Input requested - 22LR semiauto carry gun

by Catoosa, Friday, July 26, 2013, 10:18 (4143 days ago) @ Cherokee

I am convinced that there is no such thing as a reliable .22 semiauto pistol, and the problem is not so much the guns as the ammo. .22 rimfire is a cartridge that was designed in the 1850s, and is long since obsolete. The rimfire priming system is unreliable, the heeled bullet is subject to oil contamination, etc. The cartridge has survived only because it is cheap to shoot (or was, until recently).

I bought my wife a Beretta 950 BS in .25 ACP years ago because I didn't want her carrying a .22. I have one as well, and both have been super reliable. I qualified with mine when I got my carry permit (AFTER I had qualified with my 9mm Commander and two .38 snubbies). Shot a 48 on a 50-point qualification course. With Hornady 35 grain XTPs, it's the best little-bitty non-gun you can have when you're not gonna carry a real gun. Kicks more than a .22, but not much more.

See if you can convince your friend to try a J-frame .38 with 125 grain cowboy loads. That's what my wife carries now, and she also does not handle recoil well due to an old injury to her shooting hand. Heck, a .32 S&W long wouldn't be difficult to handle either, and more reliable and effective than a .22.