22LR caliber

I miss my single six convertible. I won’t forget the look on my daughter’s face when she shot WMR for the first time after a few .22LR rounds. :smiling_face:

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[quote=“Sinbad, post:39, topic:95947”]
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CCI… Never had a misfire in 30+ years that I could attribute to the cartridge. :+1:

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This is why it’s kind of silly when people say they won’t use 5.56/.223 for home defense due to wall penetration.

Those handgun rounds go through walls similarly, despite being much less effective at stopping attackers

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Sinbad,
My Dad (original) when not drunk and hammering me taught me how to shoot @ (10) years old
.a .22 rifle in a basement in the middle of a Queens NY middle class neighborhood.
(2) sheets of 3/4" sheetrock w/ 2 sheets of plywood inside a frame 1/4" each.

I got my first KILL in that basement! OUR POOL TABLE!

Our Pool table legs absorbed so many rounds in one day my Mother was angry for days! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: The rounds made it into her steamer trunk UNDER THE TABLE where she kept her winter wear… .22 LR NOT MAGNUM! what we could have accomplished w/ a Magnum! :face_with_monocle:
makes ya go Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

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.22lr has its place, not the most ideal for self defense but I’d gladly have it over nothing.

Had to take only my .22lr out last night. It was a Kel-Tec P17, a surprisingly reliable pistol that impressed me in my testing.

Ive found a favorite kind of .22lr that I’d carry over any others.

Most high velocity 22lr like 1255fps out of my Ruger Mark4 is still subsonic out of the short barrell, this ammo I found, it goes super-sonic out of my Mark4 and its retains its full 40gr weight (many others trade bullet weight for speed).

Aguila interceptor. It makes a .22lr feel more like a real cartridge. . As such, its loaded in my pistol for self defense .22lr.

My favorite 22lr rifle is a Tippmann M4-22, irons or the quick detach scope, both zeroed at 50yds with 1" groups with cheap bulk ammo subsonic…

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BTW, members and subscribers, Concealed Carry Magazine, October 2023 edition, has an article on 22lr for home defense

An excerpt

There is more to the article, of course, but the main point is, .22lr is not recommended and virtually everyone can find a 9mm/.380/.38spl that they could use instead (if not the full on 5.56 or 12 gauge…)

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I had one customer come into the shop looking for a handgun for his mother I believe it was…

Wanted the smallest light handgun for home defense… Also wanted a light recoiling pistol…

Tried to tell him a tiny gun does not mean light recoil, even a tiny little LCP in 380 will have a some recoil however the larger pistol in the same 380 will be easier to control.

He was not having any of that so all I could suggest was my newest favorite 22lr handgun, the Kel-Tec P17. The biggest problem with the Kel-Tec P17 is the magas need broken in, 16rds in it, has a hard time pulling off the top but loaded 10-12rds, its great…

Recommended anything else over the 22lr but its better than nothing… Told him. If your going to get this pistol, then at least load it with Aguilar Interceptor FMJ ammo…

That ammo is rater 1470fps with a 40gr projectile out of a rifle barrel but Ive had it go supersonic out of a Mark4 pistol… The Interceptor rounds have a lot of spice to them and are good power rounds for a .22. Same stuff i carry when Im reduced to a 22lr…

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I would say the LCP .380s have more than some recoil. They are great pocket guns and with some practice can be fired quickly and accurately, but their incredibly light weight and small grips make them pretty snappy. I can control the snap just fine (especially with the Max that has a more comfortably grip) but after 3 or 4 magazines I usually switch to shooting a different pistol. My not quite as small Sig P365 in 9mm has less felt recoil.

But I agree for someone who is very recoil sensitive and insists on getting a very small handgun .22lr or maybe .22 magnum if they can handle it would likely be a better option than a micro .380 or micro 9. They at the very least will be more likely to want to practice with it instead of shooting it once and sticking it in a drawer.

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The biggest pro is that .22lr is easy to control, and get follow up shots with. This is useful as the power of the round makes precision more important. It can get great penetration and it puts holes in your target. No one really likes getting perforated. So it is likely to induce a change in the behavior of your target. Out of a revolver, misfire management is easy, just pull the trigger again.
Cost. Cost. Cost. Even high quality .22 ammo is affordable.

The cons.
Rimfire ammo is more unreliable than centerfire ammo. For instance, I’ve shot less .22 WMR than I have 9mm but I’ve had more misfires with former than I have with the latter.
Snubbies in .22 lr are great carry guns. But they, have pretty heavy triggers especially compared to their weight. They require a lot of practice to shoot well. Luckily .22 ammo is pretty cheap!
.22 lr isn’t great against barriers.

All that said, they are hard to beat if you are in some kind of deep concealment situation, or need something light because you are just out walking or jogging or whatever. I imagine for the average person, and the kinds of threats an average person is likely to face, .22lr is probably just fine to carry.

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Very true. I “retired” my LCP – which was no fun to practice with or shoot – for this 380. Way 'mo better.

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