Rimfire version of carry weapon?

[bauerr3]

I bought an M&P22 a while back, for a couple reasons. 1) I was comfortable with a .22 having shot my dads Ruger Mark II, hadn't had too much other handgun experience, its pretty cheap to shoot, and I wouldn't have to buy any different ammo. 2) It was a full size .22, versus the Ruger SR22, which I sold because I felt it was too small for my hands. 3) I thought it might be easier to transition calibers with a familiar platform, and would possibly move to an M&P9 as a carry gun eventually.

I am getting married in July, have a birthday in May, and plan on getting a handgun for my own birthday/wedding gift. I am more confident in my shooting, I want to move up to something better to protect my household (I have been using my .22 as a nightstand gun since I don't have anything else, with my AR close by) and eventually carry. I like for every gun I own to serve a purpose, and obviously am about to take on some extra financial responsibility, but as far as I can tell, these are my options:

Get an M&P centerfire, and use the .22 as a cheaper way to train with the same platform to get more proficient.
Get something different, and keep the .22 as a plinker, or for my wife/fiance to use until I get her a handgun of her own.
Sell the .22, and buy what I want, saving what I get from the sell, or using some of it for better ammo/holster/proper training.

So, how many 'ers have a rimfire version of their carry weapon (ex: M&P 22 for M&P 9/45/40), and do you feel it is effective training/practice, or should I cut it loose and graduate to something bigger?

 

[Bonkers4Bacon]

If you have the funds (and approval - welcome to married life), I wouldn't suggest selling the .22. Might as well keep it around for plinking, practice, or for your wife like you mentioned. Its an excellent plan B if something were to happen.

 

[HoughMade]

I don't know. I have an M&P 22 and as well as a M&P 9c which is both my carry gun and nightstand gun. However, as 9mm is easy to find, I train and practice with the 9. I originally thought that I would get more practice in with the M&P 22 for the money...and that was my plan when I bought these guns in November of 2012....but for some reason, a month later the 22LR dried up. Since then, I have kind of become a believe that you practice with what you carry- period.

That being said, I love plinking with the M&P 22 and it takes care of the occasional varmint (the last being a diseased opossum).

 

[Lowe0]

My wife loves her M&P .22. Keep it if you can. I'd shoot it myself if it weren't for the difficulty of finding ammo.

 

[Bfish]

I think it's a good idea to have it... Just more shooting that is closer to what you carry. I know some guys who have 22 conversation kits for their gun. While you don't get the recoil you are still getting more trigger time and time running your stuff however you have it set up which is never a bad thing. It's like dry fire practice but it goes bang. IMO you just can't say it's bad as long as you are shooting your centerfire also.

 

[bauerr3]

...I know some guys who have 22 conversation kits for their gun. While you don't get the recoil you are still getting more trigger time and time running your stuff however you have it set up which is never a bad thing. It's like dry fire practice but it goes bang...

That is also an option that i neglected to mention, getting a centerfire and a .22 conversion, that way it is the same trigger and such.

Thank you for the replies! The wife/fiance says I'm trying to justify a new handgun while keeping my old one...while I may or may not be guilty of that, she does approve and is excited for her own down the line haha

 

[Jomibe]

If you have the funds (and approval - welcome to married life)

My married life isn't like that at all. Am I doing it wrong?

 

[HoughMade]

My married life isn't like that at all. Am I doing it wrong?

I discuss many things, but never ask permission- same with her. 22 years and going strong. Of course for the first several years of marriage, what we spent money on wasn't an issue as there was little to no money.

 

[OutdoorDad]

Everyone needs a .22 pistol auto loader.
You also need a .22 revolver, but that can come later.

Keep what you have. Buy what you want as a house/carry gun and practice with what you choose.

 

[bauerr3]

I discuss many things, but never ask permission- same with her. 22 years and going strong. Of course for the first several years of marriage, what we spent money on wasn't an issue as there was little to no money.

Moral of the story is, forgiveness is better than permission?

INGO, where you come for the gun advice but stay for the marriage counseling.

 

[Butch627]

My first handgun was a sig p226 in 22lr. I shot many thousands of rounds through it and then when I bought a 9mm barrel it was an easy transition. I later bought a sig p938 in 9mm and was not really comfortable with it. I bought a 22lr barrel for it and shot many rounds cheaply and without much recoil and am now much better with the 9mm barrel on it. In short I think a 22lr barrel or handgun is a great training tool

 

[mac45]

Do as you like of course, but if it was me, I'd keep the .22 and get a centerfire M&P to go along with it.
Besides being a good training tool, and a great way to start out new shooters.....they're just plain fun!

 

[bauerr3]

Do as you like of course, but if it was me, I'd keep the .22 and get a centerfire M&P to go along with it.
Besides being a good training tool, and a great way to start out new shooters.....they're just plain fun!

This was my most likely option, like I said I'm getting married. My fiance is new to firearms and shooting, but is really excited to learn.

I just wanted to know how likely it is that the practice with the rimfire transitions to the centerfire, if people consistently used that technique, or if I shouldn't expect that much and just enjoy each firearm individually.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Personally Ive had way too many fail to fires with rimfire. Id stick with centerfire. Its one thing to miss a squirrel or get slowed down during an appleseed AQT. Its a totally different story when your target is charging you or ALSO has a gun.

 

[bauerr3]

Personally Ive had way too many fail to fires with rimfire. Id stick with centerfire. Its one thing to miss a squirrel or get slowed down during an appleseed AQT. Its a totally different story when your target is charging you or ALSO has a gun.

The only reason I'm using rimfire now is that I have no other options but my AR which is 3 feet from my bed...the handgun is just a lot easier to fit on my nightstand

Once I get a centerfire, the rimfire would be used for plinking or training, as explained in the OP...I haven't had too many FTF in my M&P22 but I have had a couple FTE's that took a bit to get unjammed. I wouldn't trust my life, and especially not my wife's life, with the rimfire once I had a better option, but I appreciate the input.

 

[AngryRooster]

I would say it transitions over very nicely. I started with a M&P 9c. I was the only one who remotely liked it. SWMBO hated it, friends didn't care for it, rest of the family who may have used it didn't like it. The grip was a bit shorter than I liked but I dealt with it for a while. I eventually sold it and later on I bought a full size M&P 9. The spousal unit liked the way it felt and the different grips. Her Glock 19 was bothering her wrist. I bought the full size M&P 22 next. She tried that out here at the farm then told me to take her into town for her own later that day. Now she has her own M&P 22 and my old full size 9. I have the 22 and the 5" Pro now.

I've taught several people to shoot with that 22 and every time I go to the range someone always requests me to bring it. We're in the exact same situation with our AR's and the 15-22's.

 

[WebSnyper]

I have an Advantage Arms conversion kit for my Glock 19/23's. Since I have more than 1, I can go to the range and have a dedicated frame with the 22 slide on it and also take and shoot the 19.

It makes perfect sense to me to have a 22 LR trainer version of your primary carry weapon. Sometimes working with the 22 allows you to correct things that you are doing with the full power gun that you don't notice as easily due to recoil, etc.

 

[45fan]

I have a GSG 1911 that I bought to compliment my Springfield 1911. It feels the same, and has helped a little, but mostly it gets brought out when a new shooter is wanting to try a semi-auto handgun. Almost no recoil, accurate, and functions exactly like the standard 1911. They are a great way to transition a newer shooter into a "carry worthy" size pistol.

 

[bauerr3]

... They are a great way to transition a newer shooter into a "carry worthy" size pistol.

This was exactly the reason I bought mine, to transition to carry worthy. I really don't want to sell my .22, I just didn't know if that would be the most efficient/financially advised option. Especially if training with a .22 doesn't help with a centerfire, which it apparently does.

What was I thinking, coming here thinking you guys would try to convince me to sell a gun...shoulda known better

 

[VERT]

Buy a new (recent production) 4.25" M&P in 9mm. Keep the M&P22. Keep the AR. Those three guns will serve you well. Congratulations on the upcoming wedding.

Edit: I would have no problem teaching you on a .22 LR and then transitioning you to a 9mm. Only reason I don't shoot much 22 myself right now is because I can reload 9mm vs 22 which is non-existent.