"Anemic"? Ever been hit by a CCI Stinger?
must you go there? Really? Have you never
seen a ".22 for defense" thread in nearly 700 posts? They generally go past post#3 before someone throws out
"hurfadurf, you gunna stand infronta one?!?!?!!?"
And then everything goes downhill rapidly from there, leading to a lock and an admonition to use the search feature.
Personally, I understand that
"armed with a .22lr mousegun" is far better than
"left the .46AutoBlaster2000MegaKill Talo Edition at home" ... and I also understand that concealing a compact or subcompact modern pistol is pretty easy if you're willing to get good gear, so there is a middle ground.
And I agree that modern .22lr loads are in many ways superior to .25acp.
If I wanted a pocket gun in .22lr, I'd take my KelTec pf9 out of the cabinet and install the Twisted Industries .22lr upper, and I'd load it with CCI SGB, or velocitors, or stingers, or even minimags. Maybe one of the really hot Aguilia rounds (I can't recall testing those, but the CCI hunting loads work nicely in the conversion)
And I'd practice punching 3-5 holes in an 8" circle as fast as I could at 10 yards regularly (hey, that
is how I use that kit to practice!)
... now, you're about to tell me that the pf9 converted to .22lr is too big (not really with the right pocket) and too expensive (not really, find a junker pf9 used and stick the upper on, you're at ~$450)
... ... And I'll counter with the fact that the pf9-22 is; reliable, comfortable to shoot, reliable, durable, reliable, convertible back to 9x19mm easily, and also reliable.
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Of course, to get to the pf9-22 in the cabinet, I'd have to pick up the KelTec p32 to get it out of the way, and it would probably be easier to grab that and three loaded mags and drop those into my pockets instead.
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I have heard good and bad about the Raven/Jennings/Bryco .22lr guns. Some users report that they run surprisingly well if clean and with the right ammo, some users report that after extensive testing the ring-o-fire guns do not, in fact, float.
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The Walther P22 is nearly pocket sized, mine isn't reliable enough to use for defensive purposes
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The Walther TPH is expensive and hard to come by, and reports on reliability are hit&miss
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The beretta guns look like nice toys, I actually want a Minx in .22short just for giggles. Theyre heavy and thick compared to some centerfire pocket guns, though, and lacking an extractor claw, how do you get a dud out of the chamber? In a hurry?