22lr Concealed Carry - Does a .22 LR pistol make sense for self defense? Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of these compact rimfire pistols.

Over the past few months, we've seen the release of new handguns chambered for .22 LR that have the same look and features as center-fire handguns designed for everyday concealed carry. The compact Taurus TX22 semi-automatic pistol, the pocket-sized Ruger Lite Rack LCP II, Kel-Tec's P17 semi-automatic and the Taurus 942 8-shot snubnose revolver I've had the opportunity to work with so far. But smaller, easier-to-conceal .22s have been around for a long time, including the Beretta 21 Bobcat, Ruger's SR-22 pistol and LCR rimfire revolvers, Smith & Wesson's M&P 22 Compact and Walther's P22.

22lr Concealed Carry

22lr Concealed Carry

With so many easy-packing .22s on the market, one would think they would be a popular choice for personal defense. However, professionals in the self-defense community almost all use small rimfires for self-defense. I've heard some say that those who choose a rimfire over a center-fire model are lazy, ignorant, or simply don't care about properly protecting themselves. The makers say these small guns are made for "sporting purposes only" but there's no doubt they're being pressed into service as defensive options. I know this because people I believe are committed, knowledgeable, and dedicated to self-defense have told me they carry .22s. Holster manufacturers also include models for in-the-waistband (IWB), pocket and purse.

Ruger Lcp Ii .22lr Pistol

If you feel like you're getting mixed messages here, you're not alone. On the one hand, gun manufacturers wouldn't make these small .22s if there wasn't a demand for them. Compact .22s, on the other hand, are routinely condemned as inferior defensive tools. That's why I want to take a few minutes and walk through the positive qualities that make the .22 LR pistol an attractive choice for self-defense, along with the disadvantages of the platform, so you can make a smarter choice. decision.

Crossbreed offers holsters that fit the Taurus TX22, including the Purse Defender and Freedom Carry IWB models shown here.

Advantages of .22 LR Handguns I'll be the first to say that there's a lot to love about .22s. It is hard to overstate the popularity of the .22 LR cartridge among American shooting enthusiasts. Several years ago, major rimfire ammunition manufacturers reported expanding their production capabilities from approximately 3 billion rounds to 5 billion rounds per year to meet high customer demand at the time. that. And it is one of the few manufacturers and importers.

Modeled after the popular compact 9mm pistol, the Taurus TX22 offers structured grips, combat sights and 16+1 ammunition capacity.

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One of the factors driving its popularity is the low value of the .22. This is the cheapest rifle or handgun ammunition, with cartridges costing between $0.05 and $0.20 a shot, when demand is through the roof and depending on the quality of the load. Compared to the 9mm semi-automatic cartridge, it is currently one of the most popular and affordable center-fire pistol rounds in the world. It can run from $0.19 to $1.00 per round. The savings that come with shooting .22 LR can add up quickly.

Ruger's Lite Rack LCPII is a clone of the company's popular pocket-sized .380 ACP. It ships with a 10-round magazine.

The .22 LR is also a favorite because of its low recoil and smooth report. Its gentle shooting characteristics make it easy to practice. It's a great choice for new shooters who want to master the basics or experienced shooters who want to hone their skills. Handguns chambered for this cartridge are affordable and light in weight, making them more pleasant to use. Most people who participate in shooting endeavors own some type of .22 LR rifle. This allows your handgun and long gun to feed from the same boxes of cartridges to further reduce ammunition costs.

22lr Concealed Carry

Limitations of .22 LR Handguns The .22 LR has two significant limitations for personal defense applications, which are neck and neck for first place on the list: reliability and effectiveness issues. Let's start with reliability.

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The .22 caliber rimfire cartridge is one of the oldest designs still in common use. Its design dates back to the 1850s with the release of the .22 Short. Over time, cartridge length and bullet weight were modified and optimized for the .22 Long Rifle (LR) round we know and love today. They are called rimfire cartridges because the priming compound that ignites the powder is fired inside the hollow rim of the cartridge. A small portion of the rim is struck with a firing pin and squeezed to ignite the priming compound.

.22 LR ammunition is available in a wide range of brands, bullet weights, bullet velocities and quality levels. It is important to test your pistol with different loads to see which ones shoot reliably.

Despite advances in manufacturing processes and materials, rimfire cartridges fail to fire more often than center-fire cartridges. This was a less reliable cartridge design that was abandoned with larger rounds. Inconsistencies, or gaps, in the primer compound prevent the powder from igniting when the firing pin is struck. When working with a massive 500-round box of .22 LR ammo, it's not uncommon to find half a dozen or more duds in the box. But at $0.05 a shot, it's still a bargain and not much of a disadvantage at the shooting range. High quality loads are more reliable than practice grade loads but the possibility of fire or jam failure remains.

It brings us effectiveness. The photo here shows six popular center-fire handgun cartridges, commonly used for self-defense, next to the .22 LR. If a small rimfire round seems out of line, that's because it is. Make no mistake, the .22 LR is a potentially lethal round that should be 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. As a result, small bullets lose power when fired from 2" to 4" barreled guns. Hollow point bullets that expand when fired from a rifle generally do not expand on impact when fired from a handgun.

Taurus 942 .22lr Revolver 8rd 2\

There is good science to understanding how bullets work and the nuances of the effects they cause. Suffice it to say that larger, heavier bullets traveling at higher velocities have a greater impact on the target than smaller, lighter bullets traveling at lower velocities. One of several parameters used to measure bullet performance is how hard they hit the target. This impact force is measured in foot-pounds (ft.-lbs.). The chart below shows the range of bullet energy levels produced by the 4" barrel Taurus TX22 versus the same six center-fire loads seen above:

.22 LR: 79 to 113 ft-lbs. (Taurus TX22, 4.00" barrel)

.380 ACP: 140 to 180 ft-lbs. (Walther CCP M22, 3.54" barrel)

22lr Concealed Carry

.38 Spl:              296 ft-lbs.

Taurus Pocket Pistol, 22lr, 2.3\

9mm: 282 to 355 ft-lbs. (Girson MC28, 4.00" barrel)

.40 S&W:           402 to 472 ft-lbs. (SIG Sauer P226, 4.40" barrel)

.45 ACP: 360 to 434 ft-lbs. (Girson MC1911 ME, 5" barrel)

.357 Mag.: 410 to 624 ft-lbs. (Ruger SP101, 2" barrel)

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How can you recover while protecting yourself with a less powerful cartridge? A common strategy is to be prepared to fire additional rounds. Regardless of handgun caliber, few attackers can ignore a cluster of center-of-mass bullet strikes. And .22 LR handguns lend themselves to better shot placement because of their low recoil.

However, extra shots to stop a threat have their own limitations. First is the time. The longer it takes to end a conflict, the greater the opportunity for the aggressor to harm you or others. Plus, each shot has a personal liability sticker attached to it. You are responsible for the damage you cause. More spinning in the air means more chances of the bullet missing its intended target and hitting something or someone.

In other words, larger and more powerful cartridges end up in faster encounters with fewer shots than smaller, less powerful cartridges.

22lr Concealed Carry

Useful for self defense or not? At this point, some people

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