SR22

[IN>IL]

Please don't turn this into a pissing match over the perfect defensive caliber. I have been on this forum for years and I have read all of the arguments for each and every caliber.

Over the course of the past month, I have met three people who have been carrying the Ruger SR22 for self defense. I too own an SR22, however, I had never carried it concealed. They are reliable little pistols as I've put about 2,000 rounds through mine without any issues, so I am wondering if any of you have carried the SR22, or any .22 for that matter, as your primary self defense pistol.

FYI: I carried the SR22 out to lunch today. I didn't encounter any bad people, nor did anybody make fun of me for my caliber choice.

 

[meanmrmustard]

Love it.

Find me a person, cracked out or otherwise, taking up to ten Stinger hollow points to the chest, and keeps rolling.

I'm a fan of carrying period. 22 is better than a sharp stick.

 

[Kiln]

Lots of stories where the .22lr did the job in defensive situations. Multiple hits are important but that is where the .22lr has the greatest benefit, because recoil and muzzle flash are extremely low when compared to most other cartridges.

Although I'd rather have something larger, .22lr would be enough for me so long as I knew the gun was reliable and I could fire it accurately.

 

[M2 Carbine]

I am a big fan of the SR22. I have three of them.
On one I have a Crimson Trace rail laser. I practice with this gun at least four evenings a week in low light/dark (home range). I load 10 magazines at a time.


Because of the laser, and knowing how to properly use it, I seldom miss, (No brag, just fact).

There's no telling how many Wal Mart 22 bulk packs have gone through this one gun.


Now as far as carrying it.
I can not imagine me having ANY fight left after 4 or 5 CCI Stingers have torn through my chest.

Yes, if need be, I'd carry the (Crimson Trace equipped) SR22 and feel well armed.


But since I've got a lot of nice centerfire carry guns I don't carry the SR22.
It is always loaded and near by, just in case.

 

[Water-Man]

For my own curiosity, why Stingers rather than say, Velocitors?

 

[meanmrmustard]

They don't sell velocitors at my WalMart.

 

[carbonyl]

I have an SR22 and it's been great with all the brands of ammo I've put through it. I normally carry a 9mm for CCW but have on more than a few occasions carried the SR22 and I feel very confident with it. I use either Velocitors or Stingers for defensive rounds mainly because they seem to be the most reliable rimfire you can find....if you can find them.

 

[Doc7]

I plan on trying to find/buy an SR22 as soon as I get my paperwork for a handgun purchase here in NJ, and that will be my house / out-of-state carry gun until my funding replenishes for a center fire caliber. In the meantime I'll get a ton of handgunning practice in on the 22lr gun.

 

[MedWheeler]

I don't routinely carry a .22 simply because I have other options available, including a .32 that is smaller than any of my smallest rimfire pistols.

That being said, I have caught myself stepping out every now and then with just my Taurus PT22, and I don't remember trembling in fear.

There are few, if any, people who would cease to be a threat when countered by a well-executed centerfire defense, but would soldier on against a well-executed rimfire defense.

Open fire on an attacker with a Ruger SR22 or other well-handled .22 and I'll bet one of four things will happen:

1) Your attacker will be physically neutralized,
2) Your attacker will surrender,
3) Your attacker will self-extract (flee), or,
4) You will self-extract (flee.)

Any of these is a good outcome.

 

[IN>IL]

It's a great little pistol, Doc7. I have put all sorts of ammo through it, CCI, bulk, expensive and dirt cheap, and it has performed perfectly. One round of Federal bulk ammo would not fire (bad ammo, not a bad gun), but other than that, all 2,000 rounds have gone through without a hangup.

 

[Jlr2267]

I am a big fan of the SR22. I have three of them.
On one I have a Crimson Trace rail laser. I practice with this gun at least four evenings a week in low light/dark (home range). I load 10 magazines at a time.


Because of the laser, and knowing how to properly use it, I seldom miss, (No brag, just fact).

There's no telling how many Wal Mart 22 bulk packs have gone through this one gun.


Now as far as carrying it.
I can not imagine me having ANY fight left after 4 or 5 CCI Stingers have torn through my chest.

Yes, if need be, I'd carry the (Crimson Trace equipped) SR22 and feel well armed.


But since I've got a lot of nice centerfire carry guns I don't carry the SR22.
It is always loaded and near by, just in case.

Just curious, do you get much of a velocity gain with the stingers in that short SR22 barrel, over a high velocity round like the minimag?

 

[meanmrmustard]

They're already going nearly 400 fps faster out of a rifle barrel than the Minimag, still going to translate to a bit faster out of the pistol barrel.

 

[Jsg81]

I have and will from time to time carry a 22lr with defense in mind. Normally it is when I walk the dogs but my wife can only shoot 22lr well mostly due to the fact that she doesn't like to shoot and doesn't often.

I had rather her have the 22 than nothing.

 

[RainDodger]

If I didn't have anything else handy, I'd certainly carry my SR22. I love the little thing - very fun pistol, and it handles any ammo I've put through it.

I even know of a cop who carries a backup .22LR who says that he carries it just because he KNOWS he can put an entire magazine into his target very quickly.

All that said, I prefer carrying one of my centerfires.

 

[tygranch]

My wife carries a .22 mag derringer. Last summer a five foot long black snake was in the chicken house filling up on eggs and it did quite the job on it (bled yellow though). I really need to watch her closer, she had it loaded with .17 hmr, don't know how she hit the snake.

 

[mavracer]

I prolly would in a heartbeat if the safety worked right. I'm a safety down to fire or no safety allowed kinda guy. It's what has kept me from getting one.

 

[ritepath]

I carried my last hunting season, and now into the spring fishing season. As for carrying it about in public it's still too large of a sidearm for my taste.

 

[amd6547]

I sometimes carry my SR22 as a self defense pistol. I load it on these occasions with either Velocitor, MiniMag solids, or Aguila Interceptor.
I have put a lot of rounds through this pistol with zero problems, and I am a good shot with it. Last time I was at the range, I was knocking down the row of bowling pin silhouettes very quickly. The sights are large and easy to acquire.
The so-called "backwards" safety doesn't bother me for carry, since I just leave it off...I only use it to decock.
I bought a kydex IWB holster off eBay, and the SR carries very well in it.

 

[col_temp]

I prolly would in a heartbeat if the safety worked right. I'm a safety down to fire or no safety allowed kinda gu

Just noticed that. Why-ed Ruger go and do something strange like that!
Looks like i a nice pistol and in most situations the attacker is going to stop attacking if you pull any kind of gun, 22 or not. As MedWheeler put it, if it stops the attack it worked!

 

[M2 Carbine]

Just curious, do you get much of a velocity gain with the stingers in that short SR22 barrel, over a high velocity round like the minimag?

Offhand I don't know what the velocity spread is.

I haven't had the chronograph set up in a while but when I do this will be something to check.



I just looked at some old 2008 figures using a little Beretta 21A, that has a shorter barrel than the SR22.

Stinger = 1022 FPS
Remington HV = 775 FPS
Winchester HV = 876 FPS


.

 

[herrwalther]

Mini-Mag .22LR is a pretty good self defense round as far as that caliber goes. I personally would not carry a .22LR for SD but a .22 is better than a pointy stick.

 

[Jlr2267]

Offhand I don't know what the velocity spread is.

I haven't had the chronograph set up in a while but when I do this will be something to check.



I just looked at some old 2008 figures using a little Beretta 21A, that has a shorter barrel than the SR22.

Stinger = 1022 FPS
Remington HV = 775 FPS
Winchester HV = 876 FPS


.

Wow, that's a significant spread still. Check out this video on the stinger in penetration tests. It did not have enough velocity to expand when fired from the SR22.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbVY4gT5P20&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[M2 Carbine]

Other than the SR22 being a decent size carry gun, it's also pretty reliable and accurate.
And what's equally important, the gun is fun to shoot.

I just finished shooting a hundred rounds in low light using the laser.

25 to 5 yards.
Two hands.
Fast and slow fire.
On the move and standing still.
Ammo is Remington HVHP 550 bulk pack dated 1999. (it is more reliable than the 2011/2012 I've been using) That's about the only malfunctions I have with the SR22, poor ammo now days. (a couple weeks ago I ran across 2-3 thousand rounds of this old ammo I didn't know I had)

Some fun.

 

[kokapelli]

Offhand I don't know what the velocity spread is.

I haven't had the chronograph set up in a while but when I do this will be something to check.



I just looked at some old 2008 figures using a little Beretta 21A, that has a shorter barrel than the SR22.

Stinger = 1022 FPS
Remington HV = 775 FPS
Winchester HV = 876 FPS


.

Could you include bullet weight as well. I just wondered if the difference in velocity difference may be due to weight?

 

[bannockburn]

I have from time to time carried my Beretta Model 70S while out hiking or when I'm hunting or fishing. It's about the same size and weight as a Ruger SR22 and provides a certain level of defensive minded comfort having it with me.