Good .22LR pocket pistol for Mom

S

sltintexas

New member
I don't want this to turn into a thread about 22LR not being a good SD round.

This is for my mom. She has come a long ways.... from preachin' to me about guns being dangerous, to finally going to the range with me, to now wanting a gun to carry around her shop, car, and home. She chose that caliber, so we're gonna stick to it. As she becomes more proficient, maybe she'll feel comfortable with something more bigger, but I'm not going to push. I'm proud she has come as far as she has.


.... anyway, what is a good .22LR pocket pistol. I have a mosquito but obviously that is to big for pockets. I have briefly looked at the taurus & beretta models, but nothing in depth.
 
How about a Walther P22? Flat, light, reliable and cool looking. Stoked with Stingers, I think that might be a good choice. With Federal high speed ammo, I've had really good luck. I've got one and it's a fun pistol, and one that I've put in my pocket every so often when I walk the dog at night.

It's heavier, but foolproof -- how about a .22 revolver? I've got a Taurus M94that I use to practice with. Same weight and feel as my .38. it will take any high velocity hollow points; hyper velocity Remington Vipers are a good choice.
 
Regardless of the rounds effectiveness, you are faced with the issue of gun reliability as compared to something else that others would also criticise, as in a .25 or a .32. The rimfire cartridge is a problem in small autoloaders so in any case you best do alot of reliability testing before turning it over for any sort of SD role. And if you find one type of ammo that works perfectly you better buy more of it and make sure only that is used until some other type or types are proven to work perfectly. You might end up getting a gun that is not absolutely perfect with any ammo, maybe 95% fully functional but most .22 autos are realistically made for sporting or target uses, in which case one jam out of 100 shots is not fatal. You might have to accept that you have to change guns if you get something that is not absolutely perfecto. Probably once you have the first round in the chamber, that round will fire so you get one shot for sure, then what happens after that can be the catch.
 
The P22 is too big for pocket carry. Your only choices are the Beretta 21 or it's Taurus semi-equivalent, the PT22.
One of the larger NAA mini revolvers might be an option.
 
Reliability and availability are crucial problems with the .22LR.

This is precisely why the .25ACP exists and endures. I recommend a NAA Guardian .25ACP. Explain to your mother that it's VERY similar in ballistic performance and recoil, just that it works better in little guns.

I don't endorse the NAA mini-revolvers because they are single-action only and believe me, they hard to operate under ideal circumstances, I can't imagine trying to get a follow-up shot off under real stress with one of those things.
 
I would look for a good used double action revolver like an older high standard or S&W kit gun if in good condition.
 
Not crazy about Taurus myself, but for what you're looking for "pocket .22", it's one of the few games in town.
Short barrel
Eight shots
Light weight.
 
If it were my mother, . . . Browning Buckmark is exactly where I would go.

Absolutely reliable, . . . a little on the large side, . . . but ideal in the shop, or in the purse. Laying on the night stand or in the glove compartment, . . . in the console, . . . it is very accurate, easy manual of arms, and fairly modest in price.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
My PUNY EDC.

Here is a nifty lil bugger. A North American Arms " PUG " w/Tritium front sight. It's a 5 shot .22 magnum that has been totally reliable.

I hope this helps. The nay sayers will say a .22 is pointless. I beg to differ, especially when you think of the distance that most shootings occur at. I hope this helps some. Good luck in your search.

John
 

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I'm sorry, but there is no acceptable .22 Lr pocket piece for your Mom. I know, I have tried for me, both as a police officer and as a civilian, and a .22 LR or .22 Magnum just doesn't get it.

My Mom is 80 years old, and I take her where ever she goes as she has a very restrictive drivers license. But, she still wants to carry a gun. I tell her she is wrong because I am with he wherever she goes, but because of her age and frailty the PD has given he a CCW. I think they are idiots.

Back in olden times she wanted to carry a .22 LR, I don't know why, but old women seem to always want to carry a .22 something. I suggested a .32 H&R Magnum, but she was not interested. When I talked about the .38 Special and .357 Magnum she was obviously afraid. I took her out and let her shoot my S&W Model 60 .38 Special first with my 110 grain wadcutter lead bullet reloads, then with 125 swc grain lead bullet reloads, then finally with Cor-Bon +P 125 grain HPs. By the time she was done, she was putting the Cor-Bons into a group the size of the palm of my hand at 10 yards; which is good enough for self defense in her little house. I loaned her a S&W Model 36 until her purchase of a S&W 642 came through, and it was approved by the local PD as her carry gun. She bought 300 rounds from Cor-Bon and I gave her a whole bunch of 125 gn reloads. She practices at the first of each month with me, using 200 rounds of my reloads, then 25 rounds of the Cor-Bons. I wouldn't want to be the idiot who ignores her alarm system sign, breaks a window to get in, and meets meets her in her bedroom while she's waiting for me to show up. Have you ever seen what a Cor-Bon +P 125 Gn HP does to the human anatomy, especially with multiple shots?:):)

Don't, and I mean DON'T let that woman talk you into giving her a .22 LR or Mag for a defense gun. It will be the worst decision you allow yourself to make. Don't allow yourself to be kitten whipped into allowing her into getting your permission to go out with a .22 LR pistol for defense. :mad::mad:


Dr. Lafe Hubert
Gonzo Forever
 
OP stated this and I quote:
I don't want this to turn into a thread about 22LR not being a good SD round.

So let's stick to the question asked, not preach caliber choice. I for one would not want to be shot in the face / head with a .22 or a .22 mag.

Just my humble opinion.
John
 
GotDogs

My PUNY EDC.
Here is a nifty lil bugger. A North American Arms " PUG " w/Tritium front sight. It's a 5 shot .22 magnum that has been totally reliable.

I hope this helps. The nay sayers will say a .22 is pointless. I beg to differ, especially when you think of the distance that most shootings occur at. I hope this helps some. Good luck in your search.
Click to expand...

Yo GotDogs,

Have you ever used your North American Arms 5 shot .22 magnum in self defense, at any range? If you have not, how can you say it has been
totally reliable
Click to expand...
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I have been in self defensive shootings; on several occasions. Have you ever been so? If you have not, and especially with the NAA 5 shot .22 Magnum you have shown, how can you sport and suggest the pistol you flourish?. I think we have to get down to the real, and away from the Mall-Ninjas, you are just a dry gulcher.:mad:

Beauregard Hooligan
 
Dear Sir,

I am beside myself with laughter. Can you perhaps make me a good SD gun with the long twisty balloons you " Clowns " carry in your pockets. Too funny !! Thanks for chuckle Doc.

Your's in sport,
John


A different Dr. Raoul Duke? " Quote "

My late wife's carry revolver was a Taurus 9 shot .22 LR, and she was a very good shot. She had never seen a pistol, let alone fired one, before we met, but she became a very good shot, and concentrated on head shots at 7 yards. I think that if I decided to be nefarious, and ran into a gal that released a swarm of CCI Mini Mag hollow points at my big ugly melon, and by some chance survived, I'd find another career choice.

Dr. Raoul Duke
Gonzo Forever
 
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If I was to carry a .22, it'd be a revolver with good ammo. Sometimes if I'm just heading out of the house for a min., I'll toss my NAA Mini .22Mag in the pocket.

minizbg.jpg
 
S&W 317 or 34

if she can hold and handle a 317, perhaps you can ease her up to a 351pd?

not that it is a powehouse but 7 rounds of 22mag and it is a soft shooter.
good luck
 
Dr. Raul,
I agree that the .22 or even the .22 mag is not the best SD caliber out there, but it sure beats a sharp stick. The OP didn't say if there were some extenuating(sp?) circumstances. She has chosen a .22 lr for whatever reason and that's all that matters. What is the line always used on these forums? A hit with a .22 lr is better than a miss with a .45acp.

Have you ever used your North American Arms 5 shot .22 magnum in self defense, at any range? If you have not, how can you say it has been
Click to expand...

This doesn't make sense to me. I carry a S/A XD45 compact loaded with 230 gr Winchester Ranger SXT rounds. I have fired it many many times at the range, but have never had to fire to defend myself. Are you telling me that because I have not shot a person in self defense that my gun is not totally reliable?
 
S&W 317 for the win.


I'm a semi auto guy, but if I HAD to carry a .22lr for self defense it would not be a .22 semiautomatic and certainly not a Walther P22 :barf:.

There is a reason JMB invented the .25acp for his FN 1905 & the Baby Browning- the .22lr is notoriously unreliable when squeezed into a small pocket auto. The rimmed .22lr cartridge presents a host of feeding problems that are much easier to address in a long, steeply angled magazine than in the short grip of a small pocket pistol.

The Walther (while really cool looking) has a reputation that sometimes includes the term "pot metal junk". If they had made the P22 out of real steel or aluminum instead of compressed zinc it might have been a different story. You rarely hear complaints about Ruger or Browning .22 semi autos because they are quality guns. But they are larger than the little P22 and don't have those tactical features that some find desirable.

Using a .22 rimfire for self defense makes a revolver desirable because clearing a misfire is a trigger pull away. A misfire in a semi auto will take more time to clear. Time you may not have.

The old S&W Kit Guns are nice, but weighs twice as much as a 317. The old Kit Gun was also a six shot revolver, versus eight in the 317.

S&W Model 317- eight rounds, 10.5 ounces unloaded.






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