[Beergut]

Don't laugh, I'm serious. I have a Ruger Mk III and it has two 10-round clips and it's easy to shoot. I bought a Judge for home defense but it kicks like a mule and my wife ain't crazy about guns to begin with and this would be a lot easier for her to manage if God forbid we had a home intrusion when I'm not home. The ammo is cheaper and a lot easier to find. Taurus also has a snubbie that holds 9 rounds and is concealable. I know it's a small caliber but it should run anybody off when you start slinging bullets through the air at 10 rounds a clip. I just bought my first gun when Obama got elected (joined the NRA too) and I would like to get my CCW eventually so I can carry a gun hidden in my car (not necassarily on my person) and not have to worry about different state laws. I enjoy reading all of the posts on this sight and was wondering about some of your opinions.

 

[TheOhioan]

I don't think laughing is my first reaction...

 

[JD]

I think the failure rate of .22 ammo alone should disqualify it from defensive work.

 

[doctorw]

Personally, I like the idea of a shotgun for home defense. If someone breaks in, there is a good chance I would greet them with a 12 gage filled with buckshot. Those also kick, but it is like a bunch of .22s going off at once.

I'm not going to make fun of people who defend themselves with .22s as long as I am not willing to stand in front of one and take a few shots. However, I think most experts will recommend something bigger.

 

[tremor]

unreliability of rimfire cartidge would rule it out - sure, they'll kill if you're a hitman but likely won't stop an agressive intruder

just rememberd - there was a shooting years ago where I work - .22 multiple to the abdomen - woman was heavy-set - didn't even get through the fat

 

[Frogbones]

Dude...it's a bullet. Coming from a firearm....it will kill. My uncle was killed by a .22


We can him and haw about it 'till the Sun implodes...bottom line, it's a bullet and were it's put on target matters...as with any bullet of any other size.

Personally I use .45acp....to get to my 12gauge.


If it's what you got then use it. It is a deadly weapon.

 

[Squawker]

"Dude...it's a bullet. Coming from a firearm....it will kill. My uncle was killed by a .22"

Yes, a .22 can kill. But, the placement has to be right. And, while I certainly try for good shot placement, when trying to defend myself, I want to have a caliber that does a better job. I may consider down the road the Ruger LCR for a BUG, when it comes to my primary carry gun, I don't want anything smaller than 9mm, and preferably .45.

 

[Rayman]

It's better then nothing. But I suggest getting a 20 gauge with low recoil buck shot for your wife. If she's not crazy about guns to began with, then she's probably not going to be doing a lot of practice/fun shooting. So what's it going to matter if you're hiding a 22lr or a 20 gauge? You could take her skeet shooting with the 20 gauge to show her how to use it. If she likes it, great. You can go regularly for practice. If she doesn't, then at least she knows how the gun works and knows how it feels. Then after that you can just quiz her with the shotgun unloaded once in a while to make sure she remembers. Just my 2 cents.

 

[ExactlyMyPoint]

Funny you should post this. Just the other day, I was talking to a clerk and he said that .22 LR will penetrate a kevlar vest. Has to do with the ballistics. Said only a plate will stop it. Not sure if that is true.

We did a quick ballistics check. It is half the weight of a .223 round but at close distances, it could do the trick just as well as a military round. Or not. Would anyone else like to chime in?

 

[clarkston_cz]

Any bullet can kill, but a .22 isn't as powerful as a 9mm or 380 that I prefer.

 

[Chemistry08]

It has been said that the .22 round has killed more human beings than all other calibers combined (most likely can't be proven but still interesting). Just the sight of a gun will scare off 75% of intruders. While I've never been shot with one, I'm sure it doesn't tickle. Any gun is better than no gun!

 

[roadrash]

Funny you should post this. Just the other day, I was talking to a clerk and he said that .22 LR will penetrate a kevlar vest. Has to do with the ballistics. Said only a plate will stop it. Not sure if that is true.

We did a quick ballistics check. It is half the weight of a .223 round but at close distances, it could do the trick just as well as a military round. Or not. Would anyone else like to chime in?

A .22lr will not penetrate a vest,even when fired from a rifle!

And regardless of range,a 5.56 rd. has far superior ballistics compared to a .22 rimfire.

Maybe the .223 is the .22 the clerk was speaking of.

 

[Pikachu711]

I've also heard that the .22 caliber of gun that kills the most people. And yet the anti-gun people want to ban other higher caliber guns? It makes you wonder who is doing their "fact checking."

 

[RETSUPT99]

The .22LR in your hand is better than the machine gun locked in your safe.
Everyone starts somewhere...you'll eventually work your way up.:yup:

As far as gun laws on what's in your glove box...that can vary from state to state, too! With a CCW permit, why wouldn't you want it on your person?

Stay armed...:comeandgetsome:...stay safe!

 

[MattInFla]

Funny you should post this. Just the other day, I was talking to a clerk and he said that .22 LR will penetrate a kevlar vest. Has to do with the ballistics. Said only a plate will stop it. Not sure if that is true.

It's not. The lowest protection level vest (NIJ Level I) stops .22LR

We did a quick ballistics check. It is half the weight of a .223 round but at close distances, it could do the trick just as well as a military round. Or not. Would anyone else like to chime in?

The comparison here between .22lr and .223 is very flawed.

Yes, the .22lr round is around 1/2 the weight.

But, that's not the whole story, by a long shot.

The .22lr leaves the muzzle at ~1600 feet per second, with an energy of 191 ft/lbs. (Using CCI Stinger as an example).

The .223 Remington leaves the muzzle at 3,200 fps, with a muzzle energy of 1,282 ft/lbs.

As you can see, the .223 is vastly more energetic.

Matt

 

[Rightwing]

Beats a poke in the eye with a stick, but for a minimum I would prefer my 7 shot .22 Mag, a deceptively effective .22.

 

[randy7601]

In a defensive situation, the goal is to stop the threat, not to kill. A 22lr bullet may kill the aggressor - eventually. But that doesn't necessarily stop the threat.

If I have to shoot because of the threat of death or grave bodily harm, I want the force of the impact to immediately and effectively end the threat. My intent is not to kill, but to stop.

Is a 22lr strong enough to immediately and effectively stop the threat? That, my friend, is where we start the caliber wars, and has been talked to death.

 

[ExactlyMyPoint]

Funny you should post this. Just the other day, I was talking to a clerk and he said that .22 LR will penetrate a kevlar vest. Has to do with the ballistics. Said only a plate will stop it. Not sure if that is true.

We did a quick ballistics check. It is half the weight of a .223 round but at close distances, it could do the trick just as well as a military round. Or not. Would anyone else like to chime in?

Actually guys, this has only happened one other time in my life, but I made an error. :image035: That clerk was speaking of a .22 mag, NOT a .22 lr. So does that change the answers to the last few posts?

 

[charliefox]

Preferences and anecdotes aside, I think that the .22, while not the perfect choice, has a viable place as a SD firearm for a couple of reasons. Firstly the user, who probably isn't a "gun person" (or they would have something bigger) isn't going to be intimidated by the "kick" or muzzle blast of the .22. This will allow them to put rounds on target effectively. Secondly, the price of ammo, while increasing, isn't out of range yet. This gives the .22 owner the ability to practice a LOT more, thus improving the whole "effective rounds on target" thing. No one is going to want to continue what they are doing if they're taking round into the center of thier chest.

I think the worst thing that can be said about some of those who own a .22 for SD is that a lot of them "just want to scare" the bad guy. This is a monsterous falicy that will get them killed. If any firearm is needed in a self defense situation the user needs to be ready to deployed it - which means they need to have already made the decsion that deadly force is an option and will be used. Otherwise the gun will be taken from them and used on them, and/or their family, and/or the bad guys next target.

 

[Frogbones]

Yes, a .22 can kill. But, the placement has to be right.

As with any bullet.


My uncle was shot in the upper left peck area, bounced off his shoulder blade and went into his heart with a .22.