.22 Cal.CCW How Common Really?

[Skeets]

I'm amazed at the responses this subject generates.Guys how popular the .22s? TIA,Skeetsp

 

[JERRYS.]

I knew two that ccw'ed a .22lr as their one and only gun.

 

[JohnKSa]

My guess is that it's not too uncommon for a person's only handgun to be a .22. I know a few folks off the top of my head who only own one firearm--a .22 pistol.

If they're going to carry a pistol, it's not hard to figure what it will be.

I'll bet that not many folks would admit to it on TFL...

 

[CajunBass]

Just a SWAG, but I would surprise me if a lot of people don't carry a 22. They sure do seem to turn up a lot in the NRA "Armed Citizen" column. As John said, I'll bet for a lot of people it's the only gun they own.

My wife used to carry one. I HAVE carried one just because I liked the little gun.

Ideal? No, but it's a lot better than crying and begging please don't hurt me.

 

[osbornk]

My friend, a Special Ops veteran, carries a Taurus PT22 and is comfortable with it. You have no idea what most people carry or if they carry at all.

 

[JERRYS.]

I knew a lady that survived a stabbing (because of her big boobs she joked)... she carried what I think was a 3" charter arms pathfinder but could have been a s&w 34 (I never got that good of a look at it). she later died of alcoholism.

the other one was a lady as well. she carried a walther pp sized .22. I think it was a walther, blued and all the classic lines. she moved back to Europe about 10 years ago.

other than those two, I never knew of anyone that carried a .22 as their primary defensive weapon.

 

[Cheapshooter]

I think there is a big increase in 22 rimfire CCW due to many first time gun owners/CCW licensees. Mostly because of a "fear" of recoil, and sales people guiding them to the lightest recoiling handgun.

 

[22-rimfire]

On the 22Lr subject.... I have carried my LCR for personal defense at times. Or I carry a 38spl revolver and occasionally a Glock 23 depending on the situation and my mood. Never had to use a gun for self defense, so it is not something I think about all the time. I generally feel perfectly fine without any concealed gun at all. There are exceptions of course and most of those are work related.

 

[willr]

There was an article a couple years ago about 22wmr for self-defense in the 'American Rifleman'. It was not entirely negative. In fact in barrels over 1" in length, it compared quite favorably with some of the popular cals. If you can, look it up for info.
willr

 

[tallball]

Nope. Never did, probably never will. I have 380's and 38's that are small enough for CC. No reason to carry anything less effective.

 

[TailGator]

I suspect that it is more common among the general public than it is among people who are gun hobbyists and join gun discussion forums, perhaps by a considerable margin. I have two different friends who won't consider anything except a .22LR in handguns; neither carry on the person, but both have them in their trucks, and both consider snakes to be the biggest threat they will face.

 

[9x18_Walther]

If that is what the person wants or is comfortable with fine.

Just beg them to buy CCI Mini-Mags or similar.

High quality rimfire ammunition is pretty reliable, but if they load their gun with something like Remington Thunderbolt the risk of a FTF is too high.

 

[Salmoneye]

I slip a Jennings J-22 into my pocket on occasion, especially in the summer in cargo shorts...

Tis an early alloy gun; pre-Zamak...

 

[Bill DeShivs]

There is no pre-Zamak Jennings. They are all made the same way-it's what makes them a Jennings.

 

[JohnKSa]

There was an article a couple years ago about 22wmr for self-defense in the 'American Rifleman'. It was not entirely negative. In fact in barrels over 1" in length, it compared quite favorably with some of the popular cals.

Bill Jordan spoke and wrote quite favorably about the .22WMR as a self-defense handgun round.

I think that if Ruger would make a full-sized (3" or longer barrel) LCR chambered in .22WMR it would sell like hotcakes as a self-defense gun to folks who don't like centerfire recoil in a light handgun.

 

[johnwilliamson062]

I don't carry a gun all the time. I often wonder if I would carry more if I purchased a decent small DA 22lr revolver. If one chamber doesn't fire you just pull again. In an 8 shot revolver the chances of having two failures is less than having a failure in most semi-autos, so you have pretty much guaranteed 7 guaranteed shots. That is a whole lot of gun in most domestic situations. Enough for every situation in 99% of our lives.

Of course, I just wish Ohio would let me carry a decent knife with my CCW.

 

[lechiffre]

For a brief time I carried a Beretta 21a. It was the only gun I had at the time.

 

[Lee6113]

Today I'm carrying probably the worst option I could: a cobra derringer chambered in .22lr. It's got two shots and the shells stick in the barrel after being fired.

Why am I carrying this novelty you ask? Because we only own two guns right now with this being the second (I got it for fun, only $100), and my wife has the XD mod2. Also I highly doubt I need to carry at all here, considering the building I'm at has its own security. But I'd rather have something on me than nothing.

Yeah, we're working on getting another cc gun.

 

[Model12Win]

Yeah, we're working on getting another cc gun.

That's a GOOD thing!!

I sometimes carry an NAA mini as a BUG. Not bad guns. A .22 in the face/eyes/throat/nads/ovaries will take the fight out of anyone.

 

[amd6547]

I occasionally slip my Ruger SR22 in my belt with a kydex holster.
This pistol has been perfectly reliable and very accurate. At 12yds, I can rapid fire all 10rds into a space the size of your nose in seconds.
Sure I have bigger calibers I can carry and often do. But I don't feel unarmed with a reliable accurate 22.