Let's talk about .22LR for defence

[Newton]

Ok, I know your fingers are poised over the keyboard to ridicule such a silly notion, and I know it has been asked before. But I was reminded of the importance of these little .22LR pistols the other day when a friend told me that when he was a kid, his dad could only afford a worn old .22LR pistol with which to keep the family safe, and I certainly wouldn't want to take a couple of rounds from one. It is after all known as the "kill you later" round.

Most people recommend CCI Stingers if you absolutely have nothing else, but I'm not so sure that a 32 grain hollow point is the right way to go. If you have to use .22LR, I would think that the fastest 40gr solid would be your best bet.

So now there is such a round, the Aguila Interceptor solid. That's probably what I would opt for, but I don't have the ballistics for anything other than a rifle length barrel.

Has anyone looked further into this question? What would you carry in a Beretta 21A, or a 4.5inch Beretta Neos - would they be the same load?

 

[spiroxlii]

I am curious about how the Aguila SSS (Sniper Subsonic) 60gr .22lr round would do. I know it's heavy compared to the lighter hypervelocity rounds, but heavy and slow sometimes ends up penetrating better than fast and light. 115gr 9mm vs 147gr subsonic 9mm is one example.

 

[DENALI]

I have a cheapy jenning's thats been around for ever, I'd never even consider it for defense. Thats not to say I wouldn't use it if it was the only thing available.
The 22LR out of a rifle is however a different matter, while not legal, back in my youth my brother and I harvested whitetail deer very effectively with it.

 

[Library Guy]

I learned on the internet that the mere sound of a shotgun being pumped will cause evil doers to discharge their bladders and run like a cat on fire.

If that’s so, then the sound of a .22 hitting them in the throat ought to make them really skedaddle.

Now, consider this little hypothetical situation. You have to shoot a string seven yards away with one shot. You can use a .22 or a .45. Let’s say both guns/cartridges will give the same center to center accuracy. Which would you choose?

I would choose the .45. (Remember, same accuracy.) The .45 with its great diameter would offer a greater chance of clipping that string.

Sometimes stopping a biological target depends on literally clipping a string.

Okay, that was a silly line of reasoning…

So, how about CB longs for self defense?

 

[Newton]

I have heard others recommend the 60 grain Aguila, but in testing I seem to remember it didn't do as well as expected (it's very slow out of a pistol barrel), but I don't have the link.

 

[MCgunner]

Don't worry about ammo, worry about shot placement. Shoot for the eyes. Forget center mass.

 

[MaterDei]

Self defense is not about killing a threat, necessarily, it is about stopping a threat. It is a proven fact that a 22LR is not as good of a stopper as other larger caliber rounds are.

With that said, it beats the hell out of a knife, a bat, or a fist.

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

I always get a chuckle out of the Armed Citizen page in the NRA mag when some granny woman opens up on the boys in the hood come to steal her pension money with a .22LR pistol usually a revolver.
sometimes there's a DRT usually hospital with serious wounds.
my mom was a crack shot with the H&R 9 shot I got her. if she had time to aim she could knock an eye out easy. no problem hittiing a bread basket in a point&shoot situ. she practiced too, using old fruit and melons I got from the market dump bin.

 

[Geno]

When I was in high school, I cooked in a family restaurant. The owner always walked home...across the neighbor's yard then into his home. Not far really. He always carried a 10-shot S&W .22LR revolver. His rationale was he wanted to be sure the perp lived to go to jail. He never chuckled or grinned when he said it, so I always assumed he was pretty serious. That said, I doubt many criminals would stop and ask, "Are you shooting at me with a 10mm or a .22LR?" If all you have is a .22LR, that's what you have.

 

[Vonderek]

His rationale was he wanted to be sure the perp lived to go to jail.

This is noteworthy when you think about the ramifications. It probably means that if the perp lives you will probably get the pants sued off you. And if he remains disabled you will forever be paying for his medical care and rehabilitation. Fair? No. But that's the way it is in this liberal, litigious society. For this reason alone I think the 22LR is a poor choice. Perhaps it's the only choice for the elderly or infirmed who cannot handle the recoil of a larger caliber but a poor choice for anyone else IMHO.

 

[woad_yurt]

Newton:
I tried Velocitors, Stingers, and Aguila Super Maximums side by side, for comparison. I used all 3 with each of the same 3 revolvers, all fired from the same 6" distance into a 2X4. I had 3 barrel sizes, 2.5", 3", and 6" and in every instance, the Aguilas penetrated further, followed closely by the Velocitors. The Stingers were a semi-distant third.

The Aguila solid points penetrated further than did the HPs. So, for my little 9 shot 2.5" barrelled H&R 922 revolver, I now use Aguila Super Maxes. Those little puppies can tear up a 2X4!

 

[moooose102]

Well, I Kind Of Thought The Idea Behind Using The Light Weight Hollow Point Was To Have A Bullet That Would Not Over Penetrate, And Get Larger In Diameter. A 33 Caliber (i Am Guessing About The Expanded Size)hole Is More Effective Than A 22 Caliber Hole. Better Chance Of Inflicting Harm To Vital Organs/ Arteries/ Brain Matter/ Etc. Etc.

 

[Javelin]

I am just going to throw it out there not go out and purposely buy a .22LR for personal protection, but I am not saying to buy a 25 auto either.

You can defend yourself with your hands... with that said a .380 or 9mm is going to do a better job.

 

[1911Tuner]

Not a silly notion at all. The ever-present and prolific .22 rimfire isn't as bad a choice as one might suspect, given all the talk about knock-down power and manstoppers and other such drivel.

It's an estrblished fact that nobody wants to get shot with anything, laying aside suicides. The .22 can do what needs to be done if shot well against 95% of the people who would attack us unprovoked, and who are not under the influence of alcohol and/or similar numbing drugs. The knowledge that you've just been shot...or at least shot at...is a pretty viable deterrent for the largest percentage of the population. For the five percenters, it won't matter, because there are some who are able to absorb multiple hits with a .44 magnum and keep coming. These are the exception, though.

Understand that I'm neither advising, nor promoting the use of the .22 rimfire handgun for a personal protection/carry gun. There are better calibers, and one should carry all the power that he or she can reliably manage...but don't be too quick to discount the .22 Long Rifle cartridge. Outside of war zones, there have probably been more people killed with the .22 than any other three calibers combined, with the possible exception of the .38 Special...another cartridge that regularly gets pooh-poohed in this age of Hi-Cap, +P+ hot-rod autopistol rounds.

 

[DPris]

Many years ago, stuck in a small town in Wyoming overnight for car repairs enroute to my first USAF duty station out of Tech School, I met a guy in a restaurant who said he was still undecided on having the .22 slug removed from his chest that he'd been carrying around for a few months.
That & other occurances since have kinda led me to contude that on one hand the .22 is better than nothing, but on the other hand it may be worse than nothing, in that it gives you the illusion of being armed for defense when you're really not.
And from there, the obvious questions: Is a 6-oz rock too small? A 16-oz rock too big?
Denis

 

[Gun Slinger]

There are much better cartridges (.38/.357, 9mm, .357 Sig., .40 S&W, .45 A.C.P., etc.) suitable for the role of self defense and given the wealth of choices we have, it is foolish to constrain oneself to such a feeble performer.

Sure, the .22LR has killed many, but it will most likely not do so in the desired timeframe. Why inhibit yourself with a "lesser" cartridge unless you absolutely must?

GS

 

[Mad Magyar]

Shoot for the eyes. Forget center mass.

Reminds me of Jeff Cooper when asked if he had only a .22 pistol in defense of his life, "Empty the entire mag at his face"...

 

[WVMountainBoy]

Well I'm with everyone else if I had the choice to have a larger caliber with me I would, but if constrained to a 22LR I have a good bit of faith in what it can do. One it is loud coming out of a pistol and no one wants shot or shot at, so there is a good bit of "ACK" factor. Using a .22LR just means they get all 10 rounds instead of the double tap. I own two .22LR's a pistol and a rifle. The rifle is my go to gun over my bed, as I'm a good shot with it. but theres a .38 right beside it.

 

[Timthinker]

To answer the original question, try different rounds and see what cycles best in your handgun. Semi-autos are more fickle, owning to the nature of their design, than revolvers. In the case of a .22 long rifle handgun, I look for penetration first and expansion second. Try the rounds that interest you and compare them for reliability and penetration, if checking for penetration is possible where you shoot. That is the best advice anyone can offer regarding this question.

Of course, I am impelled to say that a larger caliber is better, but I did answer the original inquiry. I try to be a team player.


Timthinker

 

[1911Tuner]

There are much better cartridges (.38/.357, 9mm, .357 Sig., .40 S&W, .45 A.C.P., etc.)

No argument there.

Why inhibit yourself with a "lesser" cartridge unless you absolutely must?

You may have partly answered your own question.

There are people who have a .22 and wish it was a .357 magnum, but for whatever reason...be it financial or physical...can only rely on that one pistol that they can have and use.

Others that may not be able to carry something more effective...or as Richard Farnsworth said in The Grey Fox..."something with a little more heft."
Let's face it. Pistols of serious caliber are either bulky, heavy, or both...while there are some nice little .22 revolvers and self-shuckers around that could be carried easily for the people who aren't quite as dedicated as many of us are.

The best gun for personal defense is the one that you have with you, and the one to carry is the one that you WILL carry instead of leaving it at home. The .22 in your pocket beats the .45 that you left in the nightstand when a wolf is ripping at your entrails.

 

[Ralph]

I met a guy in a restaurant who said he was still undecided on having the .22 slug removed from his chest that he'd been carrying around for a few months.

Yes sir. Been carrying around a mousegun slug in my leg for 28 years now. Went in below knee hit tibia and follwed tibia about 12" down. Dr. said he would do more damage trying to take it out than it would probably do if we left it there.

 

[Born4spd]

.22 will do just fine.

What ever you can shoot the best is what will work for you.

If you can shoot a .22 better then a 9mm.. carry the .22LR. : )

 

[wheelgunslinger]

I would carry a 22, but would ideally want a pistol with a double stack mag that held about 25 or so rounds so I could follow Cooper's advice.
Hey, if they can fit 20 in the FN 5.7...

 

[Confederate]

My father grew up in the country and he said that the .22LR was always treated with a great deal of respect. And though some people disparage it for defensive purposes, I've seen so many newspaper clippings and news reports of people who have used it successfully that I wouldn't hesitate to keep one in my drawer. Take a look at this video I found. It pretty much says it all.

 

[mossy141701]

WVmountainboy you are not alone, I own more 22's and 38's than any other caliber. I have several up to the 44 magnum but be honest, for just all around plinking fun and the cost involved you can't beat either. I also would not pick a 22 for a defense gun but would use it if that was all that was available. I also have never felt under gunned with any of my 38's.