I’ve been considering buying a pistol for home defense and, occasionally, as a CCW when I go traveling.
I have no experience with pistols so I was considering starting with a .22LR pistol so I can get lots and lots of nice cheap practice in. The ammo is cheap.
Can I stop there? I know that .22 isn’t exactly a knock-down weapon but if I have 11 rounds in the clip, does that really matter?
If not, what’s the next caliber to consider?
I think you’ll find a search of the archives will turn up numerous topics where this has been discussed in the past. I personally wouldn’t recommend anything less than a 9mm, and many people favor a .40 or a .45. You definitely want stopping power and a .22 just doesn’t have that.
Your dream of a CCW and carrying a gun when you travel can be a logistical headache unless you are traveling by ground and/or know the local gun laws where you are traveling, as they vary widely from state to state. Even if you are otherwise permitted to carry it, and follow all the rules. you could also be accidentally committing a crime depending on the area if you forget you are wearing it and walk into a school, bar, etc.
I don’t know what line of work you are in and why you feel you are a particular target such that you need a gun when traveling, but I would generally recommend against it unless you are driving and going somewhere you have a genuine reason to believe it is needed and/or is allowed.
A CCW permit is only good in the state you live. States that recognize other state permits is a real patchwork.
CCW map
Another map.
One option is to choose a gun that you can get a .22 conversion kit for.
That way you can practice for cheap but using your actual firearm.
There are all sorts of ongoing arguments about which calibers have the best “stopping power.” The smallest of the small pistol calibers - .22lr, .32, and .380 auto are generally considered to be in one category with 9mm, .38 special, .40, and .45 as being the more common self-defense calibers.
There are plenty of people who carry the small calibers, but many more who won’t carry below that second tier.
Personally, I wouldn’t rely on a .22lr for self-defense. Smallest I would go is a .380 auto - it’s the same diameter as a 9mm, in a shorter cartridge.
Basically, the smaller the caliber, the better your aim needs to be as shot placement is much more important.
Bottom line is that the best weapon for someone is the weapon that fits best in their hand that they can fire most accurately.
If you haven’t already - sign up for some basic pistol and/or permit classes, and make your decision after that.
You’re a little less likely to kill someone with a 22. That being said I love 22’s, but I would never bet my life on one unless I had to.
If you are “very” confident of a head shot, it should work.
A favorite line of mine, “This is the smallest, weakest handgun in the world and it may not even fire when I pull the trigger. Do you want to take that chance? Well do ya Punk!”
IMHO the .22 is a great pistol to learn on ad practice accuracy and technique but you are going to need something larger for self defense. After you get something larger keep the .22 it is fun and cheap to shoot.
If you are new to firearms please take a safety class, please.
Capt
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I don’t think there’s really a factual answer here. This is more of an opinion thing.
Moving thread from General Questions to In My Humble Opinion.
A .22 is a great plinking gun, but you’re going to want something a little bigger for defense purposes. I’m a big fan of .357 magnum double action revolvers. Simple to operate, and you can shoot .38 rounds (less expensive) on the range with it.
.380 is the most common concealed carry. The Ruger LCP is a .380.
I love my Smith & Wesson .38 revolver. Simple to use, never jams. Very easy to clean and maintain. The J Frame models are almost as small as the LCP. The .38 round has more stopping power than the .380.
http://www.smith-wesson.com/wcsstore/SmWesson2/images/SW_CatList_JFrame.jpg
For me (a female who’s not very strong in her upper body) I prefer to practice w/ a .22 (much cheaper for plinking) but keep a .38 revolver for home defense, along w/ a .357 speed load nearby. I am most accurate in 6 w/ a smaller caliber and in my home I don’t want a missed shot or ricochet to be powerful enough to continue far and perhaps find a secondary target in my home or a neighbor’s. If I’ve gone to the speed load, my priorities will have shifted.
Any good defense load will go through a bunch of walls.
A pistol is not a good home-defense weapon. Get a shotgun for home defense.
Cheap .22LR ammo is next-to-impossible to find nowadays.
As others have mentioned, .22LR is a very poor choice as a self-defense weapon in any situation. For a carry weapon, my advice is to get a 9 mm.
Clearly preference on my part - but a shotgun can not generally be wielded one handed. Operating a light, a phone, or anything else is more difficult when not using a pistol. Sure there are slide mounted lights but a pistol is very versatile.
The Ruger LCP, S&W Bodyguard and the Kel Tec .380 semi-automatic’s are very popular for concealed carry. They are very similar in design and operation.
I bought the S&W Bodyguard for my wife a couple years ago. Tiny little thing, but lethal. (the gun, not my wife. :D)
This is what I have. Also a .38 and a .22, all revolvers, but I would reach for my .357 for home defense. I also have two speed loaders. I keep thinking I should get a semi so I have something with more round capacity, but I haven yet.
When it comes to firearms, a handgun is the worst choice for a self-defense weapon in any situation. With the exception of very small calibers, any long gun (rifle or shotgun) is always a better choice. The only reason we carry a handgun on our person when we’re on foot is because a long gun would (obviously) be too heavy, too bulky, and too difficult to conceal. As Jeff Cooper once quipped, “A handgun is merely a weapon used to fight your way back to your rifle.”
To put it succinctly, if you can use a rifle or shotgun, use a rifle or shotgun. If it’s impossible or very inconvenient to use a rifle or shotgun, use a handgun.
So then you must be arguing a shotgun is more convenient than a handgun. In the home - in my home - I disagree. Preference of course. And yes, the handgun gets me to my rifle.
Thirded. The gun in the nightstand is a S&W Model 28 sequentially loaded.
(I won’t mention the 9mm on the bedpost, the shotgun under the bed or the 9X18 Makarov hanging in the bathroom.)
I would not recommend a .22LR pistol for self defense.
That said, as someone who shoots a lot of .22LR in pistols and rifles, if I was a criminal and my intended victim was pointing a .22 at me I would back off. A normal .22LR has the ability to kill and can inflict devastating wounds. Would it drop me instantly in my tracks? Probably not without perfect shot placement or a barrage of multiple hits on vital targets. Would the possibility of a fatal or crippling wound deter me? Hell yes. I guess my point is that while .22LR is not a reliable defense round it is something to be taken very seriously.
If I was getting a pistol for self-defense, my first choice would be a .40 cal pistol that had a .22lr adapter kit available. I’m not current so I don’t know what’s out there. I seem to recall Beretta making a .22 kit for their M-92 (9mm) so maybe they make one for a M-94 also. I know you can get them for Colt M1911A1s and probably those varients too.
Still, for home defense, I prefer a Rem 870 in 12 gauge with a 18.5" barrel and a magazine extension. I’m not sure about a pistol grip w/folding stock. Maybe a pistol grip with a non-folding stock if anyone makes one.