But I have no qualms carrying the 43C; and I’ve yet to have anyone who poo-poohs a .22’s effectiveness to volunteer to catch one to prove their point.
I don't voluntarily let people shoot me with BB Guns either , but that doesn't make them effective defensive tools either . Sigh , l recognize the cliche back & forth that l've been bypassing the thread for a while .
Repeating myself , from other discusions , and possibly earlier in this one, ( not necessarily in order ) :
Advantages of .22LR :
1. Low Recoil , rounds off to zero
2. Shooter Friendly . ( Potentially ) Can translate into Precise shot placement , ( Possibly ) in conjunction with reasonably rapid multiple precise hits .
With the right firearm , and sufficient Skill of Arms of the user , of course .
3. Low Cost of Ammo . ( A few years ago used to consider rounded off to zero , but even today very inexpensive compared to other options .)
The cliche is this allows for near unlimited ammounts of practice to hone one's skills . Still true , if you can step out your back door and shoot . In the modern era , for most people , when going shooting involves driving to a Range , waiting to rent a lane , etc , the cost of .22LR is only incremental savings .
There , l'm being fair to point out the positives . But l'm also being USA centric , and ignoring other parts of the World where .22LR is more accessible to regular citizens than centerfires .
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There is the statement / Philosophy along the lines of " Good shot placement is most important , and * what * you use ( either caliber or specific loading ) Doesn't Matter ( or alternatively doesn't matter enough to be concerned with ) . "
There is indeed a lot of meat in that statement ! BUT to me , and l put forth generally , that statement should include an important Caveat .
* So long as the gun & ammunition is at least somewhat suitable for Intended Purposes . *
On any Fora , or any gathering of more than one gun person , it is inevitable to debate What's the best load for XYZ , most often these days for 9mm . Any of the top half dozen or so loads , the differences are trivial in specific subfactors . Add in another 10 or 20 somewhat suitable options , and all are still * More than Plenty Adaquate " .
Likewise .38 Spl vs 9mm vs .40 vs 10mm vs .45 vs ( another 10 choices of lesser popularity , but still good options ) . The answer is always " whichever specific gun that You can shoot with with Reasonably Adaquate Precision , and Reasonably Adaquate Control ( aka rapidity ) . But always with the cavaet of Somewhat Suitable for Intended Purpose .
Where's the dividing line between " Reasonably Suitable " vs " Kinda Marginal , but still better than sharp stick and harsh words " ? Always discussed , but inherently unresolvable .
.380 acp ? .32 H&R Mag ? .32acp ? ( Insert Here ) ? I dunno . I have my opinions & prejudices , but you ( collectively ) make your own Big Boy and Big Girl decision after your own thought process .
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Does .22LR have the ( insert preferred terminology for " getting it done , on the Terminal end " ) , sufficient to be in the category of Kinda Marginal , but better than a sharp stick , or impact weapon , or harsh words ?
Sure Does ! ..... From a Rifle . ( Or a .22 WMR from 4 inch plus Bbl . I've chrono'ed a bunch of things , and .22 WMR from mini / micro guns all fall short of .22LR from a 4 inch .)
But the .22LR from 16 in ( or equivalent ) is to my satisfaction ( and l can make medium convincing defense of my point ) is in same ballpark as ( popular pocket pistol caliber ) using ( ammunition popular for use thereof ) .
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But What If ........
A NSMF who isn't willing to gain a modicum of proficiency with " regular " defensive -ish handguns ?
Cynically , Darwinism in action . But yeah , sometimes they're someone you care about , and somewhat futily you want to give them some sort of option .
Old & Decrepit ?
People who were competent shooters in their prime , often retain surprising skill , for a couple of rounds at least . 80 y.o. Grandma with no previous experience , but the old neighborhood they won't leave has turned bad ? That's challenging , and you'll have to try them with a variety of options .
Actually Disabled ? Again , challenging , try a variety of option , and .22LR might be one of them .
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For Me ?
I've been known to check out things on the back of the Biggfoot Estate with .22 Rifle discretely along my leg . ( More long range potential from shoulder using the sights than a pocket pistol ) .
Going Squirrel Hunting , but wanting mugging defense ( not entirely a joke ) ? Been known to only have .22 rimfire handgun . But then , they are 5 to 6.5 inch Bbl , capable of Squirrel Precision . So confident for CNS shots of human malfactors instead of COM .
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Dang , l've written a book length post again .
Pretty much covered all there is to reasonably say on the topic , so l'll try to ignore the " .22LR as Defensive " topic for a year or two now .
Somehow that conversation never came up, maybe I take "curiosity killed the cat" too seriously. 
