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...Also, not that I recommend it, but there are many people who use .22LR pistols as a carry or SD gun. One of the major arguments besides reliability for not using .22LR for SD is lack of penetration which a hard cast round would help with...
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It's my understanding that .22lr actually penetrates surprisingly well given its meager mass and velocity. I've seen numerous ballistic gel tests where the bullet exceeded 12" of penetration (out of handguns and rifles). Here are a few:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2PSd...2F9C412133861E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MMpCXpztAg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDvdj...2F9C412133861E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbVY4...2F9C412133861E
In my own
very informal tests at SD distances, I've found that CCI Velocitors and RN Mini-Mags out of a 4" barrel will punch through at least four gallon jugs of water (24").
Of course, water and ballistic gel don't have bones in them, but as Malamute pointed out, full grown cattle (with thick skulls) are slaughtered with a .22 to the brain (the same can be said about Alligators). I wouldn't say penetration is necessarily a glaring weakness of the 22lr.