Which would you rather trust your life with? .22 LR or .25 ACP

Which would you rather have in a life or death situation?

  • .22 LR

    Votes: 109 67.7%

  • .25 ACP

    Votes: 52 32.3%
  • Total voters
    161
  • Poll closed .
B

Botswana

New member
Mouse gun debate for the micro-calibers.

I've fired .22 LR extensively through semiauto pistols, rifles of all types, and revolvers. I love the round but have never used it in a mouse gun. I recently heard something about the .22 losing some potency when fired through a shorter barrel, but don't know if that's true.

On the other side of the mouse gun equation is the .25 ACP, which is often met with much derision and considered even less powerful then .22 LR, but is that true with the short barrel claim above? I've often thought the ONLY advantage of .25 ACP was that it's centerfire. However, I have never had a primer fail to go off despite firing thousands and thousands of .22 LR rounds.

So which would you have to trust if those were your options?
 
I would and do trust the .22, but it's better in a small revolver so if you do get a bad primer it doesn't hold up the show.

I think the .22 gets a bad wrap because most people shoot the cheapest stuff they can find. I've never had a fail to fire from my CCI mini-mags or Stingers.

Bulk Winchester or Remington can't be trusted when it counts.
 
There's a few different variables. 22LR would be the choice in anything with a 4" barrel or longer. If the 22LR was in a revolver, that's another plus for it. I would only pick a 25ACP pistol if the choices were between two handguns with 2" or less barrels.
 
I have a Colt 1908 pocketlite in .25 and a Taurus PT22 in .22. I really think between the two that the .22 is better because of a wider selection of .22 ammo avalaible. You don't have a lot of choices in the .25 and I have seem penetration with .25 rounds to be lacking. Granted, a full diet of ultra hot .22 ammo in the Taurus it going to take it's tole, but if it saves your life it is worth it.

I admit to having carried both guns from time to time, but since I got an LCP they stay in the safe now.
 
The .25 shoots a heavier bullet at the same, or greater velocity than the .22 lr from a 2" barrel. The fact that it is a centerfire is a big plus. The .25 acp was designed for use in small automatic pistols. The .22 lr was designed as a rifle cartridge, and the heeled bullet allows for much instability in the loading/feeding process.
 
In addition to bullet placement, tactical application plays a big part. Remember Charlie Askins" definition of the belly gun-"You put it against your opponent's belly and pull the trigger!" These are what I would call 10 foot guns. They beat fists, feet and foul language.
 
These guns are not belly guns, they are brain guns. If you are close enough to shoot them in the belly you're close enough to shoot them in the temple or eye socket. Either works for that.

I voted .22 because of the wording of the question and I have yet to see a .25 acp rifle or machinegun.
 
My choice is .25acp because it's centerfire and larger. When shooting my two Walther TPHs back to back, one a .22, the other a .25, the .25 seems to have much nore recoil, more power. If I were to carry one, it would always be centerfire over rimfire.

The .25 bullet is jacketed. Another plus.
 
Last edited:
I have never put either through tests on a chronograph, so I can only state what I surmise from years of reading about them, so take what I say as my best guess and not definitive.

In a short barrel gun, I believe the 25 has the advantage over the 22. Because of the centerfire of the 25, it has another plus.

On a longer barrel pistol (or rifle) the 22 has the edge.

So my conclusion is to stick with the .45acp.:D
 
I voted .25ACP because of my inference of the intent of the OP's question (Botswana did mention "mouse gun" in his post).

In a comparison of the round only in a "life or death" situation, I would love to have my High Standard Citation loaded with 10 rounds of CCI Green Tag, but that would appear to be outside of the OP's parameters.

Best,

Will
 
I think the .22 gets a bad wrap because most people shoot the cheapest stuff they can find. I've never had a fail to fire from my CCI mini-mags or Stingers.

Bulk Winchester or Remington can't be trusted when it counts.
Click to expand...


I agree.

Though I've only been shooting .22lr for over 2 years, Out of about 10 k rounds of CCI ammo- ( most being bulk blazers) I still haven't got one dud.

On the other hand- stay far away from the remingtons if it's reliability ur looking for. Only 2 duds I've experienced so far have been from Remington 38grain subsonic hollowpoints. I've even gotten a a few duds in their centerfire ammo.

To be honest a .25 acp vs a .22lr coming out of the same mouse gun length barrel produce such miniscule differences in energy, that comparing it would equal more wasted efforts.

However I would say that the smaller diameter of the .22lr would give it the edge in penetration. And in this case thats all you can hope for because ur certainly not going to get expansion results at such low velocities (750-900 fps)

For .22lr defence I wouldn't bet my life on anything under CCI Velocitors/ minimags.
 
Last edited:
I voted 22LR, but have carried both. Had a little Taurus PT25 that was a tack driver at 7yds. Besides didn't James Bond carry a 25 Auto in all the Ian Fleming novels?
 
"The .22 lr was designed as a rifle cartridge, and the heeled bullet allows for much instability in the loading/feeding process"
Click to expand...


The heeled bullet part has to be the most bogus crap I've heard. Jesus, where do ya get all this instability crap from:confused:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top