Do you really have to own a 22, and if so, a rifle or a pistol

[C.R.]

i think a well rounded gun collection would have room for a couple of .22 's what ones depend on your personel taste.I have a 10/22,a Henry lever action,and a Savage /Stevens Favorite #30 along with a couple of pistols. the Ruger is probably all I need,but the Henry cought my eye,and I figured it would be good practice because my deer rifle is a lever action 30/30 and the Favorite is a single shot and is just plain cool (IMO) and with the scarcity of .22 ammo the slower pace of a single shot makes sense to me

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Yes, you have to own a .22 pistol and a .22 rifle. If you don't understand why, ask your mother, she'll tell you.

To shoot well, you have to practice -- a lot. Twenty-twos are cheap and can be shot places where more powerful rounds cannot. The .22 is a superb hunting cartridge. There are serious competitions where the .22 is the cartridge used.

A .22 is not a serious self-defense cartridge, nor is it a deer cartridge. But then a .45 ACP is not a squirrel cartridge, either.

 

[HOWARD J]

Around here I have not seen any CHEAP .22's in a long time
one gun shop had 3 boxes of 50 rds. $9 each--not much more for 9MM
I stocked up on .22's years ago @ 1 1/2 cents each

 

[george burns]

Thanks for the interesting answers guys. Vern, my mom is 94, "I take care of her", she actually had one of my rifles in her closet for 30 years, where it just sat, I doubt if she would be of much help.

 

[200Apples]

.

Do you really have to own a .22, and if so,m rifle or pistol?

Both! and then some. My .22 collection consists of the following:

Winchester Model 63 semi-auto blowback rifle in .22LR
Browning 1911-22 semi-auto blowback pistol in .22LR
Henry lever carbine in .22WMR

Next .22-chambered purchases will be a good, single-shot bolt rifle and a very-late-1950s 4-5/8" Ruger Single Six w/ both cylinders.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Vern, my mom is 94, "I take care of her", she actually had one of my rifles in her closet for 30 years, where it just sat, I doubt if she would be of much help

Never underestimate the wisdom that comes with old age.

 

[Legionnaire]

Different strokes for different folks. I can't imagine being without a couple of .22 rifles and handguns for personal use and to share with kids (and soon, grand kids), but other people live in different places and have different priorities.

 

[bangswitch]

You only have to have what you want to have, or have a need to have. I've got an old Springfield .22 semiauto rifle, a Marlin .22 repeater, and a Ruger 22/45 MkIII target pistol. Cheap(er) to shoot a lot, plus I use them in my basic shooting classes for those wise people who haven't bought a gun until they've learned to shoot one.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

True, you don't have to have anything you don't want to have.

Buy if ya don't have a .22, ya jest ain't right.

 

[busdriver72]

Thou must have at least a .22 rifle.
It was the 11th commandment...but Moses forgot to put it into the second set of tablets.

 

[stchman]

You don't HAVE to own anything you don't want.

I own several .22 pistols and rifles.

Ruger 10/22 Target Tactical
Marlin Model 60
Savage Mark II BV
Savage 93 FVSS
Ruger Mark III 22/45
Taurus Model 94
Ruger SR22

I love them all.

 

[Johnny Lightning]

Just get a .22 conversion kit for your ar. I have one and its great.

 

[FROGO207]

My thought now is that you do not need a computer or jar of peanut butter either, but your world as far as shooting will be better if you did own a .22 of some type. IMHO

On the other hand if you don't that will leave more potential ammo for me to obtain.

 

[jhwolfe]

"There are a few must-haves in life. They are (1) air, (2) food and drink, (3) clothing, (4) shelter, and (5) a good .22 revolver. (S&W 17 in my case.) Everything else is optional."

 

[Pyzon]

Someday down the road, sooner or later we might find that what we were warned about for a couple of decades finally came to pass and we are all hunkered down in caves trying to survive what comes next. Sure, you could make a better choice for self defense, but when small animals are the only game in town, I hope I have a couple long and short .22's to do the job.

 

[TUBBY1]

22 is a round all ages and genders can utilize. It's a starting point for single projectile shooting. (High powered pellet gun also inclusive.) a brick of ammo also about the same size as 100 rounds of center fire as mentioned before. Fun to shoot and hopefully will be a little more accessible in the future. No one needs anything they don't want, but I would not give them up. If you have ever shot a SWmodel 17 revolver, you would join the club. The only down side is it's a dirty round. Have a snake and good cleaning kit.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Personally I don't much care about .22 guns. I do own a Remington Nylon 66 that my grandpa gave me (which I value highly for sentimental reasons), and I convinced myself I needed a Ruger SP101 in 22. The Ruger doesn't get shot much. It's a fine revolver, and having one around isn't a bad thing, butI enjoy centerfire much more, and see far more "realistic" practicality to practicing with firearms capable of taking down big game.

The emergencies that survivalists talk about are unlikely to ever happen, so if you don't shoot them, and don't really care about them, then ditch them. I've been considering getting rid of my revolver and moving on.

All that being said, I'm having a hard time letting go. A 22 is better than no gun at all, and since you can have a lot of ammo on hand in a small space, it seems like a good idea to keep it. I'll certainly never own more than one 22 handgun though.

 

[herkyguy]

I've got a single six with a 5.5" barrel. I enjoy shooting that gun. Fifty rounds and some tin cans is enough to take care of any problems I may have.

I haven't picked up another since.

 

[skoro]

Of course not.

But life's more fun if you do.

 

[mooosie]

Why not I have a ss 10/22 a ruger mark 3 hunter that I shoot and a Springfield/ savage I bought used in the 60's for 10 dollars that will nock the eye out of a chipmunk they don't take up much space

 

[bikerdoc]

I got 2 rifles and 2 revolvers and 2 autos all in 22. Most go back to the 60's and 70's
I plink and hunt small game but mostly they get used to train the grand kids.
Do you need one? Yes , no, maybe, ?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Let's see. I have six .22 rifles:

A Stevens Favorite made around 1895
A Stevens #26 Crackshot made around 1915.
A Springfield M1922 MKII
A Marlin 15Y youth gun
A Remington 541X (CMP rifle)
A Kimber M82.

I have three .22 pistols:

A Ruger MKII (currently at a gunsmith having a 5.5" bull barrel and target sights added, plus a trigger job.
A Colt Officers Model Target
A Colt Woodsman (made in 1938)

And I have two .22 Conversion Kits:

A Cinier kit
A Colt kit with the Williams floating chamber.

That doesn't count .22 Magnums and a .22 Hornet.

 

[WestKentucky]

Nope. Don't NEED one. I have 5 though and think I should have at least 2 more. I enjoy shooting them though and the ammo is cheap under normal conditions. I have other rifles that I shoot too. I also have handguns that I enjoy in 22 up through 44 mag. I think a person needs a weapon to make noise with to scare stuff away for the most part. Some folks need to actually use the guns for work so those are tailored to the job, again no need there. A 22 is just nice to have around to practice with...really no need for it but very nice to have around.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Let me start by saying I have owned "2", 22 rifles over the past 50 years. I sold the last one, a Rugger 10/22, after letting it sit without use for decades.
I have also owned small Beretta and colt 22 pistols along with a NA 22 mini-mag with LR and Mag cylinders. I also never used it so I sold it also.
Now taking general inventory, I have pistols, an AR, and a 12 gauge, pump, "none of the long guns ever get used for lack of a place to shoot them".

Do I need to rethink this and get a 22 Ruger or perhaps the over molded, or heavy barrel, little rifle . Just to have one with a few thousand rounds, for emergency's, or leave it alone, being that I probably won't shoot it much unless I start shooting the pistol in some sort of competition.
I know that "most folks" say you have to have a 22, seems like a reasonable question I have asked myself with no answer. I have been shooting more lately, after a long break other than my carry, but am limited to a 25 yard indoor range. Is it only the survivalists that theorize having one for emergency's is a wise cost effective tool?
I assume that it would be a cheap way to get small game in a real crisis.

I got 4-5 rifles and 1 handgun

 

[22-rimfire]

I have more than I can remember the names and models without the aid of a computer spread sheet.

It's good to have a 22 or three. This shortage with rimfire ammunition should be a lesson in supply and demand. Assuming that rimfire ammunition will ALWAYS be available at normal pricing is a concept that has been demonstrated to be incorrect. Stock up a bit when supplies return.