.22 for self defense

[hylander]

???

[Timberland]

I think that people over look 22 way to much. They will kill, and there the famed gun of mafia hitmen. However you should not trust your life on extra shots lots of cheap 22 jam and Im yet to see a 17 shot clip for one since they cant double stack. A 22 is better than a knife, but a .380 or 9mm is better

[bear308]

no way, 22 is not big enough for self defense. I don't even think you can hunt animals above twelve pounds with it in Cal. They're probably great for hitmen but horrable for self defense, no where near enough power. Better than a knife but DAMN.

[blacklisted]

I think that if a woman wants to defend herself with a firearm, she should spend time familiarizing herself with the firearm (just like anyone else). I'm not saying she needs a .500 S&W, but I don't see why any woman couldn't handle at least a .380 or 9mm.

[xenophobe]

Well, if you can walk up silently behind your assailent and shoot him in the back of the neck by the spine, or in the back of the head, sure... great for um.... self defense?

.380 Cor-Bon is probably the smallest caliber I'd use for self defense.

For a woman? A snub nosed .38 Special can't be beat.

[laabstract]

no way, 22 is not big enough for self defense. I don't even think you can hunt animals above twelve pounds with it in Cal. They're probably great for hitmen but horrable for self defense, no where near enough power. Better than a knife but DAMN.

A not so friendly family member of mine was shot 7 times with a .22 and he still lived. Yet i have heard of people dying from a single shot of a .22 Its all about shot placement not the caliber.

[gose]

The damage a .22 bullet makes is underestimated...people always reach for a large caliber handgun or rifle...all that does is over penetrate....

Maybe true for a .44. Modern bullets in common calibers like 9mm, .40 and .45 are designed to give adequate penetration AND expansion. If anything, a .22 will most likely not penetrate enough.

The bullet of a .22 does so much damage thanks to its low velocity...the bullet is going fairly slow compared to other guns

A .22 will have about the same speed as a 9mm, .40 or.45, if not higher!

, but since its smaller...it pierces easerier...

ehh, the whole idea is for the bullet to leave as much energy as possible through expansion. If it was all about piercing, FMJ would be the way to go.

and inside your body will ricochette...causing organ failures all over. Plus, .22's make a very minescuel recoil...making it a perfect choice.

"piercing" will not cause organ failure, maybe in a few hours. You want to create a large wound channel, not a small one.

For the whole ricochetting thing... yeah, sure, maybe if you shoot your friend with a .22 it will bounce around and kill the monkeys flying out of his ***

[dadoody]

If you get your shots in right - it's deadly. That being said, kill shots with a .22 in self-defense by an ordinary citizen (non-competitoner) are usually based on luck.

In a fire fight, group attack, or if someone large and dangerous is coming at you with a close range weapon, a .22 might kill them - but not right away. They'll still come at you, and you'll also recieve harm from an such an offender. Especially if they're on drugs.

If cost is an issue, just get a used 38 special on gun brokers. And don't underestimate women. They have small frames, but they're tougher than they look. Hell, Bonnie, of Bonnie and Clyde fame, swung around a freaking Browning machine gun.

[asintado]

You also have an array of .22 ammunition available (i.e. CCI shotshell, Stinger, hollowpoints). I think .22 is under rated. Sure it doesn't have the knock down power of a simple .38 special FMJ or JHP but I sure as hell don't want to be shot by one. I hear the shot shell round is great in a small .22 revolver for self defense (it doesn't cycle auto pistols). I completely agree with training one's self to use a round like 9mm or .38 special but sometimes the person looking to use/buy .22 aren't avid shooters and want something that will be effective with little to no training.

[taloft]

For a woman, especially one whose never shot before, I would recommend a Model 36LS Revolver from S&W. The lady smith can shoot a +p load and it will fit very small hands. Also, revolvers are easy to learn for first timers.

I've heard of .22 rounds bouncing off of people's skull.
As for assassins, if I walk up and stick a .22 in your eye socket before squeezing the trigger, your chances of living are not good.

A friend of mine was walking around campo res. with a .22 when he stumbled. The rifle went off and shot him in the leg. The bullet hit bone and tumbled through his calf muscle. It made a real mess out of his lower leg, lost part of the muscle. One of the meanest looking gunshot scars I've seen. He just looks at me when I ask him if the safety was on.

It was a .22 that started the whole Brady campaign with the shooting of Reagan. http://www.azstarnet.com/subsections.../shooting.html

You never know what your going to get.
Moral of the story is, don't underestimate any gun. They can all kill you.

Pardon me while I step off of my soap box.

[metalhead357]

Well, if you can walk up silently behind your assailent and shoot him in the back of the neck by the spine, or in the back of the head, sure... great for um.... self defense?

+1 on that.

Survival setting where you can specficically take/make a definite kill shot. But self defense? VERY risky proposition in a High Stress/Low coordination situation. I wouldnt risk my life to it. I qualified with one of my .22's for the CCW just to fill the extra line if I didn't qualify with one of the others; qualified with all I brought and the "sane-er" part kicked in and said .22 aint for defense!!!!!!

FWIW.... I (had) to watch a woman brought into our ER who shot herself in the head through the temple! Paramedics reported her awake, alert, and conscoius for the first few minutes while they were there But by the time she was brought in she was swelling on the brain and goin' comatose....took the sad perp 3 DAYS to finnally give up the ghost.

[rkt88edmo]

Got this from another forum, not a gun forum.
So who's onboard with this guy.

The question posted was what is a good self defence gun for a woman.

This guys answer:

.22? Usually better than nothing. Except for unusual cirmcumstances recoil should not be the reason to choose a .22 for defense. The problem with recoil can be solved by training or equipment selection. If you aren't willing to train then

Which handgun carries 17-18 rounds 0f .22?

Ricochet internally? You read that a lot about head shots, but I don't know if it is really a valid assumption inside the body? Taloft's anecdote is interesting, but I don't think the results would have been much better had it been a 9mm, .40, or .45.

Is .22 an option? Yes. Is it optimum? Probably not.

[WallySparx]

does anyone even have a semiauto in .22lr that they would trust to go bang every time?

[NwG]

If I was in a firefight and my life is on the line... I would prefer to put a big as hole possable in the bad guy.....

[xenophobe]

A nice sharp knife is better than a .22.