Ruger 10/22 for HD?

[shephard19]

I know many people here will laugh at the idea, and I know
it isn't ideal for the task, but would it work reasonably well?
It does have some advantages, zero recoil, the sound doesn't disorient you...
I know that works both ways, fast follow up shots and you don't have to worry much about overpenetration, also its very easy to shoot accurately for most people. Does anyone know how far .22 will penetrate into human flesh?
Also does anyone know where to but aftermarket bannana magazines for the Ruger? I know they exist I've seen one in person.

 

[NG VI]

If it were all I had, and that's a huge if, I would be most likely to use Aguila 60 grain SSS in it to get the penetration needed. Maybe the CCI Stinger or Quick-Shok if the Aguila wasn't working out, or the Aguila full-speed 40 grain solid.

 

[azyogi]

+1 on the 60 gr. SSS they hit hard, have used them on large black tail Hare [rabbit]

 

[Kevin77]

It would work perfectly if some crack head squirrels were breaking in.

 

[tkopp]

There are plenty of good reasons to have a .22 handy, but self defense really isn't one of them. It might work by scaring an intruder off, just like a big but friendly dog barking at an unfamiliar person.

It suffers the same problem as any other firearm -- shoot someone in a nonvital spot and it will hurt but not incapacitate them.

It suffers a unique problem in that limited penetration and displacement can cause a near miss of a vital where a more potent caliber would cause a disabling hit. Worse, the low power of the round means that a vital hit might hurt an awful lot but fail to incapacitate for a good while. This is true of all calibers, but moreso with marginal ones like the .22lr.

So sure, it can be used in home defense. But the inexpense of so many other, more capable firearms (like a 12ga or a high point pistol or carbine for $200) is really what makes these threads a little silly. I love my ruger 10/22 and have poured more money into it than I care to think about, but I spent just a little more and got another (well, several more) capable weapons for home defense.

 

[ms6852]

If that is all you have than use it. Anything can be used for home defense, Pots, pans, rolling pins, golf clubs. (Just ask Tiger Woods).

THE PROBLEM WITH 22LR FOR HOME DEFENSE IS RELIABILITY!!! Most shooters know that 22lr bullets are not reliable and will always at some point get a bad round and not fire even if the firing pin has made firm contact with the rim. Question should be do you want to rely on this caliber knowing that sometimes it fires and sometimes it does not?

 

[JEB]

/\ /\ /\ BIG +1 there! 80% of the problem for me is reliability. it MUST go bang EVERY TIME!

 

[wgaynor]

In the right hands, with the right ammo, with the right circumstances, yes...it will work. It is not ideal though.

I've heard many arguments for the .22lr as a defense tool and against it. My wife chose it as her tool and I have the utmost confidence in her abilities with it. On the other hand, I prefer something with a bit more stopping power. Either way, at least it's a gun.

 

[outerlimit]

You could squeeze off 25-30 rounds very quickly. And the shots would probably be more accurate than with a pistol. Sure, why not?

 

[jn1965]

To tell you the truth I thought about this a lot. I stopped carrying my TTC into hotel rooms with me and now 'sneak' in my 10/22 carbine. Although the TTC has much more stopping power it is also going to go through the walls of my hotel room and down the hallway stopping only when it hits somebody. I know the .22 will also penetrate a wall but it is pretty spent by the time it comes out the other side.

I do not have a shottie small enough to take into places where I don't want it to be a neon sign saying HE HAS A SHOTGUN

I throw the Ruger into a small duffel bag and nobody knows it is there but me.
I like the fact that the 10/22 is accurate (esp at HD distances) and I can put round after round into a small target area

It is a trade off but like it was said before any gun is better than no gun...

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

a hi-vel .22LR into the snot locker, pie-hole or headlight is gonna drop a bg right there. give 'em 3-4 anywhere else, right fast like.

 

[Izzy77]

2 rounds of some hi-shock type .22 is better than a .25 auto.

Also you wont have too much ear damage from a 22.

not ideal, but still acceptable IMHO.

 

[wombat13]

A year or two ago, Rochester Police Officer Anthony DiPonzio was shot in the back of the head by a 14yo punk using a rifle in .22lr. It was not a point blank shot as it took the cops days to identify the shooter (and there were at least two other cops on scene with DiPonzio at the time of the shooting). DiPonzio only survived because the other cops rushed him to the hospital. He will never work again.

22lr out of a carbine will get the job done. Shot placement is critical, as always.

 

[Al Thompson]

Any gun is better than no gun. If that's what I had, I'd do a couple of things. One, load only with high quality ammo, regardless of bullet weight or construction. CCI Match loads have never misfired for me, nor has CCI products in general. Test a brick or two and see what your rifle likes. Two, work on your malfunction drills. Tap, tug, rack and roll will work on almost any semi-auto. Just have to improvise, adapt and overcome.

By the way, Brassfetcher has some good info on performance. 22LR (non HP) penetrates quite a bit more than some folks think.

http://www.brassfetcher.com/var22lrrifle.html

 

[husker]

if it dont jam . not the first 22 i would grab that i own to kill with. BUT it is better than nothing. & it will get the job done

 

[Oic0]

As far as .22 for home defense, in something like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFuuU21cCyc yes please. I would pick that over most other weapons! Think of it as time release buckshot lol.

A 10/22 with a big clip full of GOOD ammo could be pretty deadly too. More so at across the house range where you can unload on the person before they get to you.

 

[tango2echo]

It would be my first choice if they ever stop making baseball bats.

t2e

 

[dom1104]

I would suggest the CCI Velocitor.

CCI in general has the best primer reliability I have seen.

And then quickly save up for a shotgun and do it right.

150 bucks goes a long way in the cheap shotgun realm.

Oh and stick with the 10 round rotary factory magazine, the likelyhood of a extended mag jamming is far higher than the likelyhood of needing the other 15 rounds.

Nothing is as reliable as the factory rotary. the Tactical Innovations mags are the closest but still can be manipulated into jamming.

 

[kenno]

I know of several situations where a 22LR pistol has dropped a BG and 22LR rifles droped large animals

 

[natman]

It's possible that a 22 rifle could work. Talk about shot placement being critical is true, but overlooks the realities of a self defense scenario. It's not hunting. You're not going to get a chance to draw a fine bead and squeeze off a shot with surgical precision.

So to deliberately plan on using a 22 for defense rather than any one of the vastly superior alternatives is foolish. Self defense is a serious business. Be serious about it.

 

[Maverick223]

The best .22LR (Aguila Super-Maximum hyper-velocity HP) from a rifle is roughly equivalent to the .380ACP. There is no reason that it won't suffice for HD, but if you have something better I would use it.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

I suggest CCI Velocitor with a 10/22.

Test data for Aguila 60gr Sniper SubSonic: http://www.firearmstactical.com/tacticalbriefs/volume3/number2/article3.htm

Test data for Aguila Super Maximum High Velocity: http://www.firearmstactical.com/test_data/22lr/agu22-30smhv-r2245.htm

CCI Stinger: http://www.firearmstactical.com/test_data/22lr/cci22-32stgr-r2245.htm

 

[wombat13]

A previous poster mentioned this, but I think it bears repeating. Everyone agrees that shot placement is critical for any caliber and it is going to be much easier to hit the intended spot with a carbine than with a handgun. Nice long sight radius, shoulder stock, and extra weight to handle recoil. I would think the 10/22 would be better than most handguns for most people (unless you practice enough to put 10 rounds of .45/9mm into a moving target in a few seconds).

 

[armchairQB]

Id say you want the fastest moving solid projectile you can get. Maybe a velocitor or at least a Mini mag solid.

 

[CZguy]

I would look around for a used S&W or Mossberg 3000 they can be found pretty cheap usually. They were a Japanese copy of the Remington 870 built by Howa. They are high quality and work just as well as the Remington, but the parts are not interchangeable.

S&W 3000 above a Remington 870.