.22 as a home defense gun?

[marlin795]

Hey all, as im sure you know I have a Marlin 795 I just bought with a couple of mags. Is this a good home defense gun? I have the 2 mags full if Winchester 40Grain full metal jacket hollow points. If needed will it put someone even a drunk someone on the ground?

[Chinook]

I truly believe, that shot placement is far more important than ballistics when using a .22 for HD. If its all you have, then definetly go with it, and get used to firing at less than 7 yds, and firing out your anchor position. Basically shootin from the hip, but from the shoulder. Both eyes open, referencing the barrel, not necessarily sightin down it...Those HD situations are sometimes at 10 feet, or less once its all said and done. Be safe, and be confident. The .22 will serve its purpose very well if you place your rounds in the right spot. And there again, most BG's will crumble at the first shot, but some might not. So placement, IMHO counts, no matter what size the lead is. As for ammunition. CCI makes the Quik-Shok. A round that seperates into 4 upon impact. It seems like that would do the trick , but its hard to ignore a big, heavy, solid .22 round for sheer energy transfer...The .22 is certainly underrated as a home defense round, and there are lots of options. Do you see yourself using this weapon within the house, or standing at the door making sure the BG never gets inside? Im sure my brain barfs will be followed up with some real good information from others!

I would try to save up a few bucks, and get one of those Law enforcement trade-in 12ga. 870's that they sometimes have at the local gun stores. They are normally beat to hell, but they will jack a shell into the chamber, and blow it out the front every time! I have purchased two "trade-in" 870's for about 150 each, a couple years ago. One still sits in the corner on my side of the bed, while the other is used as a backup, to my backup Waterfowl'r.

[marlin795]

I have a single shot shotgun that sits next to my bed with the .22 I never keep a round chambered so it's a lot faster to pull the bolt on the marlin and be ready to go. I'm debating getting a 870 security though.

[Chinook]

I would prolly keep a round chambered in the single shot as well as keeping the 795 close at hand. Slow intruder down with buckshot at centermass, and follow them to the ground with .22's(?) That seems reasonable i spose for an intruder that made it into the interior of the home. With shotguns. The possibilities are nearly endless, and pretty reasonable, pricewise anyways.

[3/2 STA SS]

Are you a sound sleeper? Have a good flashlight handy. Any of the Surefires work nicely. Any firearm will work if there is a stranger in your home and you have laws like we do in Florida they won't be living long in your home.

[AL MOUNT]

If you pop a cap on a BG,

he's not gonna try to figure out what calibur it was.

Any high velocity .22 (below neck shot) would go thru a druggie

so fast that it might not register with him he's been shot

for a couple of (precious) seconds.

I would reccomment an 18.5 in. double barreled hammered 12ga. shotgun

with nothing smaller than #6s.

Good for BGs, druggies, snakes & zombies.

Hammers are safer when left uncocked (IMHO) and make

an attention getting noise in the dark...

[jack404]

Originally Posted by AL MOUNT

If you pop a cap on a BG,

he's not gonna try to figure out what calibur it was.

Any high velocity .22 (below neck shot) would go thru a druggie

so fast that it might not register with him he's been shot

for a couple of (precious) seconds.

I would reccomment an 18.5 in. double barreled hammered 12ga. shotgun

with nothing smaller than #6s.

Good for BGs, druggies, snakes & zombies.

Hammers are safer when left uncocked (IMHO) and make

an attention getting noise in the dark...

.22, double taps

12g shotgun , no need for the double

all good ,

use what you got , practise, practise , practise

you'll do ok if you keep a level head

[gunplumber]

Well.......it beats a rock. I am often asked why I carry a .45; my answer is because it's illegal for me to carry a .46..........if you're gonna insist that I shoot your dumb ass, I would rather do it once or MAYBE twice than have to unload my weapon to get you to stop.

[JLA]

prescription strength..

[JLA]

I did a thread a while back on various .22LR HP from a pistol and their performance as far as accuracy and expansion are concerned. Anything from a pistol will be better from a rifle in a defensive situation..

http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?t=90400

And when youre shooting to kill with a sub caliber, forget the centermass school of thought. Aim for the eyes and nose. Youve gotta hit the T to destroy the apricot. and destroying the apricot turns the computer off.

[Old Grump]

Correct me if I am wrong but the Marlin 795 only shoots 22 LR.

40 gr hp plated bullets, (not FMJ) are magnums.

Hollow points in any case are not an optimum bullet for shooting people in a SD situation because if you hit bone you will have a penetration problem. You want the solid 40 gr bullet even if it is going a little slower.

You do not pop a cap on a badguy, that only happen in comic books and bad movies with terrible dialogue. You shoot people and it is a nasty messy proposition, not a video game.

Shoot apricots if you wish but if you are shooting apricots you will piss piss off the grocer whose fruit you just ruined.

As to the OP question, Is it a good Home Defense gun? If it is the only gun you have then it is the best gun. It is not a good one but it will kill and it doesn't matter if it is a brain shot or a heart shot. It might be fast or it might be slow and painful, but more than likely he will survive unless you feel like just standing there and shooting more holes into him till you run out of ammunition. That may be hard to explain to the District Attorney.

You might want to stand around and watch him bleed for awhile to gauge the effectiveness of your shooting. Don't worry, unless he is high on meth or something equally stupid he won't be trying to take your gun away and beat you with it. He will be messing his pants and bleeding on your living room floor. This is not a game.

[marlin795]

Maybe there 38G I don't remember. Their .22LR though. It'll be my home defense gun till I get a better shotgun. My old H&R hurts and I'm afraid to pull the trigger half the time.That thing even wit a 3" butt pad hurts really bad and leaves bruises.

[marlin795]

Originally Posted by gunplumber

Well.......it beats a rock. I am often asked why I carry a .45; my answer is because it's illegal for me to carry a .46..........if you're gonna insist that I shoot your dumb ass, I would rather do it once or MAYBE twice than have to unload my weapon to get you to stop.

Great comment lol. Trust me when I turn 21 I'm getting a .45 Glock. No need to shoot more than once.

[JLA]

Just get you an inexpensive reliable ol mossberg 500 or a rem 870 pump shotgun from walmart or the pawnshop. The single shot hurts only when you shoot it willingly at the range. In a HD situation I doubt youd even feel the recoil because youd be so hopped up on adrenaline. But for HD, any weapon is better than no weapon. the .22 will do til you get something more suitable, but until then. practice, practice, practice. and get you some B27 silhouettes to practice on so you can train your mind to target the human outline. any round hitting within the 8 ring is considered combat accurate, and thats a pretty big damn area, even at 25 yds. which is 2X the distance youd likely shoot someone in your home.

[3/2 STA SS]

Originally Posted by marlin795

Great comment lol. Trust me when I turn 21 I'm getting a .45 Glock. No need to shoot more than once.

Just make sure you hit what you are aiming at...I have seen people MISS with a shotgun a close range.

[3/2 STA SS]

Originally Posted by JLA

prescription strength..

Ours was always ''two to the body and one to the head''. Every time.
Better to shut down the heart first from my experience.

[Buffalochip]

I think you are asking for validation that a .22 is a good choice. It IS NOT the ideal HD weapon, although in the right hands or if you are lucky it will suffice. I remember reading not too long ago in Outdoor Life that for years the largest grizzly on record was killed by a very young Indian girl, who was picking berries with her brother, with a .22 single shot rifle loaded with a .22 short that entered the bear's brain through the ear canal and dropped the animal in its tracks. I also remember reading about a man in Baltimore who was shot point blank in the head with a .22 several times, but none of the bullets penetrated his skull. It will work, but give me a double barrel 12 gauge any day of the week.

[carver]

The .22LR will kill, we all know that. The quesiton is when? If there is a BG in my house, and all I have is a .22, then that's what I will use, and I won't be double tappin'! How fast can I pull the trigger, and still hit what I'm shootin' at? I don't want the BG to stop tomorrow, I want him to stop NOW! Big bullets = big holes!

[Albtraum]

Certainly, none of my semi-auto .22s are reliable enough to trust my life with them.

[marlin795]

I'll just use my .12G till i get a better one. I love my .22 though, I bought some snake shot and took 2 rattlers out today with it.

[vytoland]

too much emphasis is placed on size of caliber. Shot placement is the only thing that really counts. To achieve this you need to practice and become proficient. There is no substitute.

sober BG...........center mass or head

high on drugs..........pelvic, knee, leg bones

[BETH]

i hope i never have to see what i would do if someone broke in, i honestly think i would be so mad that i would empty the mag so he or she would never get up!

[Hawg]

Originally Posted by marlin795

I love my .22 though, I bought some snake shot and took 2 rattlers out today with it.

You're braver than I am.

[joncutt87]

If you go with the .22 at least get some cci stingers

[joncutt87]

Marlin, what h&r do you have?