Ive noticed there are alot of .22 pistols that are the same as there companion 9mm. Glock,walther,sig,etc. How is there reliability, and is it worth getting one for cheeper rounds for the practice?
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100% good idea, but with a caveatā¦
make sure you can get .22LR ammo 
The new Glock in .22lr is pretty much Glock 19 sized (I think identical? and fits in same holsters too) with the same grip, etc. Taurus TX22 holds 16 rounds and is also G19 size (but grip is totally different). Iām not familiar with the S&W, Walther, or Sig variants, but Iād assume they are mostly the same as their 9mm counterparts.
Reliability is decreased with .22LR vs 9mm (rimfire vs centerfire mostly), but these are all pretty reliable and when they do have a misfire its good for training your tap-racks.
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It variesā¦a lot.
My 92FS .22lr is superb. Perfect. Wonderful. Outstanding. I love shooting it.
My PPQ .22lr is just less of everything. It isā¦fine, but I never rush to bring it to the range.
It is nice to have the same āpackageā as the larger calibers, but thereās nothing wrong with choosing something different in .22lr instead, like a nice Ruger target Mark #.
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Finding ways to get in more practice is never a bad idea, and using a .22LR can be a less expensive way to do it.
If you are specifically trying to improve your defensive skills then you should probably find a pistol that matches the size/shape/characteristics of your EDC as closely as possible in order to build transferable muscle memory.
If you are wanting to work on more general skills such as stance, grip, target acquisition, and marksmanship then a pistol that fits you, is comfortable to shoot, and you really like will probably work well.
Good luck, and let us know what you end up doing.
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I do have the g19 and the glock 22lr is pretty close. So my idea was yes more training with spending less but on the same platform etc. Just something to train or plink keeping things close to the same.
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Great question! YES! YES! YES! If you can afford a 22 get one, or two.
When working with shooters of all skill levels I will use 22 platforms for large volume training. My favorite trainers so far are the S&W my 22 compact, Glock 44, or an advantage arms 22 conversion for my Glock 17.
Almost all of my personal shooting is with rimfire. One thing I encourage clients to do. Once you are done practicing with your 22 take a few rounds, I suggest at least 1 magazine full, of your carry gun and shoot that firearm in a slow deliberate way. The goal of this last magazine is to reacquaint yourself with the feel of you carry gun, the trigger, the grip feel, the feeling of itās recoil, and the sight picture specific to your carry gun. I have not shot the Taurus so I cannot speak to it, it does get good you tube reviews. I consider 22 as valuable as dry fire practice only a lot more fun than dry fire. The price of 22 ammo has gone up a little because of panic buys, hopefully this will settle down a little. My Ruger 22/45 is a tac driver but the trigger is completely different from most carry guns so I do not consider it a good ātrainerā.
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Iāll never say no to buying a new gun 
However, if youāre looking to use it for training in place of your EDC, I have a few questions.
- Are you training for accuracy? (.22 wonāt have the same recoil as different calibers)
- Are you using it for rapid fire? (same recoil issue)
- Are you using it for draw from a holster? Try dry fire instead.
- Are you using it for target acquisition? It would work for that.
If youāre looking to improve specifics with your EDC, I wouldnāt get the .22 for that. Maybe try a laser ammo system instead? If youāre looking for general areas of improvement (and a reason to buy a new gun) go for the .22.
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Having another firearm is greatā¦ but is it worthy to spend $$$ for .22 handgun?
Iām advocate of having the firearm which is gonna be in action if needed.
For basic firearm learning - $80 - $100 BB gun (replica of your real one) is a perfect tool.
For other training - use every day tool with laser.
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Take this with a grain of salt, as Iāve only been at this a few years. I recently complimented my gun safe and training routine with a GSG Firefly. Itās one of the better decisions Iāve made.
Does it emulate a 9mm well? Not really, because thereās zero recoil. But itās range time, and I can practice stance, grip, sighting, etc ā¦ fundamentals. Plus, I can shoot it for hours without having sore hands or empty wallet. Iām a huge fan of .22 semiautos. I think they have a place in the training continuum, along with dry fire, laser, etc.
Most important, shooting is fun! It goes bang, is economical to shoot, and allows me to introduce my passion to my non gun loving friends. To a person who has never shot before, larger calibers can be intimidating. Best of luck J Wood!
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I am really considering the gsg firefly. Or glock 44 due to me having a glock19. Have any issues with the gsg. Ive heard great things but can be picky on smmo choice
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It wouldnt be in place of. It would be extra but in a cheaper type live round sort of thing lol. Not to mention i may have a better chance of actually get my wife to go to the range with me. She is a very close to going and using a 9mm. So i figure if i get a 22lr. And say hey babe this thing is perfect etc etc. She may actually get her coat on and go which would be fantastic!
If there is a getting the wife to the range component, pick a .22lr that SHE likes and will shoot. Donāt worry about it being identical to your EDC.
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It is picky on ammo. It loves Remington Thunderbolts, Iāve struggled with other types. Thankfully Thunderbolts are cheap and plentiful. I love my Firefly, but if I were in your shoes I would spend a little more $$ and get the Glock 44, because itās closer to what you carry and itās probably less finicky on ammunition.
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Awsome thank you for the straight advice and path!
The Glock 44 I have has eaten every type of ammo I have put through it, Federal Auto match, Blazer bulk rounds, Remington golden bullets, All have worked. I did change out the front sight to a Hiviz front sight but that is a personal preference. it is by far the least picky on ammo of all my 22ās
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Very good advice here given by David38. Just remember that a defensive situation is dynamic. A .22LR will not give you the same feedback as you primary defensive weapon. The loud bang, recoil, muzzle flip, re-acquisition of your target will all be different over the .22 and youāre more than likely to have to fire more than 1 shot to neutralize the threat.
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My personal experienceā¦ I picked up a 22/45 about 15 years ago. It was very fun to shoot, and helped show me trigger control issues that were keeping me off target at the 25 yard line with a USP. I picked it up on sale for pretty cheap, and never regretted it. That being said, I donāt use it to replace training with my CCWās.
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I have a S&W 22 (full size) that I bought to be able to practice cheap. Itās fun to shoot, but shooting a 22 isnt the same as snapping in with the gun that you may āneedā to shoot. The good thing about any low recoil option is that it can help desensitize against āanticipating the shotā. Remember tho that with a 22lr they tend to shoot dirty and you dont get much blowback to keep it cycling. I bring a spray can of brake clean in the bag whenever I bring the 22, but then you canāt leave it dry and you dont really want it wet eitherā¦
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If you just want a 22 to plink with, then you should definitely get one. A person really canāt have too many gunsā¦
I agree with David38 however. Train for defensive carry, with your defensive carry.
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Trigger time matters. Ideally with your CCW but the fates have a way of conspiring against you.
A.22 ādoubleā for your CCW is really nice but even a good .22 target pistol is not without considerable merit in my estimation.
During ammo shortages (have we seen the end of those? Probably not) consider that a 500 round ābrickā is about the size of a few boxes of 9mm and costs only a fraction of cf ammo if you stock up when ammo is cheap! Seven bricks (3,500) will fit inside a .50 ammo can which fits inside a drawer of a locking file cabinet with room to spare. A 5000 round ācaseā will cost $200-300 on sale and will easily provide a lot of range timeāno it wonāt have the recoil or leave big holes, it wonāt take the place of training with cf ammo, but for maintaining competency with sight acquisition and trigger control, Bobās your Uncle. There is real value, Plus it is a great option to have available for introducing others to pistol shooting without having to deal with flinching, recoil and muzzle blast.
Both my children got started hand gunning with my .22 pistol
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