Have .22 kit/trail guns become passe'?

9

9ballbilly

New member
Growing up it seemed nearly everyone I knew had a .22lr kit/trail/tacklebox gun of some sort. It wasn't anything we gave a lot of thought to, just something that came along on outings for no particular reason. Much like a pocketknife.


These days it's much more common for me to see more powerful center-fire handguns being carried. The guy (or girl) fishing next to me is way more likely to have a Glock under their jacket than a Bearcat. Why is that? :confused:


Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's a good or bad thing. I'm just wondering what prompted the change, and if it went on everywhere.
 
I think it's a legality (illegality?) thing.

I think it's a legality (illegality?) thing,,,
At least in part it is.

When I was a kid (50's-60's) my Pop had a .22 in the big toolbox in his truck,,,
But it became illegal to do that so he quit carrying it around.

It's not that they have become passé,,,
The simple fact is that in many places it's simply not legal. :(

I also think that semi's have replaced most revolvers,,,
Mainly because you can get a very nice semi,,,
For way less than a quality revolver.

Now having said that,,,
There are nice revolvers that don't cost what a Ruger or S&W run,,,
A Rossi plinker and a Charter Arms Pathfinder are in the 325-350 range.

Just my thoughts,,,

Aarond

.
 
Yes, I fondly remember my grandfather carrying a Ruger Mark I with a pencil barrel while fishing or generally knocking around the woods. I also agree that this stopped because of legal issues. As firearm laws became more restrictive and enforcement became more vigorous people simply stopped carrying. Now, that laws are allowing it again a new generation is making decisions about what to carry and for them it’s generally a small 9mm.
 
I have wondered the same thing. Back in the early 80s the gunmags were full of articles on trail guns and small game hunting. Tackle box guns were a common subject. Now it seems like everyone is focused on SD guns. I haven't seen an article on trail guns in years. But then again I don't spend money on gun magazines anymore either.

Here in Tx it used to be legal to wear a sidearm as long as you were engaged in legal hunting and fishing. As far as I know it is still legal to do so.

I had a ruger single six with me one day while fishing in what used to be a safe place. The neighborhood changed and I didn't realize it. I had a holster with the gun. I put it on my belt and made sure it was seen by the people who didn't want me there. I loaded up my little Jon Boat and got the heck out of there and have never been back. Thank goodness I had a gun.
 
I bought a 317 Smith for my fishing gun, it weighs nothing and is very handy, but is a bit spendy. In bear country I carry a hot loaded .44 spec.
 
I think part of it may be due to the popularity of the semi auto these days. And the fact that you can have a center fire auto that is very small these days. For myself I have an old 2.5" H&R 930, it's my little kit/trail gun.
 
These days it's much more common for me to see more powerful center-fire handguns being carried. The guy (or girl) fishing next to me is way more likely to have a Glock under their jacket than a Bearcat. Why is that?
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Bad guys, bears, cougars, feral hogs, or feral dog packs, and other types of 2- or 4-legged nasties ...

The comfort of keeping a small .22 kit gun in the tackle box like Gramps did, well, ... just isn't so comforting anymore.

In autoloaders, you're likely to see .45s and 10mms doing duty as the outdoors/boonies/camping guns of choice.

In wheelguns, it's likely to be whatever level of 5- or 6-shot magnum the user feels he/she can handle. The real problem with the big-bore revolvers, however, aside from limited capacity, is (1) their typical boat-anchor weight, and (2) to remain reasonably portable on one's person, the barrel length has been chopped (2", 3" or 4"), which of course only acerbates felt-recoil while giving up quite a bit of the projectile's velocity.
 
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DW and I are retired and like boondocking. It's just as easy for me to carry my EDC - a compact 1911 .45acp - in the field as well. Occasionally I strap on a lighter weight FiveSeveN (.224) depending on the variety of critters. In big bear country I suffer the weight of a S$W 460V (dollar sign intentional lol). With modern weaponry vailable, there's no real reason to carry a .22, for me.
 
Our bear around here usually aren't an issue, the rare sighting results in them running from me. The biggest I have seen in the wild is around 400#. Black bear are not very aggressive either. Coyote move on fast. Bobcats stay hidden. We do not "officially" have Mountain Lion in VA (Just ask the VADGIF LOL!)

But the snakes can be a issue. I usually carry the LCR with some shot shells and a few rounds of 158g SWC's

With that said, I do not shoot snakes without just cause. It has to be aggressive towards me. I will only shoot copper heads, all timber rattlers are given a pass.

Occasionally you run into seedy people in the woods and along the streams around here but never had an issue
 
The 22 guns are first rate trail guns but for me the 32s have replaced them. I have a couple of Ruger single sixes, adjustable sight model in 32 magnum. They use the same holsters and weigh just a little less. My loads with lead bullets are getting just over 900fps and would work for small game hunting and also SD if need be. I think its a nice compromise between a small game getter/plinker and a full on SD gun.
 
A handy .22 is a great tool to have. Whether the price of guns, the price of ammo, more restrictive laws, changes in public perception, the availability of more powerful options at a more even keel, etc.; I think you're less likely to see .22s and you're less likely to see knock-arounds in tool or tackle boxes. It is what it is. Sure, I sometimes feel nostalgic for that innocent boyhood joy of having a .22 kit gun. Usually, such feelings are eclipsed by the happiness and practical sense of what I carry instead today.

Like ratshooter, I'm more likely to be carrying a .32-caliber revolver for general purposes these days. The relatively recent .327 Federal Magnum really broadens the range of application.
 
Just a surmise, but I would say that, in days past, your biggest threat might have been a snake, raccoon or some other small animal. In today's world the threat has escalated to large two-legged animals.
 
but I would say that, in days past, your biggest threat might have been a snake, raccoon or some other small animal. In today's world the threat has escalated to large two-legged animals.
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I'd agree with this, but add that no matter what the actual most likely threat is, the biggest perceived threat is other people.

So more folk are choosing to carry a gun felt to be effective for personal defense, which, will also do other camp chores as needed.
 
A Glock costs the same and doesn't weigh much more than a Bearcat, and especially for the increase in firepower.

The .22 ammo situation is somehow still absurd, but common centerfire pistol calibers are widely available and affordable.

And, if you already have a defensive pistol, you might as well bring it into the woods instead of springing for an additional pistol.

If you aren't going to be picking off rabbits and squirrels, it makes a lot of sense.
 
Thank you for the responses. It seems as if the change was motivated by a combination of things.


1. legality (more restrictive gun laws)
2. economics (why buy another gun when you already have a SD gun)
3. psychology (changing perception of the threat level)


So then, back to the original question. Have .22 kit guns become passe' in modern culture?
 
I still take a Ruger MK II or 22/45 when I go for a walk in the woods. Yes, it isn't a great defense gun, but its fine for a hike, and a stop for a little plinking. You do need to be more careful where you shoot today. I have a CCW permit, so I can actually keep a gun in my tackle box, but prefer it on my hip.

Yes, times have changed and the days of just carrying a gun anywhere are over. Police are looking for excuses to bust you, and don't cut you breaks like they used to.
 
It is not just a cost thing. My dad and most of the other guys in his school used to carry their rifles with them to school and lay them in the unused watering trough behind the school. Near the barn door at almost every farm there was a loaded .22 rifle of some type to deal with rodents. Nearly everyone owned a gun of some type and many of them had a small .22 for knock about duty. No one cared that you tossed this in your truck seat, in the tractor toolbox, in the tacklebox, whatever.

There has been a change in culture and gun ownership. Want to carry a gun in most states? There is a procedure to go through that takes time and effort. Gun safety has gone from teaching children about safe handling to locking them away, concealing them, cable locks, and various other things. A loaded gun in public is taboo. We no longer hear about teaching gun safety (it was literally taught in schools just a generation or two ago) and now talk about responsible gun ownership which means locking them away not just from toddlers who should not know better but from everyone.

Now only the "most" dedicated bother to get the proper licensing to carry a handgun. Only the "gun people" bother to deal with the duties of responsible gun ownership.

While there has been some shift from the "trail gun" I think it becomes a bit exaggerated. Many of the people who, in years past, would have carried a trail gun without thinking about it have simply given up on carrying a gun at all.
 
* * * It seems as if the change was motivated by a combination of things:
1. legality (more restrictive gun laws)
2. economics (why buy another gun when you already have a SD gun)
3. psychology (changing perception of the threat level)
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Yes, on 2) & 3) ... Not sure I follow on 1).

If anything, gun laws, especially regarding concealed carry, and more recently open-carry, have become way less restrictive. This is especially true in state and federal parks and in wilderness areas, where carrying a pistol on your person, concealed or otherwise, had been banned (in theory) for decades.

Yes, some areas are still firearms-restrictive, but the trend over the last 20+yrs has been to allow law-abiding citizens to carry when and where their discretion dictates (with certain designated "zones" remaining firearms-prohibitive, which varies by state).
 
Hello agtman,,,

If anything, gun laws, especially regarding concealed carry, and more recently open-carry, have become way less restrictive. This is especially true in state and federal parks and in wilderness areas, where carrying a pistol on your person, concealed or otherwise, had been banned (in theory) for decades.
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If you look at the time frame that Kit Guns were the thing,,,
I believe you will see what was meant by that "legality" statement.

Kit guns were very popular pre WW-II and into the early post war years,,,
Back then no one questioned a camper or a fisherman with a small handgun in his kit.

But by the end of the 50's and into the early 60's,,,
Gun laws had started to make it more restrictive to have one in your kit.

I agree with your statement of how laws now are loosening up a bit,,,
But when Kit Guns were at the height of their popularity,,,
There simply weren't that many prohibitive laws.

Aarond

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