Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You can practice a hip swing to get the long coat out of the way as you draw. The weight of a few extra rounds (or cell phone, etc.) in that side coat pocket will help it to swing clear.
Some trivia for everyone. The .22 is actually the Mafia assasination weapon of choice (not, contrary to the movies, the tommy gun). The reason is that it is easily silenced.
Also the military and intelligence agencies. They rely on the element of surprise to get that lethal shot and escape undetected. That's a very special situation however. A .22 is just not advisable as a self defense cartridge. If it's all you've got, sure, use it; aim COM or groin. Please, please don't go griz hunting with it...
I do believe the most advisable caliber would be the one you can hit most frequently with. five shots on target with a .22 is better than none with a .40.
I do believe the most advisable caliber would be the one you can hit most frequently with. five shots on target with a .22 is better than none with a .40.
As Massad Ayoob quoted a veteran LEO in his book The Truth About Self Protection, "I'd rather be missed by a .45 than hit by a .22."
And as Jeff Cooper said many times, "The gunfight is not won by the first shot, but by the first hit." I seem to remember that Bill Hickock also said something similar to this.
So why not practice so you can hit with a .40? or a .38? Does it make sense to accept a downgrade in stopping power up front because you are too poor/too lazy/too apprehensive to learn your pistol?
Are you saying that a .22 is the best caliber for people who refuse to become competent in firearms?
OK, I''l buy that, but its not much of an endorsement.
This thread has taken a fun turn. Its perilously close to a 'best firearm that's least like a firearm' advice column
So why not practice so you can hit with a .40? or a .38? Does it make sense to accept a downgrade in stopping power up front because you are too poor/too lazy/too apprehensive to learn your pistol?
Are you saying that a .22 is the best caliber for people who refuse to become competent in firearms?
OK, I''l buy that, but its not much of an endorsement.
That, my friend, comes close to being a personal opinion. I don't think anyone here is advocating "accepting a downgrade for poverty's or laziness' sake". Instead, I think the motto being expressed is more like "Make the best of what you've got."
Speaking only for me, I would absolutely HATE to confront my wife even if she's armed only with a .22LR pistol, 'cause she's surely gonna eat my lunch for me. Now, I don't arm her with a .22LR, but with a Smith & Wesson Model 19 loaded with .38 +P rounds. The hide of anyone who dares confront her in our domicile is gonna get amply ventilated...
Like Jeff Cooper said, "The gunfight isn't won by the first shot, but by the first hit." And like Massad Ayoob quoted, "I'd rather be missed with a .45 than hit with a .22!"
As Massad Ayoob quoted a veteran LEO in his book The Truth About Self Protection, "I'd rather be missed by a .45 than hit by a .22."
Yes but Ayoob also wrote that "Small caliber weapons simply don't have the 'oomph' to stop a violent human being....I personally draw the line above the marginal 380 ACP and consider the minimums to be 38 special in +P in a revolver and 9mm Luger in semiautomatic pistol" in his The Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry
Yes but Ayoob also wrote that "Small caliber weapons simply don't have the 'oomph' to stop a violent human being...
Yes, he did. So are you saying that being armed with, and knowing how to shoot, a .22LR handgun is no better than being unarmed? Somehow I don't think so.
Once again, our home defense handgun is a Smith & Wesson Model 19 loaded with .38 +P HydraShoks, coupled with the will to use it, and the knowledge of how to use it.
You can practice a hip swing to get the long coat out of the way as you draw. The weight of a few extra rounds (or cell phone, etc.) in that side coat pocket will help it to swing clear.
I cannot say I've ever seen a "hip swing" taught as part of the draw stroke. Sounds like someone needs formal training.
You know, for someone who will not practice much, who may be using the pistol indoors without hearing protection, maybe in low light - something like a .22 automatic pistol with a 6" give or take barrel has a good bit going for it. Load up with Stingers or similar (make sure it will feed them reliably, generally this is not a problem, but check, don't guess...)
One of many caveats on that choice is to engage the target before he comes within arm's reach, such a .22 is relatively easy to grab and pull out of someone's hands, particularly if the hand is not that strong.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I don't think anyone here is advocating "accepting a downgrade for poverty's or laziness' sake". Instead, I think the motto being expressed is more like "Make the best of what you've got."