Does anyone else think it's funny when the guy says......

[NorthDallas7]

"Experts out there will tell you that a .22 is useless (for self defense).....but uh.....there's a lot of dead people that could tell you different."

This guy cracks me up. I like that little gun too. He says it just after the 3 minute mark.......it's funny I think:

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[fickman]

Not great for self defense, but it seems like 70% or more of the homicides shown on "The First 48" were accomplished using .22s. Few people doubt their deadliness.

To your main comment, the cliche is tired. There's a handful of cliches that - even if they're true - I could live the rest of my life in peace without hearing again, including the one about the stopping power of a pump action shotgun's racking sound.

[RPB]

I knew a girl who actually had dead people tell her ... well, that's what she said anyway, mostly when she didn't take her medication
with .22, I wonder if hollowpoints actually make any difference; the hole is so tiny. I've wondered for many years but never researched.

Youtiube and the Internets are amazing

[Purplehood]

Nothing is useless if it stops your attacker.

[seamusTX]

There's a handful of cliches that - even if they're true - I could live the rest of my life in peace without hearing again, ...

How about, "That couldn't have happened in Chicago [substitute Washington, NY, etc.] because they don't have guns"?

That might have been sardonic the first 100,000 times it was said, but it's just a little worn out now.

As for the .22, it's deadly enough. The problem is how long it takes. A creep in my neighborhood shot his wife or girlfriend (I forget which) with a .22, and she was in the hospital over a week before she died.

It's not much use as a self-defense weapon if the person that you shot can take it away from you and stomp you before the bullet has an effect.

- Jim

[snatchel]

I would argue that while a .22 makes a good offensive weapon, it is a poor choice for a defensive weapon.

Here is my reasoning:

-If you are in an offensive position of an attack, you are already ahead of the game. You most likely have the element of surprise, and more importantly--time to prepare. As the aggressor, you have time to prepare your mission. If your mission is to kill Joe, you have all the time in the world to prepare for it. You choose the place, time, and method. You can sneak up on Joe and put a bullet directly into the back of his head. For this reason, I would argue that a .22 would be ok. It's not ideal, but you can prepare around it. You know that you only have one chance to pull this off, and all that is available to you is a .22 revolver, so you ensure that the fight is in your favor.

-This contrasts sharply to the defender. The defender has to react in the time allowed by the aggressor, which is obviously a bad position to be in. You basically subconsciously exploit the weaknesses of your attacker and his plan in an infinitely small amount of time. If you are not able to do so, or your plan does not work, you die. This is why it's probably not a bad idea to stack the odds in your favor. You can not prepare for these situations other than basic, all-purpose, general plans. If you are Joe, and you are smart, you get a CHL. You then buy a reliable self defense gun. Ideally, you want your self defense gun to give you odds over the aggressor. You won't have time to react, you will only be able to react in a time/manner that exploits the aggressor's weakness or the weakness in his plan. It would make no sense if you are Joe to prepare by bringing a .22 revolver to counter the aggressor's attack with a .22 revolver. In other words, where the offensive actor can plan around his choice in weapon, the defender can only react to the aggressor.

-So, why be reactive when every single one of us has the opportunity to be proactive?


I'm not sure if this makes sense to any of you.... but there it is.

[seamusTX]

Speaking purely in hypothetical terms, someone who is going to commit a planned assassination might as well use a sawed-off shotgun. The noise level is about the same, and in any case it's 1st-degree murder or capital murder.

Used shotguns are not expensive.

BTW, I never tire of reminding people that John Hinckley Jr used a cheap .22 revolver to nearly kill President Reagan, disable Jim Brady for life, and injure a D.C. police officer.

I would guess that most murders are not planned like an assassination. They are stupid arguments that escalate, probably with the influence of alcohol or narcotics, and the first weapon available is what is used. We just don't hear as much about the deaths and injuries that result from knives, clubs, bricks, and improvised weapons.

- Jim

[snatchel]

I would guess that most murders are not planned like an assassination. They are stupid arguments that escalate, probably with the influence of alcohol or narcotics, and the first weapon available is what is used. We just don't hear as much about the deaths and injuries that result from knives, clubs, bricks, and improvised weapons.

- Jim

Agreed. But even the casual-heat of moment the aggressor still has the advantage.

[seamusTX]

... even the casual-heat of moment the aggressor still has the advantage.

I agree.

The reaction of most people to a murder or assault is, "I can't believe it [happened]"—along with "I never thought he would do that," and "Stuff like that never happens around here." That attitude gives assailants quite an advantage.

- Jim

[recaffeination]

A lot of people are killed by cigarettes but they're not my first choice for self defense.

[Teamless]

Growing up, I know of many deer that were poached (not by me! and not in Texas) that were shot with a .22LR, and dropped dead at 100 yards +.
They are not ideal, but they do work!

[Heartland Patriot]

Seems to me its all about shot placement. However, the smaller the bullet and less powerful the round, the more careful you have to be about shot placement...which is probably not so easy to do in an adrenaline fueled defensive situation. Still wouldn't trust my life to a .22 LR in such a situation.

[fickman]

A lot of people are killed by cigarettes but they're not my first choice for self defense.