I am thinking about getting a Ruger Mark IV .22lr handgun for home protection, as I prefer smaller caliber weapons. Would this firearm be adequate to supress an intruder or would I be better off with a large knife?
You can check the answer of the people under the question at Quora “22 knife gun“
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.22 is a varmint rifle, not something for self defense; get a 12ga pump shotgun, the sound of it chambering will scare most people away, use bird shot alternating with buck shot; bird shot will not go through lot of walls and still carries enough punch, buck shot will take down anyone; there are also some specialized home self defense shots available
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Israeli army snipers sometimes use .22 rifles, so yeah, it’s a thing. A .22 is a deadly weapon, it just doesn’t have a lot of stopping power. The advantage of a firearm is distance – if you’re determined to win a lethal encounter, then you should have both a ranged weapon (firearm) and a close-quarters weapon (the knife).
I recommend going to a place that offers rentals/try-outs and shooting different caliber firearms. See what you can reliably control – the larger caliber the better, because of the better stopping power.
But above all else, be as proficient as you can with what you choose, and seek training beyond basic marksmanship. Regardless of the caliber, become a true pro with it. The Most Powerful Handgun in the World does you no good if you can’t hit your target.
Same with the knife – there are plenty of knife fighting training courses out there. And the blade does not have to be large – any knife with a blade longer than 2 inches can kill if you put it in the right spot.
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This is when I tell my CCW students, “Take a hint from the cops” as it pertains to caliber selection.
What police department issues .22 caliber firearms to their officers?
None.
What federal law enforcement agency issues .22 caliber firearms to their agents?
None.
What state, county or local law enforcement agency allows their officers to purchase and use personally-owned .22 firearms as their duty weapon?
None.
There’s a reason no cops carry .22s — they are simply not effective in stopping Mr. Bad Guy with any consistency.
Most law enforcement agencies will use some form of a 9mm round at a minimum for semi-automatics, and some form of a .38 round for revolvers. Both are likely to be a jacketed hollow-point.
That said, a .22 is better than nothing, and certainly better than a knife. You with a knife up against a drugged up, or even just a determined intruder isn’t a good idea. You have to get wayyyy too close to him/her for any kind of defense.
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Rule Number One. The best handgun in any gun fight is the gun in your hand when you need it. It should be something you are comfortable, confident, and reasonably competent with. If that gun for you is a Ruger MK IV .22LR, that is what you should have.
There are a million or more defensive gun uses (DGU) every year and the .22 is well represented because it is the most popular cartridge, rifle or handgun, in the world. In the overwhelming majority of DGU cases, no shots are fired. No one wants to be shot, regardless of the caliber. The presence or even threat of a gun deters most people. Over half of all criminals in prison said that they feared a victim with a gun more than they feared the police. Only incredibly stupid people like Michael Brown actually insist on being shot. If that happens, you continue to shoot until the incredibly stupid person flees, falls down, or gets incredibly smart and stops attacking you. That rule applies whether you are shooting a .22, .32, .38, or .45. With 10+1 in your MK IV, you should be fine. Choose a full-weight, 40 grain or better, full velocity round. Buy in bulk and practice. Practice. Practice.
Rule Number Two: Don’t take a knife to a gun fight. Not even a “large” knife.
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Here is my .02 cents. I am ex LEO. I was shot in the face point blank, as was my partner, with a .25. No, not the same gun at all but very close round size. My best description is that I was Slugged in the jaw. My partner was blinded due to impact trauma to his face. The bad guy managed to get me on the ground and follow up with a series of impacts with my maglight to my head. He did that because he could not get me to release my weapon from my holster. He eventually did but I was able to get up and continue the fight. Long and short of it… hit in the face point blank but still combat effective. I was 5’09″ and 135 pounds at the time. I ended up killing the bad guy with my duty weapon. I was very lucky. Had it been anything larger, 9mm .380 etc, I would likely not have survived. So my practical answer is, if you are shooting for self defense, don’t use a weapon too small to quickly incapacitate the bad guy in 1 or 2 rounds. 2 rounds .40 to the chest and the bad guy here was down and out.
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Not my first choice. It is my wife’s first choice. She nails the deadly T at a 90% rate using quality ammo. (avoide the cheap stuff.)
There is a story of a guy who showed up at one of the major self defense academies with a 22 auto. He explained that he could not shoot big bore pistols and that was the only one he had.
The instructors developed a course of fire which required extreme accuracy and was more challenging than their normal course of fire.
The guy aced the course and by the end of the week the rest of the class where wondering if maybe they should convert to the 22 lr
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A .22 COULD be useful, or could be useless. Better to get a caliber that could stop all kinds of criminals.
I wouldn’t recommend a knife except for someone big and very experienced in martial arts, and preferably a veteran with combat experience.
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My concern with you being scared of larger calibers also means you don’t know how to shoot. Now yes a .22LR is a small caliber for defense but a well placed shot with a .22LR that hits its mark has a much better chance of stopping the threat then 3 shot with a .45 that miss the target totally. If you are going to use a gun for home defense take a class and learn how to shoot with it and don’t be scared of inanimate objects.
As far as a knife, are you skilled fighting with a knife? What if there are three that break into your home? If one had a bat, one grabbed one of your kitchen knives and the other grabbed your table top lamp could you stop then from hurting/killing you or others in your home?
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Well the ruger would be a better choice than a knife. I would just ask if you have shot other calibers before you finally settle on the 22lr. if there is a nice gun range within a short distance, please take the time to drive their and ask to shoot a variety of guns and calibers. This could be your life that your betting this on. Most gun ranges if you explain to them your concerns will take the time to acquaint with several different choices. I would highly recommend you look at revolvers too, unless you really plan to spend some serious time getting familiar with a semi auto pistol. The revolver or wheel gun is much more user friendly, basically you point it and pull the trigger and it goes boom. With a semi auto pistol there can be many more steps involved, which if you spend time getting to know it, shoot it, field strip and clean it, you will be ok, but if not they can be harder to handle. Whichever gun you decide on, invest in a laser sight for it. If its at night the laser can be enough of a deterrent by itself. any crook, right after you announce that you have a gun, that sees that red or green dot coming his way will know what else is about to come his way. also if it actually comes down to you pulling the trigger its easier at night in a volatile situation to just see where the dot is and pull the trigger, rather than trying to get a good sight picture, hold it and then pull the trigger. One other thought and if you have the funds and time available. My wife also hates to shoot a larger caliber gun because of the noise and recoil. I spent the time to find her a 9mm semi auto that she was capable of handling well. and then bought a matching suppressor for it, yes it was 450 for suppressor, 200 tax stamp and then about an 8 week wait. But now she has a larger caliber handgun that she has no hesitation in picking up and shooting repeatedly.
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If you really must go to a .22 cal get a GSG 522 or an ATI equivilent. You can remove the butt stock and have a really cool 25 round .22 that also has a 50 round drum available. That way if you have an intruder you can put lots and lots of little holes in him or them. 25 round mags are only about $30 for a pair.
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I have firearms that I could use for home defence but chances are better than average that I wont have time to get it out, unlock it, load a magazine, etc…. Chances are that I’ll only have enough time to grab my machete and use that. It is easily accessible, needs no preparation and if the intimidation factor doesnt keep the intruder at bay, it’s an absolutely savage weapon – I could practically shave with it and it can cut through a branch as thick as my wrist with one good chop.
Some people laugh at the thought of using a .22 for home defence but I say do it!! A .22 might not have the same stopping power of a .45 or a .357 but it’s still a deadly weapon and if someone came out of nowhere firing a .22 at me I’d run my ass off! I would personally recommend a bat or a machete for home defense but if you’re able to keep a .22 in a state where it’s ready to be used at a moments notice, then I’d imagine that would work just fine… plus.. you cant go wrong with a ruger, as far as I know. They make good guns and when you’re not blowing away bad guys, a .22 is an absolute blast to plink with.
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I think you had better get some training before you buy a gun for home defense, a gun is always better than a knife and a .40 or .45 is always better than a .22 when it comes to stopping an attacker short of accomplishing his goal.
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The FBI has done extensive testing on this subject, if you have the interest look up their report, but short version is you want a full size 9mm with an appropriate ammo selection enabling you to fire the most accurately and have the most rounds penetrating to an appropriate depth. With modern ammo terms like “knock down power,” “stopping power,” are obsolete. What you want is your highest accuracy and most ammo in the clip, capable of penetrating.
Two points from the report I found most interesting: 1) under fire, the best trained cops only hit 70–80% of the time. 2) A trauma surgeon can’t tell the difference between a .35-.45 cal wound.
For home defense buy the 9mm, have good ammo, and practice often.
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Invest in a super loud alarm bell. A 12″ can generate in excess of 120 dB in a small space. I had one of those in my store and have repelled many holdups with that alone. Also, when someone gets shot, you have to clean up the blood. The police will spend hours at your place. You will have to give a statement, and you should get a lawyer. When they die, you have to testify at an inquest.
All in all, you might realise that an alarm is way cheaper after the fact.
I had many defensive measures installed as people kept trying.
Loud Alarm.
Cameras, real with recording and fake, actually defective real cameras.
Some steel shielding to cut down on their effective line of fire.
Finally,I had to get an armed guard.
I had to go through a walkthrough with each new guard, showing him the best positions to observe. The best positions to take cover. The effective use of my mirrors. prearrange some signals for suspicious people. He was already trained not to be distracted by shoplifters etc. Diversion tactics are common in holdups, as the guard’s gun is actually a valuable asset to robbers. I once had a guard removed for some slackness, and she was promptly relieved of her gun the next week at a nearby store. It gave new meaning for me to the term “Dodging the bullet!”
That’s how I eventually got to find out firsthand how long and expensive it is to have it determined “Justified homicide.”
If you really want to go down that road, then practice, practice, practice as others have noted.
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Unless you have training and skills in hand-to-hand combat, I would stay away from knives. These weapons are intended for use in very close proximity. A hand gun is a good choice of defense against an approaching assailant in the same room (10-12 feet away). However, I’m more inclined to recommend a monitored security system with loud siren!
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My advice to anyone is to use what you’re comfortable with. Smaller framed people shouldn’t be trying to sling a 10 gauge or .450 NE. .22 lr is a very small caliber and doesn’t have a lot of stopping power, however, there are advantages. Virtually nonexistent recoil, extremely abundant and inexpensive ammunition (which is a factor for practice, if you don’t practice, you’re asking for trouble). I can’t tell you how many people I know who buy expensive +p+ ammunition and then don’t use it at the range to practice. Different ammunition can produce wildly varying results even in the same firearm. You have to know how your ammunition and firearm are going to function together. There are some pretty decent hollow points manufactured for .22 lr. I would imagine that with good shot placement, it’ll get the job done. I suspect over penetration wouldn’t be an issue with .22 lr, either. I can also wholeheartedly endorse the Ruger Mark IV. I’ve owned one and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. All that being said, I would suggest something slightly stouter. .22 magnum, .38 special, .380, 9×19 parabellum are all pretty good choices with more stopping power, and without (in my opinion) prohibitive recoil. Go to a good gun store and have a conversation with someone there. Try a few out, see what you’re comfortable with, and then take it to the range and practice.
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A couple of things to keep in mind. Civilians are not trained to keep their heads cool under fire, they are going to be trembling, scramble to get out their weapon, hopefully fire some what in the direction they are intending and hopefully hit their target in an area to incapacitate them. Unless it’s point blank, chances are high you will only maim the intruder, it may or may not even affect their actions and attack given they are running on pure adrenaline or drugs such as meth, so all you did was piss them off, especially with some weeny .22 cal round, they make pellet guns that are shooting at the same calibre for example, and even they state only small game is realistic to shoot and kill. Take note, the number of reports where officers had to take down a suspect and it took a dozen or more wounds/shots fired into them to incapacitate them, and these are formidable cal pistols they are using.
I am not the first person to mention just getting a shot gun, and as short of a barrel as comes stock because likely you will be in confined quarters and movement around obstacles will be an issue, so less length there is better.
Keep in mind the laws of your state, such as in Washington, if the intruder is not attacking you with a firearm, you cannot even bring yours out to ward them off even if it’s unloaded, you end up going to jail over it, as screwed up as that is. A taser and pepper spray would be a good first line of defence since both are non lethal weapons, then a club/knife if you think you need more, then a firearm for that worse case scenario situation. Your best line of defence and offence is always to retreat, unless there is life at stake and you are the only one there qualified to intervene, and in no way risk your life over mere possessions only being taken, those can be replaced, your being cannot.
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I wouldn’t recommend small caliber pistols for home and self defense as they lack man stopping power. I would recommend a handgun chambered in 45 auto/ACP.
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It’s better than nothing, but please get a Glock 19, AR-15, kr Remmington 870. They all have more versatility and stopping power.
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Q: I am thinking about getting a Ruger Mark IV .22lr handgun for home protection, as I prefer smaller caliber weapons. Would this firearm be adequate to supress an intruder or would I be better off with a large knife?
I present you an X-ray of a cat’s head
Got shot with a .22, survived and was taken to the vet.
Lesson: .22 is not powerful enough.
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I suppose it would depend on how good you are with the .22 pistol. Put a round in his eye and the problem is over. But don’t miss, which is actually pretty likely under such a stressful condition. I would not really trust a .22 as a personal defense piece.
And if I had to get close enough to use a knife, I’d rather have a baseball bat.
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I would always choose the firearm over a knife. Bear in mind that it’s unlikely you will stop a threat with one round from a .22lr.
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I own a Ruger .22 with a 7 1/8″ barrel. It’s a beautiful piece of machinery. One of the better target pistols out there. I don’t really think of it as a weapon for home defense. However, it does have a nine round clip. With one in the chamber, you can get off ten shots without reloading. My guess is that if half of them hit the target (hopefully you can hit a person five to ten feet away half the time), that person will no longer be a threat. Though as others have pointed out, a .38 or .44 will accomplish the same objective with far fewer shots fired. And forget the knife. You really don’t want to be in hand to hand combat with someone who may be better at it than you are.
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I would suggest a shotgun with half load cartridges. A couple dozen small projectiles has a much better chance of hitting the target than just one. Besides, for home defense, nothing screams “GET OUT” like the sound of a pump action shotgun.
For a less lethal load, if that is your aim, you can’t go wrong with rock salt.
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The guy who taught my Concealed Carry class packs a .22 LR. He is a top NRA instructor and knows his stuff. He had some pretty convincing arguments for the .22 as an everyday carry, but generally it came down to being familiar with your weapon. .22 rounds are cheap and you can afford to put 100 rounds through it every weekend for practice. That makes sense. He also has some ballistics arguments and whatnot, but it came down to being so familiar with your weapon that it was second nature,
However, that was for everyday carry. His advice for home defense is a 16 gauge pump shotgun. There is nothing in the world like the cold Cha-CHUCK of a pump long gun. It’s enough to make anybody freeze, then run the opposite direction. Your goal shouldn’t be to kill someone, but to run them out of Dodge if at all possible. Also, it may mess up your wall, but won’t go through the house, to the neighbor’s house and shoot their dog.
After listening to his advice, I bought myself a 9mm for my everyday carry anyways, but keep a couple .22 magnums around “just in case”. They have a fair amount more wallop than a .22 LR.
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A Ruger Mark IV, is a fine little gun. I trained with .22s, because of affordable ammunition. .22s are vastly easier to handle, because of the lighter recoil, and stay on target, for multiple shots. The lr cartridge is more powerful than you think.
PLUS, they’re not as likely to cause a “friendly fire” incident. This is a rough way to put it, but if an armed, or another kind of intruder breaks into your home, you don’t have the luxury of assumption, everything will work out. You may absolutely be killed. Two words. Head Shots. Practice hitting a saucer sized target at 30 feet. A lot. Handle that little .22 like it’s an extention of your arm. Know every function, forward and backward, till you can do it blind folded.
You’ll soon discover why that Mark IV, is a popular gun. Sure there are better, and my wife has a .40 S&W, but she’s gonna get of one shot, and that beast is gonna be off target, immediately. And the next, depends on how fast she recovers the target. Besides, I don’t like the idea of a round going through the perp, and another house!
Try that Ruger. I can empty a full clip in less than 20 seconds, in less than a six inch group, and that’s bad shooting! If you don’t like it, the value on those, doesn’t go down much.
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Another ex LEO but with the US Air Force. You do not want to make him angry. You want to stop him. Learn to shoot something larger that will end the assault. Imagine what he might do to your children when he is done with you after you ticked him off into a state of rage.
This is evil we speak of here that most people never face full on. You must think with your head not your heart at that moment! That might be your only chance to survive. Imagine the scenario on a regular basis with all the variables you can imagine. Day, night, at home, in a park, with a family member in the room. The more variables you can imagine the better you will be prepared. It becomes easier to imagine in time. Then everything will more likely be automatic if evil truly does enter your lives.
If this is beyond your capability you should be prepared to lay back and allow evil its pleasure if you are so unfortunate to encounter it. I intend to go out fighting, but thats me.
One more thing … go to any Church where evil is spoken of as something bad. If you are going to study evil, you must move closer to God for safety. My opinion.
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I think before you get a gun, you need to reconsider the notion of using a gun in a home defence situation. Here’s why:
Your gun will have to be locked up for most of the day for the safety of any kids in your home. Unless you plan to wear your firearm 24X7 around the house.
If you have a home invasion, you’re assuming you’ll have enough time to go the room, unlock the gun and bring it into a combat-ready position BEFORE the intruder makes it to you. Spoiler alert: Probably won’t work.
Most break-ins are burglaries (i.e. they happen when no one is home). If you’re having a home invasion, it’s usually more than one person and they always come to subdue the residents of the home before they rob the place. Again not enough time to tackle more than one attacker.
A person breaking into your home isn’t going to smash down your front door and announce his arrival. So chances are you will ALMOST ALWAYS be in a room other than the one the one the gun is in. This gives them plenty of time to subdue you.
If the attacker has a knife, a gun is actually worse in a close quarter scenario. It’s called “closing the distance” and police officers are trained at how to maintain an effective distance from a wielding assailant.
My suggestion is to understand the basics of self-defence. If you see an attacker, put distance between you and them. Grab whatever you can and prepare to use it as a blunt force object.
DO NOT reach for a knife if you aren’t trained to use it. 8 out 10 times people end up getting stabbed with the weapon they present to the attacker.
If you can leave your home, run. Every attacker would prefer to rob a house without additional fuss. You can always call the police later.
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Yes, it’s better than a knife. But first, before you buy it, take a firearms familiarity and self-defense course. That way you have a better basis for your decisions. What could it hurt?
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I sold guns in sporting goods, and was in the army. I se two problems you have and need to solve BEFORE you buy a gun.
First and foremost you have to know in your heart of hearts that if you face an intruder that you will WITHOUT fail to kill the intruder. Bad guys DO NOT respond to threats. If you are unsure about your commitment to survive, then you and your family will lose.
Two. If you know you can make the decision to take his life, don’t use a 22. You may luck out and hurt him, but if he is a drugged, or a big person, you are just going to piss him off. 9mm at least.
Third. Go to a range and get good. Be able to hit the target. ONLY in television do the police or good guys always hit their mark.
Back in the 80s we had a rapist serial killer in our city. I sold a lot of guns. One day two widow women in thmid seventies came to the counter. One had brought her friend who wanted a gun because of this guy. The woman’s friend told her just what I told you. I have never forgotten what she told her friend. “If you get a gun honey, you have to use it or they will use it on you. A couple of months ago someone was rattling my door knob trying to get in. They wouldn’t answer me. I told them I had a gun and they kept trying to get in. So I took my husband’s rifle and shot through the door three times. I have not had any problems since. If you can’t do that, you don’t need a gun.” No sale for me that time.
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You’re better off with the gun unless you have mad skills with a knife.
A firearm is a ranged weapon; a knife is a melee weapon. You don’t want to be in a melee because you don’t want to have to physically engage an intruder.
The Ruger Mk. IV is a fine pistol and .22 long rifle is better than a knife or nothing. The Mk IV version is vastly improved over previous versions in the Ruger has redesigned the disassembly system, making it far less of a hassle to strip down the gun for cleaning.
But it would not be my choice in a .22-caliber handgun for home defense.
That would be the Walther P22 , a compact, double-action/single-action pistol.
The Walther can be safely carried with a round in the chamber, the hammer down, and the safety selector in the safe position. This means the pistol is ready to deploy immediately. The Walther safety rotates a bar in front of the hammer that prevents the hammer from striking the firing pin.
The Ruger, which is single-action only, must be kept cocked in order to be ready without having to work the action. This is safe for new pistols, but sometimes people get nervous having a gun in this condition.
I will be the first to confess I don’t have any experience with the new Mk IV, but I do have 10 years of experience with the P22. I have found it to be less picky about rimfire ammunition than other .22-caliber pistols and it’s very reliable. There are three P22s in my extended family.
The Walther also has a more ergonomic grip than the Ruger Mk IV. It’s also less expensive, usually by around $50.
Both guns are manufactured in the United States and both Ruger and Walther are well-respected names in the industry.
Of course, the key using a small-caliber firearm for defensive purposes is shot placement. Hopefully, as is the case for most people, you will never need to use the gun for anything but punching holes in paper at the range. But it is better to have taken at least a basic marksmanship course from a certified instructor and followed that up with a fair amount of range time.
This is the biggest advantage of the .22-caliber pistol. The price of a couple of movie tickets will buy hundreds of rounds of ammunition, plenty to become more proficient with your pistol.
Plus, if you decide later on that you would prefer a larger caliber, you will have already mastered the basics of marksmanship and proper care for your go-to gun.
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Larger gun not knife, but hay the 22 is sure better than nothing. If you hear somebody trying to break into your house you don’t have to shoot them. Yell as loud as you can, get out or here or I’ll shoot. Then if then if they don’t leave fire a round into the floor. If that does not stop them them you may have to shoot them.
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If you improved you knowledge of terminal ballistic effect and firearms that misguided opinion would change. File the sights and keep som KY on tap. The tiger won’t hurt so much as is shoved up your pooper after you shoot someone with it in a criminal defense
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There have been records of people trying to protect themselves with a 22 caliber pistol, or revolver. Unless you are a good enough shot to hit a vital organ and end the attacker, that person may take the gun away from you and not
Beat you to death with it. Unless you don’t have anything biggerelated carry the .22 and a baseball bat.
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I can not emphasize enough GET TRAINING FROM A REPUTABLE INSTRUCTOR, AND TRY A VARIETY OF GUNS AT YOUR LOCAL RANGE. DO NOT MAKE THIS DECISION BASED ON “FEELINGS”.
Also, as others have said PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. I own several .22 caliber pistols, including a Ruger 22/45 (very similar to the Mk IV) and a Ruger SR22. Both are accurate, reliable weapons, and I love shooting them… but I mainly got them for PRACTICE (and to teach my kids how to shoot). My ‘go to’ is either a .380 (AT A MINIMUM), preferably a 9mm, .40 S&W or 45 ACP
For a short time I did carry the SR-22 for defense after having MAJOR neck surgery that severely reduced my grip strength (a .22 is better than an empty hand, especially with reduced strength). Once I regained use of my hands it waqs back to my larger weapons
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Forget it. Get yourself as short barrel pump shotgun as you can find. Just the sound if it racking will deter most invaders. If you are planning on shooting an invader a .22 has less than 5% chance of stopping anyone and look at police shootings where many officers have unloaded on a suspect and the majority of the shots completely missed. Unless you are well trained and can remain cool as ice it is likely you will just end up robbed with walls to repair.
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It’s an excellent gun. One of the best for target shooting and getting fundamentals of marksmanship and weapon handling down. .22lr is not for defense.
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ANYONE BREAKING INTO AN OCCUPIED DWELLING IS MOST CERTAINLY HOMICIDAL. DO NOT BE A VICTIM. BUY A MOSSBERG 500 SHOTGUN.
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If you know how to use it, it will be much more effective than a knife. You’ll have a distance to react to an intruder. Might not kill him but will seriously stop them.
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Over 99% percent of defensive gun usages are resolved without any shots being fired. Just having a gun — any gun — changes the equation enough to make any criminal reconsider his actions.
A .22 is a deadly weapon. Anyone who doesn’t believe so should volunteer to get shot with one. This is Bella Twin, a 63 year old Inuit grandmother, posing with the 1958 world-record grizzly bear she killed with a .22 long (less powerful than a .22 LR).
Handguns, of any caliber, are far less deadly than popular media portrays them. The scientific data shows that shot placement, not caliber, is what really matters. A .22 you can fire accurately is superior to a .44 magnum that you can’t. A .22 to the heart or brain will take down an assailant. A .44 to a non-vital area won’t.
You’re absolutely better off with a .22 than a knife. I’ve trained with swords and other melee weapons for 20+ years and I’ll take a .22 over a blade any day.
The Ruger Mark II/III/IV series are great target pistols, but wouldn’t be my first choice for a trainer or home defense pistol. For a home defense weapon I’d take a rifle over a handgun any day. The Ruger 10/22 is an outstanding weapon. For a defensive .22 handgun I’d chose the Ruger SR22 or the Walther P22.
Mossy Oak Survival Hunting Knife with Sheath, 15-inch Fixed Blade
You’d be far better off not buying a gun until you’re comfortable with and well-trained enough to handle on that will actually do what you need it to do. Unless you happen to get lucky enough to hit your attacker in the brain or the heart with the fist shot – unlikely with a moderately-experienced shooter let alone a novice -you might kill him, but before he bleeds out he’ll have more than enough time to strangle you and your spouse. Don’t buy a gun until you’re going to do what you need to do in the way of training. In the meantime, a nice hardwood baseball bat will be a good option.
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Understanding that there are physical reasons that one may not be able to effectively use a larger caliber pistol, I would recommend recommended seeking the following attributes in your solution:
1: Adequate reliability to bet your life and the lives of your loved ones on.
2: Adequate terminal performance to stop a lethal threat.
3: Sufficient on-board ammunition capacity to address multiple assailants.
4: Ability to mount a light
5: Able to be fired with sufficient accuracy to ensure that use will not endanger others.
You will find that there are *more* reliable pistols available than that proposed. While not widely regarded for their refinement, KelTec does have a really solid product with the PMR-30 and CMR-30 .22 Mag products. I would caution that pistols are more difficult to use than shoulder-fired options, and while there are some aspects that benefit the handgun, unless there is some inability to use a shoulder-fired product, it will likely be a better home-defense solution. Pistols really shine in the roles of carrying covertly and working in very tight spaces.
Terminal performance (“stopping power”) is a big box of worms. Since *most* .22LR ammunition, regardless of what it’s called specifically, is going to do basically the same thing, your best bet is to get high velocity ammo, and make sure it’s put into the places that stop threats fast. Bumping up to .22 Mag opens up a few options that do provide marginally improved performance. Moving up to a shoulder fired option, if workable in your circumstances, may make 9mm or even rifle caliber cartridges a realistic option, which definitely out perform .22LR.
Most .22LR pistols are limited to 10 round capacity. This may be adequate for plinking and some competition use, but if you need this product to protect your home against invasion, it might not be sufficient if facing multiple determined adversaries. Other options offer 20+ rounds before needing to be reloaded, which is where I would prefer to be.
Have a light on the gun. This is very important. You must be able to identify a threat before employing lethal force. There is definitely a learning curve involved with a weapon mounted light (WML), but it’s not all that difficult to become proficient with, and decent options are not prohibitively costly. While most popular firearms have allocation for a WML, not all are practical. Take your time to see what makes sense.
Use of the firearm is a balance of the gun itself and your individual dedication to adequately educate yourself and find capable instruction to teach you how to use it. Once that is accomplished, it is on you to continue to progress your ability. The other side of that coin is that the firearm itself should present no insurmountable obstacles to its use. .22LR guns have low recoil and are therefore easier to shoot well, so that’s a significant gain. The ammunition cost is also low, so sustainment training is simplified. Going up in caliber does have a cost, but the benefit of effect might outweigh. Shoulder-fired alternatives may show a better return on investment.
Summary: anything is better than nothing, and the stand-off advantage of a firearm definitely benefits the individual faced with a physically advantaged threat, or multiple threats. The minor cost associated with a more effective caliber is probably worth investing. A shoulder fired option is probably better, depending on the specifics of your situation. The most important thing to remember is that the gun is not a magical talisman that vanquishes evil, you must achieve proficiency, and you must be able to make good decisions when the gun is in hand.
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I was shot three times with a 32 with jacketed solid point bullets. One hit me in the heart, where it lodged inside my pericardium, where it is to this day. I had enough time to drive away (or shoot back, if I had a gun with me). If I shoot somebody three times and hit them in the heart, I want the MF dead! Pick a higher caliber. I would suggest a .357 magnum with hollow points. Or maybe a 9mm or .45. You want some stopping power!
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Have you tried other caliber pistols? A knife is a up close weapon, are you skilled with a knife. If you must use a 22cal. you do not have to be up so close as a knife.
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If you’re serious about home protection. I get a 12 gauge shotgun. You can buy it legally and keep it in your home. And anybody that comes in and sees that thing pointed at them believe me. They’re going to be leaving.
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The .22 TCM or 22TCM is essentially a 22 bullet in a 9mm case necked down to fit
.22 tcm, 5.7, .223
.22 TCM – Wikipedia
This might be a more potent round but be more potent than a .22 while also being low recoil. Although a 5.7 might be even better
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If you’re a good enough shot while under stress and can hit the moving intruder in the eye or temple, you “may” be able to supress the intruder, or a mag dump into the skull. Wounding the intruder screams out that you didn’t fear for your life enough to warrant killing the intruder. You will most likely be sued by the intruder and the family in this case unless your state has laws protecting you in this situation. A 22 is capable of killing, but the intruder has a greater chance at surviving a shot to the head or vital organs. I would NOT want to defend my life with anything less than a 9mm. My edc is a 45 or my 9mm. My wife carries a 380 with hardball ammo as a hollow point in the 380 is likely to leave an attacker wounded. A knife means you will need to get close enough to the intruder in order to inflict damage, which also puts you in danger.
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The Mark IF is a fine pistol, but it is not top choice for home protection. With a round that small, you need excellent shot placement (under stress) and a bit of luck to stop an attacker.
Furthermore, if you do have one, make sure you clean it after use. I had one, and admit I did not clean it after a couple of trips to the range, and the next time, it was gummed up enough that the hammer did not have enough oomph to fire the round.
If you prefer small caliber weapons, how about the Kel Tec P50 or Ruger 57 in 5.7×28. Otherwise get a “real” home defense weapon.
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Even a .22 is better than a knife. Get over your fear of firearms. If you can handle a .22 you can move up to a 380
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The Ruger Mark IV .22 is a great gun. I love mine. And I would rather have that than a knife if forced into a self defense situation. That being said, vigilance and deterrence is your best defense. Keep your doors and windows locked. Be aware of your situation entering and exiting your home. Motion activated lights around the house are fairly inexpensive. Camara’s if you can afford them.
All that being said, I have several handguns. But my home defense weapon of choice is a shotgun, specifically a 12 gauge loaded with single-aught buckshot. If I can get to it, I’d much rather have a long gun than a pistol.
A knife is a weapon of last resort. It’s better than nothing, but not by much.
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Yea, it’s better than nothing I guess. Personally in wouldn’t have anything small than a .9mm in my nite stand. I will carry a .380 compact when it’s hot out and I’m in shorts and a tee shirt. bit for home defense I would definitely go a little bigger. Go rent a 9mm at the range and try it. It doesn’t kick like you think it does. My wife shoots one no problem
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Yes. Use the long rounds. A would be robber was shot 9 times in the chest after breaking a window with 22 shorts. He took 13 minutes to die from blood loss but didn’t get to the grandfathers baby sleeping under the broken window. 2 Stone st Inman South Carolina
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I have alot of guns but they are all in my safe except I keep my 22 magnum at the head of my bed right above my pillow loaded and always ready to go. I also have a whole bag of throwing knives and 2 battle ready swords since I took ninjutsu and know how to sword fight but in today’s world I still recommend you go with a 22lr or 22mag because you never know what the bad guy might have with them and make sure you find a local range so you can go practice how to use a gun and get a feel for your gun and practice gun safety
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I would purchase a weapon with stopping power as my choice for home defense item. A shotgun is a good deterrent for would be home attackees
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A .22 isn’t my opinion enough to stop an intruder. It’s just not enough. Learn how to handle a 9mm. It’s not that big of a deal. If you can shoot a .22, you can shoot a 9mm.
Relying on a large knife to protect yourself from an intruder would be more likely to end in you getting hurt or dying by your own blade.
Seriously. Get a 9mm or maybe a .357 and learn how to handle it.
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99% of people wanting to do you harm will run away wetting their pants after you shoot them one or more times with a .22. That holds true with higher calibers as well although you have a better chance of actually killing them with a larger bullet. . Getting a hole punched through a person changes the dynamics of their day. To those who say otherwise please prove your theory.
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While the Ruger Mark IV .22LR is a superb target, plinking, and small game pistol, it should be only a “last resort” pistol for self defense. It is great for rabbits, bit who in their right mind would consider it adequate for deer hunting? I have numerous .22’s, both rifles and handguns, and love them all. BUT — I also have other firearms of varying types and calibers so I will have the right tool for the right job.
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This kind of question comes up all the time on gun forums. Lots of opinions. In my experience and from what I have read about defensive gun use, a 32 or 380 ACP is the smallest you would want use for protection and still have marginal stopping power. A .38 revolver is a good choice too. FWIW. Good luck.
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For home protection a shotgun with number four buckshot in the chest should slow up a smaller person. The shotgun will only require ten shots and the perp will run the other way. Just keep reloading. You will have plenty of time if the bad guy lays down. Be sure to account for all your family. Navel to Neck with the twelve gauge.
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This is far better than a knife…
…and if you want to be really secure,two of these,trained as bodyguards,is even better.
With a .22lr you have to be an expert shooter to really stop anyone. Are you ready to spend 8–12 hours a week at a shooting range for the rest of your life?
Nobody should own a firearm of any kind withouth constant gun training!
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Hi John. First, what Michael and Norman wrote is correct, in my opinion. But they dealt with determined individuals. You will probably not have to protect yourself from that kind of intruder. Your intruder will most likely be the teenage neighbor from down the street who will run when you turn the light on. If you choose to buy a pistol, consider how many walls and the composition of the walls lie between you and your loved ones in the home. 22 LR will penetrate a wall of sheet rock, but the larger calipers will fly through several walls. Always keep in mind that the bullet goes in the direction the pistol is pointed which is not necessarily what you think you are aiming at. If you have a small child in the home, that child will find your loaded gun someday and play with it unless you keep it locked up. A locked up gun is not much use when you’re excited, frighten and confused (that’s why people who carry guns for a living train frequently so that the training takes over when the brain stops working). If you’re willing to spend the hundreds of dollars to buy a larger caliber pistol, I suggest building a safe room instead. A room that you can take your family (your bedroom, a child’s room) close the door that automatically locks. A door frame that is attached to framing of the home and made of heavy metal or solid wood. A room with a phone. My suggestion then is to lock yourself and your loved ones away in a room and call the police. Good luck,
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I agree with Norman Schur but want to add my on input. If you are going to carry a weapon, have it be something that can actually do the job. I myself have the gun you are talking about, and while it is fun to have and use for Target practice, it is too big to be conceal carried (slight build), and won’t do enough damage to keep me or others safe. Try out some 9mm guns and see what you think of them. Each gun shoots different, even from the same Brand and caliber. If you are worried about the recoil, try some of the larger ones. I found that the Taurus 1911, though too big to conceal carry for me, barely had any recoil at all.
Find what feels good in your hands, what type of grip you like, thinner single stack, or wider double stack. Do you like the more square shaped grips, or the rounded. Do you prefer the longer ones that has space for all of your fingers, or do you like the smaller ones that fit inside your hands, with maybe a finger or two left off of the grip.
What size do you like. The longer ones that have more push back, or the shorter ones that have more snap back, ie the muzzle lifting up after each shot.
What type of sights do you like, are you willing to adjust your own, or find one that is immovable that works for you. There are a number of different sights, different colors, distances, some you line up dots, some you have a notch. Find one that feels good and easy to hit what you want.
And practice. No matter what you want to use it for, find a manned range, watch the obligatory video and maybe a class or two, and practice, practice, practice. It is when you are practicing, that you develope good habits and practices for if, or when, the time comes that you need to use it.
Also, Knives are close range, which means you have to get within touching distance with the other person. Guns are long range, so you don’t have to get in the other person’s face. I personally carry both, so i can be prepared for either situation.
If you are going to carry a knife, find someone to teach you how to use it, maintain it, and how to stay safe while using it. The danger with fighting at close range with another person, if they can steal the weapon for themselves and use it against you. It is for this reason that most, it not all, of those trained to use these weapons are trained not to use them unless necessary. They try to hide them, and keep them out of reach of others, they know that the moment they take out a weapon, they no longer have the choice to not use it. The act of taking out a weapon escalates the situation, and calls to action everyone else there, whether it’s to flee, hide, fight, or take out their weapon.
It is because of this that you, or anyone else’s, choice to carry something as a weapon, and not a tool, requires personal conviction on their part, that they are willing to use it. Though they hope that they won’t have to.
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Buy knives because they are a useful tool. Don’t plan to use one as a defensive tool. You must close with an attacker to use a knife; a knife against a knife attack means that you will be cut/stabbed; a knife against an attacker with a firearm means that you will be shot. If you use a knife, police and prosecutors will look at you as a perpetrator, I think mainly because you have to move against someone to use it. Justifiable or not, you will probably be arrested and may have a long legal battle. A .22 firearm is excellent for developing marksmanship skills, for sport, and for hunting small game. Use it for self defense and the law of Evil Magnetic Forces will place a cartridge with no priming compound in your chamber at the worst possible time. Research the centerfire firearms that will fit your hand and operating abilities, and learn to use it. Practice regularly, keep it clean and lubed, and feed it high quality ammo. Get training, and watch videos fro Mas Ayoob, Gunsite, Thunder Ranch, and other good training outfits. Keep your firearms safe from unauthorized persons. Lock it up or have it on your person.
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A .22 is for target practice. How you see people shoot head shots and while people are running hit their targets with handguns in action movies is all fake.
You want to see how a gunfight goes down in a situation, look up police shootings. It takes several shots to get a suspect down. Unless you get a head shot, face shot, or in the heart, they could still come at you with 10 shots in them from a MK IV
Do some research, don’t don’t just throw questions out there. Use google! You be surprised what you might learn. Or if you are still too lazy to read, go to youtube. Try learning before you start just throwing stuff out there. Learn to critically think.
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Nothing wrong with a .22 for self protection. My wife prefers the .22 because she can get 4 rounds on target before I shoot my second .40 round on target. She is deadly with her Ruger Mark IV. The real secret is to practice with any firearm.
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You’d be better off with a 9mm.
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The first question you need to ask yourself is if you are prepared to kill someone that threatens you or your family.
If the answer is no, whatever gun you have will just be taken away from you and used against you and your family. This is the worst possible outcome.
As many have said, where 1 or 2 rounds from a 9mm might do the job, 4 or 5 from a .22 gets it done as well. There are several benefits as well, such as the ammo being cheap so you can practice a lot.
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Most people will tell you that a .22 is ineffective. Not exactly the case. There are many factors involved in stopping someone with a handgun. Caliber is one, but by far, not the only factor. But if it has to be a .22, I would go for a 22 magnum at least, if possible. You do get a bit more punch for your money. Practice, practice, practice…though, you should do that with any gun you have for self defense. Any caliber gun can be ineffective if you can’t get it out and get an accurate shot off in a hurry. Thing is, it all depends on the situation. If it’s a home intruder, there is the chance that the person will flee at the sight of a gun. Any gun pointed at someone is likely to give them pause unless they are insane or drug crazy. In that case, a larger caliber may not always stop them right away.
In short, yes, a .22lr is better than a knife. But keep the knife as a backup if needed.
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I’m not going to get into the caliber issue as so many have. A .22 will kill, period. I want to address the choice.
If you are set on a .22 for home defense, forget the Ruger semi-auto. That is a magazine-fed RIMFIRE weapon. Semi-automatics that use rimmed ammunition (center or rim fire) are inherently more prone to malfunction as the rim can hang up inside the magazine preventing feeding.
Therefore, if .22 is your choice, get the Ruger .22 REVOLVER (the LCR) With a revolver you do not have the issues of needing to rack a round into the chamber or fiddle and fumble with the safety in a high-stress situation. A revolver is ready-to-fire. That LCR is a very simple weapon to use (for the record, I have both the LCR revolver and Mark IV).
I have also been the almost-victim of a home invasion – “almost” because due to me being armed when the intruders kicked in the door, I stopped them as they began entry. No, I will not go into more details. It is not why I brought it up. I brought it up because a home invasion or “hot” burglary (a burglary where you are home) is a very fast situation. You think you would have time to go get you gun. No, you do not. I happen to carry 24/7, even in the shower I keep a firearm at arm’s reach, but hidden.
The only reason I was able to stop the invasion is because I carried the firearm on me as it happened. In such situations, the adrenalin is pumping so fast that unless you are very well-trained on dealing with high intensity, lie-or-death adrenalin levels, you will not be thinking straight to carry out you preparedness plans…
Now the “wake to a bump in the night”… you have more time and there’s a bit less adrenalin, but even so, something as simple as forgetting to release a safety can mean the difference between surviving or not surviving. A revolver reduces the “steps” needed to perform when bringing the firearm into action. Again, you also do not have to worry about a misfeed due to the rim on the ammunition.
The .22 rimfire is also known to not always detonate when fired – if improperly manufactured, there might not be enough primer compound in the section of rim that the firing pin strikes. In a semi-auto, that would mean: aim, release safety, squeeze trigger, hear a click, a bit of surprise it did not fire, then action to clear the dud round and chamber a new round, repeat. In a revolver, if the round does not fire (in a critical situation, not on a safe target range), you only have to pull the trigger again for a new cartridge to be aligned with the hammer and barrel as it fires (on a range, you would wait 30 seconds to make sure the round is not going to be a delayed fire called a “hang fire”).
Regarding the knife… no. It takes a lot of close-in stabs with a knife to stop a threat and that means you are in hand-to-hand combat. With a firearm, you have distance – even if it’s just a few yards, you are not immediately in arms reach to be disarmed if the person is determined enough to wrench the knife out of your hands and slice you with it. You might have caused a fatal stab, but until the person bleeds out, they are still in the fight… and a home defense situation, a second matters. If it takes two seconds to bleed out, then you are both bleeding out.
When it comes to martial arts weapon training, the knife is the last weapon to learn because it is the weapon that requires the greatest amount of training in order to not have it taken from you and used against you. The knife is the most difficult weapon to master and a firearm one of the easiest.
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There is nothing wrong with learning to shoot with a .22 caliber pistol, nor having one for home defense. While they may be one of the weakest rounds on the market, I’ve never seen or heard of anyone volunteering to be shot with one. A .22 caliber pistol or revolver can certainly kill, and until the 9mm became so popular, more people have been killed by a .22 than any other round in a civilian setting.
The .22 has many advantages. One is that there is very little recoil. So that means you can reacquire your target very quickly and put more rounds down range. Two is that the sound of a .22 is about 20dB quieter than a 9mm (but it’s still loud, especially inside a residence). That means that perhaps you won’t go deaf or have hearing damage. Three is that the ammunition will cost you less money, sometimes a lot less (but that varies from time to time). Four is that when practicing at a range and not needing to unconsciously overcompensate for the recoil (which is a very bad thing to do), you’ll have much tighter shot groups, thus making you feel a lot better about yourself in a shorter amount of time. And five is that home invaders aren’t going to stand around asking each other, “What caliber round is he/she shooting?” Most will be running for the hills, especially if you happen to hit one of them.
Obviously, the disadvantage is that, while still lethal, it won’t necessarily stop the invader unless more rounds are fired. Then again, a 9mm may not stop them either without extra rounds being fired, but the chances are quite a bit greater that it will.
Also note that once you really get comfortable with a .22 handgun, you may even want to experiment with a 9mm (they can be rented at the range).
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To begin, I must ask a question. Why do you prefer smaller calibers? Is it due to recoil sensitivity or some other reason? Recoil sensitivity can be overcome through training and experience. The choice of gun can make a difference also. Polymer pistols are more recoil heavy than all steel pistols. My wife is a perfect example of this. She’s very tiny, 5 ft tall and 100 pounds soaking wet. She hates shooting my polymer 9mm pistols due to the sharp recoil, but she loves my all steel 1911 shooting 230gr ball.
Two old sayings come to mind. The first is “never bring a knife to a gunfight.” Ask yourself this, do you really want to go hands on with an unknown intruder who may be better armed and more experienced? You don’t know how the intruder is armed, or even if he is armed. Assuming that he has a gun is a prudent precaution. So, yes, a gun is better than a knife.
The next is “it’s better to have any gun than no gun at all.” While true, most personal defense and firearms experts would say that the venerable .22lr is not the optimal round for self defense. Most would say that any self defense firearm should be a 9mm at a minimum. There are some that would allow the smaller .380acp. But, remember this, your life and the lives of your loved ones could hinge on your choices. Sure, a .22lr pistol could deter the average burglar. But what if that criminal is drugged up? Why take a chance on your life and the lives of your loved ones? The smaller the caliber, the more precise one must be with shot placement. How precise will you be after being awakened in the middle of the night, in the dark, with adrenaline pumping hard?
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If you want a .22 for home defense, get yourself a PMR30 or an XT20Mag. Both take the 20Mag round. The XT has a magazine that holds 14 rounds and the PMR30 will hold 30 rounds. The 22Mag is much more effective and powerful than the 22LR.
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The first thing to know is not to listen to idiots like Tony Collins who will try to tell you that .22 caliber isn’t big enough to kill someone. 22 used to be known as the assassin’s bullet. It is perfectly capable of killing someone especially at closer range like a home invasion typically is.
Ask the 5 people killed in the Cascade Mall shooting whether 22 caliber can kill someone.
If you are comfortable with that fun, and you have the will to use it, go ahead and use that gun.
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In my opinion, look into something .380 or higher, just to be safe.
Why? Simple. Most .22LR handguns lack the ammunition capacity to ‘suppress’ an intruder who is determined to get to you. I’d argue they all do, but there are some big magazines out there. I saw a video on youtube, just yesterday. A guy was hunting a deer with a 9mm handgun. From a tree stand, probably. He fired several shots into the buck, laughing like an idiot. He wasn’t shooting to ethically kill the animal. It was more than 4 shots, and the buck was still moving.
What can we take away from this? You can put an assailant down with .22LR. It has been done, and it will go on being done. It’s not consistent, it’s not clean, and it’s in no way reliable. You’d have to be a very, very good shot, and know where to put the rounds. Yes, I said rounds. Even if you were an expert marksman, I’d expect having to put multiple shots into your intruder. There’s your problem.
Anyone breaks in, intent on harming you, you have a few seconds to react. That light a caliber, it’s not going to have significant stopping power unless they’re at vitally close range. The first hit probably won’t stop them, and probably won’t kill them. You will then be in grappling range, assuming you aren’t already.
You mentioned a large knife. That would be more effective. Absolutely. So would a canister of pepper spray. They sell for around $6–10, and can ‘suppress’ most intruders. Do not be that person who is insistent they want to defend themselves, but that it must be a specific gun, or a specific set of conditions. You have no way to predict how a home invasion will play out. Even the experts are trained to break it down after it has occurred most of the time. What if he comes in from a different entry point than you expected? What if there are more than one attacker? I know of no .22LR handgun (or rifle really) that has the capacity to take down several angry and prepared intruders who wish you harm.
I would never recommend .22LR as a defensive caliber. It’s primary use is for people to train with to improve their accuracy and technique, and for saving money target shooting.
As someone else has probably mentioned, there is also .25ACP, and I absolutely will recommend .380 to you. We don’t want to burst your bubble. We want to keep you alive. There are several compact handguns in 9mm, as well.
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You don’t have the same job as police officers. They have to go into situations and neutralize them. They pick weapons based on that job.
Your job with a home defense weapon is to get someone to stop or leave. To that end, a 22 caliber may do the job just fine. What matters is your personal choice. What can you handle. What are you comfortable with. 22 is not my personal choice. I use a higher caliber handgun and am actually getting a suppressor for it. I have an autistic child and his ears are more sensitive than the average person’s ears. If I have to use my gun to defend my home, I’m not going to give him a hearing disability for the rest of his life on top of everything else he has to work through. My situation is different from the average so I have to modify my personal choice to it.
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As a 3-time Viet Nam, I learned waking up from a sound sleep and getting an accurate shot with a small-caliber was not very likely. I keep a short-barreled 12 Guage pump handy and when I pump to ready the shell the distinctive sound would send most burglars running. If I have to fire it is much harder to miss.
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I defer to Officer Norman and his experience, but want to note that the Mossad has used .22 very effectively because you can get so many rounds in the target area. I can put all 10+1 rounds into a hole the size of a quarter in about three seconds with the Ruger Mark IV 22/45. Shot placement counts too. I agree with not bringing a knife to a gun fight, but have one in your pocket just in case.
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I have one of those. One of the most accurate 22s around. It wouldn’t be my choice as a defense weapon because it’s not that powerful, but, a well placed shot will still kill. A 380 will put an impressive hole in a piece of plywood. I have a couple of those. A 9mm is about the same, just a longer bullet. My advice is to get a weapon you will depend your life on. One that doesn’t jam or malfunction and packs enough punch to get the job done. Then shoot it so much you can do it in the dark because you know it that well.
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Uh… no on the knife unlesd you’re in really close quarters and that’s all you can get your hands on.
Re: the .22; are you capable of landing precise CNS shots under low and under stress? I’d rather not try, myself. It’s all about rapid blood loss/loss of pressure. For home defense I’d use the largest caliber hollowpoint round I can reliably shoot well in low light and under stress. For that I have a Magnaported Glock 30 (Winchester Ranger T +p .45 acp) with Big Dot Express night sights.
I’d rather not use my dressed up 12g Maverick 88 (#1 buckshot) in the house if I can get away with it. (Think, lots of glass. lol.)
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I have two excellent choices for you to consider.
22LR caliber can indeed be deadly. The Israeli Mossad are famous for using these for assassinations. Also, 22LR can cause a lot of damage. However it is not a reliable caliber for home defense. It is too small and very unpredictable how it acts in the human body.
The two choices I have are a pistol and a revolver:
The revolver is the new Charter Arms Professional in 32 H&R Magnum. Low recoil, 7 shots, simplicity of a revolver, cannot jam. If you are reluctant to learn pistol with the slide that could be hard to pull back, this is a good alternative.
The second possible choice I have is the Smith & Wesson M&P EZ in .380 caliber. It is a very easy to operate semi automatic pistol. Slide is easy to pull back and the magazines are easy to load. Low recoil.
I am currently recommending Hornady Critical defense for self defense applications, in either of these weapons.
In either case I recommend you shoot at the range once a month, and get quality training in the use of handguns. Training and safety are KEY. Be responsible.
As far as knives go, it is not a bad idea to carry a folding knife on you at all times:
Amazon.com: Kershaw Blur Tanto Black Serrated Pocket Knife (1670TBLKST); 3.4” DLC-Coated, 14C28N Steel, Partially Serrated Blade; Anodized Aluminum Handle, SpeedSafe Opening, Reversible Pocketclip; 3.9 OZ: Industrial & Scientific
Also I highly recommend you look into getting self defense insurance from USCCA.
Good luck.
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It’s only recently that everyone thought you had to have a bazooka for home defense. It is much easier to shoot a .22 accurately.
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Any gun caliber will work for you IF you are a marksman and know the piece and have put at the very least 1000 rounds through it and continue practicing at least every month.
Shotguns are a better choice for home defense I have a Mossberg riot pump with an 18.5 inch barrel,12ga. Hold 6 rounds, half are 00 buckshot and half 8 birdshot.
A knife can be an offensive weapon if the other person has no weapon at all or no martial art skills . If he even has an 8 inch stick, you’ll lose. Knives are close combat weapons, the hail-mary last resort.
Look up Master Wong, world champion stick fighter on You tube. He’s also a master IP man Wing Chun.
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That’s a tough call not knowing size of intruder or whether they will be under the influence of anything……….probably not recommended at all =chances of success(accuracy with all 10rds in the cranium/médula oglongata or base of head at spinal cord or penetrating any clothing to get heart shot while heart rate is high plus fine motor skills are gone) this is going in opposite direction 1–2rds of bird/buckshot at center mass from 20’=pretty much the farthest diagonal distance in an average home=will make quick work of the situation
if determined to stick with .22LR get one of the other models that have 16/17 rds in magazine, consider either the Ruger 10/22 or AR-15/.22LR models both can hold 25rds increased accuracy/velocity
if your budget allows it consider the FN P90 chambered in 5.7x28mm recoil is close to the .22LR or CMMG has come out with an AR-15 upper/magazines that will work in the lower receiver
of course this is what the website says/what I heard from somebody
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For home defense youre looking at stopping possibly a large or small person with a small caliper meant for small game. You would be surprised at how someone on a good drug or adrenaline would still be able to get to you with shitty placed shots on them.
Get a shotgun, get a decent semi auto shotgun .
Get a good dog also.
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I agree that a .22lr should not be your go to. I have the Mark II version which my father gave to me and my two brothers when we were teens (I am now close to fifty). While I love this gun’s accuracy it has always been a little temperamental when a came to cycling. So I wouldn’t recommend it for self defense. Granted we aren’t talking about the exact same model and I haven’t shot the model IV but they are based on the same design. The second concern is that yes the diameter of a .22 caliber round can kill humans no problem and so can a long rifle but when you consider that the AR-15 which uses the same diameter round is largely seen as an under powered round you got to ask yourself, “do I really want to rely on a less powerful .22LR for my self defense”? I think the answer is no. If you are scared of recoil and follow up shots but still needing that power to penetrate clothing and skin my recommendation would be to go shoot a .380auto or a 9mm. I don’t know if you are female, but if you are both of these are good calibers for the opposite sex that don’t have so much power that they are difficult to shoot and still give good penetration. Also, you will find no shortage of defensive rounds in both calibers. I would also recommend buying a semiautomatic versus a revolver as once again recoil is reduced and easier to manage. I hope this has helped.
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.22 has limited stopping power. Bigger calibers have more stopping power–*if* they hit the target. For self defense, use the biggest reasonable caliber you can shoot accurately.
By “reasonable caliber” I mean you have to take other factors into consideration. Two examples include over penetration and reloading. A Thompson Contender in .30-30 for example, is easily capable of over penetrating an assailant at self defense ranges and being a single-shot firearm, woukd require reloading and recocking if additional shots were needed. Not a reasonable handgun caliber or firearm choice for self defense.
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If you pump enough rounds in the intruder then yes a .22 would be enough but, from people I know who have had to defend themselves in a situation like this, if you haven’t had any under stress training with firearms before, your first shot it likely to be your only good one. Personally, I would choose a round with better stopping power like a .38 special. It has nice stopping power, not a giant amount of recoil, and revolvers are 100% reliable. Personal comfort is important when choosing a daily carry or just a range gun, but with a home defense gun you’re in a much tighter situation. Go with a gun and caliber you’re willing to bet your life on.
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Many years ago, I was a very green district attorney in a rural county arguing in a child protective hearing when an officer advised me that a man in the next town had been shot 5 times in the head. Since homicide takes priority, I simply told the judge “I have to go” without waiting for the judge to grant a continuance. I raced to the next town as terrified as you can be in a highway patrol car running st crazy speeds. When we got to the scene, the victim walked out and shook hands with us! He had indeed been repeatedly shot in the head by someone in the same car and had the scratches to prove it. The pistol was a .22.
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Yes, it’s better than a knife. By far.
And the Ruger Mark IV is a fine gun.
That said… I would advise against this.
Get yourself a full size 9mm pistol. Attach a light to it. I assume you are afraid of the recoil, and weight soaks up recoil. A full size service pistol with a light attached weighs quite a bit, and the recoil is quite modest.
See if you can find a friend that can help you, or a firearms instructor, or whatever to give you some exposure here. But I really can’t stress enough how modest the recoil is from a full size 9mm. Even people very small in stature learn how to be effective with 9mm service pistols every day in military and law enforcement rolls, and you can too!
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Well it is better than the knife BUT a .22 is not a self defense round it is a small game and target round; yes many have been killed including my Friend Officer Gary Maas. Physics dictates you want something moving faster and is bigger to defend yourself- remember the goal is to defend from harm not see how many holes you can make before they fall down. If you are worried about being able to “Control” the pistol it I suggest a full size steel 9mm using standard velocity self defense ammo such as Hornady’s Critical defense line. While 9mm costs more than .22 you can find it on sale to practice with and with quality ammo if God forbid you are ever forced to use it will protect better than a 22 will.
CZ, Tanfoglio, and IMI all make reasonably priced full size 9mms that will serve you well.
I would recommend you go to a local shooting range that rents firearms and discuss with them, not only can you try shooting a 22 vs a full size 9mm but you can also get some advice and instruction so you can make the correct decision for you.
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They will just take it away from you and beat you. I think a baseball bat to a knee would be better. Though someone hit me in the shin with a bat and the bat broke. I guess I was lucky.
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“I am thinking about getting a Ruger Mark IV .22lr handgun for home protection, as I’m afraid of bigger caliber weapons. Would this firearm be adequate to supress an intruder or would I be better off with a large knife?”
A MkIV is about the last gun I would recommend for self-defense, but it is better than a knife.
If you really can’t handle anything bigger than a .22LR, then OK. The MkIV is a nice target .22 – you will have it for life and pass it down to your grandchildren. Practice a lot: shot placement is key with such a weak caliber. Consider having a big knife too: after 10 rounds don’t stop the bad guy, you will want something better than bashing him over the head with your empty gun.
While you are practicing a lot, you may find that you get over your aversion to heavier calibers. A nice 9mmx19 handgun would do a lot better. A big, heavy one like the Springfield XD-series doesn’t kick too badly. You can even get an M1911 that shoots 9mmx19 – God’s gun! Rent or borrow a big 9mm every once in a while and see how you do with it.
Consider taking marksmanship and self-defense courses. There is a lot more to self-defense than buying a gun and a box of ammo. The NRA puts on good training, often bargain priced: Firearm Training Or you can Google up private sector training almost anywhere.
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I have the Ruger 22 and it’s a great target pistol. I have a 9 mm small carry. The Awful Truth is that people with firearms in their homes are much more likely to be injured by their own guns than an intruder. I probably have around 10 firearms. I don’t pretend that they are for protection. Now, statistics are across the whole population. I don’t know if owning a gun in a high crime area makes you safer. Of course some people have protected themselves with home firearms. What’s the statistics tell us is that it’s a Gamble.
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Get a gun you can easily control and stand to shoot in the dark without ear protection. A gun is no more effective than the person using it. Shooting an ordinary .38 special in the dark without ear protection is very unpleasant. To do that well, you need practice, which is also unpleasant. I think many people with pistols that size or larger are fooling themselves about their ability to use the gun for defense.
The gun you mentioned is a great gun for pleasure shooting, and it’s easy to control. People like to talk about how ineffective the .22 is for defense, but few people are indifferent to the idea of being shot by one. With that Ruger, you could easily squeeze off several rounds very quickly; in my opinion, that would disable most intruders, and you’d have a better chance of hitting the target. And .22 ammo is so inexpensive that you can easily stay in practice using it. And it’s fun to shoot!
And remember that most intruders are not there to kill you and determined to fight to the death. They want to avoid a fight. They are there to take your stuff, and they don’t want any confrontation, especially with someone shooting at them. If it goes bad, they want to escape without injury.
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So I have fired almost every single handgun and rifle round out there. The 22 lr is by far the weakest round on the market (aside from 22 shorts) if the gun is just for home defense then I would highly recommend an ar15 (if legal in your area) when it comes to accuracy the gun will shoot better than you can. And it’s a lot easier to control and you can get a good red light on it for target identification. So you know you aren’t shooting a family member at night. And when it comes to over penitration it is less likely to go through more than one wall using standard ball Ammunition. And you have far more ammo in a magazine. The 5.56 will travel through less material than a 9mm. But has plenty of stopping power more so than a 22 lr. Hope this helps. Stay safe
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That Ruger is a great pistol, I have tried them.
For home protection I suggest you try good doors and windows and locks. A $2 rubber wedge under your bedroom door is a good investment but you may care to think of rings of security.
The outer rinh is the neighbourhood, next ring is your fence, next ring is your house structure, last one is your besroom door.. each one can be studied and improved.
My house is in a good neighbourhood but not on a busy street, i have locked gates and high walls with cameras and floodlights all round, razor wire in places, German Shepherds multi point locked doubleglazing, anti bump locks, bolts, alarm, locked bedroom door. i keep guns locked away.
If they are not enough to make you feel secure you may wish to move to a gated comminity or different country. Security is important but in a lot of countries home defence with a firearm is a rarity.
If you do use a firearm there is a good chance you will not get to it in time, it will be taken away from you or even worse you will shoot someone including yourself. do not rely on it.
I applaud a .22 as it will not penetrate walls very well and may not be fatal if it does hit a human. In a panic situation you may not check the background very well, an overshoot and accident may be life changing for you. A shotgun would be more effective at the short range you are looking at.
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I’ll just relay what I learned from martial arts.
All black belt candidates had to learn both gun and knife defense. We used weighted water pistols with red dye. For knives we used red dye on the cutting edge of a rubber knife. There were three pertinent observations that were true every single time we’d train:
The knife defense always ended up with red marks all over both attacker and defender – i.e. in a knife fight, everyone gets shredded.
The gun defense at close range was successful some of the time. About 1/3 no one got shot, 1/3 the defender got shot, and 1/3 a bystander got shot.
At two arms lengths, the guys always wins. Don’t care how many stripes on your belt.
BONUS: Knife vs gun – inside 10 feet knife wins / 10 – 15 ft both die / over 15 ft gun wins.
What I took away from this was:
Best to just avoid any situation where you need a weapon
Forget knives
If you have a pistol, better maintain a good distance
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Unless you are will to be trained and practice, practice and practice. A gun for self protection is akin to having a baby. A .22 or any caliber gun for home protection is a commitment. If you are in a situation that demands you protect your self will you pull the trigger? Remember even a .22 will go through a wall in your house, what is on the otter side of that wall? When fight or flight is turned on what will you do? I do know what I would do but for home protection it will be close quarters and I have an axe handle one on each side of the bed. A base ball bat behind the front door. I have been in the draw your gun situation twice. One a local grocery store was being robbed and I was between the entry doors where you pick your cart. Three guys and my eye fell on the guy with a shot gun I ducked below the line of carts and had my gun extended as the guy may his way out the exit. Second was a proposed car jacker. My door was un locked, not normal, bad neighborhood at a stop sign a guy walked to the driver door. I was surprised my door was not locked but he saw the gun pointed right him, he couldn’t close the door fast enough. Looked a lot like he had some friends too. Yes I would have put a six bullets in him.
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Very unpopular opinion but it also depends on you are you fit strong and skilled with the knife if not certainly the .22 lr handgun besides you should always keep your distance as a angry criminal can’t block repeated bullets (even .22 lr) with their skin but they could easily knock aside a poorly timed slow or weak knife strike and commence to overpowering you even using the knife against you. I would suggest if you like smaller caliber handguns you should look into the ruger 5.7 which has some of .22 lrs best qualities but is MUCH more combat competent as the FN 5.7X28mm cartridge is used by the US secret service.
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FOR MY bedroom gun I have a 12gage. If a condition is serious enough to need a gun = If I have to use, I wish to be the only one left standing. Perhaps you may have 3 sec. to give a warning for the bad guy to comply to a stop.
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I do not know your experience level, and I have been pulling triggers for over 50 years. One, always assume a gun is loaded. Two, never point it at anything you do not intend to destroy. If there are kids around, hide it and lock it. My kids where trained buy me and have grown and moved away and have their own guns now. 9MM minimum. One of the flaws with .22, and I have a few, is you should not dry fire a rim fire. It will ruin the firing pin. My 9MM is striker center fire, and I can dry fire all day and not hurt the gun and I won’t go broke on ammo. Get trained. Practice, practice, practice, until it’s like breathing. You never know what shape you will be in when the SHTF. Learn to shoot with the left, right and both hands and both eyes, and learn to keep your eyes open. Wear safety glasses when you can. Get ear protection. I had a rattler in the barn and shot my .22 and my ears where ringing for days. I now use noise cancelling amplified muffs, so I can hear better, and it cancels anything over 80 db. Go to a range and rent at least a few 9MM or larger and shot them. There is nothing worse than buying a gun to discover you hate it and cannot be proficient with it. I find a good fit in the hand necessary. The Glock for example hurts my hand. Ease of use is important. Good sights that work for you is invaluable. I chose the Springfield XDM in 9MM. Very large, so not good for concealed carry, but that is not why I bought it. It has 19 round mags, very easy to break down and maintain. Incredible sights. Super well balanced for easy target acquisition a rapid fire, the gun was made for competition and it was made for speed and accuracy. It is really well balanced and has minimal recoil and I could shoot it all day. It comes with three sets of back strap to fit your hand. It has rails to mount laser, flashlight or optics No manual safety to forget to unlock. The safety is build into the back strap and trigger. There is a cocked indicator and a chambered indicator, so I can tell by feel is it’s cocked or chambered in the dark. Consider insurance. Beware: If you ever use it, you might wind up on charges, go broke and go to jail. Hope this helps.
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The short answer to your question is that a firearm always has some advantages over a knife. If the rest of your home defense strategy is nicely layered and provides you enough room to put a bunch of shots into an intruder, there’s a pretty good chance that the intruder will stop before getting to you. Most of us don’t see the .22LR as a great defensive caliber, but many people have been killed by guns shooting this caliber. If you put half a dozen or so shots into the attacker’s chest, neck, and head area, there’s a good chance that the attacker will either decide to stop or will be too weak to fight effectively. If your defense plan is pretty good and works as planned, you can put these shots into the intruder before he is close enough to hit you or stab you if he has a knife. The problem with home defense using a knife is that you have to let the attacker come in close contact with you.
The drawback to any .22LR semi-automatic pistol in this role is that the .22LR round doesn’t always feed reliably in semi-automatic pistols. Every pistol has ammunition that it does and doesn’t like. Even with ammunition that the pistol likes, sometimes, there are feeing and extraction failures. In a home defense situation, one of these failure would be a disaster. You’d want to find the perfect combination of ammunition, cleaning, and lubrication to give the best reliability.
You don’t say why you prefer smaller caliber handguns. If you really want something in a smaller caliber, you might consider something in a .32 ACP caliber. This caliber can have some feeding issues in some guns. This solution isn’t perfect, but this caliber is generally much more reliable than anything in .22LR. There are some nice guns that fire this round. Some of the best for your purposes might be surplus guns from Europe. Police and even military in Europe used to carry the .32 ACP fairly often. This caliber is mild in many ways, but some companies are making modern self-defense ammunition for this caliber.
Another small caliber round that is gaining some popularity is the 5.7×28 round. Ruger has just released a pistol made to shoot this caliber. Traditionally, the manufacturer that made pistols for this caliber was FN. This round wouldn’t be underpowered at all.
Another small caliber round is the old 7.62×25 Tokarev. This round is fairly powerful, but the caliber is still fairly small. I’m not sure whether anyone is making a modern gun in this caliber, but European surplus guns are available.
Question as asked at the time of my answer:
I am thinking about getting a Ruger Mark IV .22lr handgun for home protection, as I prefer smaller caliber weapons. Would this firearm be adequate to supress an intruder or would I be better off with a large knife?
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It has been well answered, but I will add a few points.
First, the incidences when you actually have to defend yourself are rare. The times you have to fire a gun in defense are even more rare. The number of time that a Bad Guy is shot is even more rare, and the number of times the Bad Guy is killed in a Defensive situation is more rare still.
Criminals are looking for victims, not a fight. They are not inclined to get into Fire Fights unless they are hard core criminals. Most of the time they flee when they encounter resistance, especially armed resistance.
Second, having a gun is useless unless you can accurately and effectively use it. If you buy a gun tuck it into a drawer until your home is invaded, you are going to be fumbling with the gun wondering how it works, and that is not going to save you.
It take training, lots of training, and lots of thought about what you will/would do in a Defensive Encounter. You have to train your family, or roommates, to know what they are going to do in that situation. Wife and Kids should run and hide in the most secure room they can access under the circumstance. Far too often, they are inclined to just stand around and watch, which is not healthy. You need a plan.
Third, others are somewhat right that a 22LR is not the most effective round in a gun fight …but… it is effective and it is better than nothing. While not an exceptionally powerful round, worldwide, it does kill more people than any other round. There are many Videos on YouTube that analyze the 22lr and consider its effectiveness in a Defensive situation. I would suggest you watch 20 or 30 of those.
Forth, there are many types of 22LR. The CCI Quiet is 710 Feet Per Second (fps), where as the CCI Stinger is 1640 fps. Keep in mind that the Velocity is rate out of a standard Rifle Barrel; probably 22″. You will not get that velocity out of a 22LR from a 4″ Pistol Barrel. Federal Punch 22LR, personal defense ammo, is rated at 1070fps out of a TWO INCH BARREL, or 1650 out of a 24″ barrel.
So, the point is, you need higher rated velocity ammo if you hope to get functional velocity out of a short Pistol Barrel. For general target practice, I use the equivalent of CCI Mini-Mag (1235fps) to keep the functional velocity high. Though for a Defensive situation, I would be more likely to use CCI Velocitor (1435fps).
So, the Ammo you choose can make a very significant difference in the effectiveness of the pistol.
Next, WHICH Ruger Mark-IV Pistol? That covers quite a range as they are several models in the Series.
I would recommend the Tactical or the Tactical Lite, as there are a good compromise between a heavy target pistol and a general shooting pistol. They are a bit on the heavy side, but well balanced and easy to shoot. The Standard Tactical is about 35 ounces, and the Tactical Lite is about 25 ounces. Both on the heavy side, but both well balanced and easy to shoot for most people.
And all the Tactical Models are threaded for a Suppressor.
Also, they are intimidating looking guns.
Depending on the size of your hands, I would recommend the Tactical with the historical Ruger style grip, for larger hands the Tactical 22/45 which has a larger straighter military style grip. I have the Tactical 22/45 LITE, and while a bit big for my small hands, I can shoot it just fine. But the classic Ruger Style would certainly fit my hands better.
Here is the Classic Ruger Tactical with the smaller more angled grip –
Here is the Tactical with the larger straighter Military style grip –
And just for reference, here are the LITE 22/45 Tactical Versions –
Next, a gun you can shoot is far better than a gun you are afraid, or perhaps just reluctant to shoot. A hit with a 22lr is far better than 10 misses with a 9mm.
Also, any gun going of in the confined space of a typical home is going to sound like a cannon. A 9mm is going to be LOUD, even a 22lr is going to be loud, just not quite as loud as other more common Defensive Rounds.
Next, Over Penetration; you have to consider what those round that don’t hit the target are going to do. What they ARE going to do is exit your house, and go through another 4 or 5 walls. I’m pretty sure your neighbor will not like rounds zipping through his house, no matter how desperate the Defensive Situation was. There are also videos on YouTube about the Penetrating ability of a 22lr compared to other rounds. Generally, the bigger and more powerful a round is, the more walls it is going to penetrate.
As to range, I ragVeteran8888 (YouTube) Demonstrated that a 22LR even out to in excess of 400 yards, still has the ability to penetrated a 1/2′ of wood. There used to be an old FBI/Military standard for the lethality of a bullet, and that standard was whether it could penetrated a 1/2″ pine board. Though I think IragVeteran8888 use 1/2″ Plywood.
You see Police using 223/556 Rifle in urban areas, these have the potential to travel and be lethal for miles. A 9mm fired from a Pistol or Carbine, will not have 223/556 range, but it will have very considerable range, and when it falls from the sky it can still have lethal velocity. A 22rl will probably not have the max range of a 9mm, but both are lethal out to roughly 500 yards.
So, this last point is me asking you to consider these things when you are considering the defensive use of a gun of any type. If you miss, how far will the bullet go, how many walls will it penetrate? These are considerations that come with every Home Defensive Use of a Gun comes with. Every Bullet has a Lawyer attached to it, and with that is criminal and civil liability.
A gun you are confident using is more useful than a gun you are either not confident using or are afraid to use.
Either way, it is a mistake to assume you can buy a gun, put it in a drawer, and think that it will be effective in a Defensive situations. You need to be skilled and accurate in the use of the gun, whatever type of gun that might be. And that comes from practice, practice, practice. Remember, it a high stress situation, you are not going to be as skilled or accurate as you are in the comfort of a typical low/medium stress shooting range.
Remember my Friend – MATTY – and you will always be Safe
– M = Muzzle – Always keep the Muzzle/ Barrel pointed in a Safe Direction, which is most often Down Range.
– A = Action – The Action/Bolt should be Open and Empty until you are on the Firing Line ready to shoot.
– T = Trigger – Keep you finger off the Trigger until you are on the Firing Line ready to shoot.
– T = Target – Make sure of your Target and what is behind and around it before you pull the Trigger.
– Y = Your Gun – YOUR GUN, or any gun you handle, should always be treated as if it were Loaded.
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Why not a Ruger Single-Six revolver, you can use the .22lr for target practice at the range, and swap out the cylinder for the more powerful .22 magnum rounds to keep for home protection. One gun, two uses [it’s VERY easy and simple to swap out the cylinders], and also a revolver won’t go off if dropped, won’t jam on you, etc. More reliable in an emergency than a semi-auto pistol is what I mean.
Or just put a security shotgun under the bed. Simply “racking” it, that sound should make any burglar poo his pants.
Source: I own Ruger Single six and Mark III, and also a shotgun as described.
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Start with what you’re comfortable with, and if the .22 Ruger is it then go with that. Remember that the smaller caliber caliber weapon will require advanced expertise. The target area that would be adequate with a .45 is about the size of a large orange. A .38, the size of a baseball and a .22, the size of a ping-pong ball. There is no substitute for practice when it comes to gaining familiarity. If you are not willing to expend the time to shoot the literal thousands of rounds necessary to gain the proficiency with your home defense weapon, then it might be best to stick with a ball bat or a golf club. The good news is that .22s are cheap and you can afford to stock up and shoot enough to get well versed with your new weapon. Further good news is that you’re likely going to have a great time which will lead to the acquisition of a larger caliber handgun.
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Here is the short answer to your question.
You “are better” in more scenarios having a .22lr pistol than a knife. Since we will be answering this purely on hypothetical, the Gun is better than the Blade.
That said, the .22lr pistol is a poor choice for a defensive caliber if home defense is the only application. If you want a longer dissection of that question re ask.
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Well the first rule for a home defense weapon is have one that you are comfortable using. The Ruger Mk IV is reasonably reliable and accurate.
I know that many pooh-pooh the .22 LR but a recent article by an Ohio writer, Greg Ellifritz, showed that the .22 LR was every bit as effective as many larger cartridges. You can read the article here.
An Alternate Look at Handgun Stopping Power
For the record, I carry a .22 pocket pistol concealed. It’s small enough and convenient enough that I can easily take it with me so long as I’m wearing clothes. Because it’s so convenient to carry it’s with me all the time.
You could, of course, buy a larger caliber handgun for home defense. I have a CZ P-09. It’s reliable, very accurate and these old eyes can actually see the sights. The 19 round magazines are attractive as well. Still, the Ruger Mark IV would do the job.
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When I select a firearm for self defense I first pick a reliable firearm. I then chose a caliber that will stop an immediate threat. It’s matching the tool for the job .
to remove a small part you want a small tool. To remove a large part you want a bigger one . You want a tool that is also reliable.
think about using a tool in the terms that your life depends on it . For me a .22 is like a 3/8 Ratchet trying to remove your wheel . Yeah maybe it can eventually get the job done .
if maybe is good enough for you then maybe it is? .
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My wife has a 22 pistol instead of a bigger gun, because she cannot (won’t?) effectively aim anything larger. So it’s better to hit with a 22 then miss with a 9mm, but the louder bang of the 9mm May do the trick. I find the most intimidating sound is the breach of a shotgun getting closed.
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This is actually a tough question to answer.
Ranged weapons always win over melee weapons, assuming that it can be employed against the enemy.
The real problem is that nothing fails to incapacitate the enemy more often that .22LR, .25 ACP, and .32 ACP cartridges. These are the last things you want to choose for self-defense.
Yes, the Mk IV is a better choice than a kitchen knife. It’s better than nothing. However, if your life is on the line, and you have time to plan ahead, you are far better choosing a .380 ACP pistol if you insist on “smaller calibers.” .380 ACP is the smallest caliber you should consider for self-defense, as proven by thousands of real world civilian combat situations. Anything smaller fails to incapacitate significantly more often than any other pistol caliber round. Above .380 ACP you don’t get a significant increase in incapacitation until you go to shotguns or rifles.
As for the fear factor, people really aren’t afraid of knives. Guns, for some reason, criminals are likewise unafraid of. I think it’s a combination of “You’re not really brave enough to actually shoot someone, let alone me” and “even if they do shoot at me, they suck so bad they’re going to miss from lack of range time.” (though they won’t put it in those words, those are the sentiments.)
So, yes, the .22LR is better than a knife or your fists, but seriously, go with a .380 ACP, 9mm, .45 ACP or nearly anything larger that will actually do the job you so desperately need it to perform.
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My wife and I decided about 3 years ago that we wanted handguns to protect ourselves at home. There had been some reports of shootings and break ins around our area and even though we live in a good neighborhood, we wanted to make sure we had protection.
Being novices, we went to a local gun shop and range. They were very friendly and helpful, suggesting that we try different models and calibers. I liked the way a Springfield XD 9mm felt but my wife was not comfortable with that caliber. She liked the feel of a Ruger LCR .22 revolver instead. Something we were told was although the .22 is a smaller caliber, the bullets will pretty much “bounce around” inside a person when shot with them. With 8 rounds in the cylinder and if she hits someone with all 8 of them, it seems to me she’d do some pretty significant damage.
We both have a CWP so we’ve been trained to use our handguns which means I’m pretty confident she could handle herself with a .22 just fine. With any luck, we’ll never have to find out!
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A knife requires more skill and less distance than a gun. While .22lr is on the small side, in a home defense situation just empty the magazine into them (better safe than sorry).
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It is a great pistol and a ton of fun, not a defensive pistol. If I had no choice, it beats a broom handle or a rock. Self defense I would not go below a .380 but would prefer a 9mm/.38/.357 or better yet a rifle. Two hands and 4 points of contact is a lot easier to use effectively than a hand or two.
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I am going to challenge a lot of the prevailing wisdom on this question:
A .22 lr caliber firearm is a good choice for personal protection in many cases but not all. If its all you have, yes by all means use it.
If you cannot handle excess recoil its also a great choice.
No other round allows cheap practice as economically as the .22 lr so you can become deadly accurate with it.
Is it an effective round for stopping a charging Grizzly or a “coked up meth head”…probably not.
But if attacked by a charging Grizzly, there aren’t many rounds that will incapacitate that type of threat anyway..at least not fast enough for my tastes.
The Mark IV is a great target pistol. As a defensive pistol there are many better choices but then I am always reminded of a famous quote in the shooting world: solid hits with a .22 are better than clean misses with a .44 mag.
Keep a knife handy for CQB but don’t hesitate to use the Ruger beyond that range.
Victorinox Fibrox Pro Knife, 8-Inch Chef’s FFP, 8 Inch, Black
As said by others, a .22 may kill him but possibly not fast enough to prevent him from getting you first. Don’t consider a knife for primary self defense. To use a knife, the assailant must be within touching distance to you, putting you at greater danger. If you are sure you’d use a gun without hesitation once a deadly threat is clear, I’d get a shotgun. A 20 gauge is easily handled by most people. It has a recoil that is manageable for even a small person. Shot guns are also unlikely to punch through your walls and endanger someone in another room or house. Buck shot gives you several .32 caliber balls fired at once. This helps make sure you get a hit and that it will cause enough trauma to end the threat as quickly as possible. A threat still exists if the assailant is still on his feet and not retreating. Keep firing until the threat has ended. As we all know, one of the most intimidating sounds on earth is a shotgun slide cycling. Announcing you have a gun, followed by that sound is your best bet to scare someone off. If you are in your bedroom, kneel down behind the side off the bed and rest your arms on the mattress. This gives you some cover and stability. When you buy a shotgun, either get one that was designed for self defense or make sure to remove the plug that keeps you from loading more than 3 shells. Previous comment about racking the slide is not meant to imply that you shouldn’t have a round already chambered. Also, a shotgun may not be a good choice if there are children in the house. They are much harder to secure without slowing your arming time down. In that case, I’d say go with the 9mm + handgun. Whatever you decide, PRACTICE! Remember the old adage: I’d rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6!
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The first question I’m asking about your question, have you ever trained with a knife? Cutting or stabbing someone with a knife is a very up close and personal way of defending yourself and puts you in contact distance with the person. I’ve been stabbed and cut, and while the wounds were ugly, they did not stop me from fighting and winning. Even a .22 handgun is a better weapon than a knife, but I would trade either for a plain old shotgun. I don’t care whether you prefer smaller caliber weapons or not, reality dictates that for home defense you want to stop the fight as quickly as possible. The simplest and most reliable weapon for that purpose is a shotgun in at least 20 but even better 12 gauge.
It never ceases to amaze me the questions that keep appearing that equate to “I want to use deadly force for xxxx lawful purpose, but I don’t want to use the most efficient means to apply that force”.
If you must use a contact weapon a baseball bat is better than a knife simply because of the reach advantage.
Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops SWA24S 7.1in S.S. Folding Knife with 3.1in
It’s a great gun for its purpose… target shooting. That said I wouldn’t depend on a 22 lr in any defense situation, it’s just too underpowered to reliably stop an attacker without perfect shot placement, which will NOT happen in a defense situation where you’re under stress. It’s better than a knife but far from ideal. The only caliber worse for defense than 22 is a 25 ACP.
I have a Ruger Mk II (a predecessor to the Mk IV) that I love, it’s fun and cheap to shoot as well as very accurate. You can shoot it all day for the cost of one box of 357 magnum ammo. It’s not a defensive weapon however.
I’d suggest at a minimum a .380 caliber as a defense round, for home protection a good choice would be a medium frame 38 special or .357 magnum (loaded with 38 special ammo) revolver.
Another valid, and inexpensive, choice is a shorter (18″ legal limit) 12 gage shotgun. Load it with buckshot and the bad guy will stop if you hit him. No, you won’t “clear the room with one unaimed shot” with a shotgun… you still need to aim as the shot will only spread to a few inches in diameter in any realistic range.
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The further you are from an attacker, the better. If he has a knife and you have a knife, you’re both going to the hospital in critical at the very least. Most likely one or both of you are going to be dead.
If you have a large knife and your attacker has a gun, just give up. He can blast a bunch of holes in you from a distance.
If you have a gun and he has a gun, you’re back to even again, but a single decent hit with a gun can stop someone faster than a stab wound.
As far as caliber, a 22LR pistol is better than nothing, but I’d recommend a 9mm or larger. A 22lr is capable of 100 ft/lbs or so of energy from a pistol and it probably won’t expand so it will make about a .22″ hole in the person to a depth of about 12″. A 9mm is capable of about 380 ft lbs and will make a 1/2″ hole 14″ or more deep.
If you were to use a 9mm carbine like the Hi-Point 995 or Kel-Tec Sub2000 you get better velocity and even more power plus better accuracy.
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The large knife will only be a better choice once the fight moves to within arm’s reach. If it gets to that point you’ve probably done something wrong… By all means, have one as a backup, but it shouldn’t be the first thing you reach for in most cases.
The statistics on the .22 for self-defence are interesting. Last time I checked it had both one of the highest rates of stopping an attacker with a single shot, and the highest rate of failing to stop an attacker at all.
It’s a tiny round, with minimal recoil, so the guns can be extremely accurate without being too expensive. It packs the same punch as a Medieval war crossbow, so it’s definitely sufficient for self-defence purposes. But it requires extremely accurate shot placement. You basically need a direct hit on the heart, the spine, or the brain. There’s no land animal on the planet you can’t kill with a well-aimed shot from a .22, but miss those target areas by even half an inch and you’d have been better off to walk up to them and smack them with a hammer.
So, if you want to use one for self-defence, practice until you can get all your shots on a 3×5 index card at 15 feet without looking down the sights. Then go spend some time playing paintball or airsoft until your hands don’t shake.
Otherwise, you’ll be better off with something larger. I wouldn’t recommend the knife though unless you’re planning to join the local SCA or HEMA group and practice until you really know how to use it. There’s a reason the gun has surpassed the short sword in self-defence popularity.
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I would recommend neither. The knife puts you at a disadvantage when facing intruders with weapons. The .22 is too weak to reliably stop somebody. If recoil is an issue, a large handgun in 9mm works for handguns, and an AR-15 is a good option for a long gun. Another option for a long gun is a KSG with minishells.
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If he’s on drugs, probably not. But still better than a knife. Hollow point ammunition will make it a little more effective. And don’t stop with one shot. Don’t empty your whole magazine, though. After 5–6 shots, if he’s not moving toward you, pause and see if he goes down. If not, you have a few rounds left. And you should buy a second magazine (if doesn’t come with one) and have it loaded and ready to go. And practice changing out mags quickly.
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My friend. You’re thinking out of fear.
Fear of the situation.
Fear of the current climate.
Fear of no protection from the thin blue line.
Fear of large caliber guns.
Fear of the unknown.
Fear of killing someone who wants to do you bodily damage.
“Suppress”…”prefer small calibers..” “better off”
THEY have none of those fears.
You MUST change your mindset.
Lets get back to your question.
A 22 will do nothing to a drugged out offender. We’re all taught to shoot “center mass”—- a better probability for a hit.. Hitting an attacker, jazzed up on even coke or adrenaline even, a 22 will not be felt center mass….
UNLESS you are lucky enough to pop them in their skull point blank, where the round enters the cranium and ricochets inside the skull turning the brain into pate.
Lets turn to ‘large knife”… You seem to have a problem with visualizing killing or doing harm to others…yet you are willing to get up close and personal to use a knife and the blood shed that comes with using a knife to do the ‘dirty work’? You are talking about noises and warm blood squirting all over you and having to repeatedly thrust or cut the target for the assault to stop.
You need to get some education and training…and dont be ashamed or scared about doing that. You are NOT alone. I dont want any of this shit to happen. This is NOT the country I raised my kids to live in. Im 58, half crippled, and nice as can be. I dont want any of this to happen to my fellow man. But my OWN mindset of ‘kindness’ or ‘peace privilege” (which I describe as a person in the US who has been raised in a 1st world country in safety and security of a peaceful nation—— yet I was raised during the times of Watts riots, Rodney King, etc… but we had a govt that tamped those rioters, commies, and agitators down… now those agitators RUN the cities and country)
I told my oldest kid (now 30) back in the Obama years that his generation would be the ones that would have to fight to keep their freedom.
Foresight is forewarned..,
This is my daughter, aged 11 in 2007, shooting an AR15
and her with my .45cal 1911
If she can shoot as an 11 yr old (5′4″ 105) I am sure you can too….Believe in yourself.
Good luck.
MOSFiATA 8 Super Sharp Professional Chef’s Knife
You will not stop a rager or meth head with a 22 lr ( Get stinger hollow points ) but its betterr than a knife .
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It is interesting cause I have often heard it said that the .22 Lr is/was the preferred weapon for hits. The .22 because of its lower velocity normally bounces around in the head doing massive damage that a higher velocity round may not do because of the possibility of a through and through. However, there is a vast difference between a mafia hit and a home invasion scenario. One is a controlled setting (victim usually shot from behind at very close range) as opposed to a potentially chaotic setting with the home invasion. Honestly I think your best bet is a shotgun. It is a hell of a lot scarier, the muzzle blast is much louder and more intimidating, and you are much more likely to hit the target. The problem (I believe) of going with a higher velocity would round hand gun is the increased potential of the round going through walls and striking a loved one.
For home security a shotgun is your best bet.
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I’m not a big gun guy, but if I had to have a gun to rely on at short range to stop an intruder in my dark house at night…it would be a double barrel sawed off 20 gauge shotgun with 00 buck shot or a 12 gauge pump riot gun firing the same kind of ammo. The sound of a shell being chambered in a pump shotgun would make most intruders piss their pants.
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While far better than a knife , a 22lr while lethal you must target a vital area to be effective being a 22 has little ‘knock down power / felt energy. So do you want to kill your intruder ? What would be the legal repercussions in your state ? … For that reason I would recommend a 9mm . You could deter an intruder with a non lethal shot far more effectively with a 9mm than a 22, depending on the stamina and determination , etc .. of the intruder . Larger calibers like a 9mm are still relatively mild in recoil , yes a bit more noise , but give you better ballistics when it comes to force felt by the target .
my reasoning is that , If your life or family members lives are in imitate danger is one thing . If you are defending your home its another . A well placed or multiple well placed shots to a non lethal area would neutralize the intruder w/o killing them ..avoiding ‘ major legal issues.
if you are dead set against a larger caliber -you’ve answered your own question . Of course a 22 is better than a knife or edged weapon simply because you can keep a safe distance from physical contact where you could be overcome by force . And the sight alone of any firearm can act as a deterrent or scaring off an intruder .
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Any gun is going to be better than any knife but a 22 long rifle has virtually no application as a defensive cartridge. If you actually have to shoot somebody you’re going to need a very lucky shot or you’re going to need to pump an awful lot of rounds in them to affect a stop. a much better choice would be something like a 9 mm which doesn’t have significant recoil.
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For home defense I wouldnt get anything smaller than a .380. I gave my 74 year old mother a small 9mm. Either one can double as a ccw or home defense. With a knife, you have to be too close to use it and then it may be taken from you and used against you. Worse, they may have a gun or you may be faced with two or more intruders. In the real world more than one intruder is highly likely so make your decision based on that. If you are not already experienced with handguns a shotgun may be a better choice for home defense until you become proficient with a handgun. I have a .22 that is similar to my .380 for practice but I also have an AR15 for a worse case scenario. I would recommend going to a gun shop that has a shooting range. Tell them you want a gun for home defense and they will give you some options. Rent the guns you are thinking about and shoot them to be sure its for you before you buy one. There usually is no return policy on guns.
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I’m going to go against the majority here. Here’s my answer when asked if a .22 is adequate for protection.
So this is your standard el-cheapo ice pick. The diameter is about the size of a .22 caliber and the length is about the depth of penetration you will get + or -. Now imagine being stabbed in the chest with this ice pick 10 times. Do you think you would be deterred from continuing your attack? HELL YES! Would you die right off? Probably not. Later on…
If you are looking for an instant kill it had better be a head shot or three. But it WILL deter an attacker.
A Ruger Mark IV is a great, very reliable, pistol. With a little practice (which will not cost you an arm and a leg like some ammo) you will become pretty proficient with it. And proficiency and confidence is what you need to help defend yourself. Panic and hysteria will just get you killed.
If you want to up the ante get a 10/22 Ruger rifle. With a bigger mag you can punch a bunch more “ice pick” holes in anything you want.
Edit:
I forgot to answer the knife part. No. Pistol over knife every time. Don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.
Tac-Force- Spring Assisted Folding Pocket Knife
For jome protection I like a pump 12 or 14 gauge shot gun. If I was robbing a place and heard a pump of shot gun, just that sound, and out the door I would run. A 22 would just make him mad unless you get a lucky shot. A large caliber just might go thru your wall and into the person nrct door. A shot gun has the close in stopping power and you aim can be off and still hit them. The pumping sound is a sound I would not like to hear as a crook.
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If you’re afraid of larger caliber weapons to defend yourself, rest assured the criminal will be assaulting you with a larger caliber.
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I’d go with the gun. .22s have killed more people than any other caliber, outside of war. Shot placement will be king. A .22 to the head beats a .45 to the toe every day.
The knife means you have to be up close, bad-breath distance! If you can cut him, he can, and likely will, cut you , many times. I talked at some length with a retired Border Patrol agent, who has been in his share of hand-to-hand combats. He never got out of a solid fight without some serious wounds. He said when in a knife fight, you just have to cut your opponent more and deeper than he is cutting you. Persist through the pain and cause him even more pain. After his last knife fight he was in hospital and recovery for nearly 6 months. The other guy died.
The gun gives you the option of distance. You can take on your assailant from 20 yards, not 2 feet. Statistically most defensive gun uses end without a shot being fired, so there’s that.
So it’s your choice – try hand-to-hand with a guy who may be quicker than you, maybe so drugged up he feels no pain, or shoot the SOB from 20 feet away.
Then you might also have the situation where you have your knife, but your assailant has a gun. Now who’s under-armed? You just brought a knife to a gunfight.
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Shitty weapon choice in a terrible caliber not fit for purpose.
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The really cool thing about your situation is that, being in your home, you aren’t subject to the natural consequences of public carry. You don’t need an especially lightweight and compact gun.
The heavier the bullet, the stronger the felt recoil.
The heavier the gun, the lighter the felt recoil.
Before resigning yourself to ballistic mediocrity, try out a full- sized steel handgun or pistol carbine chambered for 9mm. (For some reason, nobody seems to make bigger guns in .380.) If that doesn’t work, save a few more Benjamins and get an AR pistol, or check out Ruger’s new 57, both of which fire small, fast bullets
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I wouldn’t. I would go for 9mm. 22lr is too unreliable (ignition-wise) and too dependent on precise shot placement and not very good at stopping power.
Many .380acp pistols have a nasty snappiness to them, but they are getting better. But the 9mm is much better.
Some have recommended 38 special in a revolver which wouldn’t be a bad round. But 357 magnum is going way the wrong direction from what you are wanting.
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13 Year old kids can learn to handle a 9mm handgun. If you want a .22 for cheap practice go for it. As soon as you can, step up to the 9mm. As for the knife – Unless you’re in good phyisical shape, and Practice with said knife – stick to the gun. (Still practice, but the more “powerful” the weapon – the less “powerful” the user has to be.).
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A .22 pistol is a bad idea..
Maybe a 9mm or a 10mm
I promise you. If some big bad dude busts your door off the hinges to come in, you’re fucked with a .22. You might as well just shove it up your ass and empty the clip in your rectum
that monkey will take all those .22 bullets and still have plenty of energy to charge you and kill you.
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This has been my personal trajectory with gun-for-defense concept. I love guns, but:
The thing is, you have to be “intruded” to find out. The bad guys don’t know you have a gun in the house, so it won’t deter them from trying to invade you. Rather than buying gun as a first resort for home defense (which I assume based on the nature of your question), I suggest trying to do all the things to make your house as uninviting as possible, first. Robbers are opportunists. A barking dog, alarm system, cameras, exterior lights, barriers to entry, etc.: All things bad guys can learn before they try to enter your house, and just keep walking down the road. Small or large caliber, nothing trumps a well-placed shot (or six). However, well-placed shots are rare. I agree that even a .22 makes quite a bang in close quarters, but that means the shooting has started and things have gone to shit.
Now, if you want to have a gun, get a gun. Guns are cool. Learn how to safely handle it and train with it and responsibly manage it. Then hope all those warning signs you gave the intruder worked, and you never need it.
The point is that if you need a gun, or wish you had one at some moment, then a whole series of inflection points have passed and presented you with a life-threatening situation. It would be better if you never got to that point. Especially in your home where your family is.
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If you are scared of a 9mm, or even a .380 ACP, you probably aren’t a good enough shooter to put a .22 where it needs to go. The larger the caliber, the more room there is for some inaccuracy to creep in, and believe me, when the Adrenalin starts flowing, accuracy goes out of the window. OTOH, a knife also takes a lot of skill. Depending on your local laws, perhaps a handgun that will fire a shotgun shell might be better. Do not ever shoot it, so you don’t know how much kick it’s got, and maybe you can pull the trigger without preconceptions (just a wild thought, others may make negative comments about that). Several manufacturers make revolvers that can be loaded with either conventional .45 caliber rounds or shotgun shells, but these may be banned in your region (such as California).
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I am thinking about getting a Ruger Mark IV .22lr handgun for home protection, as I’m afraid of bigger caliber weapons. Would this firearm be adequate to suppress an intruder or would I be better off with a large knife?
The very best handgun for you is one you can be accurate with and that you carry with you always. Handguns don’t get much smaller or less powerful than the .22 caliber. I suggest that you go to a gun range that rents or lends firearms and try an assortment out. If the .22 caliber Ruger is the one you are most comfortable with then you must work on accuracy.
A well placed shot with a smaller weapon is as effective at subduing an assault as a larger weapon. Most headshots at close range are effective. If the assailant is wearing heavy clothing a center of mass shot will not stop the attack. It might not even break the skin if several layers of winter clothing are worn.
Whatever you decide please take a course, become proficient and be careful. And of course practice, practice, practice.
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I am thinking about getting a Ruger Mark IV .22lr handgun for home protection, as I prefer smaller caliber weapons. Would this firearm be adequate to supress an intruder or would I be better off with a large knife?
A 22LR is better than a knife. But, I’d want something I don’t need to shoot 6 or 7 times. 38 Cal, 9MM, 357 would be better.
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The first rule of a gun fight is “Bring a gun”. A .22 is better than no gun.
The Ruger Mark IV is a great gun, for target shooting, plinking, and small game.
But the magazine is 10 rounds (plus one in the chamber). And it’s a .22.
There are advantages of a .22 – low recoil and ability to fire rapidly. But bullets weigh 40 grains; someone could kill you with his hands before realizing you have killed him. If you really want a .22 plan on firing many times if the first shot does not scare him away. One shot from a .22 will not stop anyone, even a head shot.
Kel Tec makes a 17-round .22 pistol (16 in the magazine), the model P17. It weighs half as much as the lightest Mark IV. It’s only about $200. I have not fired one but it looks like a serious defense pistol with a good grip and a safety that is easy to use. You might want to see if one fits your hand.
A knife is useful only when a threat is much closer than you want him to get. A knife is not as frightening to look and it does not make noise. Almost any intruder will be almost as frightened as you. You want the intruder to leave, RIGHT F-ING NOW! Loud noises cause panic, knives don’t. Realize that you need to fire a .22 many times if you need to fire once.
.22 pistols are fun to practice with – practice is very important.
Consider a 9mm. Try one.
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While not an owner of that particular model (I do have and love my Ruger Target III .22 pistol), I can say that you’ll need to be no farther than 50 yards (give or take depending on the state of the gun, ammo, and your skill level) to do any more than piss off the target. While a favorite for mafia hitmen back in the 60–70s, you practically had to be on top of your target to actually do any damage. Even a 22 magnum was better up close. However, the absolute most import factor in choosing a self defense carry gun is finding one that is comfortable to shoot and carry, and if this is what you prefer, go for it
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Why do you prefer smaller calibre weapons?
They’re less effective, especially something as low powered as a .22lr. I personally wouldn’t go smaller than a .32 ACP loaded with good quality, hollow point ammunition.
Having said that, a .22lr handgun is still better than a knife, especially if you aren’t super fit & prepared to literally cut someone’s face off..
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Investigate getting a handgun that shoots a .410 shotgun shell. If your house has a lot of drywall you won’t have worry about how far you’re penetrating if you miss.
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Well you did pick a good accurate pistol, and though a .22 is not the best round for home defense, it’s a damn sight better than a knife. Personally a 20ga is better is than a .22 and a 12ga is better than a 20ga. With a shot gun you are liable to get more than one with one shot.
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You would not be better off with a knife. A .22 is better than nothing and a mark IV is a fine gun.
But before you spend $400 on a plinking pistol, buy steel security doors for your home. They will keep you much safer than any pistol will.
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Good question! Buy yourself a shotgun for home protection. All you or your wife have to do is point and shoot. Wait until the intruder is in your bedroom doorway. Aim chest high and pull the trigger. Anything in the doorway will be hit. Fire again to ensure that the person is down and is no longer a threat. I suggest a automatic shotgun that way all you have to do is keep pulling the trigger. If here is a plug in the gun have it removed so that you can load more rounds without reloading.
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Yes in fact I think its a good choice , if you miss, the bullet probably won’t exit the house nor will it penatrate your neighbors house so thats a plus, also you should have no problem being accurate with it , if you need to aim for the heart , it will take them out,
The good thing about using any gun for protection is that just by making the gun visable to the attacker the situation may instantly become non dangerous because the attacker may run for the hills ,
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My Mark IV had several ejection and bad primer strikes yesterday at the range.
The ice pick is far more reliable as someone suggested.
My recommendation for you is .380 Smith EZ or Sig P238 with a laser sight.
🍀Good Luck! (That means Practice, ditto ditto). SF
Ps tons of excellent answers to read and consider
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Check out the keltec pmr30. It’s chambered in .22wmr or what most people call 22 magnum and holds 30rds in a flush fitting mag. It has very very little recoil. It would be alot better for home defense. But the mark iv is way better than a knife. 22lr will kill people and kill them fast. It’s no joke. The only defensive weapon better than a firearm chambered in 22lr. Is a firearm chambered in a more powerful caliber. If your stuck on a pistol in 22lr then the keltec cp33 is the best on the market for home defence. It holds 33rds of 22lr. It has a rail on top for mounting optics and a rail on bottom for mounting a light. A home defense firearm really needs a light. You want to clearly see someone before you shoot them. Especially if you don’t live alone.
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The only real purpose a .22 handgun has is for practice at the shooting range. A .22lr round doesn’t contain enough energy or speed to do enough damage to stop a determined aggressor in their tracks.
If you’re truly worried about having a firearm for home defense, stay with a larger caliber round. Today the 9mm round is very popular and pretty effective, though I’m a believer that IF I have to shoot to protect myself, I want to make absolutely certain I can accomplish that goal in the quickest possible way which is why I opt for a .45 in a 1911 style pistol. The .45 caliber is a huge, relatively slow round that has tremendous stopping power.
My second choice would be a .44 Magnum, though my .44 is a long barrelled handgun for accuracy at extended range (100 yards) and therefore not as easily maneuvered in a restricted space in real close proximity to an attacker, at least without continual practice.
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Maybe I just missed it, but I havent seen anyone mention the Kel-Tek PMR-30. It shoots a .22 magnum round and has a 30 round magazine. For the uninitiated, a .22 magnum is a .22 bullet in a longer case. It is sometimes called the poacher’s round because it has taken so many illegally killed deer. While it has taken many deer, it is too small to ensure a clean, humane kill on a deer and is, therefore, illegal to hunt them with.
Having said all that, I carry, and keep next to my bed a .45ACP pistol. I firmly believe the bigger the hole in the human hydraulic system, the quicker you cavitate the pump.
The .22 magnum recoil is only marginally more than. 22lr and the weight of the PMR-30 is less than the Ruger Mk-IV. Thirty rounds is a lot of lead coming your way with no indication of stopping soon.
In short…I would recommend something 9mm or larger, but if you are dead set (no pun intended) on a .22, please give serious consideration to the PMR-30. They can be finicky about ammo, but I have never had a problem with CCI.
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Could you kill someone with a knife? Are you that skilled and confident? With a knife you have to be close.
Also, killing someone with a knife is a bloody mess and terribly violent. Your chances with a jury won’t bode very well.
A 22 is a terrible choice when there are other better performing calibers available.
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There is nothing wrong with the Ruger Mark IV. It’s a good solid gun that is fun to shoot. Most home defense senarios where a gun is used result in no shots fired. The attacker sees a gun and decides the crime isn’t worth getting shot over. But…given the price point of that particular gun and the fact that it’s only a .22lr, you can do way better. A Taurus G2C is a 9mm that holds 2 more rounds and is half the price. Ruger makes 9mm and .40 calibers in that same price range. The S&W Shield series are solid firearms that won’t let you down. Springfield Armory just launched the Hellcat which is getting damn solid reviews and is in the same price point as a Mark IV. My point is, get a bigger gun if that’s the money you have to spend.
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Q: I am thinking about getting a Ruger Mark IV .22lr handgun for home protection, as I prefer smaller caliber weapons. Would this firearm be adequate to supress an intruder or would I be better off with a large knife?
Long ago and far away my family used to hunt for their meat. This was India in the 1960’s where the alternative was water buffalo (think cooked shoe leather). I saw my dad kill a wounded nilgai, which was standing, with a Star Bonifacio Echeverria 22LR semi-auto pistol. One shot and down it went. Not just down, but hard down, like it was knocked over, without a quiver afterwards.
This was a smallish nilgai, about 250–300 lbs. They are much larger than deer, or humans for that matter.
Since then I have never felt inadequately armed with a 22LR handgun. They are deadly in the hands of a good shot. And becoming a good shot is much easier when not dealing with an abundance of noise and recoil. They’re also a lot less expensive to practice with.
If you need multiple shots to stop an attack consider that multiple 22LR’s are like buckshot from a shotgun. And follow-up shots with a 22LR come a lot quicker than with a 357 Mag where you have to recover from recoil.
Forget the knife, get a handgun. I prefer a double action revolver for this as 22LR is not as reliable as centerfire ammo. It’s the nature of the manufacturing process. With a revolver you just pull the trigger again, no racking the slide to clear a misfire.
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No what you need to think about is stopping power witch unless your attacker is a squirrel the .22 has no stopping power. To me it sounds like you don’t like recoil so my suggestion would be a .40 s&w
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You can kill a person with an air gun. But you can’t stop a person with an air gun.
You need a weapon that will pierce the skull or pierce the breastbone or a rib. And even then, if the guy is on drugs he will keep coming for you for at least a minute or two unless you kill him instantly.
And forget the knife. Unless you are very nimble and know how to use it, it will be useless, and will likely be taken away from you and used against you.
Get a big gun, and be ready to take a life if necessary.
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If you are getting a weapon for just home defense, skip the knife for certain. Period. Full stop. of a pump shotgun is a clear warning that it is a good time to leave and rethink one’s career. It’s also very easy to add accessories to a shotgun such as a weapon light, aftermarket sights, a carrier for extra shells, etc.
A .22 pistol is better than a squirt gun, and yes, it CAN be lethal… but – a hit to center mass with a .22 is more survivable than an identical hit with a larger caliber. Even a .22 magnum is a good improvement. If you want a revolver, a .357 magnum is a good choice, because you can shoot .38s for practice – or even carry them – while also being able to carry .357 mag ammo. While very similar in caliber, a .357 has a great deal more punch.
To be perfectly honest, you are probably best off going with a shotgun. Even a 20 gauge or .410 will be much more powerful than a .22, especially a .22 pistol. It’s also easier to hit a target with a shotgun… and as others have noted, the
Last point – practice is not enough. There is no substitute for training with an expert, both from a safety and educational perspectives. Just shooting a lot isn’t enough…
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I knew a Detroit lady who had confidence that her .25 ACP was adequate. One night a thug tried to climb in her window and she put two slugs point-blank into his chest. He had to go to the hospital. He did not have to be taken, he drove there in his own car.
That said, I would rather have a .22 long rifle than another knife (I have plenty). If that was all I had, though, I might feel compelled to empty more rounds into the goblin.
On the subject of goblins: Little Orphant Annie .
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Absolutely positively NOT !
First of all, the purpose of shooting someone is to STOP them. The .22 will kill them….next week.
I do not comprehend the statement: “prefer a smaller calibre”.
I am not a fan of knives either.
If the intruder is armed that will only give him an excuse to shoot you.
If you can legally own a pistol, and are a novice, pick a .38 special revolver, Colt or Smith and Wesson, with a five inch barrel.
Or a five shot .38 snub-nose if you want something small.
MACE is effective. I had it sprayed in my face as part of government training. Unless the perp is on PCP, he will be temporarily blinded.
If you cannot legally keep a regulation pistol, purchase a Ruger .44 blackpowder..(no licence required). They fought the civil war with less effective weapons. And you can purchase a cylinder that will enable it to fire cased ammunition without paperwork.
You are not preparing for the battle of the Bulge !
Psychological preparedness is far more important than the choice of weapon or ammunition.
I strongly recommend a few hours of self defense physical training…not to learn technique, but to teach you to eliminate fear.
I might add, showing a perp a .22 has zero intimidating power.
I honestly do not understand the objection people have to owning a firearm. With the exception being if there are small children around.
When living in a high crime neighbood I never answered the door without wearing a pistol.
A .38 special revolver can be kept loaded 24/7. In my opinion only an idiot keeps a gun lock and keeps the weapon locked up and ammunition separate…unless you are going on vacation
And i stopped a home invasion by four illegal alien miscreants.
Forget about exotic ammunition or a .357 .
Unless you are proficient in the first case you will end up with a round in the ceiling killing your upstairs neighbor.
In the second expect to be before a grand jury explaining how you paralyzed a “yout”, who they will say “was a good boy”, with your “special ammo” that exploded inside his chest, who only broke into your home at midnight to obtain food for his doting disabled grandmother.
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The best home protection weapon is a short barrel shotgun, ask any firearms instructor. A knife means getting too close to the bad guy and possibly having it taken from you.
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I am a fire arms instructor. Get the gun you can shoot accurately & comfortably. While a Ruger MRK IV is intended to be used as a recreational pistol it will suffice in a defensive role. Seek out good defensive training and shoot 50–200 practice rounds a month. Focus Your training on shot placement.
A pistol is much easier to use defensively then a knife. Best Wishes!
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No, you would NOT be better with a knife. That requires close body contact and it’s extremely likely that you could be disarmed and have it used against you.
Make no mistake, a .22 LR hollow point that is delivered with extreme accuracy could definitely stop an opponent. The key here is ACCURACY. Yes, a larger caliber is better and has more stopping power, but get very competent with what you can use – even if it’s only a .22 LR.
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22 is NOT a defense round. Yes, it can incapacitate and kill in the right circumstances but you have to be lucky. If you prefer small calibers because of the less recoil, buy a heavy steel 9mm like a CZ75 or Beretta 92. The heavier gun will mitigate recoil. And you are absolutely not better with a knife. If you’re close enough to use a knife your assailant is close enough to get ahold of you
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Save yourself some time dude and get a 9mm. Go to the range, practice using the firearm, and get adequate protection. Can you kill an intruder with .22lr? Absolutely. But the chances of just causing injury are greater, not to mention you don’t know if the intruder is wearing body armor which a .22lr won’t even dent. Most body armor protects against 9mm as well but increases your chances over a .22. A short shotgun would be an even better option, who cares about recoil when your life is at stake? Get something with more stopping power. That’s your best bet. You won’t care about recoil when someone is trying to hurt you. I was the same way, I had to use a .44mag while living in Alaska going fishing/camping. Was always nervous about recoil lol, until a was false charged by a grizzly. Adrenaline kicked in and I shot that thing in the air to try and scare the bear (it worked lol) and the recoil didn’t even occur to me. Idk random tid bit I guess. Get at least 9mm. Or 20gauge shotgun
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Let me assure you that Mark IV is capable to stop and even kill any intruder, if this is a goal. No matter what others will say. But you might need to shoot multiple times to do so. And then good luck to prove self defense.
If handling is an issue, get at least
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Older question, and you’ve probably made your decision already but why not.
Too many people underestimate the .22lr, despite statistics showing that it has killed it’s fair share of bad guys.
That being said, it is smaller and weaker than most common self defense rounds. It also has a higher tendency to malfunction or jam, the guns get dirtier faster and require more frequent cleaning after a trip to the range.
So I have no issue with using a .22lr. I do have a slight problem with your choice of gun. There are a lot of other .22lr options than just the Ruger Mark IV. I myself own a Ruger LCP in .22lr and it’s a nice gun.
Might I also suggest a Ruger 10/22. The longer barrel will offer increased muzzle velocity and you can (if legal in your state) purchase 25 round magazines for it. Poke 25 holes in an intruder, and I guarantee he will at least say “ow”.
But, you said you “prefer smaller caliber weapons”. Well my good sir, you are in luck. There is a gun that fires a bullet that is almost the same “caliber” as .22lr.
The AR-15 in .223. No one is going to call this gun under powered, it has very low recoil, and with the right ammunition choice, won’t over penetrate.
You could also go with something in the new 5.7×28. This is a 0.224 caliber. The guns and ammo are more expensive, but these also have extremely low recoil.
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If that is the choice to be made then get the pistol and the knife. Practice with both. I am old, fat, out of shape, physically limited. So for me a gun of any calibur is better than any knife. But people are different so each person must choose what is best for their particular situation.
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ANY gun is better tan a knife as you can shoot your intruder from a safe distance; and if a .22lr is all you have, load it up with some good ammo, practice and be prepared.
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Predictably all the experts pronounce it as inadequate. Because .357 Magnum! Because .45 Automatic!
Learn to shoot the .22 accurately. It’s easy to shoot and the ammo is inexpensive. Use it for home defense and you will be fine.
Note: My concealed carry is a Smith & Wesson Airweight .38 revolver. It’s convenient for me to carry every day, no matter what I am wearing. And my theory is that if 5 rounds of .38 Special doesn’t stop the bad guy, I’m probably going to win the fistfight.
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A .22 will do just fine for home defense. An intruder, even if armed, is looking to steal or rape, not engage in a gun fight. At first sight of your weapon, most intruders will cut and run. A bullet wound, even a non fatal one from a small caliber weapon, means a trip to the hospital, which means a police investigation and a long prison sentence. Criminals want to avoid this at all cost, and will avoid conflict with an armed homeowner.
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I just got home from the shooting range. With over 20 hand guns on my license, my favorite, and the one I always bring to the range is my ruger mark IV hunter. It holds a 10 round magazine, and I shot a box of 325 rounds, with out one misfire. I was hitting a heavy steel plate at 50yds, and each impact, moved the plate with a good force. Ok, its easy to shoot, no recoil at all, and if you unload 10rds onto someone who just broke into your home at 3am, hes going down. Besides, it’s fun to shoot at the range!
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I’m not sure why, but there are a lot of people who simply cannot pull the trigger without major hesitation, and usually not at all. Most of these people would have no problem hitting an intruder, or clubbing them, or slicing/ stabbing once the intruder closed. We see those things as less than lethal, and doable, while willfully taking a life is not doable.
Personally, I believe that one should willfully take a life, indeed, several lives before purchasing a self defence firearm. Go hunting, shoot and butcher a kill. Raise a few meat rabbits, and shoot their heads off when its time to harvest the meat. Become comfortable enough to not hesitate with that.
Then buy the handgun. I have some peculiar ideas about the weapon of choice and load as well. Buy the largest caliber handgun you can handle. For home defence, I prefer a revolver, simply because of simplicity. Why the largest caliber? Stopping power. I want to stop and preferably kill now matter where the bullet hits.
To this end I want to use specialty load rounds. I want a little slower velocity, and I want that bullet to crumple and split, giving the largest amount of impact and blood loss possible. Use deeply double cross notched hollow points. There’s no reason to fear that a light load will fail to penetrate.
Look at it this way; you are shooting at close range. A 45 caliber revolver round has a muzzle velocity of run 738 feet per second. That give an impact at muzzle 297 footpounds. A regular bullet will go completely through a man at 50 feet.
If you load a shell to provide 3/4 of the velocity, that gives you a muzzle velocity of just under 600 feet per second, and a muzzle range impact of aproximately 225 foot pounds. Plenty to pass completely through a man at 25 feet. You will always be much closer in a home defense situation.
So how do we make the impact and hole punched by the bullet do the most damage, and either disable or kill most rapidly? Part of that was the slower load. More of a punch and less of a stab. The rest of the stopping power is spreading out the impact. If you have 225 foot pounds at the standard diameter, you can alter the bullet so that it strikes with 225 foot pounds, but mushrooms and expands, tearing an ever larger hole in the body as it passes through. Even better if the bullet shreds and peels back sharp shreds of metal. Ideally, your exit wound should be about palm size.
This results in an instant drop. You hit the shoulder? The target has a completely shredded shoulder, most of it missing, and there is arterial blood squirting out everywhere, likely from multiple major arteries. Hit the belly? Instant drop and die. Hit a thigh? You are tearing away a third of the leg, and the intruder is down and out, most likely dead in minutes.
That kind of sudden trauma is instantly disabling, plunging the body into instant shock and unconsciousness, if not instant death.
That is what using your handgun properly loaded for home defense will result in. Blood, guts, stink, voided bladders and bowels, agony and death.
Then there will be the aftermath, dealing with the law, the media, your friends and family, the bloody mess, and both survivors guilt and that special guilt and altering of self that comes with taking a life.
All of that is preferable to being killed, and possibly tortured by rape or witnessing rape of a loved one, and being helpless to stop it.
I was as graphic as possible because if reading this bothers you, dont even consider a gun for defense. This was your first screening for emotional fitness.
EDIT: 1/28/21
Some people are commenting that peripheral hits are not stoppers, unless hot by a shotgun. That is the purpose of the double notched hollowpoint. They almost explode upon impact, spreading into a very large blob of sharp, twisted and shredded metal, accompanied by some shrapnel that separates when the round tries to turn itself inside out on impact.
I respectfully submit that while an er nurse may see a lot of gunshot wounds, it is highly unlikely she has seen a lot of wounds made by the type of ammunition I recommend. Simply put, people don’t take the time to modify their ammunition like that. When that round hits, it is very like a shotgun.
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I partially agree with Mr. DeWitt. The Ruger Mk-IV is better than nothing and it is more suited to plinking and target shooting,-I wouldn’t volunteer to be shot by one. But he is correct in that cheap .22 ammo is unreliable at best. But if .22LR is all you have why not buy a .22 revolver. If the round doesn’t go off you just pull the trigger again. I recommend the Ruger LCR in .22. Eight rounds, with good ammo, and you have a reasonable alternative for under $300.
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There’s a significant difference between using an ice pick and a handgun for the assault of another person (motivation is irrelevant). The use of an ice pick to disable an assailant requires far more physical skill and dexterity than to simply blast them with a pistol. In the first case, you must get up close and aim for a vital organ while fending off his attack or defensive moves. Failure to at least stun your opponent leave you at great risk of being injured yourself.
On the other hand a handgun will help maintain a distance between you and your assailant that will prevent him from harming you (unless he has a gun as well). If you can get off the first shot, even if you miss, your assailant will be alert to the fact that you have a lethal weapon and may back-off or flee.
All-in-all having a gun, will rapidly escalate the conflict to a fatal level without taking intermediate opportunities to defuse the situation at lower levels of conflict.
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Rim fire guns are notoriously unreliable and a knife??? Really??? Unless you are an Argentine Gaucho with a bunch of scars, that knife will be more appropriately used by a proctologist to sew your parts back on!!!
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You don’t want a 22lr. It rarely immediately stops an intruder. If you gotta shoot somebody use something bigger. 38+p. 357 mag, 44 special, 44 mag, e.t.c. I’m referring to body shots. Head shots are more difficult in low light. Smaller target.
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Pros:
The weapon that you are considering is a quality firearm and honestly I would prefer to face an attacker with a quality low caliber weapon than a poorly made high caliber weapon.
With good ammo (I’ve had great results plinking and hunting with CCI) a 22 is very accurate.
Recoil is negligible making it a highly practical choice for the elderly, people with very small hands, people with arthritis or other issues that limit dexterity.
A well placed 22 shot isn’t likely to over-penetrate, a big plus in a small apartment.
A 22 shot is loud, but won’t deafen you in a small space-sound shock from a larger caliber has often stunned people trying to defend themselves in their confined home.
Too many people panic, miss, or make other mistakes when defending themselves with a firearm, if you practice with your 22 and handling your weapon properly and aiming becomes part of your muscle memory you have a better chance than a crying, terrified victim barely able to hold their 357 magnum.
Any self defense firearm requires extensive practice and 22 ammo is stupid cheap. Personally, I would love to use a 45 GAP for defense but I can’t afford the ammunition.
Cons:
Got about a year?
Seriously, YES there are many examples of a 22 saving lives. A few cops that have had them as BUGs have been saved-see editions of combat handguns and other sources. In post-Apartheid South Africa there were horrifying home invasions and I’m aware of one instance when 4 invaders with clubs and knives ran for their lives when the homeowner began to fire his single action mini-22 revolver. Another case a rather scantily clad woman was about to be raped by a professional bodybuilder, her well hidden 22 placed a bullet in the rapist’s heart ending the attack as well as his life.
A 22 can save your life, but as the legendary Massad Ayoob once noted, there are many cases where people fell from planes with faulty parachutes and lived. But your chances are better with a good parachute, and a higher caliber.
Google ballistics and you will find books written after careful research and study by law enforcement and universities that prove in hundreds of cases a 22 shell bounced off the hard of the skull, or didn’t penetrate a thick winter coat.
A 22 doesn’t produce a lot of pain or impact shock especially to a larger attacker or someone under the influence. The person you shoot may die tomorrow, but he might not stop attacking you today!
That said, if you are serious about defending yourself you have a lot to consider.
But whatever you decide, buy from a reputable dealer, take a class in shooting taught by a quality NRA certified instructor, maintain your weapon and be aware of local and state ordinances when owning a gun or using it in defense.
Above all recognize that a gun doesn’t make you invincible. Most home invasions are committed by multiple assailants, and even one burglar can be well armed and dangerous. If you don’t use common sense you can be criminally liable, civilly liable or dead!!!!!
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I have 31 years as a Deputy Sheriff and 6 years in the Army including 2 in combat in Vietnam. Although the 22 cal LR is a great round for hunting small game like rabbits I wouldn’t use it for self defence unless that is all I had. The 22 cal round has a high velocity and will penetrate the skin/flesh of a human body but rarely exits. I worked a case where a gang member was shot in the left shoulder with a 22 cal round. He died and the coroner found the round in the victims left ankle area. The point being that the 22 cal round can penetrate a lot of things, like dry wall in your home, so it could be a danger to everyone around you. Also as the other officer stated it doesn’t have knock down power. Basically a light, high velocity round will penetrate but doesn’t have the foot pounds to cause a hard blow to whatever it strikes. A 38 cal or a 9mm round is a heavier bullet and has less velocity, but because of the weight of the bullet it has higher foot pounds and thus delivers an impact when it strikes a target.
Secondly, if you don’t shoot handguns on at least a weekly basis it is better to start with a revolver, it is safer because you can see if the hammer is back, which means its ready to fire. A semi-auto pistol may not have a hammer and you might not remember if you have a round in the chamber or if you have to pull the slide back to put a round in the chamber. If you’re using the handgun during a confrontation with a suspect you might not remember anything that hasn’t been already put in your brain by previous training, thus its all instinct shooting. Trust me their are a lot of police officers who have trained every week for years with their handgun and in their first shooting the only thing they hit was air!
ALSO IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN KEEP THE GUN IN A SMALL SAFE NEXT TO YOUR BED. AT NIGHT YOU CAN REMOVE IT AND PUT IT WHERE YOU CAN QUICKLY REACH IT IF NECESSARY! KIDS ARE CURIOUS AND MOST PROBABLY HAVE SOME TYPE OF TOY GUN THAT THEY PLAY WITH. THEY CAN’T TELL THE DIFFERENCE AT THAT YOUNG OF AGE!
Charlie Mike to officer Schur and his wounded partener!
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I am a physician. Quite a few years ago when I was in Cal., I had a gun license. A very legally conservative sheriff was elected, and he dictated that all gun license holders must attend the Cal. Police academy course. I was glad I took the class.
The answer to your question is legal, not ballistic. IF you shoot another person, the legal standard applied for self defense is “did the person have the means and intent to KILL you or do serious injury. If that answer is YES, then it follows as the answer to your question that your self defense must be serious. You should not use a “pop-gun”. Use a weapon likely to put down your attacker. Also, do everything in your power to avoid that kind of interaction.
I am also a paralegal, and a military retiree.
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Any bullet can kill if you know where to put it and how to put it there, but knives are much much harder to effectively use. Stick with the little gun, and do try to work up to bigger ones.
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If you never fire a pistol before and understand that even if you have a pistol, you will not have much time practicing. Then I recommend something easier to handle, e. g. a. 22 revolver.
The reasons are as follows.
A semi auto has more controls and operations in order to fire. Pulling the sli de to load a round in the chamber, switch the safety from S to F. For normal storage, it is not recommended to keep the pistol loaded and safety on as it will put the firing pin spring in tension, which is not good. In times of urgency, you may simply forget to load the pistol. In such case, a revolver is more suitable.
Another factor that make sense is in a lot of this break in situation, no shot would be fired. Unlike Hollywood movies, most intruders will choose flee when they know that the owner is aware of the intrusion. If an inevitable encounter scenerio happens and the other side is having a firearm, probably they will run like a frightened rabbit.
On the other hand, if you decide to join the world of shooting and do some serious practice, a 22lr pistol is a good start. For home defense, of course most people will suggest. 38 or 9mm, but I would like to recommend a .32 pistol. The recoil can be easily managed.
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The only real reason to carry an undersized weapon is if it needs to be concealed. That situation does not exist in the home. Get something big enough to put your assailant down immediately, like a .357 magnum or a .45 auto.You may be able to kill someone with a .22 but perhaps he will bury an axe in your head before he succumbs to wounds that are ultimately fatal.
And a knife? Only if you can’t get a gun. You *are* going to get cut up in a knife fight whether you win or not.“
Smaller caliber weapons”? Not if you are serious about defending yourself. Better than nothing but barely that. What will you do if you shoot the guy with the .22 and your assailant finds out? He’s probably going to be pissed and then you’re in for it.
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Upgrade to the .22 magnum KelTec PMR-30. It is much louder than a standard .22, and some more recoil, but easily managed by small shooters, even with one hand. Not that I recommend shooting with one hand but in home defense situations it may be required, so practice it WITH BOTH HANDS, especially the off-hand.
Honestly it it a real pleasure to shoot, and one of the most accurate handguns I have ever used. And the 30 round magazine is hard to beat. Again, standard disclaimer, just spraying lead all over the place is not the best home defense method, as opposed to precise shot placement. But a 30-round capacity does have a positive psychological effect for the average home shooter.
You won’t need a big knife for backup if you get this one.
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“I am thinking about getting a Ruger Mark IV .22lr handgun for home protection, as I’m afraid of bigger caliber weapons. Would this firearm be adequate to supress an intruder or would I be better off with a large knife?”
I was taught that if you are within arm’s reach, you’ve made a tactical blunder. It’s important to engage and thwart an enemy before they can lay a hand on you.
I admire the Ruger Mark IV, but wouldn’t use it for home defense. Personally, I chose the Smith & Wesson Model 686 revolver, in .357 Combat Magnum. My needs may be different than most folks, because I have size XXL hands.
If you’re bound and determined to stay with a .22, you might want to look into the Armscor XT-22 Magnum in .22WMR. The .22WMR is about 50% faster leaving the barrel and has roughly twice as much energy leaving the barrel. The XT-22 looks like a Springfield 1911A and has a fairly easy-to-take recoil, but operating the slide may take a little effort.
If you are in California, you may have trouble finding one, since it doesn’t seem to be on the handgun roster. That may be due to the manufacturer having a “standard capacity” magazine that holds 14 rounds.
Best of luck to you. When you find a good solution, practice with it and take some defensive gun use training.
I hope you never have to use it in a crisis.
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The .22 is a hell of a lot of fun. It’s also the absolute cheapest way to practice. What it is NOT is a self defense cartridge. Is it better than nothing? Yes, just barely. Is it potentially lethal? Yes, but not necessarily on the same day you fire it.
Your premise indicates that you are lawfully able to possess a handgun. If you are recoil averse, at minimum go with a .380 ACP. Feeble old ladies can handle it. There are also some quality 9mm pistols that are designed to be soft shooting. The Walther CCP has a gas system that makes a 9mm feel like a 380.
There’s no doubt that getting hit by one or even several 22s would hurt a normal person. Unfortunately many criminals also indulge in self-anesthesia. They may not even realize they were hit at the time. You need a cartridge that can rapidly disable the intruder. This requires impact, penetration, tissue disruption, and blood loss. Your plinker isn’t going to get the job done.
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If you are going to use a 22lr for self defense, make sure you empty the mag 10 rounds of .22 in many cases will down a man but I suggest you get a 9mm or a .45, I also like the .357 with the more powerful rounds just as in Zombieland, cardio and double-tap are your friends.
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Just get a carbine rifle. It’s essentially a rifle that shoots handgun calibers. Which is useful because you get all the better aiming/recoil advantages of a rifle, without the weight and larger caliber of most rifles.
Btw, you should get a knife regardless. Size isn’t the main issue either. If you aren’t strong enough to get a beefy knife in deep enough, then it’s pointless. (Although if you get a thin blade made for stabbing, this really isn’t an issue.) I would recommend getting a knife that feels good in your hand above all else.
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It seems to me as a joke of a weapon for a regular shooter. You’re not the Mossad. You’re not a marksman and you’re not gonna put two between his eyes, especially when the target is moving. Many assailants can keep attacking even when shot multiple times with a 9mm.
Now I’m not saying you need a hand cannon like the Desert Eagle, but that Ruger is for quiet surgical strikes. You don’t need quiet when defending yourself and you sure as Hell can’t bet on surgical without years of practice. Go with a .45 or at least a 9mm, if you’re gonna shoot a weapon in self defense. You’re not playing Hitman … this is real life.
I don’t care much about firearms, to be honest. But you might as well use something that has stopping power. Otherwise you’d be like someone dressed in a tutu, wielding a giant silicone dildo. A determined assailant might reach you, grab your Ruger and use it to bash your skull in.
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Logic dictates that ANY handgun for protection is better than a knife of any size. There are always people( criminals) who are bigger, faster, and stronger than you and unless you are highly skilled in self defense hand to hand combat and knife usage…. forget the knife ! You would be better served with a battery operated chainsaw !Plus, you do NOT know if the intruder has a gun…
A Ruger MkIV .22LR is a reliable weapon easy to use, and very accurate. While I suggest something a bit larger caliber for home protection , you can add a bit to the Ruger .22 by using CCI Stingers which are a step above a standard Lead .22LR round. CCI mini-mag .22LR Hollow points are close to the same performance as far as wound channel produced. A neck or head shot is almost certain death with those 2 types of ammo. A body shot if they are wearing light clothing is gonna do massive internal damage .
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Anyone versed in self defense will tell you that both parties get cut in a knife fight. Instead of the Mark 4, which is a great little plinking gun, consider the Smith and Wesson EZ 380. Very easy to operate and has next to no recoil and holds nine rounds. I have hurting hands because of arthritis but love my EZ 380.
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Definitely skip all the handguns if you’re not adept with guns. Even if you are adept with guns, go for a shotgun. Cheap, easy to shoot, But the best thing is, tremendous stopping power and you don’t have to be that accurate because of the pattern of the pellets.
And also, if you miss, the pellets will just stick in the wall instead of going through a wall and hitting an unintended target
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I always sugest no less than a 9mm, a 32 H&R mag is a light recling powerful option. Leave the knife as a back up.
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For the recoil sensitive individual the most lethal (likely to provide 1 shot stop) weapon is an AR-15 with reflex sight. The recoil is zero & the bullet won’t pass through more than one building wall.
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The Ruger Mark IV is a wonderful pistol, and while it would probably get the job done, you would likely be better with a mildly larger caliber such as 380.
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First of all, the Ruger Mk series are awesome little guns.
Second, the .22 rim fire is a lousy defensive round. I would go to it if I wasn’t carrying my .45, after I was out of 9 mm and my .380- was empty.
If you are worried about recoil, try the M&P .380 EZ, or similar. Slide pull is light and it has enough mass for light recoil. Ruger LCP is a nice light carry Gun and Cheap if you shop around.
Most gun stores will let you rent or test fire guns. If not find someone at work that is into guns. We are always wanting to add new folks to the fold. If they try to rush you find another store, or better yet get that guy from work or church or where ever to go with you.
Honestly though for home defense I would suggest a shotgun, you can drop down to a 20 Gauge with buckshot. That is 8 pellets at .330″ diameter with a spread of say a foot at about 15 feet. If you only hit with half that is 4 holes in your thug, with one shot. Shock and trauma is logarithmic, so its 2, 4 , 8 times the shock of a single round.
By the way I would get the MK IV anyway, they are a blast to shoot and ammo is cheap.
You are going to need training. So the .22 will be great for that. And getting over your aversion to higher calibers.
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“I am thinking about getting a Ruger Mark IV .22lr handgun for home protection, as I prefer smaller caliber weapons. Would this firearm be adequate to supress an intruder or would I be better off with a large knife?”
Are you a really, really good shot? Do you have a lot of time to practice?
A .22lr will work. You just have to know where to hit to kill and where to hit to stop. Unlike with other weapons, these are not the same. And, you’ll need to pay special attention ammunition.
Personally? Go rent a .32acp and a .380acp and test them. If you can’t handle them, move up to a .22 Magnum. The .32acp is a little small too, but it has a decent reputation. The .380acp is the smallest most PDs will allow, and most armorers will consider. There is a reason for this. Caliber helps make up for power. A larger hole.
By the way, they make a reduced recoil .380acp round. Lighter bullets tend to mean less recoil. The Winchester Silvertip is an oldie but goodie. The .380 Hydra shok also works well.
Knives are CLOSE combat weapons. While the DNC loves the thoughts of you fighting robbers who have firearms and you don’t, the fact is they tend to need one of two things. Skill or surprise. Firearms give you RANGE and an advantage. They’re easier to use and have an intimidation factor. Most sane people won’t push it against a firearm. Even the lowly little .22 can kill.
Test fire a number of firearms before you decide. Make sure you test fire the Mark IV, too. WITH various ammunition types. You need reliability, say 400 rounds, without a failure. No jams, no failures to fire, and you need tight groups. Say, a dime size group at 50 feet. Oh, and look at hollow point loads.
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Absolutely not – such a weapon is called a backup for a reason
You need a weapon with stopping power
Ever seen the videos of cops trying to wrangle a perp still going strong after one,three,five direct body shots with a Glock 19 or Glock 40?
Adrenalin kicks-in and they don’t feel the pain
One man came outside his house to stop an assault next door – with a 22 rifle – emptied the weapon and beat him with the stock
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Forget the knife. You’re not that good.
Consider a gun that shoots pepper spray-like pellets. They disarm the intruder for 15 minutes. You don’t need a license and don’t have to worry about accuracy.
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I personally own a Ruger Mark IV .22 and it is great for inexpensive target practice at the range. Most people are focusing on the caliber of this particular gun, but I will focus on the Mark IV specifically. It is by far my least reliable hand gun (and I own quite a few). This gun is designed primarily as a target pistol and therefore has very tight tolerances in terms of the chamber, ejection port, etc. As a result, it’s very accurate but far more likely to malfunction (I regularly get a malfunction on the second round in every single mag). It also lacks a fore rail for attaching a light or laser, and simply is not designed as a defensive gun. All the general comments about .22 cal are on point, but even if this gun were chambered in 9mm and still had all those same limitations, I would not recommend it as a defensive firearm in any way, shape, or form.
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A .22 hand gun is better than nothing. It is not ideal. Nearly 50 years ago, I was in a SD situation and the only weapon I had access to was a .22 rifle. I needed one shot to stop the bad guy. I was very familiar with that rifle, I had shot it often and could hit what I aimed for 99% of the time and since the bad guy was was using a lever action .30 cal rifle to shoot at me, I aimed at his head while he was reloading and he went down.
The .22lr will penetrate the skull but often does not come out the other side so it bounces around inside and pulverizes the brain. That is exactly what happened.
This was a mix of skill and luck as I was 11 at the time and had no idea that aiming for his head was not the “right” thing to do as taught by most SD experts. The correct thing would have been to aim at center of body mass. Since my rifle was a semiautomatic I could have fired off a few rounds before he chambered a round and ducked behind the cover I had.
Others have pointed out that more have been killed in the US with a .22 than any other caliber, that is mostly because it is the most common caliber of firearm owned and for many the only one they had at the moment they needed it.
If you are new to firearms, buy the Ruger Mark IV as your first firearm. It is a great handgun. Take it out and practice with it. Take a beginner’s class. Get comfortable with it. Then purchase a handgun with a more effective SD caliber. If it is for home, get one in 9 mm or a revolver that can shoot .38. The larger handgun, especially one made of metal will absorb the recoil so will have lower felt recoil. Take some classes and learn to shoot properly and you will learn to manage the recoil.
I have my CCW and I do have a small .380 for shorts and t-shirt weather. It is snappier than my larger 9mm but I can shoot it accurately because I took classes to learn how to properly shoot and I practice with it often.
If you have issues with recoil because of physical limitations, such as arthritis, then get a fire arm that uses .22 mag. If it is for home defense, try an AR pistol that uses .223/5.56 or a pistol caliber carbine such as the Ruger PCC in 9mm or .40 caliber.
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Being a person who likes handguns with a hole in the end about double the size of the .22, I’m not sure what to advise. But I’d me more afraid of letting an intruder within knife range.
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A 22lr would be sufficient to stop most intruders. You probably wouldn’t even need to shoot them. Just the gun alone or a missed shot will scare pff most. Unless you’re a target for some reason. Where people with a purpose to do you harm.
As far as a large knife, unless you’re skilled. You’re apt to get hurt. Again though most people breaking into homes are going to run away. At any hint of danger.
The 22lr is still the better choice. Don’t underestimate a 22lr. It’s a small bullet, but it can still kill. I’ve taken down deer with a 22lr.
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My 95 lb wife uses a mossberg 20 Ga.
I load up some rock salt rounds, no one dies no walls damaged and the perp wont do that again. ever get salt under your skin? you dont forget the pain soon
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Look a hit with a .22LR is better than a miss with a .44 Magnum…but, unless you place your shot in exactly the proper place you may well piss off the intruder. Bad move!!! If it were me I would opt for a larger caliber handgun and if that’s not your cup of tea get a shotgun. A 22 for self defense is nearly useless.
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DO NOT. I love my Ruger Mark IV Target, I shoot in a bullseye league, it’s extremely accurate but the one thing you never want is to risk your life on .22 rimfire ammo. I can’t count how many times I’ve had duds. Sure you could use quality high velocity stuff like CCI Stinger but that risk will always be there. You don’t want to pull the trigger and just hear click.
Find something that works for you in a center fire cartridge. If there is somewhere in your area where you can rent a gun and try it on the range that would be the absolute best option. Try a few .380 or 9mm options and remember a bigger gun will shoot with less recoil than a small pocket rocket. Forget the knife idea, it can be a secondary weapon but what if the intruder had a gun and you only had a knife?
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If a .22lr is all you can handle, then by all means, use it. If you can tolerate a larger caliber, use it. I know that some people have various physical challenges that make using a larger caliber impractical, but if you can tolerate the recoil from, say, a .380, then go for it. If you just like using a small caliber, you may need to prepare yourself for the ugly reality that a small caliber weapon isn’t the best overall choice for self defense. If you’re reduced to using a .22lr, I would recommend multiple shots to the eyes and forehead, maybe the throat. Maybe several contact shots to the breastbone might work. And a gun in the hand beats one in the drawer. Shoot what you can and hopefully you will never need it.
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First, a handgun is a lousy first choice for home protection. Under duress, your fine motor skills are for crap. Get a tactical 12ga shotgun and use progressive loading (first 2 – turkey loads, next 2 00 buckshot, last one slug)
Second, a .22 has no stopping power. Small, high velocity round…will go through and through with little hydra shock. I’d recommend, if you choose not to go the shotgun route, at LEAST a .38 but preferably a .45ACP.
Third….knife? Seriously? No…you do not want to hand-to-hand with someone in your house. Distance is your friend. If you are within 20′, you likely are going to lose the encounter.
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Buy a cellphone. If you think you have an intruder dial the numbers: 9. 1. 1. No other training required and you aren’t going to accidentally shoot yourself or your spouse or neighbors or have it used against you by the intruder.
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The 22lr isn’t the most powerful round. Listening to my dad talk about stories in the ER it was the round they feared most when it came to treatment.
However, that doesn’t equate to stopping power. Yeah, a round between the eyes can kill, and a shot to the body could lead to the target bleeding out but both cases require accuracy or time, something that’s a premium in a home intruder situation.
That being said, I can’t really recommend them for home defense. As a target pistol, or a “fun gun” they’re great, and accurate but I’m not reaching for one to fend off an intruder. If you like smaller calibers then go for at least a .32 or a .380.
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The issue with any .22LR caliber handgun is not the stopping power. However, it will have no effect on someone on drugs.
The issue with .22LR handguns is the reliability of the rounds. They are rimfire, not centerfire and are notorious for misfires, hangfires and jams.
Any gun is better than no gun, but a .22 is considered a plinking gun, not self defense.
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You are definitely better off with a handgun than a knife. Having done both, I can assure you that learning to effectively use a firearm is way easier than learning to effectively use a knife, and beyond that, “bringing a knife to a gunfight” is never a good thing.
As for the caliber of your handgun, .22 is not a good choice for self defense. The round is too small to be effective on a human target. That is not to say that .22 cannot kill, but that .22 will not do so with the reliability of a larger round. If you’re more comfortable with smaller rounds, then .380 or 9mm is a much better choice.
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Even though it’s a small caliber it still can be a deterrent. If you point it at a burglar he doesn’t see the caliber. They see a cannon.
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Personally, I would not trust a rimfire firearm as my primary self defense. Main reason is the ammo can be unpredictable. I’ve have too many fail to fire and hang fires to trust it with my life. Also I was at the range with my son and my friend’s son last weekend. We had a ruger single six, a cricket single shot, and mossberg semiaito. All 22lr. We had a brick and I had a couple of 100rnd winchester in the red plastic box. We encountered something that I had never seen. In all 3 boxes we had several dozen rounds that would not chamber in at least one firearm. If they didnt chamber in the gun we were loading, we put it in a pile. We had 3 piles, one for each gun. After we shot everything else, we took the pile that didnt chamber in the revolver and shot it in the cricket. The pile that didnt chamber in the crickett chambered in the mossberg and the mossberg pile shot in the revolver. Most ammo from each box shot fine in all three but all 3 had some that didnt chamber in at least one gun. I would hate to have a mag full only to find out that they weren’t going to chamber when my life depended on it.
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I have a Ruger Mark IV and a S&W 617. Even though Ruger has been reliable as an anvil I would rather use the S&W for home protection (loaded with CCI Stinger, of course). The ability to quickly skip a dud beats easier reloads in that scenario.
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I would prefer something larger maybe in the 9mm range but the 22 is quite capable of being used for self defense in the home. The Ruger Mark series is a fine weapon and quite accurate with a good reputation of going bang when you pull the trigger. My only reason to not recommend it is the magazine capacity. It only holds 10 rounds and in a panic situation 10 rounds can go fast. Most 22 simi pistols have the same problem. I would suggest that you look at the Taurus 22 x pistol, It has a good reputation is easier to clean and holds more rounds then the Rugers. It is also a little cheaper then the Rugers. If you do go with the Mark IV you will have a fine weapon.
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Any functioning handgun, beats a knife, any day, unless you are inside the 3 ft zone , and know, what you are doing !
Are you some sort of martial arts specialist ? If not, then forget the knife !
You want a small caliber weapon for self defence ?
The best available, is the latest model, of the Kel Tec PMR 30.
A well made, large frame , polymer , .22 Mag, with 30 rounds in the magazine !
If you are talking about concealed carry, then , the smaller framed .380 s are worth a try. The SIG P 238, is a tried & true, accurate, easy handling mini handgun.
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I am thinking about getting a Ruger Mark IV .22lr handgun for home protection, as I’m afraid of bigger caliber weapons. Would this firearm be adequate to supress an intruder or would I be better off with a large knife?
Other comments deal adequately with why this isn’t a good idea. If you have to go with a .22 Cal handgun, get at least a .22 magnum with hollow points. Assuming it an issue with recoil, it’d be better to go with an AR 15 type handgun in 5.56 NATO or .223. No recoil and more effective incapacitation. Or the rifle if that will work for you. You have the stopping ability and not over penetrate.
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a 22 will do the job, as long as you understand its limitations. it doesn’t have a lot of penetration, so don’t aim for dense bony areas, like the skull . plenty of people get killed by 22 shots.
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Depends on what you mean by “suppress”.
In terms of actual combat, the knife is probably the better choice in the enclosed confines of a house. Humans can move surprisingly quickly over short distances, and by the time you bring a gun on target, someone fifteen feet away from you (the other side of a large room) will be on top of you. So if you’re defining suppress as “incapacitate or kill via force”, then the knife is the better choice.
On the other hand, I’m guessing maiming or killing isn’t really your goal here. You’re trying to convince the intruder to surrender or flee. For that, you need to bring the fear, and a gun trumps a knife on that every time. That being said, if you’re looking to scare the crap out of someone, why stop at a pistol? Just get yourself a shotgun and call it a day.
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You might look at the Smith and Wesson M&P 380 Shield EZ. It’s easy to shoot and the caliber is considerably more potent than a .22. Load it with Federal Hydra-Shok cartridges.
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It might stop an intruder, but I wouldn’t depend on such a weak round.
I would prefer the .22 to a large knife however…
If you like small, the .380 is generally recognized as the smallest legitimate self defense gun. I would go with at least .380
If you consider .380, you should also think about 9MM. It’s a cheaper round than .380, more powerful, and more easily found.
Consider that 9MM is used by police and military forces worldwide. These people have spent time and effort thinking about it. They have also seen the results of their decisions. Seriously consider that.
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If a .22 or a big knife are your only weapon choices then you’d be better off using the money on a good pair of running shoes. A .22 is worthless and you never want to be close enough to an attacker that a knife looks good. I also assume you have zero knife fighting training so your basically handing someone your murder weapon.
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The Ruger the Ruger Mark Series 22 handgun probably one of the finest 22s you can buy takedown is difficult and complicated until you master it i-22 is not good self defense weapon has a mile and a half range and very little stopping power unless you make a headshot
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“God made men. Samuel Colt made them equal.” Guns are the great equalizer. There is no difference between getting shot by a football player and getting shot by an elderly woman.
Using a knife, however, you have to get within reach of your intruder. They may be able to take the knife from you, or they might beat you with a lamp or chair. And if they have a gun, then you are definitely not equal.
If you are comfortable with the Mark IV, and you can practice with it and shoot accurately, then it is a good choice for you. To make up for the small caliber, you will have to shoot a lot. Buy a few extra magazines and keep them available and loaded. Practice firing two-round bursts. Penetration will be an issue, so don’t use hollowpoints.
For home defense, I recommend a short-barrel, 12-gauge, pump action shotgun loaded with bird shot. Bird shot is devastating at close range, but generally won’t go through more than one interior wall, making it safer for your family. The pump action will prompt you to check your target instead of just pulling the trigger again. The barrel should only be slightly longer than your magazine. Makes it easier to move in the confines of your home. And the muzzle of a 12-gauge is a lot more intimidating than a .22.
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I recommend men’s everyone who wants to learn how to shoot start with a Ruger Mark IV like the 5.5” bull barrel and get 5–10k rounds of ammo… and shoot A LOT! Take a basic handgun safety course and take a General Defensive Handgun course… most people in such classes will be shooting larger caliber weapons but a good instructor will encourage you.
Along that path you will gain confidence and perhaps be willing to rent or borrow a larger caliber weapon and “move up”.
I have just described a process that will take a lot of time… and should… os you will be proficient, safe and accurate.
And… if you ever have to defend yourself… a 22LR is better than nothing.
Knives for self defense… while EVERYONE should carry a pocket knife… and knives a a great tool… and knives kill a lot of people… you need a level of physicality and commitment to defend yourself with one. And the level of training needed to be effective is HUGE…. AND NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU ARE WITH A KNIFE… TWO OR THREE GUYS ATTACKING YOU WILL WIN.
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If your going to practice on a regular basis, and have a Oman if action for different probable scenarios in your home, then yes it’s a great weapon. You’re going to get all kinds of “experts” talking about ballistics and what law enforcement uses. But from experience I’ll tell you law enforcement selects weaponry based on budgets and the need not to over penetrate and shoot somebody behind the suspect
nobody wants to get shot with any gun, start shooting and they’ll leave
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Yes, it will work just fine. Use 40 grain round nose for adequate penetration, ignore the people telling you to use hollowpoints. Watch a video of gel tests to see what I’m talking about.
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Make it a 22 magnum with a hollow point, and then the answer is yes. For safety get a single action six shooter like a ruger, It will only fire if you pull the hammer back, you have to cock the gun, this makes it very safe as someone picking the gun up will be unaware of that and if it is not cocked there is no way to discharge the weapon by pulling on the trigger in a conventional way.
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A .22 LR is a small game and/or target shooting caliber.. yes, In a pinch it would be better than nothing… look up ballistic records of actual police shootings and 1-shot stops.. a bit droning but will give you an idea of caliber to stopping the threat statistics. There is also a guy on YouTube who tests various handgun calibers against ballistic gel… shooting the bull … bottom line, if you intend to keep a handgun for defense.. knock off the silly talk about knives and .22’s… get a 9mm minimum and get to the range and practice, practice, practice
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I would suggest a stronger caliber. At least a 9mm. A 22 isn’t a really powerful cartridge. For self defense and protection of your family you want to know that one shot will be enough to stop the threat. A .22 isn’t going to be the best option. Best bet is find a local gun shop that has a range. Test fire a few options and see which one feels best for you to handle. Don’t be ashamed or afraid to ask the guy at the shop for advice. They won’t judge you. They are most likely going to be very happy to help you select the right one.
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I have a Mk 2 in the target version with the 6 7/8″ Barrel. It is no 357, 45 auto, 9mm, or 40 S&W. It is more potent then the 25 auto close to the 32 auto. Us cci stingers. I have used mine to slaughter beef. If it kills a 1200 lb steer it will take out a 170 lb punk with a well placed shot to the heart or head. The question is can you stay focused long enough to make the shot. My is extremely accurate but you have to keep it clean.
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No, no, no!
Both are terrible choices. A Ruger Mark IV is an excellent target/ plinking pistol. I have one. It is NOT a home defense weapon.
Get a heavy .38 or even better .357 revolver. The weight will greatly reduce the perceived recoil and it will be easier to shoot. If you never plan to carry it, get a 4” or 6” barrel too. More weight and more accuracy.
Forget the knife unless things have really, really gone wrong. Like Walking Dead and you’re out of ammo.
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Never draw on anything you don’t intend to kill. If you life depends on it, never use a 22, most likely you will only piss the bad guy off. Yeah a great shot will end it, but unless you’re really well trained, that ain’t happening when you get attacked. At least a 38 or 9 mm and preferably hollow points… you want the most stopping power in the intended target and not the innocent behind him.
I had a 38/357 and never once took it out… There were many times me and my martial arts nunchucks investigated situations, but now that I’m older I might not trust my hand to hand skills.
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