I know the fake reason the military went to 9mm. Plus if your friend shot himself and didn’t blow his arm off, I would call that a good thing, not a bad thing. The .44 special will stop a criminal if you hit them where they live, heart, head lungs, etc. Arm shots are usually recommended for self defense. What did you expect? Your friend’s arm to fall off? What a friend you are.
I don't think it's a fake reason. Maybe not so bright when you have lots of county boys who grew up with guns and depended on them for food and protection, but not so much so for those who learned to shoot after they enlisted.
A .22 will stop you if placed properly. I'm looking for something that will put you down even if I don't manage proper placement. I'm getting old and creaky, not to mention a bit cranky. I'm not getting in much range time, and I can no longer afford to have guns stashed all over the place.