Recommendations for 22 Pistol

[poobear]

What about a 22 mag. revolver. It has more fire power and you can get one of the small purse revolver. I see them all the time at gun shows for under $200. I carry one when riding motorcycles for protection. Not real accurate but it will get there attention. I fire it quite a lot and have got rather good with it up to about 25 yrds. but it did take practice. My daughter just loves it because of its size. Just adding my 2 cents here.

[Erich]

"Shot placement is king, adequate penetration is queen; everything else is pins and angels."

Close enough, amigo!

[Bigfoot62]

If you want a revolver, I would agree with graehaven. Look at the S&W. The "Airweight" is a 5-shot .38 with an enclosed hammer. Click HERE to see one. With light target loads, it won't be much more muzzle blast or recoil than a .22. And, later, when she's more comfortable with it, you can upgrade to +P loads.
Ruger has just introduced a similar light weight revolver in .38 special.Look here.

Personally, I like the Kel-Tec and Ruger LCP in .380 auto. But, I would not recommend it for a novice. Although the Kel-Tec in .32acp is managable, and still more effective than a 22.

JMHO

[showme 22]

I agree a 22 is not the best defense weapon, but if it is still considered try to find a S&W 2213-2214. They are small and very relieable. They have a slide that is very easy to rack . The perfect pistol for a small framed lady.
Regards Coop

[Hankster]

Forte said....
"He didn't say [i]that[i/], as much as he wasn't sure if he wanted to go revolver or semi-automatic."
Unquote..

Toche'!!! You got me...I had to re-read it and missed that point! That said....I find for "newbies"..the racking the slide, remembering to flip off/back on a safety etc can not only lead to a "nonfunctional" gun in time of NEED (panic/forget safety/pull trigger/nothing happens) deal...to the equally bad shoot gun, then in a "panic/emotional rush"... forget to reapply the safety, and have an AD!!!
The revolver (DA), for a new to guns shooter bypasses all the possible pitfalls, thus my anti-semi stance in this post. Pull it, point it, pull the trigger. Done. No safety issues in either direction!! Shooter and bystanders are safer! Finger off the trigger/out of the guard..gun is totally safe!
Now, once she gets comfy with it all....introducing a semi can be the next learning step. But I always recommend starting with safe,foolproof, and easy.

Then again, this is just my humble opinion. Yours may vary!

[Kieran McCaig]

I think 45nut is right go with the 5 shoot 38 detective special know someone with one nice little gun easy to use and compact

[Bill DeShivs]

Let her pick out her gun. That said, you could steer her toward the Keltec P32 (NOT the P3AT! The .32 has little recoil, is very accurate, and reliable. The gun is D/A only and is as safe and easy as a revolver to operate. My wife carries one, and so do I.

[fleetwood1976]

I would suggest a double action revolver if she has not handled guns. Women have always liked something they can grab and pull the trigger. I would suggest a bigger caliber but less power, ie, 38 s&w or 32 s&w long. My wife prefers 38 special through a model 19 smith. But then again she likes a taurus .410 judge for home protection. If you have a range that rents guns try them out and let her see what she likes.

[johnlives4christ]

get her a smith 317 8 shot 22. have someone work on the action. i'd do it for you free if you visit with the gun

[glocknut]

Originally Posted by brentfox

Hey Guys and Girls, I need a recommendation for a good carry gun for a small lady. She's only about 5" 2" weights only 102 pounds. Now this is important. She's never fired a gun in her life. So I thought - 22 LR. Little recoil, little blast, little noise. I like revolvers but, its been my experience that the trigger pull, or pulling back the hammer on a revolver requires more power than she has. Next option, automatic which I fell is more dangerous for a first time shooter. Lighter trigger pull (Gun Goes Bang). Also, 22's automatic's jam way to much for me. So, I am hoping one of you 22 experts will lead me to the perfect gun.

Thanks for any advice.
BrentFox

First off... Welcome to the Forum!!!!!!!!

Secondly, if you love her....get her to carry something bigger than a little 22... Preferably a 9mm or larger. And get her to practice too!

Cha chinggggg

mike
gn

[xwad]

North American Arms makes small pocket .22 single-action revolvers that would be good in that situation.

[whip]

I'm not a .22 lr fan for self defense but I had an Uncle that carried a small Berretta for years. Claimed it was always with him and easy to carry. He swore by the realiability of the little gun and claimed it was very accurate.

I think any gun is better than no gun when you really need one. That said a 9mm or larger would be a better deal given the choice but I would take a .22 over a .25 any day. I work on an ambulance and .22s do some nasty twisting around inside a body cavity. I have seen a .25 hit that traveled around a person's body cavity from point blank range never penetrated just ran under the skin.

[ninjatoth]

I think someone needs at least a .380 for defense.I might be concerned about the reliability of .22 ammo to cycle right in a pistol.A little revolver would be alot better if you are dead set on a .22.It will shoot the really high velocity stuff well and if you get a misfire,so what just keep pulling the trigger.

[bluesea112]

There is an option for you that I have not seen anybody post. Leinad Double Barrel Derringer 45/410. If she carries this little double barrel with two 3" 410 shells loaded with 000 Buckshot, her accuracy will not matter. Just one squeeze of the trigger will cover an area 5 feet wide at 20 feet and it has the knock down power to put Hulk Hogan flat on his back. If the bad guy twitches, she still has a second barrel full of .30 Buckshot to send his direction. Heck, she could have her eyes closed and just point it in his general vicinity and hit him.
PRICE - $175.00 Brand New (No special license or tax stamp from Himler's thugs required)

[DBMJR1]

Regarding a light weight .38.

I have a Colt Cobra. It has an alloy frame, steel cylinder, and barrel. It's pocket light.

It is not rated for +P loads. I carry Hornady .38spl critical defense ammunition.

I love my Colt, but make no mistake. It has serious recoil. It's light frame results in massive muzzle flip, and I'm not a small fellow. It is not hard on the hands, but it is VERY loud.

I would NOT recommend it for a first time weapon.

Instead, I would suggest something heavier, like a SP101, in .357, loaded with good self defense .38 spl. ammunition.

The only reason I would hesitate to recommend a .22, is reliability. Rimfire primers will never be as reliable as centerfire primers. If a rimfire is what you decide is best for her, STAY AWAY FROM ANY REMINGTON AMMUNITION. It has the highest failure rate of any rimfire ammo.

Just my two cents.

[outburst402]

Originally Posted by oscarmayer

agreed a 22 isn't a caliber of choice buy most threats are stopped by the pulling out of a firearm.thugs prey on the weak and frail when a counter threat is posed to them they beat feet in alot of cases. a 22 in the hands of a trained shooter ( aim for the face) will stop a vast majority of any possible threats. more people killed with a 22 than any aother caliber and at one time the caliber of choice for the israeli mossad. not to be discounted. ask yourself this, would you be willing to take a hit with a 22 at 10 feet ? most sane people would answer no.

ALL sane people should answer no!!

[johnlives4christ]

for a 22 i would suggest a revolver, a smith 317 maybe. if someone worked on it properly the trigger could be made easier. what you might consider is a sig mosquito too. my wife can operate the controls on one of those without problems. be she cannot rack the slide on most others and cannot pull double action triggers very well. although i haven't had any experiance with the mosquito

[Doc1911]

If you desire a perfect 22 - or near to it - a Model 41 S&W is the gun. However, it is too large for carry. My wife uses a Glock 30 - 45 ACP. Woman can use larger calibers VERY effectively.

I would step up to at least a 380 or 9mm. Go to a rental shop (or a friend) and let her fire various weapons. Then consider the maximum caliber that he can get good shot placement with and run with it.

[mrkirker]

.380 in whatever frame fits her hand, and tickles her fancy.
"2¢"

[BETH]

Walther p22 is perfect for a women, if she tries it she won't want anything else

[skoda]

Kel-tec P- 32 or Bersa .32 or 380, both are fairly light, reliable and manageable.

[dhbvino]

Originally Posted by CampingJosh

For reliability and accuracy in a .22 autoloader, you're looking at a Ruger Mk III (or other from the series). Unfortunately, they're not lightweight: you're looking at 37 ounces or more.

There are some .22s that are specifically designed for concealed carry, but I have very little experience with these. Beretta makes one, their Tomcat model (link). I've heard good things about it. Taurus also makes a number of various .22 pistols (link), but they seem to be based off the Beretta design (from what I can tell).

I can tell you that both the SIG Mosquito and Walther P22 are fun to shoot on the range or plinking in the backyard, but they're both big for the cartridge. Also, neither is a target gun by any stretch (with the accuracy edge going to the SIG).

Your best bet will likely be to get to a range with several rental guns and let her try it out.
If her hand isn't strong enough to pull a double-action revolver trigger, you can have a gunsmith lighten it up a bit.
Also, have her squeeze a tennis ball in her hand. If she squeezes for 10 seconds, then rests 10 seconds, and constantly repeats, her hand strength will build up very quickly. She can do this while watching TV, reading, etc.

My P22 outshoots my Sig considerably and I am a SIG lover. I use the CCI mini mag as recommended....any suggestions. I keer her well oiled. Also failures to feed frequently with both springs. Guin is oiled as recommended