Small 22's, to what use?

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gbran

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.22lr snubbies and small semi-autos; What are their purpose and why do folks buy them?

I have a handfull of .22 caliber handguns. I use them for plinking, target practice and small game hunting, but regards small snubbies and pistols, I suppose they would be good for training, but they are too anemic for self defense and far too inacurate for my stated uses.

So why do folks buy them and what do they use them for? I'm not knocking them, I'm genuinely curious.
 
For me.....

I have an old RG 22lr snubbie that my mom bought for HD over 30 yrs ago and I recently bought a Firestorm 22lr which is small compared to other current offerings besides those tip up barrel models.

The RG - Its a terd in every aspect except it falls into a pocket. But for some reason its fun. Trying to hit 4-6" targets from 10-15 yards is a challange.

The Firestorm is even more fun. Trigger is pretty decent. Its compact. Its easy to shoot, low recoil, low noise, cheap. Still a challange at 15-20 yards.

I shoot in the desert.... with those distances its quick and easy to reset targets etc.

Any kind of distance or small game I would use my 10/22.

So all in all.... Its cheap, easy, comfortable, and I get to be even more lazy by not having to walk far for target issuses.

I'll be buying a Buckmark later this year more than likely and that will be used for the same reasons. (maybe a little more distance)
 
Different guns serve different purposes. A small 22 snubbie or pistol can make a decent snake gun, plinker, or a back up gun where deep concelment is more important than stopping power.
 
I have 2 Taurus PT22's and a Lorcin 22. First off, they beat a stick in a gun fight, but not by much. They are fun to shoot at short distances and easy to carry in the pocket. I also have a Colt .25 but I never carry anything less than 9mm for SD. They are just neat little guns and cheap to shoot. Other than that I don't think they are worth much more.
 
22LR snubs have their place. They're great plinkers/range toys. In the past, they were good for the tackle box or tool box. However, in these days of CC'ing who knows. I think they still make a good backup pistol. Many of these little guys hold 8 or 9 shots - enough to ruin most anyone's day.

I personally love the old H&R and NEF revolvers in 22LR; fixed cylinder or swing out cylinder. They were solidly built, especially the fixed cylinders.
 
So why do folks buy them and what do they use them for?
Click to expand...

John Hinkley and Sirhan Sirhan both endorse the .22lr. Don't discount any firearm's potential.

Some of my favorite pistols are .22lr and some are remarkably accurate. My Colt Woodsman can still make a little hole with many rounds. My Buckmark Field 5.5 isn't far behind.

For sheer pleasure my Daewoo is tops, better than my PPK/S, which is a blast.

Why?? Lots of fun for only a few dollars cost in ammo.
 
I'm an "Anything is better than nothing" person. As I've stated before, I know a waitress that carries a NAA .22 Magnum in her bra. Puny, but I wouldn't wanna be shot with it.

My wife has expressed a wish to get an SP101 .22 like her .357 for practice, but they're hard to find.

We have a Mark III that we love to target practice with.
 
Old arthritic hands drop pistols on the ground that have any recoil when fired. My dad can't get a second shot off with a 38sp. He can empty the cylinder and be reasonably accurate with a 22.lr. It is far from ideal, but better than nothing.

Old people CC too, a 22lr is the only option for many of them. I would rather have 8 shots land where I want them than 1 shot and the pistol lands on the floor! My Dad can barely make a fist with his right hand, his grip is weak to say the least.
 
A good .22 snub is extremely accurate. From a machine rest my 2 inch S&W mod.34 is to all intents and purposes as accurate as my 6 inch S&W mod.17.
This makes it a very good training pistol,it is much harder to shoot a short sight radius and hit a target.
It tends to teach proper sight picture and trigger control.
TGR
 
John Hinkley and Sirhan Sirhan both endorse the .22lr. Don't discount any firearm's potential.
Click to expand...

John Hinkley: Shot 3 people, none died.

Sirhan Sirhan: Shot six people, One died and he was hit 4 times.

Doesn't say much for the efficacy of the .22 rimfire out of short barreled revolvers.
 
I want one. Because they look so cool and because the ammo is so cheap. You can buy a brick of ammo and spend all day at the range for like ... 15 bucks.
 
I think you mostly answered your own question. Also, I would have no problem with my wife carrying a good .22 revolver for self defense, especially if it was a .22 magnum.
 
I own many guns, both rifles and pistols. One of my favorite guns is my little Ruger Bearcat. I have a western style belt holster for it and I enjoy carrying it for walks in the woods and as a camp gun. I hardly know it's there and is a fun gun to carry all day witout it becoming tiresome. If you have ever packed a SBH or N-frame Smith all day in a hip holster...you know what I mean. :)
 
I keep a Beretta M21a .22LR as a BUG or even a primary when I can not carry anything else. At least it will make some noise and maybe scare someone.
 
I carry a NAA .22lr revolver in a grip holster while jogging. It's stainless steel design resists rust from my sweat and is light enough to hardly be noticable. I've never had to use it on a stray dog, but have felt threatened enough to pull it on more than one occasion.
 
a lot of people underestimate the .22lr

granted it wont put down the 6'5" 400lb professional body builder who just drank 5 redbulls, snorted a bowl of coke and is also high on crack and meth.....

.......but i can almost guarantee you the punk who is looking for a quick buck will run the second a shot is fired.


now which are you most likely to encounter.
 
plinking, target practice and close hunting - just as you stated what you do with your guns. Good for camp guns and fun
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+1 to that.

About Hinckley and the Reagan shooting - he shot four people, IIRC. Press Sec'y Brady, a SS agent, a police officer and President Reagan.
"None died."
Reagan nearly did; it was a close call. The other three adult males were immediately incapacitated by the wounds they received. The video is a remarkable comment about what a .22 can do.
Pete
 
If you own any centerfire j frame sized handgun then a small .22 will make great cheap practice and be the same size. Thats why i bought mine many, many years ago.
 
I have a 3" J-frame S&W 317 Airlight (8 shot) revolver that I keep in a lock box in the master walk-in closet. It's loaded and ready to shoot in a momnent's notice.

I chose it so my girls (wife and daughter) would have a low recoil, easy to use (point & shoot - no jams) gun for self-defense in the event someone breaks into the house while they're home alone. I keep it loaded with CCI Velocitors. (I also store a box of ammo with it just in case.)
 
Sam Cade said:
John Hinkley: Shot 3 people, none died.

Sirhan Sirhan: Shot six people, One died and he was hit 4 times.

Doesn't say much for the efficacy of the .22 rimfire out of short barreled revolvers.
Click to expand...
who cares if they died? The point is, those shots incapacitated their targets. And besides, had those been ordinary people and not very important people with access to primo health services, a lot more of them would have died.
 
I own a lot of little .22 pistols and revolvers, from Beretta on down to Sedco. Most of them were purchased for no other reason than just to play with. Some of us buy stuff 'just because'. ;)
 
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