a prepper's considerations when selecting an additional pistol

I am entering this discussion late as I have been very bust in other areas one of which was choosing the right pistol for my wife. She had an old Ruger P-89 9mm and it was a nice hand gun but was too heavy for her. I have to agree with Bruce on this one. If it doesn't fit your hands it is not going to serve you well. We settled on the Ruger SR-22 after much handling of various pistols. I have somewhat small hands as well and this little hand gun fits me real well too. As some of you guys know I have done extensive testing of .22 rim fire rounds and have found that the CCI Velocitor(40 grain hollow point) out of a 3.5 inch barrel will still get just over 1000 feet per second. With this in mind we have seen these bullets expand to near 38/40 caliber on impact with flesh/Gel. They also dump their energy quite well staying inside torso size test targets. Does it equal a 9mm? NO. How ever she can hit very well with it and these little pistols are very dependable and will shoot any .22 long rifle made without breaking. I cant believe how light and concealable this pistol is. In our opinion it is the best .22 built today. We do not depend on our pistols for our main defense. They are used to get you to a suitable long gun. We recently re stocked our entire gun cabinet and are now armed with rifles,shotguns and handguns that we have ample ammo available for. As for our house we will depend on our short 20 gauge 870 Remington for close quarters defense. I really like the SR-22 as a bug out bag pistol or concealed carry weapon as it is light, fast to target and very effective with the right ammo.

 

Thanks for info 71Vdub. I saw a whileback elsewhere a couple similar comments and allegedly a spring change that fixes things If one had problems. But I like your idea of +P loads for someone that could handle the .40 cal and just wanted cheaper training expenses. May need the 19 for lower strength shooters.
AT

 

I bought a second SR-22 today off Gun Broker. Yea I paid 90 bucks more then it was worth but now Im done buying guns. Now both of us have one with two 10 round mags each. For those who have not seen them here is link to what they look like.

Ruger® SR22® Rimfire Pistol Models

We got the standard barrels not the threaded ones. They really are a nice little handgun. Perfect bug out bag or get home bag pistol.

 

Just a thought for anyone reading/not directed at any one comment: if you were to take Massad Ayoob's MAG40 class, one thing you would learn would be that the gun that "feels" best to you might not be the gun you shoot best with.

 

Never have I suggested not to.

Another thing that I continually hear and read about is that women do better in shooting classes than men. Why? Because they don't already know everything and have an open mind. Men resist what they don't themselves consider worthy. Take the Mag40 class: don't like a Weaver stance? Too bad, you have to be proficient at it as well as the other two popular stances to pass.

The point is and has been the selection of a gun based on "prepper" considerations....all theoretical, all paper. PAPER.

Given that the first rule of survival is not to die . . . and then choosing a gun that you can't shoot well with based on some logical calculus is just plain bone-headed. That would be the time you try out #2 on your list.

 

Just remembered something that should be mentioned for buying weapons for a group. Most women are not going to have the strength to pull back the slide on many semi autos. My mom is 61 and in good shape but can just barely pull the slide on a Glock 19. No way at all on a Hipower or 1911. I still say a 357 is the way to go.

Whynot

 

My wife is doing much better with her new SR-22 then the old Ruger P-89 . The new pistols are so much lighter and easier to operate its just crazy. I am really liking this little gem as a bug out pistol. They really bark with the CCI velocitors as well. Both of us are shooting very well at point blank out to 25 yards so far. We have fed them Winchester Wildcats, CCI Mini mags , and Velocitors so far. All fed good with no jams or problems. KF

 

I applaud this post. If the pistol is going to be for family, then use prior to purchase you should make sure all can work it. Personally I think a nice sheriffs .357 4" revolver is great for the whole family but I have noticed that most think they need a pistol with a magazine.

 

a descent thread. You could add "prepping" to the purpose list. Prepping considerations would be somewhat different than the others.

How to Choose a Pistol / Handgun - Guide for New Gun Owners

 

If it gets to the point I need a pistol with a magazine I would much rather have an AR with a magazine. After all we are talking PREPPING not going off to fight a war.

If the SHTF how long are any of us going to last if we are routinely exchanging 15 rounds of your favorite pistol caliber with the neighbors?

whynot

 

If I have to buy several weapons to outfit "preppers," chances are good these are not the folks I want around me. But in the spirit (I think) of the OP, a .357 carbine and revolver for choices.

Now back to our bumpy thread

 

I think for the purpose of the thought experiment, you might be the armourer for a MAG, and you are researching a recommendation to the MAG for a group buy, or recommendations for individuals to buy a common weapon platform to a minimum MAG standard. Some MAGS may set up policy recommendations for a minimum holding for each individual or family, and above or beyond that, is a matter of personal preference and budget.

The .357 revolver / carbine combination is a good idea. The calibre has flexibility in what it will digest, and the platform is simple enough to use that teenagers and the elderly would be capable of firing it with minimal training. Ammo is relatively easy and cheap to reload; and a variety of loadings can be devised to cover plinking, training, varminting and man stopping requirements. The same ammo can be used for both the revolver and carbine, with the carbine being able to push the effective range of the round a mite further than the revolver. Back in the day, a revolver and carbine with the same calibre/cartridge were pretty much EDC for ranch hands and homesteaders.

 

Edit: deleted - redundant post

 

Perhaps worth a look for some of you:

Watch "The Most Versatile Handgun" Video at HuntingClub

 

I had completely overlooked the .327...but since ammo for it in just about any flavor is non-existant around my area (I stock more .32 than many retailers), I'll stick with my original opinion.

But for those with a supply, very good point. Not too many long rifles share the caliber, though.