I would tend to partly agree with you. However, gun reliability is only half the issue.
Ammunition reliability is the other half. The manufacturing process for rim fire too often leaves ‘gaps’ along the rim where there is insufficient or no primer. So a firing pin strike on the rim where primer is properly distributed results in a good discharge while a firing pin strike on the rim where there is a primer ‘gap’ results in a misfire. We have all probably had .22 misfires and after removing the cartridge, placed it back in the chamber with a different orientation, and now it fires when struck. (Why waste that 5 to 10 cents, eh?) But for defensive use, I dont want how I load the cartridge to be a game of roulette.
Just as much an issue for semi-autos is how one deals with the misfire, stove pipe, or double feed malfunctions. Most .22 magazines are made of materials that dont stand up to harsh treatment, which when you are doing mag changes or emergency reloads under stress can lead to a bent or folded and useless hunk of tin instead of a loaded pistol.
JMO, but .22s make good fundamental trainers, but not great defensive guns.
“We have all probably had .22 misfires”
My point is that I can’t recall having one - and in my youth, I fired at least 10,000 rounds thru my S&W 22LR. My revolver and my derringer both probably have a much harder hammer strike than many automatics would give. In any case, I can’t remember having a 22LR ammo failure with my revolver. I may have had one or two many years ago but it certainly is very rare.
I typically shoot around 100 rounds thru my 22 on the rare days I go to the range now and it has been a LONG time since an ammo failure. That experience has no relation to what happens when I try shooting 22LR in a semi-auto!