Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .22 Long Rifle Pistol as Primary Carry Gun

Little Larry from Alaska has stated that the ultimate carry gun is a semi-automatic, with a red-dot scope and Crimson Trace grips, chambered for .22 Long Rifle.

He uses it for protection from critters that can eat him, and people who can shoot back.

Thoughts?

uhh..... I do. A lot. but no dot. and no laser. does that make me a bad person?

You sre so awful

Of course not.

I would be interested in how you decided that a .22 LR was a good self-defense round. Other than having a .22 LR is better than having NO gun, I can't think of a reason to trust my personal safety to a .22 LR unless it was the only firearm I could get.

Fortunately, there are a BUNCH of smaller handguns available chambered in 9mm that are light and easily concealed.

When I leave the house my Glock 20 is concealed on me in an IWB holster. I prefer to hedge my bets in my favor if I'm given the chance.

I have carried a Colt Woodsman while hunting for a lifetime.

I gave up long ago, judging what people choose as a CCW piece. I make my decisions, they can make theirs.

Yeah, I'm finding that out. But, to carry a .22 LR as defense against a critter that can eat you, IOW, a BEAR, seems like a stealth death wish.

As a deputy in Texas, I lost count of the number of .22 gunshot wounds I saw. I distinctly remember three different individuals that had been shot in the head with a .22 LR. The bullet pierced the skin, rebounded off the skull and was re-directed in a pathway around the skull, and under the skin.

Why would anyone carry a .22 LR when you could you could carry a .25 acp?

I'd carry a 22 LR anytime over a 25acp. Better penetration

Of the three, how many of the shootees didn't cease and desist whatever they were doing to get themselves shot? I'm genuinely curious as I carry a 22 around town every day. Sometimes I carry another bigger gun but, if I'm wearing pants I have a HS derringer behind my billfold.

I think every pistolero ought to know the story of Mordechai Rachamim and his Beretta model 70 in .22lr.

I don't remember. What I DO remember is the 3 Street Survival seminars my agency sent me to. The bottom line is ALL truly portable, carriable handguns are inherently under powered when the purpose is to stop someone from continuing a behavior that is putting you or another innocent 3rd person in fear of serious bodily injury or death; A round up of what I see as the main calibers used by LE agencies - .380, .357 Mag, .357 Sig, 9mm, .40 S&W, 10mm and .45 ACP. None of them insures the assailant will instantly cease and desist unless you turn his lights out with a Central Nervous System (CNS) hit. In the Street Survival seminars there were many accounts of perpetrators soaking up multiple hits from a 9mm and ended up killing the officer.

A LOT of the criminal element is going to be intoxicated on one or more illegal substances when they commit an assault, and they simply don't feel the bullet(s) hitting them. If you don't score a CNS, then the next thing is they bleed out IF you hit any major blood sources. Even if you did, the perpetrator may live another 2 minutes - a LIFETIME in a gun fight. 2 minutes is more than enough time for a bad guy to put you away with his gun or knife.

Then, of course, is the sow that suddenly decides you are a danger to her cubs. Can anyone seriously say they would feel well-armed with a semi-auto .22 Long Rifle pistol?!

I can honestly say that I feel pretty safe and confident as it stands when I walk down the sidewalk, even with just my little HS in my pocket. I don't go into, let alone walk through the MLK boulevard area, of any town.

I would consider myself very well armed and a formidable adversary for just about anyone if I was carrying a reliable semi auto 22 such as a MK2 or Buckmark. It probably isn't ideal and if I knew there was going to be a gunfight I'd go somewhere else. But any decent handgunner is probably going to lay down a schitload of hurt on a body in short order with a semi auto 22.

Handguns are for emergencies you don't see coming. If you know you're walking into a gunfight, I'd agree, go elsewhere unless I couldn't do so safely for whatever reason. If you're at home, grab the long gun.

Would you feel equally confident in the .22 if the assailant, the emergency you didn't see coming, was shooting a Glock in 9mm at you?

Or the sow protecting her cubs...not threatening and growling, but 20 yards away and closing fast.

I don't reckon I'll really give a hoot what the bad guy is shooting at me with. If I find myself in a situation where I need to shoot someone to protect myself I'm not going to base my reaction on the caliber of his firearm or the length of his knife. Do the best you can with what you've got type of thing.

Btw. Old cattle rancher who lived on Kodiak killed a big charging bear back in the day with a Colt Woodsman, with no front sight! As the story goes it was with one shot to the corner of the eyeball. Less than the ideal brown bear gun but certainly more effective than cuss words and fingernails.

My model 63 has been with me for more miles than any other pistol I have. Very useful for a lot of reasons. But I live on the east side of the big river. Hell, if I am packing a .45, 10mm or something bigger, sometimes I still have the M63 with me.

I do not understand the red dot and laser thing for a packing sidearm.

I carry a 22LR more than any other. Urban or otherwise.




Travis

Last three shootings I handled as a LEO were all shot DRT with .22s.

Two guys in a rooming house broke into a guys room and threatened to throw him out a second story window. Victim was seated on the floor between two windows. He had a Ruger MKI and when they came for him he unloaded on suspect #1. Fired 9 rounds hitting the guy 6 times from the upper thigh to belly. Suspect #1 turned took one step and dropped... Got up and made it about 15 more feet and dropped. He came to one more time before being transported to the hospital where he died a few minutes later from a cut femoral artery.

Four guys cruzing a park in Dallas looking for someone to rob. Bangman in the back seat was armed with a Ruger MKI. He went to check to make sure the gun had one in the chamber and when he left the bolt go home pulled the trigger. Round went through the front seat into the driver. Driver stopped the car, ran around in a little circle and dropped. I happened to also be in the park and rolled up just as the guy hit the ground. Performed CPR until the paramedics got there but he died in the hospital...one round through the kidney...

Pawnshop owner killed an armed robber with a .22 handgun...cant remember any details on the gun but he was shot twice and I can still remember the robber slumped behind the counter...

Best .22 shooting I heard about but was not present was a lady in West Dallas who came home to find her main squeeze in bed with one of the other neighborhood ladies... She chased him down the street and although he easily out ran her he didn't out run her RG .22... He was about 60 yards out and she fired one round hitting him square in the back of the head...

I've had a bunch of students over the years who because of extreme noise sensitivity or physical problems not allowing a larger caliber could only carry .22s.

Generally the only time I carry a .22 is walking around my neighborhood. I'm more worried about rabid skunks and racoon than people. So if I have to shoot I don't want to be bouncing bullets into peoples houses.


Bob

I do too. I feed it CCI Stingers though.