NRA Gun Gear of the Week: .22s For Defensive Shooters

by
posted on September 2, 2018
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

One of the best tools at a defensive shooter’s disposal may be a rimfire pistol to practice with. The firearms are relatively inexpensive, as is the ammunition, which makes more practice, more affordable. As well, the .22s low recoil allows shooters to isolate and improve fundamental skills such as grip, sight picture and trigger press. There are a wide array of suitable firearms on the market today, from sporting-style .22s to rimfire reproductions of popular center-fire guns. This week we take a closer look at the little .22 Long Rifle cartridge, and talk about why it may be a big deal for defensive shooters. Check out this week's NRA Gun Gear of the Week video, hosted by Joe Kurtenbach.

  









Latest

Stoeger STR-9 Thinline+ pistol
Stoeger STR-9 Thinline+ pistol

New for 2026: Stoeger STR-9 Thinline+ Pistol

Stoeger refines its STR-9 Thinline pistol to be even easier to carry.

Finding The Natural Point Of Aim

Nearly every shooter understands the basic principles of marksmanship: position, grip, sight alignment, breathing, trigger control and follow-through.

Firearm Ownership Reaches New Record

The NSSF estimates there are more than 32 million modern sporting rifles in circulation.

Preview: Hornady 12th Edition Reloading Manual

While the internet offers quick access to information, trusting unvetted recipes for cooking up ammunition is less than ideal, which is why makers of reloading products like Hornady publish thorough books for such tasks.

Review: Bushmaster V-Radicator

The business of dispatching unwanted critters requires a platform capable of a high degree of accuracy. Nuisance animals such as prairie dogs are both small and skittish in nature, meaning that they tend to keep their distance and scurry away upon the arrival of incoming fire.

New for 2026: Smith & Wesson FPC in 5.7x28 mm

The folding carbine line expands to include the 5.7 mm chambering.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.