For those who say a .22 is not a viable self defense choice

[foszoe]

Armed Grandma Uses Gun to Detain Burglar - US News and World Report

 

[TiminMishawaka]

She's lucky to have had such a reasonable home invader.

 

[24Carat]

Armed Grandma Uses Gun to Detain Burglar - US News and World Report

Seriously? That's like saying a starter pistol is a form of self defense. Our a plastic toy gun and a firecracker. Really?

 

[Trigger Time]

I'd use a pair of scissors to defend myself if I had nothing else. A .22 might work but its not something you would want to PLAN on using. Be prepared and get a larger caliber. telling people " hey it's ok to use a .22 for self defense" is Realy doing them a disservice and placing them in danger.

 

[bw8755]

well first you would have to find 22LR ammo......

 

[jesse485]

My issue with .22 isn't power, it's reliability. Centerfire is much more reliable than rimfire.

 

[brotherbill3]

ANY of you recognize this from the article:

The city police chief, Frank Straub, said, "Having a firearm in your home for personal protection, I guess we got to see the value of that last night."

LOL.

If I don't have anything other than a .22 - it is still better than NOTHING. I figure if you've got 8 small holes in your heart - I might have a better chance to fend you off than if not; same for a little old lady - who may not feel confident about hitting her target w/ something bigger.
Only hits count ... usually ...

.22 is lethal; but lacks power, as I've also shot a squirrel 2 falls ago 3x (3 goodhits) and it was still going. ... Just glad I'm not attacked by giant squirrels for my nuts.

 

[jgreiner]

Seriously? That's like saying a starter pistol is a form of self defense. Our a plastic toy gun and a firecracker. Really?

A .22lr nearly killed Reagan, permanently disabled James Brady, and wounded at least one Secret Service Agent. All from a cheap .22 revolver, fired in under 1.7 seconds.

 

[kickbacked]

I dont think anyone disagrees that a .22 isnt deadly. You could probably kill someone with a red ryder bb gun, doesnt mean its going to be my first choice in defense though.

 

[No2rdame]

.22 is better than nothing, but if that's your defense caliber than you better score a head shot every time if you truly want to stop somebody.

 

[Bunnykid68]

I don't want to get shot with an airsoft

 

[KW730]

A .22lr nearly killed Reagan, permanently disabled James Brady, and wounded at least one Secret Service Agent. All from a cheap .22 revolver, fired in under 1.7 seconds.

A .22 was used to kill Bobby Kennedy as well. But advocating for someone to use .22 for self-defense is not a good idea.

 

[Bunnykid68]

A .22 was used to kill Bobby Kennedy as well. But advocating for someone to use .22 for self-defense is not a good idea.

Better than a stick, bb gun, whistle, or mace

 

[AnnieO]

It works against someone sane who doesn't want to be shot at all. But if the BG is a drugged crazy, the outcome would probably be different.

 

[mbills2223]

Seriously? That's like saying a starter pistol is a form of self defense. Our a plastic toy gun and a firecracker. Really?

Huh?

 

[nascarfantoo]

Go Granny, GO!

 

[leftsock]

Granny might not be able to handle anything more powerful than a .22. She might have seriously hurt herself if she had to fire a 12 gauge double barrel shotgun.

 

[srad]

Better than a stick, bb gun, whistle, or mace

Don't forget wetting yourself, puking, or shatting your drawers... chosen methods of self defense as advocated by the University of Colorado.

 

[Hoosier8]

The only reason to advocate against a 22 for self defense is penetration. Police do not use calibers that cannot penetrate an angled windshield.

Other than that, a 22 for close up self defense is just as adequate as just about any handgun. In some cases, a 22 does more damage than other calibers. First, a 22 has a very small front plate area and that is essential for penetration. A 22 can pass through an arm at 100 yards so it can do some damage at 10 to 15 yards.

Reagan was shot with a 22. Bobby Kennedy was shot with a 22 Iver Johnson Cadet Revolver.

You can watch videos of people that have been shot with 38s or 9mm that don't even know they have been shot. I have a friend that has 3 bullets still in him. Placement is king.

No, it's not gonna "blow your head clean off", but it will enter your skull and rattle around and make a perfect mess of your thinkerator.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Huh?

She fired, missed, and the guy sat down and waited for police. He's saying a starter pistol would have had the same affect. The noise and the sight of the gun is what stopped him, the caliber was irrelevant in this instance.

Funny how a miss with any caliber proves anything about its effectiveness.

All that said, my grandmother used a .22 revolver to defend herself. She didn't have to fire a shot, the fellow knew she wasn't bluffing when she told him if his foot hit the top step he was dead. What does that say about the .22? Nothing. What does that, and this article, say about mindset and refusing to be a victim? Plenty.