Sunday, October 7, 2012

Oh, Great. Now I Need Another Gun.

H/T to CA at WRSA for a link to Straight Forward in a Crooked World, on "The .22LR Pistol and You".  The author talks about meeting and spending time with a field operative who was carrying a well-worn Walther TPH .22LR pistol in an equally well-worn holster. 
Complete with a threaded barrel the little piece was chambered in .22 long rifle and, he smiled a bit saying, "if that little gun could talk." He told me of a few misadventures surrounding the piece but, it was his parting remark that stuck with me "If you are lucky enough to travel around the world armed and doing it mainly alone do yourself a favor always carry a .22 pistol, regardless of anything else you pack."
Go read the whole thing.  In addition to conveying a lot of useful information, it's well-written and a fun read.  I know my share of former three letter agency guys, and regret never talking about this with them.  Might be some interesting stories down that road. 

Back in the shortage days of '09, I picked up a S&W 22A like this one, to get more range time in with something you can shoot all day:
It's a bit bigger than Matthew is talking about, certainly not pocket carry with a 5.5" barrel, and 9.5" overall length, but it sure is fun to shoot.  Looks like I know what I'm going to be looking for this Buy a Gun Day. 


15 comments:

  1. I like my 22A too, but it's very finicky about what ammunition it's fed. I picked up a Ruger Mark III a few months ago and it's also a good choice. Next on the list is a 22/45. No, I don't have a problem. I can stop anytime I want.

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    1. My 22A eats all of the cheap ammo I want: Federal, Remington or Winchester bulk (500) packs. It has only balked on some Thunderbolt lead nose with corrosion on them.

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  2. Yeah, I read that one too, and completely enjoyed it.

    As you say, he makes a compelling point for a 22LR pistol.

    Since I already have a nice little Marlin 60 in 22LR, and "a lot" of 22LR ammo, I suppose *I* should be shopping for a pistol, too.

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    1. .22LR - the currency of the new millennium. Or the currency of about 5 years from now.

      For about a year, every time I passed a guy at gun show selling a box of 500 for $18 or so, I'd grab a box. Next think I knew, I almost had 10k rounds! Well, over 6k for sure.

      BTW, one of my friends has the Marlin 60 and loves it. Almost got one myself, but found a used 10/22 that I liked.

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    2. The Marlin is only the second 22 rifle I've owned. The first was a Remington "Nylon 66", and was a blast to shoot.
      Too bad I didn't keep it. Those things are going for insane prices now!
      The Marlin is a joy to shoot. My wife has a medical condition that prohibits her from shooting any rifle with a lot of recoil, so she can't shoot any of the other rifles I own.
      She took to the little Marlin like a duck to water!

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    3. You too? I still have my Nylon66, from childhood in 1969.

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    4. That's when I bought mine, but I was in high-school.
      It was my first rifle, and I think I paid about $50 for it.
      And for $5 worth of 22LR back then, you could shoot all weekend, and still have some left over!

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  3. Good read and some good comments (one in particular...)
    Got me trying to remember what wife picked up a year or so ago, so off to the safe. Walther P22 with a laser. Just compared specs and it is about an inch longer than the TPH. It is just a little smaller than her Taurus Slim 9 that I inherited when she moved on to 45 exclusively. They both fit in my shorts front pocket and the Slim has been my back up carry piece.
    Who knew she was saving me some money? Unless I happen to run into a TPH at a good price.
    BTW, we were told that the P22 is picky about ammo so have only shot CCI and have had no problems with it.
    Terry
    Fla.

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  4. Good read. There have always been 22 pistols in my life and I cannot fathom NOT having them.

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  5. If you are thinking of 22's don't forget the Browning Buckmark, Ruger SR-22, and the Sig Mosquito. The SR 22 is a real sweet shooter and I believe the mosquito is underrated.

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  6. Best buy one most ricky tic, as the USSC is about to rule ALL re-sale of wepons, ammo and EVERYTHING else illigal.

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    1. What is your source for this tip, Anon 8:20?

      And by USSC do you mean the U.S. Sentencing Commission? Why would a prison sentencing commission have the jurisdiction to ban weapons resales, when we have the ATF that is supposed to be in charge of that stuff? And wouldn't it have to go thru Congress or something?

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    2. Penny Pincher, I think it's a reference to this Claire Wolfe piece. USSC is US Supreme Court.

      This is a case the court will probably hear this year, so it hasn't been ruled on and isn't settled. It's actually a copyright case where a guy ran a business having family members overseas buy Wiley textbooks cheap and resell them stateside making bundles of money. They are legally priced and bought overseas, legally shipped here, and legally sold here, but no one at Wiley thought anyone would do this and cost them money, so they sued.

      More details at Claire's link to MarketWatch

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  7. Yeah, I think I need another pistol too. Darn it! And, thanks for reminding me where I saw that article.

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  8. Buying a new gun is a wonderful thing. Lu and I just picked up an M&P 15-22. She loves the thing. I'll do a write up on it soonest.

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