Ok I carry and have been shooting for 50 years like alot of people on here , plus ex law enforcement.... If you think getting shot with a .22 is just going to piss someone off tell them to try it.... A .22 loaded with the correct ammo is deadly , it may not have the knock down power etc of a 9mm but if anybody thinks 2-3 .22 rounds in the chest or face is just going to be able to rub some dirt on it and walk it off is seriously WRONG.... It will require immediate medical attention and a bunch of follow up appointments to survive... In the end you will have your revenge even if your attacker wins....
I would carry whatever you are good with and would rather see you carry a smaller caliber you can get hits fast and use proper shot placement than carry a cannon you will be lucky to get a hit with in a critical situation were your heart will be pounding and tunnel vision at it's best....if you do change to a different pistol just remember the smaller and lighter it is the more recoil it will have so buying a tiny 9mm will be more than a full size... I carry a Glock 19 and my wife's small Glock 43 is absolutely surprisingly close to the same recoil and hits in the same place as the 19 which is a small pistol but not as small as the 43.... Both in 9mm... I actually really like the 43... It only hold 7 rounds but the mags are very small and easy to carry... That being said it means you will only have one less round than a 15 round gun like the 19 if you carry a spare mag and you should with any carry gun if not two spares in my opinion....
My wife shoots the 43 fine with no complaints.... Whatever you decide on you need many many hours of practice to be productive.... Plus 9mm is cheap and everywhere normally compared to .380 etc... I would definitely stay away from the small Ruger LCR revolvers , my wife had one and because of the light weight it kicked like a mule and .38 is expensive to practice with , I hated that gun and sold it and replaced it with the Glock 43 for her.... Plus I don't like small pocket pistols because I actually shoot and like that .38 I have wore them out in a year but I will say I practice with pistol ALOT because I carry it and need to be able to hit with it , usually around 5000-10000 rounds a year in pistol , rifle and Rimfire at least... After working at a gun range for the last five years I can assure you most people don't after seeing their targets , it's scary really to think their carrying a gun....
So in the end buy and carry what you can get positive shot placement the fastest you can... Plus something you can afford to practice with.... A tiny pistol is in my opinion never the best option.... You need it to be absolutely reliable also...I am a Glock guy , sure theirs prettier and there's pistols out there that can do things better but when it comes to reliability , putting bullets were I want them the Glock does everything I want and it does it well without a bunch of weight.... The Glock 19 would be my choice and is... Small enough to hide but big enough to go to war with if necessary.... If the 19 is to big they make small pistols all the way up to 10mm and that's big enough to stop about anything out there...
Glock 19
Glock 43
Glock 26
Would and are my choice and I have zero fear of fighting literally to the death with any if necessary.... Once again no matter what , proper shot placement and reliability are the key to a defense pistol even if you stick with your .22... I agree nobody ever said I wish I had a smaller gun in a gunfight but you can make someone leave you alone with a pellet rifle if you can pump it up fast enough...lol... Please try as many as you can before you buy to get exactly what you need maybe at a gun range where you can rent a few.....One more thing in my opinion don't carry or trust a new gun , any gun , until you have at least 200 rounds through it with zero problems.... also I carry and recommend anybody buy a small very bright tactical flashlight a 3 inch long light will be brighter than a large mag light and it fits in your pocket easily , you need to see what your shooting at , most attacks come in the dark and from behind... Keep your head up and on a swivel just knowing your surroundings is enough to make a criminal look for an easier target....Good luck out there..
I would carry whatever you are good with and would rather see you carry a smaller caliber you can get hits fast and use proper shot placement than carry a cannon you will be lucky to get a hit with in a critical situation were your heart will be pounding and tunnel vision at it's best....if you do change to a different pistol just remember the smaller and lighter it is the more recoil it will have so buying a tiny 9mm will be more than a full size... I carry a Glock 19 and my wife's small Glock 43 is absolutely surprisingly close to the same recoil and hits in the same place as the 19 which is a small pistol but not as small as the 43.... Both in 9mm... I actually really like the 43... It only hold 7 rounds but the mags are very small and easy to carry... That being said it means you will only have one less round than a 15 round gun like the 19 if you carry a spare mag and you should with any carry gun if not two spares in my opinion....
My wife shoots the 43 fine with no complaints.... Whatever you decide on you need many many hours of practice to be productive.... Plus 9mm is cheap and everywhere normally compared to .380 etc... I would definitely stay away from the small Ruger LCR revolvers , my wife had one and because of the light weight it kicked like a mule and .38 is expensive to practice with , I hated that gun and sold it and replaced it with the Glock 43 for her.... Plus I don't like small pocket pistols because I actually shoot and like that .38 I have wore them out in a year but I will say I practice with pistol ALOT because I carry it and need to be able to hit with it , usually around 5000-10000 rounds a year in pistol , rifle and Rimfire at least... After working at a gun range for the last five years I can assure you most people don't after seeing their targets , it's scary really to think their carrying a gun....
So in the end buy and carry what you can get positive shot placement the fastest you can... Plus something you can afford to practice with.... A tiny pistol is in my opinion never the best option.... You need it to be absolutely reliable also...I am a Glock guy , sure theirs prettier and there's pistols out there that can do things better but when it comes to reliability , putting bullets were I want them the Glock does everything I want and it does it well without a bunch of weight.... The Glock 19 would be my choice and is... Small enough to hide but big enough to go to war with if necessary.... If the 19 is to big they make small pistols all the way up to 10mm and that's big enough to stop about anything out there...
Glock 19
Glock 43
Glock 26
Would and are my choice and I have zero fear of fighting literally to the death with any if necessary.... Once again no matter what , proper shot placement and reliability are the key to a defense pistol even if you stick with your .22... I agree nobody ever said I wish I had a smaller gun in a gunfight but you can make someone leave you alone with a pellet rifle if you can pump it up fast enough...lol... Please try as many as you can before you buy to get exactly what you need maybe at a gun range where you can rent a few.....One more thing in my opinion don't carry or trust a new gun , any gun , until you have at least 200 rounds through it with zero problems.... also I carry and recommend anybody buy a small very bright tactical flashlight a 3 inch long light will be brighter than a large mag light and it fits in your pocket easily , you need to see what your shooting at , most attacks come in the dark and from behind... Keep your head up and on a swivel just knowing your surroundings is enough to make a criminal look for an easier target....Good luck out there..
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