I would go 22lr or 22mag
FT LBS or Energy:
22LR - 141 ft lbs
22Mag - 324 ft lbs
25ACP - 65 ft lbs
40S&W - 420 ft lbs
FT LBS or Energy:
22LR - 141 ft lbs
22Mag - 324 ft lbs
25ACP - 65 ft lbs
40S&W - 420 ft lbs
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.22 or .25 - Please advise
- Thread starter ClassicBlue
- Start date
One extra consideration. Both calibers are notorious for being poor stopping calibers.
Yes, either one will kill you but the goal in a self-defense scenario is to STOP the threat... as quickly as possible.
Too often the attacker dies AFTER they finish their attack.
However there are many documented cases of people emptying an entire mag. of. 22 (10 or so rounds) into an attacker at close range resulting in a quick & decisive elimination/ stop of the threat.
I believe there was an example of this about a year ago in Duluth when a woman used her pistol in this manner to defend herself.
I believe the lesson here is that when using weaker calibers create as many wound paths into vital areas as possible.
Yes, either one will kill you but the goal in a self-defense scenario is to STOP the threat... as quickly as possible.
Too often the attacker dies AFTER they finish their attack.
However there are many documented cases of people emptying an entire mag. of. 22 (10 or so rounds) into an attacker at close range resulting in a quick & decisive elimination/ stop of the threat.
I believe there was an example of this about a year ago in Duluth when a woman used her pistol in this manner to defend herself.
I believe the lesson here is that when using weaker calibers create as many wound paths into vital areas as possible.
During WWII when he was with the OSS, female agents asked Col. Jeff Cooper about carrying a .25 auto. Col. Cooper's reply was: "By all means, if it makes you feel safer, but don't load it. If you load it, you might shoot someone with it, making them very angry and they may hurt you!!".
Col. Cooper said it and I believe it. Go with a .22LR or Magnum. . That's the way I'd go if I was betting my life on a small caliber pistol.
Col. Cooper said it and I believe it. Go with a .22LR or Magnum. . That's the way I'd go if I was betting my life on a small caliber pistol.
Vasili Blokhin shot over 7,000 people to death with the .25 acp. So um, it can do the job. Shot placement is everything though.
I'm sure you'd agree there's a big difference between executing people or shooting unsuspecting victims vs. stopping an aggressive attacker.
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Thinking about the same thing myself. I have a little NAA .22 mag, but don't careuch for the single action aspect. If I could find a pocket .22 mag in semi-auto, it would get my vote. Without one of those though, I would have to vote .25 auto. Strictly based on it being a centerfire cartridge.
Of course. But like you said, a shot to the face, does stop an attacker. You can shoot someone 15 times with a 9m and if you dont hit vitals, they can still do their violent actions. Shot placement is everything, like I said. Sure a bigger caliber is better but .22s and .25s can stop a threat if the shot placement is good.
