[wrightmama]

Hello,

I was hoping you could help me? I am looking at a gun for my protection. I do not want to kill, just hurt and run. My husband has suggested a Ruger 22 it comes with two barrals I guess the first is a reg. 22 and the next is a magnum. My husband says that the magnum would work well for what I want. Is he right? Plus, in the senerio that I am in my car and a carjacker comes I would shoot and that would be at close range I do not want to kill him, but he would be like 3 to 5 feet away I want to learn to aim good so I can get him in like the shoulder a sped away. What kind of damages would it do? would it send him to the hospital so he is busted or to the morgue? I do not want to kill! but I do not want to be killed either, and I want him in the emergency room so the police could catch him. Is this the right gun, and off of my scenerio how would it harm him?

[Dillinger]

Okay, I have condensed your three threads into this one thread, where it belongs.

You are looking at a pistol for all the wrong reasons, quite frankly, and I would suggest looking at some less lethal forms of defense like the Kimber Life Act or a similar unit.

If you are not willing to pull your weapon and shoot to end the threat, then you really shouldn't have the weapon in the first place. Trying to "shoot to wound" is going to get you killed, probably with your own gun since you won't be quick enough on the trigger in your attempt not to hit anything vital.

Your first responsibility in carrying a weapon is Safety. Your second responsibility in carrying a weapon is being willing, able and ready to use it should the need arise.

Brandishing a weapon to scare someone off, or trying to shoot them in the thigh so they go to the emergency room is going to get you in trouble and will probably result in escalated violence against you.

I would strongly urge you to take some basic female self defense courses for the real world. They are usually taught buy ex or off duty police officers and will include the use of tazers and pepper spray, both of which are "Less Lethal" and would be better suited for what your end result would be.

JD

[Woodsman]

Wright, either a regular or the 22 magnum would be fine for what youve stated. But in any scenerio where you are in danger i wouldnt worry about putting a shot so as just to injure a person, hitting that person with that shot is the most important thing. As for damage from a 22, they can do alot. Sometimes they bounce around in the body and do alot of damage without exiting the body. Sometimes they can just go straight through, but theres still damage. I couldnt imagine being shot with a 22, and it not taking the fight out of me, keep us informed on what you decide, good luck.

[dragunovsks]

Honestly I wouldn't carry anything smaller than a 9mm. If you are being attacked by someone who wants to really do you bodily harm (someone on drugs or a large assilant) shooting him with a .22 caliber firearm is only going to piss him off. Unless you get lucky and get a headshot which is very unlikely because for a novice it's very difficult to get a headshot on a moving target. I carry a .45 ACP 1911, which is known for it's man stopping ability and I wouldn't consider carrying anything less.

[hillbilly68]

Honestly you shouldn't carry any firearm with your mindset. Get some pepper spray.

[Shotgun Shooter]

.22LR to the back of the head will only put him in the hospital. Happened around here, to a police officer.

I'd try something a little bigger so it'll be more effective, other than giving him a few wounds.

S.S.

[roosterjuicer]

to be honest, with any gun, .22 included your not shooting to wound. even a minor leg wound can kill if it hits the right artery. furthermore, .22's are not harmless even though they look it. they can often do a great deal of damage, especially at close range. .22's dont have the power to blow right through you so they just kinda bounce around your insides for a while.

ill go ahead and repeat what others have said...if your not willing to kill someone in your defense, dont get a gun. get a taser, pepper spray or a german shepherd

[stalkingbear]

In an honest defense situation, you HAVE to shoot to STOP ALL FURTHER AGGRESSION. The best way to do this is to inflict massive damage so that the bad guy goes instantly into shock or is killed. The best way to do this is from bullet/s striking the bad guy in major bone area and vital organs such as the brain or heart. You HAVE to have the mindset of defending yourself NO MATTER WHAT THE THREAT UP TO THE LEVEL OF DEADLY FORCE. Deadly force is the ONLY way to effectively defend yourself and you must be prepared to use it. All situations in real life, in fact very few, will play out as you have it in your mind.

I'm having MAJOR trouble trying to understand why you would want to save human trash, only to read about his victims later, AND be sued and/or prosecuted later when he acts like the victim himself. Why subject others to be raped or robbed by these subhuman threats? All you would do is piss most of em off only to get REALLY violent with you. It's pretty obvious you need to carry stun gun or pepper spray.

IF you DO decide to carry a handgun, the Ruger Single Six, while being a fine gun for sporting purposes, is an very poor choice for defense due to being a single action revolver. Single action revolvers have to be manually cocked before every shot. You would be a LOT better off with an double action revolver. When or if the actual attack occurs, all your thought process capability will go out the window. In that instance, the simplest firearm to operate, the better. That means a double action revolver.

It's a MUST to undergo PROFESSIONAL training-NOT your husband. Take a training course taught by a professional. Experiment around with different holsters/methods of carry. DO NOT just put in purse. What's the VERY 1st thing robbers go for? The purse!

[oldandslow]

wm, 2/24/09

With self defense there are two types of people- those that are willing to be victims and those that are prepared to do whatever it takes to survive. The "victim mentality" is that of being helpless and compliant and hoping that the attacker will have the good will of letting them live. The "prepared" mindset involves a number of options, from avoiding and leaving a scene of confrontation all the way up to using deadly force. You have to decide which of the two types of mindset you are.

If you decide that you are of the "victim" mindset that is OK. Not everyone is able, physically or mentally, to defend oneself. Take appropriate precautions at home, at work and on the road and hope nothing bad happens. If it helps most people nowadays prefer to be victims as taking the "prepared" approach may involve a lot of time, training and sometimes money.

If you decide that you are willing to do whatever it takes to protect yourself and your kids then the first step is to look at some formal training, usually in the form of a handgun defensive pistol class. There a number of facilities in most every state, some even having women's-only classes. Here they will teach you about basic firearms knowledge, when and where and what caliber to shoot, and about ways to de-escalate a conflict so you don't have to shoot. Usually they will also address the less-lethal forms of self defense (ie- taser, pepper spray, ect.). Using a handgun to shoot someone is always your last choice, but sometimes one you are forced into (and none of the training courses I have taken in intermediate or advanced defensive pistol recommend a .22 caliber weapon or shooting to wound).

So the first choice for you is to decide if you want to be a victim or to be prepared. Good luck.

best wishes- oldandslow

[WDB]

A pistol is a leathal defense choice. It should not be used as a less than leathal choice as the intent of anyone using a pistol/firearm in defense is to stop the threat and have chosen a leathal tool. Trying to use a pistol/firearm as less than leathal is at best providing the bad guy with a fire arm.

If you are truly wanting a less than leathal protection look for pepper spray or a stun gun. If you chose a firarm expect to use it as a defense weapon and fire it at center mass with the goal of stopping the threat.