CCWing a .22LR by choice?

[Striker]

At one point in my life, I was in a country that limited possesion to firearms of a "non military or police" caliber (.32 ACP, .380ACP, .38 Spl, 9mm, .38 Super, & .45 ACP were prohibited and this was before the time of the extended 9's. The .40 wasn't born yet). My only options were .25ACP or .22 LR

I couldn't find a PP series in .22, so I had a Ruger MK II 512 bull barrel cut back to 2", replaced the target sights with fabricated fixed sights, and had the gun parkerized. Got a belt slide type holster and mag pouch made up and away I went.

Amazingly, I got permission to carry the gun concealed and did so the entire time I was there. Not my first choice, but it was reliable, accurate and legal. Except for vermin, I never needed it, but it was comforting to have around.

 

[foghornl]

I carried a .22LR over/under derringer as a tertiary weapon, but that was waaaaaaaay back yonder.

Now, I wouldn't carry a .22 as a primary, but if I happened to have my Single-Six in hand when ahhhhhhhh The Vigoro struck The Mixmaster, well "Run Whatcha Brung"

 

[iLikeOldgunsIlikeNewGuns]

I prefer to call 22lr by its metric designation,5.56x15mmR. Sounds much more powerful!

now that's good stuff right there! I gotta start using that

 

[spotch]

At one point in my life, I was in a country that limited possesion to firearms of a "non military or police" caliber (.32 ACP, .380ACP, .38 Spl, 9mm, .38 Super, & .45 ACP were prohibited and this was before the time of the extended 9's. The .40 wasn't born yet). My only options were .25ACP or .22 LR

I couldn't find a PP series in .22, so I had a Ruger MK II 512 bull barrel cut back to 2", replaced the target sights with fabricated fixed sights, and had the gun parkerized. Got a belt slide type holster and mag pouch made up and away I went.

Amazingly, I got permission to carry the gun concealed and did so the entire time I was there. Not my first choice, but it was reliable, accurate and legal. Except for vermin, I never needed it, but it was comforting to have around.

That actually sounds pretty cool

 

[MCgunner]

When its all you can CCW I often take my NAA mini with me, but its .22 mag. I pocket carry strong side in a pocket holster. Usually for churchie dress up type events, where OCing or Printing would be frowned upon in a big bad ugly way.

Same here, NAA .22 mag black widow with Hornady Personal Defense (quite accurate in the gun) with folding holster grip stuffed muzzle down in the same number 4 Blackhawk pocket holster in which I carry my 9 or .38. I trust it as much as any .32ACP. It's MUCH smaller than any .380 out there and gives no gun shaped print even in tight pants.

I also carry a .22 LR NAA mini 24/7 back up weak side pocket to whatever I'm carrying that day strong side pocket. I swap out the ammo for fresh every Sunday, keeps it reliable. No harder to carry than a smallish pocket knife.

 

[FMF Doc]

I have, on occsion, chosen to carry a Ruger 22/45 Mark III with 5.25" barrel as my primary and only pistol. I can shoot it well...very well, and if I put the rounds were they need to be, the caliber doesn't really matter all that much. A string of 5 rounds of 40gr JHP moving at 1345fps into a 1/2 " hole will be sufficient in my book

 

[mje]

I carried an NAA mini in the summer when I had nothing else small enough to conceal. Before I got my LCP, my Betetta Bobcat accompanied me on hikes.

 

[JERRY]

22s have killed scads of folks, but it is far from optimal i think all would agree.

my only concern about a 22 used for defense other than the lack of "power" is the rimfire ignition. id rather have a .25acp than a .22lr in the same sized gun. economically speaking the .25acp is a lot more expensive, but ballistically in the same 2.25" bbl they are the same with the advantage going to the more reliable centerfire non-rimmed cartridge.

 

[MCgunner]

I have a NAA mini, but it rides shotgun to my primary. Sometimes my NAA Black Widow .22 mag does primary duty. I've found NO situation where only my .22LR NAA would work that my Black Widow, more powerful and more accurte, wouldn't work equally well. It's only marginally larger than the .22LR.

I have other small .22s, like a Phoenix Arms HP22 that is quite reliable and accurate and a new Ruger SR22. But, if I can carry those, I can carry one of my higher caliber guns. .22, for me, is to be resorted to ONLY if nothing larger can adequately be concealed and that don't happen often. Now that I have the Black Widow, I never have to resort to .22LR as a primary. I do like to carry my HP22 or now my new Ruger when I'm fishing. I think of 'em more as outdoor tools than for self defense.

 

[MCgunner]

my only concern about a 22 used for defense other than the lack of "power" is the rimfire ignition.

I replace the ammo in my NAA mini weekly. Sweaty pockets contaminate .22 ammo rapidly. I've seen this. Now, I rotate them out weekly and shoot the old ones at the range for practice, always have fresh, reliable ammo in the gun. The NAA does not have the ignition problems some of my .22s have exhibited, either, is quire reliable. The little toot is about 25 years old and is still going strong. I bought my .22 mag NAA used and it had a weak mainspring in it. NAA sent me a new one and it is working fine now, but that gun wasn't all that old. I'm not sure how that spring got weak and my .22LR NAA has been going for 25 years without failure, but I don't know the past history of that Black Widow, either. All I know is it's accurate and reliable with Hornady PD now.

But, yeah, rimfire ignition can be problematic. Prove the gun before you rely on it and it pays to be vigilant with fresh ammo, especially carried in a sweaty pocket in summer. .22LR isn't as reliable at feeding in autoloaders, some autoloaders, either, as is .25ACP which is made for autoloaders. However, that SR22 never coughs. I've got about 2K rounds through it now and it's just feeds like clockwork anything I try in it.

 

[heeler]

Although my Brother's wife does not conceal carry,she does keep an older 9 shot H&R revolver,whose model number fails me,but it was very popular model,in the console of her Toyota Corolla every where she goes(legal in Texas).
It has a two inch barrel and is pretty accurate according to little Brother who bought it 10 years ago from an old guy at his place of work.
He had looked for the four inch barrel version but found nothing but rusted and uncared for crap at the gun shows when he did run across one in that barrel length and jumped on this one complete with original box when the old guy offered it to him for $85.