Rocketmedic
Member
So I have a hypothetical question:
I live in an apartment with a decent amount of space, but thin interior walls and neighbors and such. If (hypothetically) I were to set up a long gun for home defense, would a 22LR rifle (in my case, a Remington 597, or a lever-action carbine) be an effective choice for HD duty?
My thought is that a 22LR rifle, loaded with CCI Stingers (which cycle well) would be a reasonably effective tool. I understand that a single 22LR doesn't necessarily have the energy to immediately neutralize an attacker, but its lack of recoil and muzzle flash seems permissive to multiple follow-on shots and its light weight and short OAL makes it easy for either myself or my wife to use. Less risk of penetration into another room, less sound and lower cost for the weapon and ammo also seem to be positives. I also reckon that a .22 would make training far easier because I'd be able to afford a lot more rounds and range time than a more-expensive centerfire rifle. On the flipside, 22LR isn't necessarily as versatile a round as some of the centerfires out there and it's not necessarily powerful enough to neutralize a threat as reliably as a 5.56mm.
*Note: I've got shotguns and centerfire handguns too, and my go-to is currently a 1911 stoked with .45ACP hollowpoints. This is more of a conceptual exercise, but I'm also looking to streamline the collection somewhat too, and having common ammunition and manuals-of-arms is nice.
I live in an apartment with a decent amount of space, but thin interior walls and neighbors and such. If (hypothetically) I were to set up a long gun for home defense, would a 22LR rifle (in my case, a Remington 597, or a lever-action carbine) be an effective choice for HD duty?
My thought is that a 22LR rifle, loaded with CCI Stingers (which cycle well) would be a reasonably effective tool. I understand that a single 22LR doesn't necessarily have the energy to immediately neutralize an attacker, but its lack of recoil and muzzle flash seems permissive to multiple follow-on shots and its light weight and short OAL makes it easy for either myself or my wife to use. Less risk of penetration into another room, less sound and lower cost for the weapon and ammo also seem to be positives. I also reckon that a .22 would make training far easier because I'd be able to afford a lot more rounds and range time than a more-expensive centerfire rifle. On the flipside, 22LR isn't necessarily as versatile a round as some of the centerfires out there and it's not necessarily powerful enough to neutralize a threat as reliably as a 5.56mm.
*Note: I've got shotguns and centerfire handguns too, and my go-to is currently a 1911 stoked with .45ACP hollowpoints. This is more of a conceptual exercise, but I'm also looking to streamline the collection somewhat too, and having common ammunition and manuals-of-arms is nice.