.22 RF (short, long, LR, or WMR) for CCW ?

[ulflyer]

I can rip off 10 rounds of 22 Stinger as fast as I can pull the trigger, and get most of them on the targer paper. Try that with my 380 or 9mm and after the first shot they're all over the place, not many even near the paper. Now, this is just me. No claims to anything, other than saying I can put a lot more 22's where they need to go. What do I carry most? The 380 with the 9mm next. Rarely carry the 45acp anymore. Have given a lot
of thought to CC the 22 tho..............

 

[GEM]

Well, some proper training can keep 9mm on the paper - no offense.

I will admit to a NAA mini as a bug. The 22 S is so cute!

 

[ulflyer]

Gem, at 80 there ain't much left to train. I used to be pretty good, but not so much any more. Still, we do what we can do. lol

 

[Onward Allusion]

RC -

+1 on the 8-shot Airlite in 22LR. I have the same setup with the CT as well but on a 43C. It's my winter jacket pocket BUG but my primary is either a 40 or 9. You're also right about it not being very hard to take an eye out or even easier put two in the chest with the CT setup and no recoil.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

.22 Short is out unless the gun is made for it and only it, like the Beretta 950 model known as the "Minx." .22 Long, to my knowledge, hasn't been manufactured for years. That leaves Long Rifle and Magnum. I'd only recommend .22LR if that is all you have, or is all you can handle. If you get really good with it, you could do a lot worse than 10 rounds of fast-firing .22.

The Magnum is in a different category, considerably more powerful than Long Rifle. This round would have to be restricted to revolvers, as I don't know of any 100% reliable semi-autos in this cartridge.

 

[481]

Now, who will admit to .22 RF CCW (revolver or auto) ?

Done it a few times in the past more as a matter of convenience than preference. I'd do it again, too, but only if it was my only choice.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

.22 Short is out unless the gun is made for it and only it, like the Beretta 950 model known as the "Minx." .22 Long, to my knowledge, hasn't been manufactured for years. That leaves Long Rifle and Magnum. I'd only recommend .22LR if that is all you have, or is all you can handle. If you get really good with it, you could do a lot worse than 10 rounds of fast-firing .22.

The Magnum is in a different category, considerably more powerful than Long Rifle. This round would have to be restricted to revolvers, as I don't know of any 100% reliable semi-autos in this cartridge.

My Auto mag II with its 6 inch barrel has always been a reliable pistol. No problems with it at all in the quarter century or so that I've owned it.

 

[Lafitte]

If you carry a .22 for self defense it will seem adequate until you need it, then you will wish that you had a .45. Don't ask how I know this.

Lafitte

 

[jrdolall]

I don't ever recall hearing anyone say "I had too much gun", or "I had too much ammunition" after a gunfight. If you ever really need it then the 45 with 8 rounds may not be enough and you will wish you had a 9mm with 15 rounds.
I generally carry a pocket 9mm so I am limiting myself to 7 rounds (in the gun). The trade off is that it is easier to carry than IWB or OWB but I give up power and capacity. 10 rounds of 22LR is not as good as 8 rounds of 230 grain .45 but it will make somebody have a bad day. 30 rounds of 22 WMR could make several bad guys have a bad day.
I don't think a 22 cal is optimum for defensive carry but I think it can work if you know how to use it and can place your shots quickly and accurately. Unfortunately that is not normally the case in a SD scenario. Most people practice shooting while standing in front of a target and are happy to hit it most of the time.

 

[RustyShackelford]

.22LR? No.....

I would not use a .22LR caliber in a defense/CCW gun.
For reasons/background, Id suggest the Youtube.com video on the same topic by The Yankee Marshal, . He lays out a pretty clear & compelling choice about not using the .22LR.

The .22WMR is better but not by much. Some gunners & hunters like the .22WMR caliber. I looked into a Ruger LCR .22WMR snub as a CCW-2nd gun but now I'm more inclined to buy a NIB Ruger 3" barrel .38spl +P for personal defense.

Rusty

 

[Jesse H]

We've all read or heard of the statistic that .22 has killed more people than any other caliber. I don't want a round that kills, I want one that will stop a man.

Pistol calibers aren't reliable man stoppers to begin with, add the element of accurate hits towards vital targets while under stress, likely with the target moving, I'm going to help my odds somewhat by going with a larger round.

 

[TestPilot]

If 22 is all you can carry, then that's what it will have to be.

But, I personally know of one incident where a guy was shot with 22 Short.

He did not know he was shot. I am not talking about realizing he is shot after a few seconds. He ran. His girlfriend told him there is blood on his shirt, then he wondered for a while where the blood was from.

 

[RustyShackelford]

Killing...

Would killing include walking straight up to someone & shooting them in the head?
Because if those deaths are included then the .22 could be included.

 

[ThomasT]

My Auto mag II with its 6 inch barrel has always been a reliable pistol. No problems with it at all in the quarter century or so that I've owned it.

I am sure it is reliable. I bet with that 6" barrel it will fit right in the watch pocket on my jeans. Great CCW gun like the OP asked for.

I have carried a 22 many times. Mostly an Iver Johnson PT-22. I felt decently armed with it. I even pointed it at somebody once. Worked just fine.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

I am sure it is reliable. I bet with that 6" barrel it will fit right in the watch pocket on my jeans. Great CCW gun like the OP asked for.

I have carried a 22 many times. Mostly an Iver Johnson PT-22. I felt decently armed with it. I even pointed it at somebody once. Worked just fine.

Surprisingly, the Automag II with its 6 inch barrel does quite well for CCW. I carried it for a number of years, when that was my only pistol. It's VERY slim and that more than adequately makes up for the barrel length. Remember, concealability has more to do than just barrel length, though that is admittedly one factor.

The Automag II also comes in 4.5" and 3 3/8" barrels, though I'm of the opinion that the longer barrel length makes better use of the .22 WMR than the shorter barrels. In for a penny, in for a pound I say.

 

[Hunter2011]

Surprisingly, the Automag II with its 6 inch barrel does quite well for CCW. I carried it for a number of years, when that was my only pistol. It's VERY slim and that more than adequately makes up for the barrel length. Remember, concealability has more to do than just barrel length, though that is admittedly one factor.

The Automag II also comes in 4.5" and 3 3/8" barrels, though I'm of the opinion that the longer barrel length makes better use of the .22 WMR than the shorter barrels. In for a penny, in for a pound I say.

Before I got my 9mm for carry, the only other handgun I owned was my S&W Model 422 with a 6'' barrel. This pistol is thin, believe me, but I could not carry it very well. The long barrel was in the way whenever I needed to sit down.
I had no choice at the time so therefore I had to trust my life to a .22LR. But I cannot see why one would carry a .22LR if something bigger is available and if you can afford it.
I have seen Guinea Fowls ran away after being struck with .22LR (not a bad shot) so I can just imagine how you will feel one day if you must shoot to protect yourself against someone weighing much more than the chicken and is souped up with drugs....
I'd say if you can get something bigger, rather use it. If you can only shoot with a .22, use it and carry it, because it is much better than nothing.
To the OP, I myself would rather carry a 10-shot .22LR than a 5-shot .32 Short. The extra 5-shots makes all the difference.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Before I got my 9mm for carry, the only other handgun I owned was my S&W Model 422 with a 6'' barrel. This pistol is thin, believe me, but I could not carry it very well. The long barrel was in the way whenever I needed to sit down.
I had no choice at the time so therefore I had to trust my life to a .22LR. But I cannot see why one would carry a .22LR if something bigger is available and if you can afford it.
I have seen Guinea Fowls ran away after being struck with .22LR (not a bad shot) so I can just imagine how you will feel one day if you must shoot to protect yourself against someone weighing much more than the chicken and is souped up with drugs....
I'd say if you can get something bigger, rather use it. If you can only shoot with a .22, use it and carry it, because it is much better than nothing.
To the OP, I myself would rather carry a 10-shot .22LR than a 5-shot .32 Short. The extra 5-shots makes all the difference.

Oh, I concur...you'll not get an argument from me on the "bigger is better" viewpoint when it comes to calibers for self-defense.

But that wasn't what the OP was asking.

In the years since getting my first pistol, I've added more that are far more suitable for self-defense and, indeed, I've not carried my Automag II since doing so. I've been carrying my Colt 1991A1 as my primary and, should it not be available for whatever reason, I'd default to my Beretta 92FS.

But WOULD I ever carry my Automag II again? If that was my choice, I wouldn't hesitate a moment.

 

[MedWheeler]

This thread stayed on topic, and fairly "high road" for quite some time. I was actually checking in to say that.

But, it seems now that more are joining in to turn it into a ".22 is no good for defense" than are coming in to "admit they've carried one", as the OP originally asked, and to comment on having done so.

No one here is going to have a sudden epiphany about the round's shortcomings, especially the OP, based on anything anyone here says.

Back to thread-topic, I remember a similar thread maybe a year back, one that also stayed on topic for a while. As posters relayed what rimfire guns they had carried, one kidded by asking "What!? No (Jennings) J22s?"

Funny thing was, that very day, I had actually gone out with one in my pocket, having dropped it there while doing yard work. I had then gone out to the pool supply store, and hit McD's for lunch while out..

 

[pockets]

Don't feel bad MedWheeler, I'll admit to carrying a Jennings J-22 in the past also.
I'll admit to have carried a lot of other .22s; Astra Cub .22 Short, NAA Mini .22LR, Beretta 21a, Taurus PT-22, Iver-Johnson TP22 (one of my favorite pocket .22s), Sedco SP22, Davis D22 derringer, Phoenix HP-22, and even the ubiquitous RG10 .22 Short .
Heck, I carried a Henry .22LR Mares Leg one day just to do it. Not exactly a pocket pistol.

Do I carry a .22 normally? No I do not.

.

 

[Officers'Wife]

I have seen these threads on a dozen or so boards for as long as I've been lurking gun boards. If you will forgive me in my mind you are asking the wrong question... you should ask are you good enough with the .22 to depend on it when there is a situation where it is needed?

My Dad spends a lot of time and imagination thinking up tactics that will match the high stress character of "social problem." He has on more than one occasion told my cousin she would be far better off with her "baby Browning" 32ACP than her Glock 40 simple because she tends to hit her target with it under stress and not with the Glock.

A .22 for CCW? It seems to me if you are able to make shot placement with the weapon when you desperately need to change your underwear it would make a far superior platform for you than the 50 Desert Eagle if you couldn't keep it on target with a bench rest. As in all things, it's not a question of the machine it's on the operator.

 

[TimSr]

I don't ever recall hearing anyone say "I had too much gun", or "I had too much ammunition" after a gunfight.

Inversly, I have never heard of a case of CIVILIAN SELF DEFENSE where a bigger gun or more ammo would have likely made a difference in the outcome for the intended victim. I have seen lots of caes on the range where sombody is tryingto shoot a gun they can't handle, and in so, doing it poorly.

 

[Rev. Chad]

I will occasionally carry my Ruger Single-Six loaded with CCI Stingers, just for the heck of it.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Well lets see When I was young I carried a little Colt derringer 22short single shot . I have carried a Star 22LR mini 1911 , The Iver Johnson 22 , Astra 22 short, Beretta 21a and a 22 SA revolver. .
I also carried and still do Beretta 950BS ans a Model 20 both in 25 auto. If I am going to the small pistols. Then 25auto would be my choice .Reliable and25 FMJ has better penetration the 22 in similar size guns..

 

[Salmoneye]

Back to thread-topic, I remember a similar thread maybe a year back, one that also stayed on topic for a while. As posters relayed what rimfire guns they had carried, one kidded by asking "What!? No (Jennings) J22s?"

Pretty sure that was me lol

I still have two that are pre-Zamak that go bang every time...

One stove-pipes anything but High Velocity 40gr, and the other only likes light bullets and Hyper-Velocity...

One or the other finds it's way into a pocket quite frequently...

Are there 'better' guns/calibers?

Of course...

 

[CajunBass]

I wouldn't do it now, because the only 22 I've got is a Dan Wesson with a 4" barrel. That's about the size of a Smith & Wesson L frame revolver with only six shots of 22 LR. I KNOW there are better choices.

However, at one time my wife had a Bersa Firestorm 22, with ten rounds in the magazine, and a spare magazine. I did carry that one, loaded with CCI mini mags once in a while.

But my wife carried it a lot. She learned to shoot with it, had confidence in it, and in her ability to hit with it. It was a lot better than a ball point pen, or a set of car keys.