22 Rifle for Home Defense?

Before all the big time firearms experts dismiss this post and the 22 rifle for home defense, think about it for a minute.  The 22 Rifle is the most common firearm in the US.  In many households it is the only firearm in the house.  So given it’s popularity, it is probably going to be used in quite a few home defense situations.

While even a 9mm has more stopping power than a 22 and a AR-15 or a AK47 would be a choice when dealing with a serious threat of a group of attackers, a 22 rifle does have certain advantages:

• It is reasonably priced so that most households should be able to afford one
• It is short and lightweight, making it maneuverable and able to be retained in close quarters and can also be handled by women or children with limited strength
• It has almost no recoil and a very low report when firing the weapon making it suitable for newbies to firearms
• It is a rifle so it is inherently more accurate than a pistol

Remember an accurately placed 22 round in the forehead will do a lot more than a 45 miss over the shoulder.

I am not saying that your first choice should be a 22 rifle for your home defense.  It might make a good supplement to have for a wife or teen to at least get familiar with before moving them on to something with a little more umph to it.

Check out the video below. He makes a strong case for a 22 for a woman’s first home defense gun.

As always, leave us a comment about what you think about the topic.

For more info on 22s check out the The Gun Digest Book of the .22 Rifle.