22lr Concealed Carry - Do .22 LR pistols make sense for self defense? Here's a closer look at the pros and cons of these compact rimfire pistols.
The past few months have seen the release of new .22 LR pistols that have the same look and feel as centerfire pistols designed for everyday concealed carry. Models I've had the chance to work with so far include the compact Taurus TX22 semi-auto pistol, the pocket-sized Ruger Lite Rack LCP II, the Kel-Tec P17 semi-auto, and the Taurus 942 8-metal pistol. But small, easy concealed .22s have been around for a while, including the Beretta 21 Bobcat, Ruger's SR-22 pistol and LCR rimfire revolver, the Smith & Wesson M&P 22 Compact, and Walther's P22, to name a few.
22lr Concealed Carry
With so many lightweight .22 packages on the market, one would assume it would be a popular choice for personal protection. However, professionals in the self-defense community almost universally embrace the use of handguns for self-defense. I've heard some say that those who choose rimfire over centerfire models are lazy, ignorant, or just don't care about being properly protected. The manufacturers say these small arms are made for "sporting purposes" only, but there is no doubt that they are used as defensive options. I know this because people I trust to be careful, knowledgeable, and focused on self-defense have told me they carry .22s. Holster manufacturers also offer belt carry (IVB), pocket and wallet models.
North American Arms Naa Concealed Carry Combo 22lr, 1 1/8\
If you feel like you're getting mixed messages here, you're not alone. First, gun manufacturers wouldn't be making so many of these little .22s if there wasn't a demand for them. On the other hand, compact .22 calibers are regularly referred to as inferior defensive weapons. So I wanted to take a few minutes and go over the positives that make .22 LR pistols an attractive choice for self-defense, along with the downsides of the platform, so you can make a more informed decision.
Crossbreed Holsters offers models for the Taurus TX22, including the Purse Defender and Freedom Carri IVB models shown here.
Pros of the .22 LR I'll be the first to say that there's a lot to love about the .22. It is difficult to overstate the popularity of the .22 LR cartridge among American shooting enthusiasts. A few years ago, one of the major manufacturers of double-shot ammunition reported that they had expanded their production capacity from about 3 billion rounds to 5 billion rounds per year to meet high customer demand at the time. And this was just one of many manufacturers and importers.
Modeled after popular compact 9mm pistols, the Taurus TX22 features a textured grip, battle sights and a 16+1 ammo capacity.
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One of the factors fueling its popularity is the low cost of the .22 caliber. It is the cheapest rifle or pistol ammo available with cartridges costing from $0.05 to $0.20 per round when demand is not high and depending on the quality of the load. Compare that to the 9mm semi-auto cartridge, which is currently one of the most popular and cheapest centerfire rounds in the world. It can range between $0.19 and $1.00 per round. The savings that come with shooting 0.22 LR can add up quickly.
Ruger's Lite Rack LCPII is a pocket-sized clone of the company's popular .380 ACP. Supplied with a 10 round magazine.
The .22 LR is also a favorite for its low recoil and soft report. Its soft shooting characteristics make it easy to practice. It's a great choice for new shooters learning the basics or experienced shooters looking to improve their skills. Pistols chambered for this cartridge are usually affordable and light in weight, which makes them even more enjoyable to work with. Most people who participate in shooting also have some sort of .22 LR rifle. This allows your pistol and long gun to be fed from the same cartridge boxes to further reduce ammunition costs.
Limitations of the .22 LR Pistol The .22 LR pistol has two major limitations for personal protection applications, both of which are high on the list: reliability and effectiveness issues. Let's start with reliability.
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The .22 rimfire cartridge is one of the oldest designs still in use. Its design dates back to the 1850s with the introduction of the .22 Short. Over time, cartridge length and bullet weight were modified and optimized into the .22 Long Rifle (LR) bullet we know and love today. They are called rim cartridges because the primer mixture that ignites the powder rotates inside the hollow rim of the cartridge. A small portion of the lip is tapped and compressed with a needle to ignite the primer mixture.
.22 LR ammunition is available in a wide variety of brands, bullet weights, bullet velocities and quality levels. It is important to test your gun with various loads to see which one will shoot reliably.
Despite advances in manufacturing processes and materials, rimfire cartridges do not fire more often than centerfire cartridges. It's just a less reliable cartridge design that has been abandoned with larger bullets. Inconsistencies or voids in the primer mix prevent the powder from igniting when the needle strikes. When working through a 500 round box of .22LR ammo, it is not unusual to find a half dozen or more in the box. But at $0.05 per target, it's still cheap and not a huge hassle at range. High quality loads tend to be more reliable than general purpose loads, but there is still an increased chance of misfiring or jamming.
This brings us to efficiency. The photo here shows six popular centerfire pistol cartridges commonly used for self-defense, other than the .22 LR. If the miniature rimfire round seems out of place in this 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 fires small lightweight bullets with powder erasers designed for 16" to 20" rifle barrels. As a result, the already small bullets lose a lot of energy when fired from a 2" to 4" firearm. Hollow point bullets that expand when fired from a rifle usually do not expand on impact when fired from a pistol.
Lr For Home Defense
There is quite a bit of science involved in understanding the details of how bullets work and the results they produce. Suffice it to say that larger, heavier bullets traveling at higher velocities cause more impact on the target than smaller, lighter bullets traveling at lower velocities. One of the many parameters used to measure the performance of a bullet is how hard it hits the target. This impact energy is measured in foot-pounds (ft.-lbs.). The following list shows the range of bullet energy levels produced by the Taurus TX22 4" barrel compared to the same six centerfire loads shown 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)
.38 Spl: 296 ft.-lbs..
Ruger's New Lite Rack Lcp Ii Chambered In .22 Lr
9mm: 282 to 355 ft.-lbs. (Girsan MC28, 4.00" barrel)
.40 S&V: 402 to 472 ft.-lbs. (SIG Sauer P226, 4.40" barrel)
.45 ACP: 360 to 434 ft.-lbs. (Girsan MC1911 ME, 5" barrel)
.357 Mag.: 410 to 624 ft.-lbs. (Ruger SP101, 2" barrel)
Of The Best .22 Pistols For Training And Plinking Fun
How does it compensate when defending with a less powerful cartridge? A common strategy is to be prepared to throw extra rounds. Few shooters can ignore a center-of-mass group of bullets, regardless of caliber. And .22 LR pistols allow for better shot placement due to low recoil.
However, the need for additional shots to stop a threat comes with its own limitations. The first is time. The longer it takes to end the conflict, the more likely the attacker is to harm you or others. Plus, every shot has a personal responsibility sticker. You are responsible for the damage you cause. More bullets in the air means an increased chance of the bullet missing its target and hitting something or someone else.
In short, larger and more powerful cartridges tend to end jams faster with fewer rounds than smaller, less powerful cartridges.
Useful for self defense or not? At this point some people
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