Posted on 01/08/2022 8:11:26 AM PST by DoodleBob
It’s a question those of us in the gun writing business often get asked. “What’s the best caliber for a self-defense handgun?” Those expecting a one-to-three digit answer from me will be disappointed. I respond to their simple question with a complex one. “What is the most powerful cartridge that you can shoot accurately and proficiently that comes in a handgun which is comfortable enough to carry that you’ll carry it all the time?” Depending on the person asking, the answer will vary. For some, it’s a full-sized .357 Mag. or 10 mm Auto. For others, it’s one of the current .380 ACPs offered in a 9 mm-sized handgun. And in certain cases, it’s the .22 LR.
...
Civilians who carry a firearm for self-defense are considering many of the same factors, including ammunition cost and availability, but their most important consideration should be using a firearm that is reliable and that they can consistently hit their target with at self-defense distances. Ballistic advantages goes out the window when your bullet doesn’t connect. Five .22 LRs in the bullseye beat one .44 Mag. that missed completely. To paraphrase famed lawman Bill Jordan, ballistics are fine, but accuracy is final.
Recoil is one factor that can hamper accuracy. Even cartridges on the lower end of the power spectrum, like the .380 ACP, can produce a lot of recoil when paired with one of today’s ultralight, micro-compact handguns. Lack of recoil is the .22 LR’s main advantage when it comes to shooting accurately. The topic of the .22 LR as a self-defense cartridge has been fought over and over in digital and print forums.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanrifleman.org ...
One of my handgun teachers said something memorable, which has stuck with me for a number of years.
“Bad guys don’t do what they do to get shot”. He used that as an argument, which he supported with data, that “one-shot stops” can happen with .22LR, since “one shot” that hits and that hurts can end a not-quite-yet gunfight by adjusting the bad guy’s reality frame.
Whereas, when you are the defender, fighting for your life, you need to keep fighting, bad guys always have the better option to relocate to a better target.
The only pistols I have that I would rely upon like that are my S&W Model 617 10-shot revolver and my Beretta Model 87s. Any other pistol? No.
I like the way you think.
One of the firearms/self defense instructors I know carries a 22 and is very good with it. When challenged by the bigger is better crew his response is: “Let me put a round into your eye and then tell me how you feel about 22’s.”
Hollow points or not?
Never denigrate a caliber which you are not willing to have fired at you.
“Drill out a tiny hollow point depression in your .22 round. insert a tiny drop of poison (fentanyl would do nicely). Seal it in with a drop of wax.”
Enjoy prison.
L
Your point? NOT ONE OF THOSE ROUNDS WAS A HEAD SHOT. Center mass is a fallacy unless you have a devastating round. One that causes gaping body cavity wounds and instant massive blood loss and incapacitation due to shock.
Most peoples first reaction to getting shot is to go down. That doesn’t mean they’re going to stay down but it’s definitely a tension breaker. Remember the bad guy doesn’t know what he was just shot with, he just knows he’s shot.
Days like that, some folks just take 2” .38 soecial in a pocket holster and call it good...
.22 WMR is a rimfire with a thicker cartridge than .22 LR. It requires a harder pin/striker strike, and therefore a harder trigger pull.
.38 soecial
.38 special
.38 social
:>) All good.
For the longest time, .22lr was easier to find and relatively inexpensive. I bought a fully semiautomatic rifle chambered in .22 mainly because I found a huge box of ammo for dirt cheap (mis-marked in a pawn shop).
Possibly the best 20 minutes you'll spend today.
Parenthetically, I'm surprised hickok45 hasn't been deplatformed.
Knew a NYC restaurant mgr that during an armed hold up at Mardi Gras got shot in the head with a .380... glanced off the skull, skated a bit before exiting.
Cops thought he had two head wounds at first. As he related,”It was a really bad headache on an otherwise great party”. Guy couldn’t resist showing off the two scars for a while.
Cops caught the shooter while he was rifling through the wallet not half a block away.
I love Hickok .45.
All I ask is that you buy American made ammo when available.
On the other hand, I would not want to get shot with a .22.
The son of a friend, wanting to impress his girlfriend
had someone shoot him in the stomach through a phone book
with a .22 and then dump him on her front lawn.
He was discovered the next morning...dead.
What would the answer, “I collect everything” mean?
Agreed. He is easily THE best resource for anything firearms-related...he’s not wild (some shooters are embarrassing), his demeanor is measured yet enthusiastic, there is a TON of information content in his videos, he’s clearly having FUN, and his accuracy is off-the-charts crazy ridiculous.
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