9 Reasons why I carry a .22
Not long ago I posted my experience of carrying my concealed .22 handgun for the first time. Nearly every reader was encouraging and positive. Several, however, encouraged me to trade my .22 in for something in a larger caliber. They rightly pointed out that a larger caliber has greater “stopping power” if I ever have to defend myself. That’s a valid point, and I’m still carrying my Walther P22. Here are my reasons.
- It’s small, lightweight and was reasonably priced. My Walther P22 was a Christmas gift last year from my husband and cost a little over $300. It came with a laser site, which has turned into a terrific cat toy.
- I pray that I am never in a situation that calls for the use of lethal force. However, if that should happen, I have every intention of firing my gun more than once. No, a .22 doesn’t have the stopping power of a .357 or .45, but there’s no law I’m aware of that says you can fire your gun at a bad guy only once. Hey, if you add .22 + .22 + .22 + .22, you end up with a pretty impressive number. ;o)
- The ammo is dirt cheap. A box of 550 rounds costs about $13, and is easy to find.
- The old saying, “Practice makes perfect,” doesn’t apply when it comes to refining your shooting skills. Repeatedly firing a gun incorrectly just reinforces bad habits and wastes good ammo. Since .22 ammo is cheap, I can practice my shooting skills without any guilt about wasting money or worry that I won’t be able to find ammo to replace what I use. I’d rather be extremely skillful with a smaller caliber handgun than so-so with a larger caliber that uses more expensive and possibly hard to find ammo.
- Many professional assassins use .22 pistols. Clearly, they’re on to something.
- A .22 is quiet-ish and has very little recoil.
- If it were lost or confiscated, I wouldn’t weep the same amount of tears as I would upon losing my .40 SigSauer. That’s one sweet firearm. I told my husband it was my new boyfriend. It’s just too big for me to carry.
- Since my .22 is small, it’s easier to find outfits that conceal it completely.
- This particular handgun has made it easy to get used to the feel of concealed carry.
Now, having said all that, I have been looking at and trying small guns in higher calibers. At the range a few weeks ago I tried out a .380 sub-compact revolver. Man! Did that thing pack a punch. To my hand, that is. It’s no fun dreading the aftermath of a powerful recoil when you go to pull a trigger. In a sticky situation, I sure don’t want to think twice about firing because I’m afraid of the recoil. I’m still searching for the right combination of concealability, affordability, comfort, and a higher caliber. Until I find something just right for me, I’ll stick with my .22.
For one opposing viewpoint, and there are a lot out there!, read this. If you’ve been thinking of getting your own Concealed Carry Permit, it’s a weighty decision, not to be taken lightly. Seven Reasons NOT to Conceal Carry is an excellent read.
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Thanks for posting about this again! As I said those months back, I completely agree with your line of reasoning – seven hits with a .22 is far better than seven misses with a .45. That said, not to sound like a broken record, but I would again point out that Walther just launched their PK380 line, which is almost identical to your P22 – you might almost be able to use the same holster for it (though do not quote me on that). The .380 round in a semi-automatic pistol will not have that bad of a recoil, given that some of that recoil will be used up in compressing the guiderod spring and chambering the new round, but the round is typically quite more deadly/damaging than a .22 (also, the revolver you shot – was it a .380 ACP or a .38 Special? The latter can be more energetic, and more of a kick, given its larger overall length (especially in a snubby revolver that lacks the mass to dampen the recoil).) Even better, you could still use your P22 and its dirt-cheap ammunition to practice with and get the trigger time in, and then swap out for the larger caliber for carrying and polishing that practice (you would not believe how popular caliber-swapping rigs are for things like 1911s, Glocks, and AR-15s).
So, again, my advice is worth what you paid for it, but thanks, regardless, for continuing to post on this!
Linoge, at the range the other day, one of the instructors commented that the small .38s hurt HIS hand! This guy weighs probably 50 pounds more than I do, is at least a foot or so taller, and has large, heavy hands. I figure that maybe I didn't do so badly with that particular gun, after all! I'm so partial to Sigs at this point, that I want to explore more of what they offer. Tried their .22LR Mosquito, and fell in love with it.
You knew I had to chime in, didn't you? First of all, let me applaud you for carrying. I don't agree with the "7 reasons not to carry article", but that's beside the point. A bad guy is not going to care too much if you're pointing a .22 or a .40 cal at him. Once he realizes you're armed and wiling to use it, he will likely quit or at least pause long enough to think twice about what he's doing. That extra time will give you the ability to pump several rounds into him if he continues. Your comment about practice is the key. IMHO, nothing beats good practice. Let me recommend the Glock 26 if and when you choose to carry something else. Very soft shooting 9mm with plenty of stopping power with the right ammo and low recoil. Also very easy to carry. Anyway, Walther is a good gun. They also make a PPS in 9mm. I've shot 100 rounds through one and it's very soft shooting. More than $300 though. ($545.) The bottom line is that you carry. There are also some subsonic .22 rounds made by Aguila that are very quiet and larger bullets mean a little more power. Keep carrying Lisa, stay safe. Hope you never have to use it.
Bob, one element in dealing with bad guys is the element of surprise, and you kind of touch on that. Yesterday, I followed a lost dog to its' home, and when it got to its' front door, it turned toward me in an attack mode! I was on the sidewalk about twelve yards from the front door, and nowhere close to being actually attacked, but I was still surprised. I wasn't expecting that reaction from a poor, lost little doggie wearing a pink collar! I figure it's very much the same in a scenario with a bad guy versus an unassuming citizen going about his or her daily routine. They make an aggressive move, and bam! They're facing the muzzle of a handgun. I don't want to count on the element of surprise to the point of naivete, but I do think it probably buys a few moments, at the very least, to the benefit of the concealed carrying citizen. What do you think?
One more comment. I don't really care for Glocks! They're okay and I shoot moderately well with our 9 mm, but they pale in comparison to Sig Sauer. Sorry!
Great article.. My wife just came down and told me she is considering the .22 you discuss here …. But I kind of like the 9mm Smith and Wesson M&P we checked out the other day….. We looked at the compact and she liked it too, but she REALLY liked the full size
Mac, yesterday at the range I tried out a Sig Mosquito .22LR. OMG!!! Tell your wife to give that one a try. It's heavier for concealment with a 1" longer barrel, but what an awesome gun! One issue I have with the Walther is its' heavier trigger pull. It isn't light like a Glock or Sig. With the Walther you either pull it or you don't. There's no halfway point. I found with the Mosquito that my groupings were tighter than with the Walther. So, I may make the switch once the funds are there for one more gun purchase!
)
Of course, it's me again. Can't keep my mouth shut. : X
I have carried a .38 for better than 30 yrs. Congrats on your decision to not be a victim. A word of caution. Make sure the bad guy you plan on shooting really, REALLY deserves it., then DO IT! You're not just scared of him, you're not just mad at him, you're not just frustrated with him, you're SURE he means you or your loved ones harm.
Then, don't warn him, don't talk about it, don't threaten. Just do it. Give him just enough time to get the "oh shit" look in his eye and run. If the look in his eye says "This chick won't shoot a man" do it. If the look in his eye says "OK, now I'm really pissed" do it.
I've carried for over 30 yrs, and I've yet to "do it", but I'm ready to NOT be the one in three women that gets violently assaulted in this country every year.
You go girl! I love to hear about well armed Americans who have the right mind about protecting themselves and their families. I've bought Smith & Wesson and Ruger stock just now with the intention that I can do my part just providing some capital to those who build protection for those in need. We should be putting our money in good places and viciously removing our money from those unproductive places (parts of Hollywood, liberally minded quasi-eco businesses, Soros-inspired whateverzz)… I hope your kids and my kids can meet up on the other side of this horrible mess we are about to go through!!!
I've never shot a handgun before, but my DH got me a Ruger LCP .380 for my birthday. I took it to a ladies only class and fumbled with it for a few brief moments trying to load the clip and rack it. After closely following my instructors advice, I was able to hit my mock-up every time and even completely shoot out the center target! I am completely sold and can't wait for the next class. I am looking forward to learning more and obtaining my CHL in the near future. I HIGHLY recommend for EVERY woman to look around for a class at a local shooting range. There were 6 of us in the class and we ranged from married grandmas to single 40-somethings to unassuming me. We all learned so much and were comfortable being there with all girls, no pressure. I LOVE my little gun (it was the smallest there, by far!) and even though I'd never shot a handgun, it was very easy to handle and my worst shot was only 9 inches off center. And that was my second shot when I winced as I was pulling the trigger! And I, too, vow to never be the 1 in 3!!!
If a 22 is your thing go right ahead. I don't see any problem with it. I have a few myself. they are much more accurate than bigger caliber guns. They are also a lot cheaper to shoot. I have a Ruger single six revolver that is a very useful handgun. It will harvest a lot more groceries than a .45.
After trying a few different .22 handguns, I've found that I am far more accurate with the Sig Mosquito. Maybe it's the additional weight, but I love how it shoots.
Glad you've chosen to carry, and are confident in what you do carry, that alone is a huge factor in not falling victim to a crime. And since the first rule to being in a gunfight is to have a gun, you're set! It bugs me that people say you NEED to carry 9mm/.38spl minimum as a gun, while the truth is a 9mm can be hard to carry due to size, intimidation with recoil, etc. If someone leaves their gun home because they didn't want to carry it, regardless of the gun, a .22 on the person beats a .45 on the night stand. I carry a Glock 19 and find that at times while in summer clothes it can be hard to conceal the gun, and I often feel like not simply carrying it to avoid the hassle; but since it's my only concealable handgun, I carry it whenever I'm out of the house.
Keep up the good writing, it makes for a good read!
By the way, what do you use for carry ammo?
Now that I've tried the Sig Mosquito, that's my new dream firearm. (Never thought I'd hear myself say those words! LOL It shoots like a dream, but is bigger than my Walther. The Glock 19 is my husband's carry, but again, he has to adjust how he dresses, and sometimes that's a problem. As far as ammo goes, I bought some CCI at the range the other day and have that in both my magazines.