What is the best and most capable .22lr handgun for concealed carry?

[Tanshanomi]

This is a very illuminating graph. It would appear that if someone were recoil-averse, a .380 is the sweet spot. Unfortunately, those micro pocket .380s are some of the most uncomfortable guns I've shot. Something larger is more tolerable to shoot thanks to significantly more mass and larger grip area. My wife has a Bersa Thunder and it's my favorite .380. It strike a nearly ideal balance between carry convenience, controllable grip and sight radius, and having enough mass to damp recoil. The upcoming Browning 1911-380 could also be an option. It's 85% the size of a full-size 1911, so it won't be the most ideal concealed carry, but I am sure that firing .380s, it will be very comfortable to shoot.

An alternative option could be the Chiappa Rhino 20DS. Also small but with some mass to it, the low-barrel design directs what recoil is felt straight back into the hand/arm. (Of course whether this is a plus or minus, comfort-wise, depends on who you ask.) Using standard .38SP ammo, it would have recoil and take-down performance in the same ballpark as a .380, but with the option of stepping up to .357, which leads this chart. Their .38SP+P Polylite version, at 21 oz, might be a more practical CCW choice, however I am not sure if it will ever reach production. Despite being announced several years ago, I've never actually seen evidence of one in the wild.

 

[jrdolall]

My experience with the small (pocket) 380's is similar. I am NOT recoil averse and can shoot them quite well but just about every person I take out to shoot will have an issue with the recoil. The same is true of the pocket 9's. Pick up the Bersa Thunder and the .380 recoil is noticeably lower for new shooters. The same is true of most of the heavier guns.

 

[steelbird]

A 22 can be a viable option - but you need to be rock solid steady and deliver a shot with surgical precision, like through the eyeball. And there is the possibility ( not certainty ) that you can take someone out of the fight with a 22 to the forehead. But you need to ask yourself if you can, under the stress and adreniline dump that goes with a gunfight or a DGU, if you can deliver that precise of a shot with a small rimfire round that may or may not be reliable. If you can be that rock, and you know that your ammo is that reliable, then have at it. That being said, if it were me, and forced to only have a 22 as an option, I would probably go with a DA revolver - maybe an LCR. And I'd put a laser on it - not so much as a targeting tool, but as a possible intimidation factor.

 

[Tanshanomi]

I've traditionally been willing to tolerate a lot of recoil myself, but I've developed chronic tendinitis in my right wrist (thanks to shooting big handguns, racing motorcycles, and using a mouse 40+ hours a week for over 25 years). So, managing recoil has become a much bigger deal to me lately. I'm still trying to find the sweet spot for myself.

My bedside gun is a Ruger LCR in .38SPL+P. It has a good-sized, cushioned, comfortable grip, but it weighs less than a pound fully loaded. Even with standard loads, my wrist will start barking at me after about 15 shots at the range. My wife bought me a RIA 1911 in .22TCM for Christmas and I put 87 rounds downrange Saturday afternoon without any pain at all, so I have a great centerfire range alternative. Unfortunately, the TCM generates WAAAY too much noise and muzzle flash in confined spaces to be a home defense or car gun. It also weighs 3 pounds with a full magazine, so not a very practical concealed carry option. I'd like to have a crisis-response gun I can train with extensively, but that perfect all-arounder might not be out there for me.

 

[strambo]

If I had to rely on a .22lr for defense, I would dump the entire mag (or cylinder) into the chest and/or head while closing distance fast to finish them H2H as needed.

A whole magazine of .22 from an auto is similar to a load of #1 buck from a shotgun, but you have to get all those rounds in 'em, easier said than done under life or death stress.

 

[Armor Snail]

An NAA Guardian in .25NAA or a RIA 1911 in .22TCM

 

[Harry1969]

For SD I'd use a revolver just in case a round fails to go off. I'm not saying the Ruger SR22 is the best choice for 22lr SD weapon, but, it's probably the most reliable non revolver 22lr handgun suitable for SD. Mine eats every kind of ammo I've ever used, but I'd still prefer a revolver for a rimfire SD gun.
As far as using a 22lr handgun for SD I have no problem with it. It's much better than nothing.

 

[Inazone]

I have previously owned a Walther P22 and Ruger SR22. Of the two, the Ruger was more reliable, but even so, I had numerous malfunctions with most readily available ammo. Both were limited to 10 rounds. My wife was convinced that .22LR was sufficient for defensive use and wanted to carry the SR22, so I took it to the range and ran all sorts of ammo through it. The only two with no failures were CCI (I forget if Mini Mags or Stingers) and Remington Viper.

In any case, I convinced her that .22LR was not up to the task, so she picked out a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 380 instead. Still not ideal in my opinion, but she shoots it well and is comfortable carrying it.

 

[Tanshanomi]

As .22LR revolvers go, the Ruger Shopkeeper is small enough to carry easily.



FULL DISCLOSURE: I've probably carried this .22WMR Black Widow and cheap IWB holster on more occasions than anything else.

 

[PapaG]

If it was all I was allowed to have, a Beretta tip up 22, Bobcat, I believe. Mine is da/sa, has a thumb safety, and is very reliable with CCI Velocitors.
Have a Beretta Minx but it is 22 short and doesn't feed nearly as well.

 

[MCgunner]

.22LR, not magnum (would prefer my Black Widow), I guess of the firearms I own, the Ruger SR22 would get the nod. I've only found a couple of ammo types, Winchester 333 box and Federal standard velocity, that it wasn't 100 percent with. It's extremely reliable and quite accurate, holds 10 rounds in the mag and comes with a spare mag. I shoot mine all the time, but only carry it when I'm fishing to dispatch vermin, the occasional moccasin, that sort of thing. It's a little big, tough to draw from, but it WILL fit in a front pocket of my cargo jeans. It's certainly light.

 

[jonnyc]

While your basic premise will not gain a lot of traction here, I will respond to your question.
I don't believe there is a better carry-worthy .22LR semi-auto than the Beretta Model 70/71. I have carried one of mine on many occasions and I have never felt at a disadvantage. If you do decided to EDC a .22, get top quality RN ammo, with good velocity, and don't use cheap bulk ammo except when you PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

 

[Baron66]

A 22 can be a viable option

That's what I was thinking as well. I am leaning towards the NAA 22LR. It's very concealable and I can move onto the next round if one fails. I understand your comments on accuracy being important - I would like to add a laser and maybe a flashlight to it like I saw on the Glocks.

 

[Warp]

That's what I was thinking as well. I am leaning towards the NAA 22LR. It's very concealable and I can move onto the next round if one fails. I understand your comments on accuracy being important - I would like to add a laser and maybe a flashlight to it like I saw on the Glocks.

There is no question now...troll thread.

 

[amd6547]

When I was a poor student, my only firearms for self defense were .22's...a Ruger Standard model 4", and an AR7. I gave a lot of thought on their capabilities and ammo choice, and I felt pretty well armed for my circumstances. Early on, I settled on MiniMag solids.
Today, with more powerful options available to me, I still occasionally slip a .22 in my belt.
Either a Ruger SR22 or a 6" barreled Beretta 71. Both have proven completely reliable.
The Ruger SR22 might be the perfect "combat 22", except for the plastic takedown lever. It needs to be watched while shooting, as it has been known to break.
Mine never has, but it's a possibility I don't like having to think about.
The Beretta 71 is one of the few 22's with an actual combat history. I consider it to be one of the best .22's ever, and there quite a few of the faux-silencer surplus imports around right now. The fake silencer is easily removed.
My 6" version is very accurate and hasn't jammed or misfired in about a thousand rounds.
The downside to the 71 is the lack of spare magazines. I was able to order two from Italy at a reasonable cost, but that seller is out of stock now.
The rest of the Beretta 71 situation is fantastic. The grip fits my hand perfectly, and the pistol points like a finger.
Makes you wonder why it was ever discontinued.

 

[Baron66]

I really like the Beretta 70/71 and will pick one up if I ever see one for sale at a good price.

 

[Baron66]

There is no question now...troll thread.

NAA has no rear sight - why wouldn't I want to put a laser on it? Flashlight will have to ride in my pocket though.

 

[C0untZer0]

while closing distance fast to finish them H2H as needed.

The problem for me is that anyone I'm likely to "close the distance to" is going to be at least 30 years my junior and have more muscle mass than I have fat. But fortunately the NAA has accessories that make it suitable in CQC:

 

[Baron66]

I saw the laser on their website but I had no idea you could get a bayonet! I love it! I am worried about the blade length for carry in some places... NYC, Chicago, etc.

 

[leadcounsel]

That's what I was thinking as well. I am leaning towards the NAA 22LR. It's very concealable and I can move onto the next round if one fails. I understand your comments on accuracy being important - I would like to add a laser and maybe a flashlight to it like I saw on the Glocks.

Yep, a tiny 5-shot single action .22LR revolver is definitely the best choice for concealed carry for an adult man, especially with a laser and flashlight on it. Good grief.

Baron please heed the advice of a combined hundreds of years of concealed carry and handgun shooting - put this idea to bed. That gun and caliber is designed for backup and very deep concealed carry, or for other very niche applications.

It's not designed as a primary daily carry weapon. It's anemic, slow to fire, and slow to reload.

Don't forget a key principle. If you are using lethal self defense, you are being attacked and seconds matter. That means someone is swinging a bat at your nogging, someone is coming at you with a knife and can close 21 feet in a second, someone is pointing the business end of a shotgun at you... you don't have time to fiddle with drawing a keyring pistol from your front pocket and hoping that the .22LR fires... You need immediate firepower and followup shots, IMHO.

Here's what I envision an honest self defense shooting to look like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiqwF_Y9S5Q

Just Hollywood?
Or real life 3 on 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TIOYj8Qna0

Hollywood or real - these are what you should be prepared to encounter in self defense shootings. If you, your mindset and training, and your gun and rig are not up for these tasks, you need to re-evaluate.

Carjackings, gas station robberies, store holdups... are you really trusting your life to a miniature 5 shot .22?

 

[Jim Watson]

I was all set to buy one of those Berettas and get the dummy suppressor cut off but got to thinking about its dinky sights and shortage of spare magazines.

Right now I have a fibre optic front sight on order for my .380 so I can see what I am doing with it.

 

[FireInCairo]

A more important question may be what .22lr cartridge has the best chance at stopping a threat. That, in my research, appears to be the 40 grain solid point which requires the weight and lack of a hollow point to get the kind of penetration to dissuade a potential threat to your welfare.

Additionally, I wouldn't cheap out on .22lr for personal protection. You can buy match grade .22lr, but I would feel comfortable with either Winchester Super X or any of CCI's higher velocity offerings.

Beyond that, the Ruger SR22 has a great reputation for reliability and should be quite concealable. The Ruger LCR 22 is reliable, but only affords 6 shots, if I'm not mistaken.

Really... 9mm is not much bigger and is not too hard with recoil. It would not be an option to ignore.

 

[FireInCairo]

There is no question now...troll thread.

ha ha, no doubt...

 

[FireInCairo]

What the beef with a .22 as personal protection?

 

[Frank Ettin]

What the beef with a .22 as personal protection?

See post 21, among others.