sure, but it qualifies for the first rule of gun fighting: "Bring a gun"

I can't accept the opinions of many on here that seem to feel that 3-4 .22's in the COM wouldn't serriously divert an attackers attention. I have seen and heard of more than one bad guy that left the gene pool thanks to the lowly .22.

If you can find a Beretta 70S .22LR used, I can't think of a better compact .22LR. The little Beretta M21 is also a fairly decent gun, but with any of these little tip-up/blow-backs, you have to make sure the magazine is in all the way and that you've packed it properly; otherwise, the second shot will not feed into the barrel. Once you load the last round, depress the magazine spring all the way and let it pop up with whatever force it still has. That should pack the rounds so that they'll feed properly.

Although I have perfect confidence in the .22LR to put down a bad guy, when you're dealing with pistols that small, you do risk running into some problems. I feel a .25ACP would be a better choice in a pocket gun and there are many .380s that are now made that are reliable and well designed.

The S&W .22LRs are very nice pistols if you can carry one. Whatever you do, avoid double-action only pistols at any cost. Get only ones you can rapidly fire and properly place the shots. Again, a .380 sounds like the way to go unless you want a cheap gun you can plink with, with defense being a secondary consideration.

The NAA 22 Magnum loaded with CCI TMJ 40 gn. I have it in a folding handle.

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For that same size and weight (or less) you could have a .32 or .380 that's far better suited for defense.

A Beretta 70S is indeed a fine gun, but not for defense and it's not in the pocket-size category. For the same size/weight of that gun (or less) you could have a .32, .380 or 9mm. (maybe even a Kahr PM40)

I don't understand the unquenchable desire to use a spoon to dig a 10 foot deep hole. Sure, it can be done, but most of us would prefer to use a tool better suited for the job.

Oh man, 4 pages of garbage posts with only a few people actually answering the poor guy's question. If you can't help the poster with his inquiry, then keep you opinions to yourself. No one cares if you think a .380, or a 9mm, or 1911 is better than a .22. Every caliber has it's place. The OP asked about carry options for .22LR or Mag, and I came in here intruiged, looking for a similar answer...and all I ended up with was a headache. If you don't think .22 is a viable defensive option, you should do some research.
The .22LR was the round of choice of the Israeli Mossad for years...and they used it to brutal effect.

The .22LR was the round of choice of the Israeli Mossad for years...and they used it to brutal effect.

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The Mossad does NOT use puny pocket pistols nor a single action NAA.

They use larger sized .22's, usually silenced and in the OFFENSIVE mode, as in assassinations from point blank with a shot behind the ear. This is a far cry from the defensive role the OP was asking about.

littleguns said:

I would only load four rounds in the gun for safty.

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You should read the manual for your NAA, they have a slot between the chambers for the hammer/firing pin to be at rest over, rather than on a live round.

[This has really turned into an interesting discussion. I'm thinking based on most of the feedback, going with the NAA .22LR/Mag is going to be the best bet. I'm pretty sure that even a guy my size is going to have his day ruined if he is shot at close range with a .22 of any flavor OUCH!!]


s2mason, if you are willing to go with a revolver, give some thought to a /smith and Wesson model 317. Totally reliable, 8 rounds, 12onces weight for easy carry, lifetime warentee.

I've had one since 1999, and its as accurite as my S&W model 63 kit gun, much lighter, and with a hammer drop that sets off all the rimfire ammo I've put through it.

The only bad part it they are on the pricy side, but it a gun you'll use the rest of your life. In the 10 years I've had mine, and the thousands of rounds that's been through it, not a problem.

Ammo for tip-up Beretta

To the original poster:

I used to have a Beretta tip-up .22LR. It was a clever little gun. Fits the hand nicely. I had a few malfunctions which I believe were ammo-related. If you use this choice, experiment and consider ammo that is smooth in outline.

Sorry you were getting so much grief.

Let us know how you like the NAA mini-revos if you get one.


Regarding appropriateness (to the more general discussion).
I would say that I would avoid being shot with a .22 unless I were strongly motivated (defending family, etc.). As others have pointed out, it can be lethal, even if not a stopper like .308 (no I don't mean .380). If your assailant is deterrable, it sure seems like he would care about lethality, or spending 2 weeks in the hospital recovering from peritonitis before going to jail.
Depends on one's situation, I'd think....

Well, problem solved!! The OP has settled on a .22 mag NAA revolver. As his life experiences have demonstrated the effectiveness of the .22, he should be good to go. In light of what's available in more suitable firearms, in more effective calibers, I'd be hard pressed to think of a worse choice. But, the choice is his, and I wish him the good fortune of never having to use it.
str1

I'd be hard pressed to think of a worse choice

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Well, step one is to be armed
And step two is to be proficient

So a worse choice would be to be unarmed, or to buy something the OP is incapable of carrying or shooting competently.

Heck, I've thought about a NAA revolver in 22magnum as a back-up gun or a "get off me gun", and as a gun I can carry when I can't carry a gun ... but I think a little .32 is a better choice for the sake of practicality and training consistency.
Not to say that a NAA mini isn't in the future of my collection, but not until I either find one for a steal or need a BUG I can conceal in a speedo.

In light of what's available in more suitable firearms, in more effective calibers, I'd be hard pressed to think of a worse choice.

It reads better in context.
str1

If the .22 magnum, get the best ammo you can. Remington and CCI offer loads with a plastic tip. I recently saw these sell for $13 or so per 50 rds.

The NAA makes a great 3rd on-body carry gun........not so much as a primary.

Why the OP would willingly give up so much by choosing such a gun is another question.

Since he's looking at the NAA, then look at the .22 magnum or the newer Pug. Both have larger grips for better handling.

s2mason, i have a NAA .22 lr with the 1-1/8" barrel that i bought "just for fun." What I have discovered is, with the addition of the boot grips, I can make 5 head shots on a K-5 silhouette fairly quickly.

Until it was stolen, i had a Beretta 21A in .22 lr that was quite reliable (no jams) and decently accurate.

I replaced it with a Beretta Jetfire .25, a nice little gun, extremely reliable, and will shoot into an inch at 20 feet. If this thing ever breaks (which I doubt), I would likely get a Beretta 21 Inox (stainless) in .22 lr, or the Pug, as David E mentioned.

Even now, for days when I am in "swimsuit mode," I carry my NAA .22 and feel happier than I would without any gun at all.

take care,
dave

Here is a tip for 22lr ammo I have been testing ......

Aguila is now making the fastest 22lr bullet in the world !! 1750 FPS at the muzzle with over 200 Foot pounds of energy.

I have shot a lot of this ammo ........and I can tell you it is the real deal !! You will surely know you are shooting something special. This cartridge fires a hollow point of 30 gr. copper coated. I will say that the copper coating is more for show than for function because it is SUPER thin almost like it was painted on.

If I had to use a 22lr .......this would be the bullet I would use

JF.