Best Pocket Carry .22lr Pistol

[Kagnew]

How many rounds do these things hold? Cuz Ive got a ruger lc9 that doesn't seem much bigger and hold 7+1? I'm simply curious.

Contrary to what another posted said, the magazines (not "clips" ) for the .22LR Bobcat will hold seven rounds (+ one in the chamber = eight). The only problem which I can think of in inserting a magazine holding seven rounds might be if the top round happened to "cant" upwards (i.e., the bullet end wanting to stick up at an angle out of the magazine). As I said, I always put seven in mine and have never had a problem.

 

[Irishman]

I suggest looking at the hp22 by Pheonix arms.

 

[theundeadelvis]

I pocket carry a SR22 on occasion. Had it in a pair shorts yesterday, and sweatpants last night. The biggest reason .22lr is a questionable defensive round is because of possible reliability issues. I've put all kinds of ammo through the SR22 and haven't had a failure yet. Are there better defensive rounds? Absolutely, but if it's nothing or the SR22, I feel much better with the latter. My normal edc is either a G19 or G17.

 

[Regionnus Rattis]

The Bobcat is a fun little shooter

 

[gklatv]

I, Too, would suggest Ruger SR22 for apparent reliability.

 

[jdfast]

I would 2nd the SR22 if i were going to carry a .22. Can't beat that little guns reliability/size.

 

[KW730]

I would highly suggest going with a .380 over a .22

With that said, you can't beat a Ruger SR22.

 

[pokersamurai]

IMO if you are going to carry a pocket .22 for serious self-defense it without question should be a revolver (My personal choice would be the Ruger LCR or S&W j-frame).
.22lr ammo is notoriously finicky in its ignition reliability. If you carry an auto, that means you are going to have to potentially try to clear a malfunction in the middle of a fight, whereas with a revolver if you have a round that doesn't ignite all you have to do is pull the trigger again.

 

[davedolli]

Beretta Bobcat would be my vote, I have one and carry it on occasion. It shoots well, feeds anything, and like the tip up barrel.

Dave

 

[Kagnew]

Beretta Model 21A "Bobcat", all the way. Bersa makes a similar pistol, but only a Beretta is a Beretta!

 

[mschlatter]

Go with the Beretta. Had mine for 18 years. Always been my favorite .22.

 

[ChalupaCabras]

Since you are an adult, i will give you a legit answer instead of chastising you like a child.

The only current prduction 22 that small which is worth a darn is the Beretta bobcat.

I would sugest that the slightly larger 22s would be better carry guns - a Walther p22, Ruger sr22, Bersa 22, ect. These guns all have a 3.5" barrel, which is needed to reliably achieve good penetration with a 22lr.

If you are worried about concealment, Galco makes makes excellent holsters for all of those. Look up their "stinger" model.

 

[427TriPowered]

i have pocket carried a beretta 21a for years... im on my 3rd one now... i have put thousands of rounds through mine... i have had a few failure to ejects on crap bulk ammo... they devour anything cci... minimags are king... never an issue with anything cci...

 

[Raskolnikov]

I have a Beretta Bobcat and a NAA .22LR mini revolver. The Bobcat has already been discussed here, so I'm going to avoid redundancy. However, I love my NAA. While it is very small, not accurate at a distance, and probably does not achieve much penetration, but it is certainly better than not having anything at all. It is a very well made revolver--and I have not seen anything that can be concealed as easily.

 

[TheJoker]

Although it is unlikely I'd carry something as small as a .22; I've got a Walther TPH that I inherited from my Dad. I've fired lots of different rounds through it. The only thing it doesn't like are those hyper-velocity rounds with longer casings. Pros: It is all stainless steel, very thin and compact, very reliable. Cons: It only has a six round magazine and it'll bite you if you don't hold it right. If I have to choose a pocket .22, it would do.

 

[gglass]

Why not a pocket .380? Just as small as a reasonable pocket .22 and a bit more formidable.

Agreed....

Get an LCP, and quit playing with rimfire cartridges when your life may depend on it.

There was a day and age when a rimfire based pistol was your only choice for a super-small semi-auto pocket pistol... Today is not that day.

 

[steveIU]

Can't go wrong with a Beretta.

this is my favorite response.

 

[CallMaker]

As a back up gun the Beretta 21 is a good one. Reliable and easy to carry. I love mine and have carried it for many years as a back up to my 1911 or XD.

Ed

 

[joejenders]

I have a Beretta Bobcat .22 LR that I like. I did invest in an additional magazine. The extra width in the grip area helps to have a good feel in my hand with such a small gun. I think the width is right at 1 inch.

As mentioned by RCNZAK earlier, the Beretta Bobcat prefers a copper coated bullet like the CCI Mini-Mag. Don't bother with any hollow points. With a .22 LR I feel that penetration and getting all bullets to feed is most important for me so I only use round nose. I did alter the front of the magazine slightly to permit the bullet to be free of rubbing against the front lip of the magazine and then I keep the ramp clean and polished. Now it is a good reliable gun.

 

[joejenders]

I have one more .22 LR pocket pistol that I bought a few months ago. It is the Smith & Wesson model 61 Escort. This gun is smaller, thinner, and lighter than my Beretta Bobcat. You can see some good pictures of the gun on Google Images. It has a unique design. The barrel is not in the slide. The barrel is in the receiver portion below the slide. This gun disappears in your pocket. I bought a second magazine for this one also. Plenty of room in the pocket for the gun and extra magazine...haven't found the ideal pocket holster yet.