God Family and Guns Best .22 Semi Handgun

Over the last few months we've seen the launch of new handguns chambered for .22 LR that sport the same looks and features as eye-burn handguns designed for daily concealed acquit. The models I've had a chance to work with so far include the compact Taurus TX22 semi-automatic pistol, the pocket-size Ruger Calorie-free Rack LCP II, Kel-Tec's P17 semi-automatic and the Taurus 942 eight-shot snubnose revolver. But modest, easy-to-conceal .22s have been around for quite some fourth dimension, including the Beretta 21 Bobcat, Ruger'south SR-22 pistol and LCR rimfire revolver, Smith & Wesson's M&P 22 Meaty and Walther's P22, to proper noun just a few.

From acme left: Taurus TX22, Ruger Light Rack LCP Ii, Kel-Tec P17 and Taurus 942

With and then many easy packing .22s on the market, 1 might assume that they are a pop option for personal protection. However, professionals in the self-defense community near universally pan the use of small rimfires for cocky-defense. I've heard some go and so far equally to say that those who choose a rimfire over a center-fire model are lazy, ignorant or only plain don't care about protecting themselves properly. Manufacturers say these fiddling guns are made for "sporting purposes but" just at that place's no uncertainty that they are being pressed into service as defensive options. I know this considering people I believe to be attentive, informed and focused on self-defense force have told me they carry .22s. Holster makers are on board also with models for in-the-waistband (IWB), pocket and purse deport.

These .22s fit neatly into a variety of readily available curtained conduct holsters.

If you feel like y'all're getting mixed messages here, you're not lonely. On the one hand, gun manufacturers wouldn't be producing then many of these small .22s if there wasn't a demand for them. On the other hand, compact .22s are regularly denounced as inferior defensive tools. That's why I wanted to take a few minutes and walk through the positive qualities that brand .22 LR pistols an attractive option for cocky-defence force along with the disadvantages of the platform then that you can make a more than informed conclusion.

Crossbreed Holsters offers fits for the Taurus TX22, including the Purse Defender and Freedom Carry IWB models shown here.

Advantages of .22 LR Handguns
I'll be the first one to say that there's a lot to love about .22s. It'due south difficult to enlarge the popularity of the .22 LR cartridge among American shooting enthusiasts. A few years agone, ane of the major rimfire armament manufacturers reported that they had expanded their product capabilities from approximately 3 billion rounds to v billion rounds per year to meet the high customer demand at that time. And that was just i of several manufacturers and importers.

Styled later popular meaty nine mm pistols, the Taurus TX22 provides a textured grip, gainsay sights and a xvi+1 armament capacity.

One of the factors that drive its popularity is the .22's low cost. It's the least expensive rifle or handgun ammunition 1 can purchase with cartridges costing somewhere between $0.05 to $0.20 per shot, when need isn't through the roof, and depending on the quality of the load. Compare that to the ix mm semi-automatic cartridge, which is currently one of most popular and affordable center-burn down pistol rounds in the earth. It can run between $0.xix to $1.00 per circular. The savings that come with shooting .22 LR tin can add up rapidly.

Ruger's Lite Rack LCPII is a clone of the company's popular pocket-size .380 ACP. Information technology ships with ane x-circular magazine.

The .22 LR is as well a favorite because of its low recoil and soft report. Its mild mannered shooting characteristics make it easy to practice with. It's a terrific selection for new shooters who are mastering the basics or seasoned enthusiasts looking to hone their skills. The handguns chambered for this cartridge tend to be affordably priced and low-cal weight making them fifty-fifty more pleasant to piece of work with. Most folks who participate in shooting endeavors have a .22 LR rifle of some sort as well. This allows your handgun and long gun to be fed from the same boxes of cartridges in order to reduce ammunition costs even more than.

Limitations of .22 LR Handguns
The .22 LR has two noteworthy limitations for personal protection applications, both of which are cervix-and-cervix for first place on the listing: reliability issues and effectiveness. Allow's start with reliability.

The .22 caliber rimfire cartridge is amidst the oldest designs still in common employ. Its design dates back to the 1850s with the release of the .22 Short. Over fourth dimension, the cartridge length and bullet weights were modified and optimized into the .22 Long Burglarize (LR) round nosotros know and dear today. They are called rimfire cartridges considering the priming compound that ignites the powder is spun into the interior of the cartridge's hollow rim. A modest portion of the rim is struck and compressed by the firing pin to ignite the priming compound.

.22 LR ammunition is bachelor in a broad range of brands, bullet weights, bullet velocities and quality levels. Information technology's important to test your pistol with a variety of loads to meet which ones information technology will burn down reliably.

Despite the advances in manufacturing processes and materials, rimfire cartridges fail to fire more frequently than heart-fire cartridges. Information technology's but a less reliable cartridge pattern that has been abandoned with larger rounds. Inconsistencies, or gaps, in the primer compound prevent the powder from igniting when the firing pin strikes. When working through a 500-round bulk box of .22 LR ammunition, it's not uncommon to find a half dozen or more duds in the box. But at $0.05 a shot, it'due south still a bargain and non much of an inconvenience at the shooting range. High quality loads tend to be more reliable than practice grade loads only the increased likelihood of a failure to fire or jam remains.

From left: .357 Mag., .38 Spl., .22, ,.380 ACP, 9 mm, .40 Due south&W, .45 ACP

This brings the states to effectiveness. The photo here shows half dozen popular center-fire handgun cartridges, commonly used for cocky-defence, next to the .22 LR. If the diminutive rimfire circular looks outclassed in this line up, that's because it is. Make no mistake, the .22 LR is a potentially lethal round that should exist taken seriously and treated with the same respect as any other cartridge. However, it launches small lightweight bullets with powder charges designed for 16" to 20" rifle barrels. Every bit a result, the already pocket-size bullets lose a practiced deal free energy when fired from two" to 4" butt handguns. Hollow betoken bullets which expand when fired from a rifle normally don't expand on impact when fired from a handgun.

In that location's a good bargain of science that goes into agreement the minutiae of how bullets work and the effects they produce. Suffice it to say that larger, heavier bullets traveling at higher velocities produce a greater impact on the target than smaller, lighter bullets moving at lower velocities. 1 of several parameters used to measure bullet functioning is how hard they hit the target. This impact energy is measured in pes-pounds (ft.-lbs.). The following list shows the range of bullet energy levels produced by the 4" barrel Taurus TX22 compared to the aforementioned six center-fire loads seen higher up:

.22 LR:                 79 to 113 ft.-lbs.                 (Taurus TX22, 4.00" Butt)
.380 ACP:            140 to 180 ft.-lbs.              (Walther CCP M22, three.54" Barrel)
.38 Spl: 296 ft.-lbs..                        (Ruger SP101, 2" Barrel)
9 mm: 282  to 355 ft.-lbs.            (Girsan MC28, iv.00" Barrel)
.40 S&W: 402 to 472 ft.-lbs.             (SIG Sauer P226, four.twoscore" Butt)
.45 ACP: 360 to 434 ft.-lbs.             (Girsan MC1911 ME, 5" Butt)
.357 Magazine.: 410 to 624 ft.-lbs.              (Ruger SP101, 2" Barrel)

How do you compensate when defending yourself with a less stiff cartridge? The common strategy is to be prepared to burn boosted rounds. Few assailants are able to ignore a cluster of centre-of-mass bullet strikes no matter what caliber the handgun may exist. And .22 LR handguns lend themselves to better shot placement due to their low recoil.

Notwithstanding, having to fire additional shots to cease a threat comes with its ain limitations. The outset ane is fourth dimension. The longer it takes to terminate the confrontation, the greater the opportunity an assailant will have to crusade harm to you or others. In addition, every shot fired has a personal liability sticker fastened to it. You are responsible for the damage you cause. More rounds in the air means an increased possibility of a bullet missing its intended target and hit something, or someone, else.

In short, larger and more than powerful cartridges tend to end confrontations more quickly with fewer shots fired than smaller, less powerful cartridges.

Useful for Self Defense or Not?
At this point, some folks will be wondering if I'm promoting or condemning .22 LR pistols every bit defensive tools. I don't believe that sorting out which option is "the best" i is always a 100 percent black-and-white proffer. All defensive handguns are an do in compromise when it comes to size, weight and power level. It'southward also important to remember that concealed firearms, similar whatever other tool that'southward at manus when an emergency situation suddenly arises, provide their carriers with options, non solutions.

The Kel-Tec P17 has an affordable price of $199.99 and ships with three 16-round magazines.

A compact 5-shot .38 Spl. revolver you lot shoot well at 7 yards provides a different set of options than a mid-size 13-shot nine mm pistol you can impress tight groups with at 20 yards. A minor 11-shot .22 LR pistol you lot're willing to carry daily and exercise with regularly provides you lot with a different set of options than not carrying a gun at all. This means that the key to understanding which handgun is best for your particular needs and preferences is doing your homework and then as to understand the advantages and limitations that each model and ammunition combination has to offer.

I continue to stick by the common grooming communication that an individual should carry the most potent defensive handgun they can operate safely and practice with regularly. However, I do concede that there are times when it makes sense to turn to rimfires for personal protection. Physical limitations due to historic period, injury or infirmity may make center-fire levels of felt recoil difficult or impossible for an private to manage. It may be that a .22 is the only gun you currently have access to or, if you own a limited number of firearms, you may opt to stage your trusty .22 as a back-up to a chief heart-burn handgun, burglarize or shotgun.

The viii-shot Taurus 942 snubnose revolver is available in all-steel or lightweight aluminum frame configurations chambered in .22 LR or .22 Mag.

Again, using a .22 LR pistol for self-defense is not an optimal option. But if yous do choose to use i, please go on the post-obit recommendations in listen:

• Keep the pistol spotlessly clean and well lubricated for increased reliability. Rimfire pistols are peculiarly sensitive to fouling from the shooting range and linty build up from pocket or pocketbook carry. They should not exist carried or staged for home defense when dirty.
• Test the ammunition you're planning to acquit thoroughly.

I would want to see at least 200 rounds of a given load fired reliably through the gun, more if possible. Some guns don't shoot well with certain brands of ammunition (you won't know until you lot try them) while others adopt certain bullet weights or bullet velocities. Check the owner'south transmission or call the manufacturer to come across if they have whatsoever restrictions or recommendations for which ammunition to use.

•  Use but high-quality ammunition.

Avoid less-expensive bulk box loads intended for exercise and plinking. When I take .22s jam upwardly during a typical gun test, before the gun is excessively dirty, it is about always a bulk box load with a bad primer or a lite powder charge that causes the problem. Salvage the bulk loads for the range and comport the good stuff.

•  Exist mentally and physically prepared to fire follow-up shots.

All handgun calibers, rimfire and center-burn down alike, can fail to stop a threat with the offset shot fired. It'south not uncommon in a defensive situation to need to fire follow-up shots, especially when using a less powerful cartridge. Seek out proper defensive handgun training and be sure to contain follow-up drills into your practice sessions.

Featured Handguns and Holsters:

Taurus USA TX22, MSRP: $349
Taurus U.s. 942 Revolver, Stainless Steel, MSRP  $408.33
Ruger LCPII Low-cal Rack, MSRP: $349 (Pocket Holster Included)
Kel-Tec P17, MSRP: $199
Crossbreed Liberty Carry IWB Holster, MSRP: $64.l
Crossbreed Pocketbook Defender, MSRP: $49.95
De Santis Inner Piece two.0 IWB, $41.99
Galco Scout 3.0 Potent Side or Cross Draw IWB $89.00

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Source: https://www.nrawomen.com/content/do-22-lr-pistols-make-sense-for-self-defense/

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