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This is always a fun topic!

After many years of NRA Bullseye using a Ruger Bull Barrel 22 semi-auto I am of the opinion that a good ten shot 22 caliber will work well for home defense. Very little recoil and ten little bullets into one small circle beats the heck out of the wild 40 caliber shots all over the house.

If you can shoot it is lethal for protection.

Your thoughts?
 
I recently picked up a P22 for the times when I didn't feel like lugging around my full sized .40. I find myself lugging the .40 very little lately. Obviously the ballistics difference is plenty but I agree that 10 well placed .22 shots should slow down most threats. I read a report recently, and knew someone shot and killed when I was a kid, that indicates clearly that .22 can be lethal (1 well placed shot) close to 20% of the time.
Multiple x 10 and you stopped the threat 2X :>)
 
If its the biggest caliber you can shoot accurately with, go for it. Many have succumbed to the 22lr. Robert Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan with a 22lr at close range, he didn't survive The gun used by Sirhan was an Iver-Johnson Cadet Model 55-SA revolver in .22LR caliber, with a 2.5 inch barrel.

Reagan was shot with a 22lr revolver as well by John Hinkley Jr. and almost died had one more EXPLOSIVE 22lr round he used gone off. That's why 22lr is the assassin's special. It can do the job if you do your part. Many would advise at least a .38 caliber for self-defense though. Use the gun you have and that you are confident shooting.
 
As far as accuracy and ones ability to control a small-bore rifle/pistol such as a .22, I feel it may be a good choice for home defense. The most underestimated cartridge of all is the "little" 22. Personally though, I would rather have that .45 or .40 ready in case the worst happens. A .22 just does not have the knock down power. In case the intruder survives being shot by a .22, you may have a lawsuit on your hands. We have all heard those horror stories where a burglar breaks into a house, gets attacked by a guard dog or something, sues, and wins. A cop once told me that if your thrown into a life and death situation and you make the decision to shoot, shoot to kill and leave little chance to put yourself into a position where you have to defend your action.
 
+1 on that. For most well adjusted shooters the .22 would be enough.
Plenty of choices in ammo as well. I would prefer the magnum though for adequate penitration of the chest cavity.
The only draw back is the chance that a drug induced rage that an intruder could be in would prove to be not easily stopped by such a small caliber unless a head shot was used, then it's a free for all in the courts.

If all I had was a .22 ...(yeah right) I wouldnt feel under armed because I would be very proficient with it, same as any weapon chosen for the job. But thats my opinion, others would dissagree but it's what they think they would be comfortable with protecting their home and family.
 
I really like a 22 and in the hands of someone that know how to shoot it is a deadly defense gun within its limited range. I still keep my .40 by the bed at night. in the dark if I only hit someone in the arm or leg with .40 hollow point the shock will stop them whereas with a 22 you better be hitting in a vital.
 
I personally would never consider a .22LR for home defense. Do you really think you are going to shoot those tiny groups with adrenaline dumping through your system? Having been shot once with a .22LR, (left thigh) I can tell you that it DID sting, but did not incapacitate me. Sure, a cranial shot might have been different, but it does not change the fact that a .22 LR is a very anemic round, and not one in which I would trust to defend the lives of myself, or my family.

There are better choices for defense.
 
Yep, the 22 works for me.
When you are in bad breath range a 22LR or 22Mag will get it done.
The NAA 4 shot revolver is "in my hand" when I feel that I'm near a bad place or situation.
The best part of this gun is not it's accuracy but that it keyholes past 10ft!!


In my hand is worth way more than in my pocket.

Tilos
 
Yep, the 22 works for me.
When you are in bad breath range a 22LR or 22Mag will get it done.
The NAA 4 shot revolver is "in my hand" when I feel that I'm near a bad place or situation.
The best part of this gun is not it's accuracy but that it keyholes past 10ft!!

In my hand is worth way more than in my pocket.

Tilos

==========================================================

I do not understand, what does keyhole refer to?
 
I personally would never consider a .22LR for home defense. Do you really think you are going to shoot those tiny groups with adrenaline dumping through your system? Having been shot once with a .22LR, (left thigh) I can tell you that it DID sting, but did not incapacitate me. Sure, a cranial shot might have been different, but it does not change the fact that a .22 LR is a very anemic round, and not one in which I would trust to defend the lives of myself, or my family.

There are better choices for defense.

========================================================

Who shot you?

Did it make you mad?:)
 
Yep, the 22 works for me.
When you are in bad breath range a 22LR or 22Mag will get it done.
The NAA 4 shot revolver is "in my hand" when I feel that I'm near a bad place or situation.
The best part of this gun is not it's accuracy but that it keyholes past 10ft!!


In my hand is worth way more than in my pocket.

Tilos

You mean 5 shot dont you..... at least both of mine are 5 shot magnums.:D

definately a good back up to have though.
 
Personally, I wouldn't trust my life to a rimfire cartridge. I've had more .22 FTF than anything else. Never had a ftf that wasn't due to operator error even with 9mm or 12gauge, using cheap ammo. Have had my share of ftfs on multiple guns with .22 using higher end .22 cartridges.

However, if it was my only option, I sure would use it. I'd just get used to clearing ftf/ftes very quickly.
 
Entry (target or...) is the shape of a keyhole rather than round.

phathom: think revolver, not slab sided brass chuckers :D

deadeye: 5, really!! oh forgot, I've got my lawyer's phone number on a piece of paper in that 5th chamber.:eek:

Tilos
 
phathom: think revolver, not slab sided brass chuckers :D

True, probably a little more reliability in that for rimfire. Personally I think it's just the ammo. Just for instance, I had some .22 remington thunderbolt stockpiled from Y2K sitting around and took out my rifle for some shooting, loaded that stuff up and it fired like a champ, never a ftf.
Loaded up some more .22 remington thunderbolt that was just bought a few days before going shooting, about one in six was a ftf. I'm not sure if it was just the quality, or maybe a bad batch, but all the stockpiled stuff, from remington or cci was perfect, the newer stuff, not so much. And this was true in the rifle, and in 2 different semi auto .22 pistols.

So let me clarify, I would trust my life to a .22 with the ammo that was bought back in 1999, but when that stockpile runs out, I wouldn't trust the new stuff to save my life.
 
True, probably a little more reliability in that for rimfire. Personally I think it's just the ammo. Just for instance, I had some .22 remington thunderbolt stockpiled from Y2K sitting around and took out my rifle for some shooting, loaded that stuff up and it fired like a champ, never a ftf.
Loaded up some more .22 remington thunderbolt that was just bought a few days before going shooting, about one in six was a ftf. I'm not sure if it was just the quality, or maybe a bad batch, but all the stockpiled stuff, from remington or cci was perfect, the newer stuff, not so much. And this was true in the rifle, and in 2 different semi auto .22 pistols.

So let me clarify, I would trust my life to a .22 with the ammo that was bought back in 1999, but when that stockpile runs out, I wouldn't trust the new stuff to save my life.

That seems to be the going experience with the new Remingtons. I have seen it in the newer production CCI too. Seems like the demand for it is outweighing the quality control, hope the problem doesnt continue. I suspect that the cost of metals to make it has caused them to cheapen it up on primer material to keep it inexpensive as possible. Could be that the overtime the makers are doing is effecting it also.
 
That seems to be the going experience with the new Remingtons. I have seen it in the newer production CCI too. Seems like the demand for it is outweighing the quality control, hope the problem doesnt continue. I suspect that the cost of metals to make it has caused them to cheapen it up on primer material to keep it inexpensive as possible. Could be that the overtime the makers are doing is effecting it also.

Makes a lot of sense. I'd rather pay an additional $5-10 a box for it if it fired everytime though.
 
========================================================

Who shot you?

Did it make you mad?:)

a "friend of a friend" shot me on "accident". Damn right it made me mad. I guess he didn't understand that when I'm downrange during a cease fire, that means to KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF YOUR WEAPON, period!

To answer your questions: NO, I never went shooting with that dude again. NO, I didn't die LOL, and YES, I taught him a lesson he will never forget.
 
Speaking of which, I know a woman who was recently arrested by the police. She isn't very big and put up a resistance to the arrest. They grabed her pony tail and pulled her out of the house but she resisted. They then tried the pepper spray but the can wasn't full so she only got a small dose and she resisted.

They shot her in the crotch with a taser and tried to cuff her but she grabbed the cuffs and threw them while resisting. They shot her in the leg with the taser and she tried to get away. They then shot her in the back with the taser and she went down. They got her to jail and said she had a right to remain silent so she did and it really pissed them off.

She is out now. Her husband is a good friend of mine.

Go ahead and use the 22 for defense if you want. lol

jj
 
Will a 22 end a threat? maybe depending on where the round hits. Will a 45 end a threat? Almost always if the round hits. I expect some 22's hold more rounds than my 10+1 45 but how many rounds do you need? How quick is a mag exchange if you need more? The 22 is a far less expensive round but as I see it my life is priceless.

My 2C
 

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