Recommend a .22LR pistol for defensive purposes (I know, I know).

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benEzra

benEzra

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I live in North Carolina, which sometimes tries hard to be the Massachusetts of the South. NC has a wierd regulation regarding its forests; if the forest is designated a "Game Land" (as many are), then the following idiotic rule applies:

During closed seasons and closed hunting days on game birds (...) and game animals (...), it is unlawful to possess any firearm or bow and arrow readily available for use. (...) The following exceptions, however, should be noted:

--Possession is allowed on field-trial and designated target shooting areas and in camping areas for defense of person or property.

--.22-caliber pistols with barrels, not greater than 7.5 inches in length and shooting only short, long or long rifle ammunition may be carried as side arms on game lands at any time, except by hunters during the special bow-and-arrow and muzzleloading firearms deer hunting season.
Click to expand...
So if I'm in a designated "camping area," I can have my 9mm on my person (concealed or not; I have a CHL) and the AK in the tent or in the trunk and be legal, but if I take my kids out hiking or stargazing, I'm stuck with a .22LR pistol. (I'm assuming they meant "pistol" to mean "handgun," rather than "non-revolver handgun," but given the overall stupidity of the law, who knows.) I guess the reasoning is, I don't even bother to hunt during hunting season, but if I'm allowed to carry a 3913 Ladysmith compact 9mm while stargazing with my kids out in the national forest, I will presumably be overcome with the temptation to go deer hunting with it in the middle of the night.

:banghead:

OK, to the problem at hand. If they still made Calico pistols, then a Calico .22LR with a 7" barrel would be the obvious choice, but since those are now hyper-expensive collectors' items, that's out of the question. An Intratec Tec-22 would be an option, if they actually worked, but reliability is important.

So here's my question--what's an accurate, RELIABLE defensive pistol in .22LR? How are the Ruger .22 pistols as far as reliability goes? The Walther P22 with the 5" barrel looks like a nice choice as well; how is reliability for these pistols?

Does anybody (other than Calico and Intratec) make a .22LR pistol or revolver that holds more than 10 rounds? Given that I am stuck with a short-barreled .22, the more the better.

Size is not an issue; I don't care if it's as big as an S&W X-frame or an MP5 as long as it is a ".22-caliber pistol with barrel not greater than 7.5 inches in length and shooting only short, long or long rifle ammunition."

Thanks for all the help.
 
I think there are a few 7-10 shot da revolvers out there, s&w 617 with a 6" barrel and 10 shot cylinder. That would be my choice so that if you get one of those famous rim fire rounds that doesn't go off, another pull gets you a new one.
 
The Ruger mark 3s are very accurate and dependable. They're also a pain in the a** to take apart and clean.
 
I have a S&W 617 ten shot and would recommend it to anyone. I don’t use it for self-defense but if you need a .22 for defense this would be a good, reliable choice.
 
Taurus 94 if you can get it to be reliable. Lots of folks have success with these, although mine had warranty issues right out of the box. The chief benefit to these is they are j-frame sized and hold 9 shots. They are lightweight, and easy to shhot and carry. I'd load with stingers, velocitors, aguila super maximums, or similar. Use a 4 or 5 inch barrelled model to get as much velocity as possible. A S&W 617 is nice but heavy as a brick. S&W's new j-frame kit gun has a 3 inch barrel, and gives velocities about like a snub nose. Also S&W does not recommend hyper velocity for this aluminum gun. Their older steel models have only six shots. So that brings us back to the Taurus, despite the chances you may get at a lemon. At least you'll know it right out of the box and can address it then.
Good luck,

David
 
I think there are a few 7-10 shot da revolvers out there, s&w 617 with a 6" barrel and 10 shot cylinder. That would be my choice so that if you get one of those famous rim fire rounds that doesn't go off, another pull gets you a new one.
Click to expand...

This is what I'd do, and for that exact reason. It isn't that .22 semiautos are unreliable- there's a large number that are VERY reliable. The problem is that rimfire rounds are themselves unreliable. Some just don't go off, and it takes longer to rack the slide than it does to just pull the trigger again. As accurate and reliable as a good .22 semiauto can be, I just won't trust one defensively because of that ammo unreliability.

I'd find a 8 or 10 shot revolver with a 4-6" barrel.
 
I'd go with a revolver also.

My High Standard Sentinel cost me $50 and is freaky accurate out to 50 yards. 9-round cylinder, DA/SA, a little funky looking but it works. :)
 
That is such a stupid law. Here in New Mexico as long as you aren't hunting with an illegal weapon for the hunt, or not hunting if you have no license, then you can carry any weapon you want in the forest. I carry a 1911 while bow hunting, or a .357 mag, and while camping. I sometimes carry an AR if I am hunting in an area where there are Coyotes. As long as it is OK to hunt/shoot in an area, I have a Gun there!

On the .22. Any quality .22 like Ruger, or Beretta, or High Standard is great.
 
benEzra,

I am quite familiar with this type of restriction.
Plus.
I work with physically limited folks, that have no other choice, than to use a
.22 rim-fire for defensive purposes.
Some do not have weak side hands/arms, some are under Doctors orders for NO recoil (but .22 rim-fire the exception) due to detached retina, neck/ back surgeries.

-Is there a minimum barrel length in this restriction?
Some places have a minimum of 4" barrel length, along with maximum (arrgghh! )
If not, then the Beretta 21 A, simple matte finish is best for a BUG, or Deep Conceal.
I/we do not recommend Stingers, instead for reliability the CCI high velocity loads in LRN .

-Stay away from new MKIIIs. The top end is different and every one has caused problems. I, gun person, and these folks do not trust these.

-OLDer guns, such as the Ruger MKI and MKII, are still best.
We prefer for CCW, and the folks we deal with, and introducing new shooters"
Standard Model.
Easy to tote, conceal, plenty accurate, and once the loading is found, the fixed sights are rugged.
CCI loads again and Win X22LR , are two loads that run the gun, and while not always the most accurate, accurate.

Kids : let us hope it never comes to be, still one your kids might have to use this gun. Me being me, and others like me, consider the smallest person that might have to use the gun.
Smallest not in a derogatory sense, just these Standard Models do not tire out someone as fast, and easier to shoot.

-Buckmarks, are great! Triggers are better out of box.
Again, the simple, 4" and something inch barrel.

-Colt Woodsmans, High Standards, are two other very reliable and accurate guns.
Even the "plinker" High Standard Dura-Matic, is very accurate.
This one has thumbscrew, and real easy to take down.

-Smith & Wesson 422, blue, 622 Steel.
Older steel and alloy guns.
The ones I prefer are the 4" model.
It is kind of odd, seeing the barrel "underneath".
Guns are extremely light, almost too light. Still one can forget they are CCW-ing these.
These are accurate, and super easy to take down as well.
This one was a Super great teaching tool, especially for kids .
It became real popular for physically limited folks for CCW.
Even those with hip surgeries, had no problem.

I have taken lots of squirrels , rabbits with one. I do not handgun hunt with optics/glass. Just irons.


-Revolvers : Model 18, (K frame) and the Jframe one 34, are proven!
Might be hard to find, still be easier than a Colt .22 revolver.

The 617 is a great gun, just it is big, and heavy. For CCW, and again smaller persons, the K and J frame are suggested.

-NAA Mini Revolver, is always good.
Last ditch effort with a dope head in the woods.

With a NAA, 21A for backups to whatever other choice, one can easily have 3 guns in the woods, concealed.

Proven, by me and others.
 
Why not look at a Ruger Single Six Convertable, with the .22LR and .22MAG cylinders? A quick cylindar swap, and you go from a plinking gun to a moderate self defense round. .22 caliber does not exclude the magnum, as far as I can tell. And I would rather have 6 magnums than 10 long rifles.
 
I can't add much to the discussion except to say, "Don't forget the New York reload." Spare magazines are all well and good, but some .22 ammo has inconsistant recoil that can lead to stovepipe stoppages. A spare pistol on the belt of a friend may make all the difference. This can be negated by carrying a brace of revolvers...
 
Have you thought about a DA H&R revolver, like the 949 or 922 series? They're cheap, reliable and accurate. I have 923 (nickeled 922) with a 6" barrel that loves Velocitors and is very, very accurate. If you browse online auction sites, you can find one for $100-$150. For $150-$200, you could have one that is in like-new condition. After shooting thousands of rounds with them, I've never had a malfunction. They have a 9 round cylinder, too. My friend has a Walther .22 semi-auto and it jams enough to be a bother, no matter what ammo we've tried. Check out the old H&R revolvers. I wish they'd make them again.
 
I gather from the wording of the law, you don't need a concealed weapon -- you can carry openly. So I'd say forget about concealment. A Ruger or Browning would do just fine.

If you're worried about the reliability of rimfire ammo, then a revolver would be the ideal choice -- mine is a Colt Officer's Model Target.
 
i sudgest a rugar mk 2 or 3 the only problem with then is miss fires happen some times maby 20% of the time so like vern said a revolver would be nice a rugar doubble action or somthing like that
 
I love my neos. But I have to agree on the revolver statement. Get a Smith 617 with a 6" barrel 10 shot and a nice holster. Then get the fastest ammo you can find out there to put in it. CCI Stinger or Rem Yellow Jackets.
 
Ruger or S&W revolver, defense being your need. I have and absolutey love, a Mk II in SS with a 5.5" bull barrel, but on the odd chance you get a dud, you'd need to train to clear it under pressure. If you train, which you should since this is a defense exercise, then a Mk II would be a good selection.

Ammo selection should be a heavy bullet and TC shape if possible. You'll lose velocity in a handgun, so the ultra light hollow points might not be as effective. A flat faced slug of some weight would penetrate best.
 
sm,

No minimum length, just 7" maximum. Good point about having more than one.

Tiny in Ohio--unfortunately the laws specifies short, long, or long rifle only, which rules out .22 mag. Otherwise, that'd be the logical choice.

Good point about revolvers and ammo issues, all. I was thinking in terms of pistol reliability, but I'm a centerfire guy so I wasn't even thinking about the ammunition side of things.

I think I'm going to get clarification in writing that "pistol" means "handgun" for the purpose of the law, to ensure that a revolver would be OK.

I'm also going to be writing my representatives about the silliness of this law. If the goal is to prevent poaching, a "no discharge of firearms" rule would be a lot more enforceable than a possession ban on non-pistols or non-.22's. Gunshots and/or dead deer in the back of the truck are a LOT more conspicuous than a 9mm carried concealed, as well.

Aaargh.

Thanks to everyone for the helpful replies. I am familiar with the Ruger, and have shot a stranger's S&W .22LR revolver once at the range (awesome little gun), but had never heard of a lot of the others. The Taurus certainly sits at a better price point than the S&W, judging by what they're both going for on Gunbroker. :eek:
 
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