.22 LR vs. 32 ACP for Self-Defense

[artoo]

I've been known to carry the .32 ACP pistol as a main gun and a .22lrf pocket pistol as the second gun.

The reasons for this are simple.

In the 90 + degree heat and humidity I dress for the weather.

Whether it is a Beretta 81, a Taurus 732, or Taurus PLY-22 things are covered.

I do not care what others think of this as what works for me may well not work for others. What works for you, fine. I go with what works for me.

Due to an uptick in violence around here though I've upgraded to a Taurus G2C or a G2S in 9x19 and carry spare ammo. The back up gun is still a .32 ACP pistol.

Some carry a spare gun or ammo ( good ideas) and some do not. Do what works for you. Just having a gun is the thing. If it fits your needs then, fine. No problem.

 

[jimku]

Jimku- please tell us how many self defense shootings YOU have been involved in.
Were you able to make a head shot?

I just did, directly above, and yes, it would have been five head shots if I had been forced to shoot. The only reason I wasn't was because of my level head and absolute confidence that I could have put all five of them down. Most people would have fired much sooner. It's pretty hard to miss at 5 - 10 feet ... that is if you have enough self-control to keep from getting rattled. But whether or not I can or could have made head shots is totally irrelevant to the fact that a single head shot will stop an attacker instantly. That is firmly in the "Well, DUH" category. So, if you can't consistently make a quick head shot at 7 yards or so, it might just behoove you to practice until you can. It just might save your life. And while you're at it, you might practice head-size targets at that distance that are moving side to side. I do. You do whatever floats your boat.

 

[jetinteriorguy]

Well after watching that video I don’t think there is any question that woman wasn’t cool and in control. To clear a malfunction and shoot him that many times to put him down was clearly a product of good training and a cool head. And no, trying for a head shot and risking a miss sending stray bullets all over a residential neighborhood is not a good idea, and most likely not part of her training I would guess.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

This discussion has gone completely off the rails at this point. We have gone from discussing the relative merits of two specific calibers of handgun round (the original question) to debating how many shots we are legally allowed to take, and whether or not it's better to take a head shot than to aim for center-of-mass.

The original question has been answered, with links to objective data to support the answer.

Closed.