9 rounds of 22 Mag for self defense

357smallbore

357smallbore

Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2015
Messages
898
Location
Leavenworth KS
Think a 9 shot 4in revolver with Gold Dots in 22 mag would be a good defensive weapon for ccw?
And yea I know there are better calibers for this.
But that's all my friend has, he just got his ccw.
I believe it is enough to stop a threat and survive for another day.
Especially at distances most shootings occur. I believe the 22 WMR is so underrated for a defensive round
 
If it’s all one has and can afford it meets the first requirement of having a gun. Rimfire reliability can be sketchy, we have all had .22 ammo that was garbage. However, a revolver can keep going and even a double strike if something doesn’t work. Make sure he practices!
 
My opinion is that it’s fine. But I carry a single action revolver. By the logic of some members here, I’m as good as dead. Personally I think proficiency in shot placement and execution are more important than the caliber used or the amount of them in the gun.
 
It is fine for any everyday situation. Most personal attacks are poorly thought out by young fools fueled by marijuana, booze, and testosterone. Anything will change their minds. All the BS hype about drug crazed superhuman zombies is just the same hype as current politics. Total crap. Tell him to practice and be alert. He'll be fine.
 
If he can make accurate hits it should be
Ok. 4 inch barrel should add to effectiveness compared to a snub in rimfire. He's only got this so by definition it's good enough. I would hope that this is meant to cover until he can get a center fire ccw.
 
E10A41C6-9DD1-42FE-A06F-CF1ADFC4DE19.jpeg For a few years, I worked the far south end of our city. It was very rural. It could easily take another Officer 20 minutes to get to me.

I found stolen cars. Dumped stolens. Residue of meth labs.

I carried this as a BUG while I worked down there. And, 50 rounds in my pocket.

Ultimate back up…maybe not. But 50 extra rounds could keep bad guys at bay for awhile if I got stuck somewhere.



S&W Model 650.
 
If that's all he's got, it'll do until something better and more optimal comes along IMO. Personally for a revolver if that was my jam, I would go no smaller than a .327 Federal and no higher than a .38 Special. There's also the fact that boxer primed ammunition is more reliable in ignition than rimfire.
 
357smallbore said:
Think a 9 shot 4in revolver with Gold Dots in 22 mag would be a good defensive weapon for ccw?
And yea I know there are better calibers for this.
But that's all my friend has, he just got his ccw.
I believe it is enough to stop a threat and survive for another day.
Especially at distances most shootings occur. I believe the 22 WMR is so underrated for a defensive round
Click to expand...

If that is all he has then it is better than the alternative!

A well placed 22mag is much more effective than a badly placed 9mm.

I will on occasion carry a 22wmr NAA mini revolver but my edc is a 9mm. I would much rather carry my mini 5 shot revolver than carry nothing.

I can't remember the last time I had a miss fire due to rim fire ammo. I am very comfortable with quality 22wmr ammo.
 
Last edited:
I carry a 22lr or 22mag snubbie, so yeah I think so. I doubt I would carry anything that big. My 7 shot j frame 22mag or 6 shot LCR are big enough for me.
Lefty
 
Is 9 rounds of 22 mag better than nothing? Yes.
Is better than nothing a goal? Not for me.
11 rounds 9mm (365, Hellcat, Glock) is my minimum. (Minimum is not a goal either but is a step above better than nothing)

Miraculously, I'm still in before "wouldn't want to get shot by it" or "nobody volunteer to get shot by it" :barf: (neither of those are goals either)
 
I have seen with my own two eyeballs a "fight" at a bar (over a girl what else) a guy get shot 6 times center body with a 22 and it was not till the 6th time that he decided he had better sit down.

This guy was a bigger boy, not fat by any reach, just a big guy, over 6' and in the 200lbs range.

The guy shot was not down, he just finally had it hit him that he is hurt and he had better sit down, could have very easy pushed the issue.

Just for what it is worth.
 
The "best choice" implies there is an actual "choice" in the matter.

If this person doesn't have any other caliber, then there's no "choice" to consider here. It's the ONLY choice.

If/when he makes a future purchase of another firearm, THEN he will have a choice.

I would not hesitate to use my own .22 WMR pistol for defense. It's accurate, it's reliable, and it's certainly got good penetration going for it. However, if it were on a table with all my other handguns, it probably wouldn't be the first thing I would grab if someone kicked in my front door to attack me.

It'll do for now. But he ought to consider a better choice for self-defense carry in the future.

Along with a good choice in holster and belt. None of which will be "cheap".
 
I do like the fact that a 4" barrel will awaken .22 WMR above .22 LR capabilities quite a bit.

It's not hard to find .22 WMR that reaches reliability levels comparable to centerfire ammo. Any of the better JHP or JSP types are worlds better in reliability than bulk pack .22 LR that .22 WMR always seems to be compared to. Personally, I've never had a dud in .22 WMR.

I've entertained the idea of a .22 WMR revolver for carry over the years, but have yet to act on it due to choosing .32 or larger.
 
Last edited:
The 22 WMR can be lethal. So can the 22 LR. Carrying a revolver when using rimfire ammo makes good sense and is a good decision. When doing so the two criteria for handgun self defense assets apply as with any round. Speed and accuracy are critical. The 22 WMR can incapacitate, but that is dependent upon getting POI as close to POA as possible. Skill with a double action revolver requires practice to assure that the shooter can master shooting fast and accurately to place several rounds on target to improve incapacitation.

When the arthritis in my hands forces me to abandon 9mm I will go to 22 WMR and an intense training regimen. At 80 years old that day is approaching. I have been doing a lot of research on the 22 WMR and I would feel confident with it with lots of practice.
 
After watching surveillance video of a mass shooting in a mall where the perp used a 22lr rifle with devastating effects, I will never question the lethality of the humble little round... I think a 22Mag revolver will serve you perfectly fine for self defense - with good shot placement of course (which applies to all calibers). Also, a revolver can overcome the reduced reliability inherent in the rimfire primer design, just by pulling the trigger again.
 
If that’s what you have, then that’s what you use.
Consider this:
Sometimes, drawing a gun can stop the attack.
Sometimes the noise of firing a gun can stop the attack.
Sometimes a hit, no matter where can stop the attack.

The point is that just having a gun regardless of caliber is still an advantage.
 
Beats a sharp stick for nine shots. Sharp stick is better if you need a tenth.

In seriousness as a backup gun I kind of like it, but I would not carry it as a primary.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

357smallbore
  • Locked
22 magnum for self defense.
2 3 4 5 6 7
Replies
174
Views
10K
joneb
joneb
357smallbore
  • Locked
22 magnum for viable defense
Replies
8
Views
506
GEM
G
Pyro
  • Locked
A .22 Magnum PDX1 now?
Replies
6
Views
516
Joshua M. Smith
Joshua M. Smith
357smallbore
  • Locked
22 wmr or 38 special or 44 special for ccw
2
Replies
41
Views
2K
defjon
D
V
  • Locked
22 magnum as a self defense round
2 3
Replies
64
Views
15K
Timthinker
T
Back
Top