22s for Self Defense

I know a whole bunch of people who only one one gun, more often than not it's a .22, they aren't amateur armchair gunfighters, just normal people
 
WhyUse2...the fold down rifle you are refering to is the M6 survival gun. The USAF issue version had a .22 Hornet barel over a .410 shotgun barrel. It was a combination gun. It was not withdrawn because of some illegality of the ammo. The USAF had FMJ Hornet ammunition made for it to avoid such things. In any case, a air crew hunting and survival weapon is not a combat arm, and is not subject to the rule anyway. Springfield Arms made the M6 in several variations over the years, some were made by CZ for Springfield later on. I have a Springfield version. Parkerized and .22LR over .410. The issue ones had 14 inch barrels, making them a NFA weapon, but combination guns are listed as AOW, so no 200 dollar transfer fee, just a 5 dollar transfer fee. Assuming you can find an issue one. It is an interesting gun, reasonably accurate and useful. Very small when taken down and in its carrying case.
 
That's not picking one on purpose, that's choosing the .22 by default because it fits your pocket. It's your choice to be sure, but 'it fits in my pocket' is not a criterion for my own choice.
 
There is occations where i carry my 317 as back up but that is usually pretty rare. Its a blast to shoot though, I kind of have a thing for .22 snubs he he he.
 
Giving credit where credit is due, I think it was Tamara who said that mouse guns call for mouse gun tactics. A good mouse gun tactic is "empty, run, reload."

Statistics for one-shot stops with .22 are not good, but that just means don't plan on one shot.
 
Im fairly confident my .22lr lever action could stop an attacker, wouldent be my first choice but taking a .22lr to the chest must hurt.
 
A .22 stinger shoots 1640fps. That's quite a bit of velocity and enough to kill lots of things.

I carry a .45 because I like big holes, not fast holes. :D
 
If you are like my grandma was .22 lr is about the most you will be able to shoot. She had osteoperosis, and arthritis in both hands. Grampa made her a MKII that he welded a ring on the slide that she could get 4 fingers in to chamber a round. I wathced her empty it into the kill zone of the target at 20 yards as fast as she could pull the trigger. With some elderly women it is the factor that even a large heavy .38 spcl with very light loads would probably break her hand with the first shot. If she did not drop the threat with that one she would be in trouble big time. That is why most of the old school instructors reccomended .22 lr to elderly women.
 
I suspect the "22 rifle" in the B-52 survival kit was the M-4. Unlike the folding M-6, the M-4 was a true take-down rifle. The 14" barrel dismounted from the bolt action receiver and the stock was a skeliton wire type which collapsed into the receiver. Note the rifle fired 22 Hornet rounds, not 22 rimfire.
 
I wouldn't want to rely on a 22 to defend against an armed opponent. But it could work. Put those little projectiles where they'll count and they'd do the job. Very small margin of error, though.
 
.22 for self defense?

Not for me but if its all you own then better than your knuckles in defending your life, etc.
If you have to have a .22 at least make it a .22 magnum with a 4" barrel.
 
.22 for sd?? no way not me

Ive carried a north american arms .22 many many times. But I think its just about as good as a stick.. But a sharp pointy stick is much better than the .22.... again that is a eye or ear gun...
 
1. Jeff Cooper-"First Rule of Gunfighting-have a gun."
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LOL, it is only a gunfight if opposing factions each have guns. If only one side has a gun, it is called a shooting.

If you are like my grandma was .22 lr is about the most you will be able to shoot.
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If that is the most you can handle, then that may be your best ballistic option. Most folks talking about self defense, however, are not in that sort of shape.
 
Didnt' hinkley use a 22 short?

And i'm pretty sure the bullet that hit Reagan was just a ricochet that bounced off the car.
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Röhm RG-14 .22 cal.[11] blue steel revolver, all six shots fired in 3 seconds.

The first bullet hit White House Press Secretary James Brady in the head.[13] The second hit District of Columbia police officer Thomas Delahanty in the back. The third overshot the president and hit the window of a building across the street. The fourth hit Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy in the abdomen. The fifth hit the bullet-resistant glass of the window on the open side door of the president's limousine. The sixth and final bullet ricocheted off the side of the limousine and hit the president in his left armpit, grazing a rib and lodging in his lung, stopping nearly an inch from his heart.

six "Devastator"-brand .22LR cartridges, which contained small lead azide explosive charges designed to explode on contact. The rounds were not manufactured in the U.S.; any bullet which contained actual explosives would have been classified as an illegal explosive device under U.S. federal law at the time that Hinckley purchased them. All six bullets failed to explode.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reagan_assassination_attempt
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He probably would have done more damage shooting standard velocity or Hi-velocity 40 grain solids. I'm glad he didn't, I just wish he hadn't been so fast and somebody would have stopped him quicker. In the meantime a lot of little old ladies, 12 year old boys and small game hunters all over the country have ruined a lot of boogermens day by hitting them where it hurt.
 
22's not all bad

I'll have to stick up for the 22

Wife has a Beretta 21A. She likes the weight and size of the gun to carry, tip up barrel, the DA/SA trigger, the manual safety. She carries it all the time and can put it into service quickly and she is very accurate with the SA trigger pull out to 25 ft. I would not want to get hit with 7 stingers in 2-3 seconds.

We also have a 380 LCP which she likes but has a problem sometimes racking the slide if her hands are slippery (ya know how wives like hand lotion). She can handle the kick of the little light LCP fine but she can't hit the side of a barn with it with the DA only trigger even though it's not a hard pull, probably about 6 pounds, it is however a long pull.

If she was shooting at me I would want her to have the 380 LCP in her hand not the 22 bobcat.

She shoots the 38 Taurus snub very well also as long as she takes the time to cock the trigger for SA shots, same thing though, can't hit beans DA.

Just my 2 cents FWIW
 
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I am on the edge with this one but I have to lean to the .22 is not so bad side of things. Like stated for elderly that might be all they can handle. For a person that could shoot any caliber in the book it might not be there first choice but definitely a viable option. I find that a follow up shot is very important and with a .22 follow up is much easier and accurate. Now many people might make the argument that if you had a bigger caliber you will not need a follow up shot but I find that not true. If you hit a BG in the head or vitals that yes you will probably will not need a follow up shot but the same is to be said for a .22. My grandpa had a .22 bolt action that he used to hunt deer with quite successfully. It is all about shot placement. In a nutshell it would not be my fist choice for a HD situation but I would use it if that is what I had.
 
On the .22 used in old U.S. Air Force Survival Packs . . .

Thanks for setting me straight on that issue. Does anyone know why they took the rifle out of the pack?

I assume they gave us .38 snubbies for combat during Vietnam because our training to "kill" was at 31,000 feet, not on the ground with a weapon they only "required" us to shoot annually for qualification. Being in Minot, ND, I found a Russian Makarosve 9mm x 18 that I carried in my EW's bag. (There are manny Russian imigrants in western part of ND.) If the air force knew I carried one on alert in my bag, I would probably have lost my clearance! lol
 
Wife has a Beretta 21A. She likes the weight and size of the gun to carry, tip up barrel, the DA/SA trigger, the manual safety. She carries it all the time and can put it into service quickly and she is very accurate with the SA trigger pull out to 25 ft. I would not want to get hit with 7 stingers in 2-3 seconds.
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2 seconds is fast, 3 seconds is slow.:D I have one, and I know what you mean. Cool little gun, glad I bought one, it's paid for it's self about 3 time's over.
 
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