I love .22's. Always have.
But I'm having difficulty wrapping my head around
The Combat .22 Semi-Auto
If it's all you have, you planned poorly. I get the survivalist, TEOTWAWKI, zombie theories........but no. Other than very specialized uses, the .22 LR in a combat gun is likely as poor a choice as a Barrett .50bmg for "home defense".
If a .22 pistol or revolver is all you have, all you can afford or the only caliber whose recoil is bearable? Fine. I get that.
But there's a reason John Browning didn't make a rimfire pocket pistol, but did invent the .25acp cartridge specifically FOR a pocket pistol. RELIABILITY. For "combat", self protection, a .25acp beats .22LR every time in reliability.
As noted above by Grunt, a lot of people dismiss the .25acp while extolling the virtues of .22LR. Fact is, the ballistics are pretty much the same.
.25acp
vs
.22LR
But..........if I was required to choose one .22 handgun for combat/survivalist/TEOTWAWKI/Zombies, I want one renowned for reliability. The Ruger Mark I/II/III/IV.
For a .22 rifle It's my 10/22 with integral silencer.
Mine looks a lot better than his