Only the Brave Need Apply...

Do you carry a .22 for SD applications?

  • Yes.

    Votes: 56 24.6%

  • No.

    Votes: 172 75.4%
  • Total voters
    228
  • Poll closed .
Status
Not open for further replies.
P

Panzercat

Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Messages
971
...As you'll be facing the scrutiny of internet memes far and wide.

But I do have a serious question: Does anybody carry a .22 pistol for self defense? A semi? Maybe a revolver? Why? I'm not talking about out an about in the woods where you'll encounter laser zombie bears and the like. Just in every day life for SD carry.

I ask everybody else to keep this civil since we've all been to the negative end of this discussion and nobody is likely to bring anything new in that regard. In fact, I'll just puke up a poll for anominities' sake and lack of faith in my fellow man :)
 
Gosh, I don't even own a .22 handgun anymore. Kid got the ol' Taurus 94 (she likes plinking with it). I will confess that as a young man, I did carry a .22 S&W in the tackle box when fishing (and even then had thoughts about if I'd shoot the bear with it, or just throw it at the bear).
 
Some times, walking the dog in the park or getting the mail. I carry a 40S&W primarily and a 357mag most other times but a little gun is better than no gun.
 
Not at this time. I wouldn't hesitate to carry a .22 revolver if I had a reason, but .22 autoloaders just aren't reliable enough for my taste.

A .22 would certainly be better than nothing at all, IMO.
 
I voted YES even though the answer is no.

Why?

At the time of the L.A. riots I chose to carry concealed in spite of the law. For about two weeks I carried a Beretta 21a, because it was the only gun I owned then. With a ten day wait I figured that if I bought a gun the trouble would be over before I could take possession of a new gun.
 
22 carry

Not me. I regard the 32 ACP as the absolute minimum. Of course, if all I had was a pocket 22, my attitude might change.
 
Only if .22Mag counts. Use it as a backup gun or gym gun only. I have always considered .22LR too small for SD.
 
I carried a Beretta 21A in a pinch for a month when I worked in a sketchy place. Finicky guns, and in .22, so I don't think it would have done much much good. Comforting though.

Now that I have an LCP there's no reason to. A thin, tiny, light carry package I can shoot decently well with a round only a smidgen weaker than 9x18 Mak.
 
Nope, I have other handguns I trust far more than a .22LR with my life. I have objections both on suitability, and reliability. Rimfire ignition is not nearly as reliable as centerfire, and that rules it out for me. Since a self defense gun has to go bang when called upon.

If I feel the need to carry I will probably stick with my SIG P229 in .357SIG even though it is a bulky SOB. I am also partial to 1911's and have carried those too.

For outdoor carry and field carry I am a revolver guy, and tote along a Freedom Arms M83 6" .454. It should flatten just about anything I will ever need it to, and with the right ammunition shoots pretty flat giving some useful extended range with power to spare. I think of it as a hip carried rifle.

Now all that said, would I carry a .22LR for self defense if I had too? Sure, if I had no other choice I would carry one with the most consistently reliable ammo I could find. It beats a sharp pointy stick!
 
I answered yes because there was no 'sometimes' option.

My EDC is a .45auto
When I carry a backup gun it's a Beretta Tomcat .32auto.

Sometimes, rarely but sometimes, I'll know ahead of time that I'm going somewhere where I will find it difficult or impossible to conceal a full size pistol without someone finding out. Last time it was a friend's wedding, other times are like when I visit my folks. They aren't 'anti' but they don't want to see guns in general (my dad was shot in the past). In situations like this, I'll consider my .32 my primary, and a pocket-sized 6 shot .22lr as my "New York Reload." Both in home-made pocket holsters. I've put many rounds through both guns and trust them to be reliable. The .22 has never failed to function when using CCIs. I know I wouldn't want up to 6 .22s hitting me in the throat/face/anywhere... I wouldn't count on it as an instant man-stopper, but it's a gun.
 
I answered yes because there was no 'sometimes' option.
Click to expand...
As did I.
I have carried a .22LR, 22Short, .25acp, etc on occasion. I like to take each of the many little guns that I collect out for exercise now and then.
Heck, for giggles I've even CC'd a .67 smooth-bore flintlock pistol (loaded with 00), hung on a belt hook!
 
I have carried my walther tph only when on a run into the IGA grocery store.It usually goes bang and makes a loud noise when that happens.
 
Walking my dog on the road a Beretta Bobcat has been know to sneak into my pocket. Do not expect to see bears on the road but better a 22 than being completely unarmed.
 
I voted no. I bought a Beretta 21a with the idea that I would occasionally pocket-carry it. I carried it once or twice in my pocket just to have it on me to show friends my new gun, but I think my Ruger LCP is one of the best guns ever built for this role. I couldn't convince myself to carry the .22 instead of the 380 that was smaller, lighter and flatter with a better SD cartridge. I would not consider one for belt carry for the same reason; too many other better options. I will (hopefully, probably) never be without one or a couple of .22's, but would only use them for SD as a last resort.
 
Yes I have, and would again. But probably as a BUG now. My EDC is a 1911, they don't fit in a pocket so good. Some people are good with tools while others aren't. Although there may be "better" tools for different jobs I'm not so anal as to insist "no tool" is better than "a tool". You use what you have.
 
No. Although I'm confident that I could make the shots count, I am not confident that the rounds will actually discharge. All my rimfires have unacceptably high rates of failure for defensive purposes. They are fine for hunting and plinking, but nothing else...
 
I haven't - Nothing against rimfire really, but my .22s are all bigger than my EDC guns, but it brings to mind an interesting sidebar - hollowpoints vs. solids for .22 carry since the HPs probably don't have a lot of penetration.

So do you go for a long bleeding channel or marginally wider and significantly shorter?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

A
  • Locked
Both Jews and Gentiles might find the following of interest
Replies
2
Views
672
alan
A
B
  • Locked
weapons in Iraq
2
Replies
30
Views
5K
MTMilitiaman
MTMilitiaman
D
  • Locked
Weapons/tactics report from Iraq.
Replies
1
Views
554
Jeff White
J
Back
Top