Bug out pistol?

[iyn]

A lot of guys I know choose a 10-22 as their bug out gun. Is there a bugout pistol in 22lr, in case you are in a situation to have to conceal your firearm?

 

[bhhacker]

My friends Ruger SR22 seems to eat any ammo thats thrown at it and is pretty accurate. I would own one if i found a good deal on it. That and the whole being able to find .22lr in rural alaska thing

 

[Bobson]

I can't think of any "Bug Out" scenario in which a person would need to opt for a handgun in 22LR, whether concealment might be an issue or not. There are literally dozens of guns that can be concealed easily-enough that offer bigger size, caliber, and capacity, than what you might be thinking of as an ultra-concealable 22.

Then there's the fact that a great many 22 pistols are actually quite large, designed for plinking. For revolvers, the smallest I know of (assuming we're not talking about derringer-style guns) is the Ruger LCR - but then you may as well opt for the 38 or even the 357 magnum version, as they're all the same size.

EDIT:

I just noticed you mentioned friends who select the 10-22. If this is about using the same kind of ammo, then I guess it might be slightly more justifiable. Still though, given how difficult it is to find 22LR ammo currently, it doesn't make a ton of sense. IMO, you'd be best off with something in 9mm, as that's probably the most popular handgun caliber in America, and ammo availability is a non-issue.

 

[MedWheeler]

I second the SR-22 Ruger. For an even smaller gun, such as for a deeper-conceal pocket, the Taurus PT-22 or PLY-22 would work, but the Ruger would be better for, say, putting a rabbit in the stew pot or something..

Haven't seen the new S&W M&P22 compact yet; it might be around Ruger-sized as well..

 

[Stony]

I've been playing with an S&W M&P .22 Compact some lately. I have maybe 500 rounds through it so far and absolutely love it. It has eaten everything i've put in it, is small and very lightweight, and a joy to shoot. I wouldn't hesitate to take it with me if needed. I currently have a suppressor on it, but it shoots about the same with or without it.
Given the weight of .22's vs 9mm's, a guy could carry a lot of ammo with him in the .22 caliber.
All said and done, I'd probably take one of my high cap pistols, but if a .22 is needed you wouldn't be at a disadvantage with the M&P.

 

[bannockburn]

If I had to choose a small compact, reliable, durable, and accurate .22 pistol to take with me it would be my Beretta Model 70S.

 

[Armored farmer]

My #1 son loves his SR22. It's small, accurate, and reliable. I'm not sure how durable it will prove to be. It's been back to Ruger once already.They quickly replaced it.

 

[Wishoot]

My Browning Buckmark is a great pistol, but it wouldn't be my first choice for a BO gun.

I'd probably choose to have one of my 9mm's strapped to my side along with a 10/22 over my shoulder.

 

[monk d]

My personal take is that a BO gun, at least pistol config, is very short term and more for self-defense than sustenance, and with that thought, a .22 pistol is not going to work for me. I would opt for my current carry, 45 ACP

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I can't think of any "Bug Out" scenario in which a person would need to opt for a handgun in 22LR, whether concealment might be an issue or not. There are literally dozens of guns that can be concealed easily-enough that offer bigger size, caliber, and capacity, than what you might be thinking of as an ultra-concealable 22.

I agree with Bobson. I'd buy a lot more powerful gun for this role than a .22

 

[Kosh75287]

Prolly won't win points for this, but I doubt that I'd opt for a .22 LR pistol as a bug-out gun. The paucity of ammo on shelves disinclines me. Could I scrounge some from an abandoned home somewhere? Who knows? The "abandoners" probably would have the sense to take any firearms and ammo with them.
I'd likely go with my Rossi M1892 lever action in .45 Colt, with my Redhawk in .45 Colt as a sidearm (not the lightest nor most concealable combination, I'll grant you). I'd want a more powerful rifle round for places where bear or game larger than mule deer are likely.

If longer range, concealibility and weight are salient considerations, a bolt-action .308 and my Ruger Police Service Six would probably be my pick (there's ALWAYS something that a .38Spl/.357Mag can fire, laying around, somewhere. At least there was, when I found no 9mm on the store shelves).

If not the Ruger .357, then probably my Springfield M1911A1 National Match, with my .460 Rowland conversion tucked into my backpack, plus the same bolt-action .308, or my M1A.

If I HAD to find something to go with a 10/22, I'd probably want a J-frame S&W with adjustable sights and if possible, an interchangeable cylinder in .22 Mag. Fulfills the weight/concealability constraint. Just leaves the person bugging out a bit light on power.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I have about a dozen .22lr pistols and love them. However, one would not be my first choice to defend or feed myself.

 

[98Redline]

A 22 might be a decent choice if all you really needed it for was small game hunting (i.e. feeding yourself) but that duty would best be served with a lightweight rifle

For defense the 22 is going to be way more anemic than you want. Something with a little more stopping power might be in order such as a 9mm.

If it truly think of what I would want for a SHTF scenario, I think my first choice is my AR.

 

[OpticsPlanet]

Personally, I agree with the commenters that a .22 pistol isn't ideal in a bug out situation

I also agree that the Ruger SR-22 pistol is an excellent .22LR pistol

But if I was forced to pick one .22LR to take with me, I'd go with the zip .22

Highly modular, serviceable, runs on common 10/22 mags, can be mounted to the zip stock or any firearm with a pic rail (suppressed zip .22 undermounted on a AR-15 would be a filthy bug out combo)

Matt S.

 

[MCgunner]

My friends Ruger SR22 seems to eat any ammo thats thrown at it and is pretty accurate.

As long as it ain't Winchester bulk. Don't REALLY like Federal American Eagle that well, either, but Winchester 333 bulk pack is so weak, it won't even extract the empty case. The slide won't blow back far enough to pick up the fresh round. It feeds in my Mk 2, but jams occasionally. Hell, it even makes my 10/22 cough now and then. The bolt in the M2 is lighter, I'm guessing, than the slide on the SR22.

When I bug out for town, my Taurus M85 stainless ultralight is always in my pocket. When I bug out for the woods to shoot squirrel, my scoped M2 is the one. That pistol groups most ammo into 1" at 50 yards off the bench, more accurate than most rifles. I'd say it's a good bug out pistol, whatever the definition of THAT is. One would need a coat to conceal it, though. I've concealed my TC Contender with .30-30 12" barrel before this way in an UM's shoulder rig after a morning on the deer stand, just to go in to a convenience store and buy coffee after the hunt. My SR22 is what I stick in my pocket when I go fishing. A little .22 handgun has come in handy for snakes, nutria, even squirrels when I'm fishing. It shoots 2" at 25 yards with either Federal Bulk Champion or Remington Golden Bullet and functions flawlessly with those rounds.

 

[Armored farmer]

The old 4 5/8th Ruger single six with both cylinders might work if you're sold on a .22. .22short, long, long rifle, and magnum.

 

[X-Rap]

Good 9mm pistol and contender with a scoped rifle caliber(223, 30-30) and maybe a short 22 LR depending on the circumstances .

 

[AABEN]

For a 22 Rugger mark 1 - 40 caliber my bug out rifle is my Arma Lite 223 I have other guns that would do but this is my choicest .

 

[kBob]

The OP asked for recommendations on .22 handguns, not harrangs about how a different caliber would be better.

The problem seems to be, what does he mean by a bug out gun. If his first priority is using it to hunt with then it needs to be a full sized pistol with good sights and he will need A LOT of practice.

On the other hand a full sized anything of any caliber may not be easily concealed in every environment. Unfortunately a teenie tiny pocket rocket would not be a good thing to hunt with. I once worked in an office with from one to three folks in it a besides me all the time and folks coming and going all day. There was no written no gun policy, I had a CWL, but my straw boss was of the opinion that the big boss would toss me out on my keester if he found me carrying. Free work state also means free fired state, you have to deal with it. So I went as small as I could go which meant things beginning in .2 that I could cover with my hand. My parking place was three doors and 70 paces away. There was where I was able to carry large and long.

I would not like to hunt with an NAA mini revolver, a Beretta M21A or an Ortgies .25 ACP. But I could conceal them real well and they beat not having a gun.

On the other hand I might be the blind pig that finds an acorn once in a while if I tried to use a Ruger Mark II with adjust able sights to hunt with, but it would be as hard to conceal as a large caliber center fire.

I would say to the OP, "Find a range that rents guns and try a few" or "Do any of those buddies that chose a 10/22 have a companion caliber piece you might try?"

-kBob

 

[Schwing]

If I had the carbine kit for my Beretta NEOS .22, I would find it perfect for what the O.P. is suggesting. I have not had a single FTF with it since the first range trip a couple of years ago. With the Carbine kit, it would be perfect for carry and for small game. Unfortunately, those carbine kits are just not to be found.

 

[MedWheeler]

kBob writes:

The OP asked for recommendations on .22 handguns, not harangues (spelling corrected) about how a different caliber would be better.

.. and I felt it was worth repeating, given the number of off-thread-topic posts I read to get to it.

 

[judgedelta]

Glock 23 with the Advantage Arms .22 LR conversion (and the .40 stuff in the backpack)?

 

[Kosh75287]

Good point, I DID "meander" quite a bit. But I WAS serious about the K-frame or J-Frame S&W revolver with a cylinder chambered for .22 Mag.

 

[Pilot]

CZ-75B in 9MM, with the .22LR Kadet Kit conversion unit. That's what I'd be taking.

 

[Onward Allusion]

If it has to be a handgun in 22LR and is for bug-out, then it has to be a 4 or 6 inch DA revolver. Preferably 6" to wring out as much energy from that tiny round as possible.