Читать книгу The Gun Digest Book of .22 Rimfire. Rifles·Pistols·Ammunition онлайн

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Practical Considerations

Rimfire handguns are available that range from tiny derringers and revolvers to target pistols that are a foot long and weigh three pounds. One would neither choose the former for target shooting nor the latter for concealed carry. The choice of a rimfire handgun must be made with the primary end use in mind although there will certainly be some overlap possible. The selection may represent a compromise. For example, a rimfire handgun with a barrel of medium length and good sights could easily be suitable for informal target shooting as well as hunting. A rimfire handgun with a 3-inch barrel might serve for self-defense and pop can plinking. If a handgun with a 6-inch barrel and target sights is selected, it would serve well for small game hunting and formal target shooting. No one handgun is going to be the best choice for covering the entire spectrum of rimfire handgun shooting sports.

The principles involved in choosing a rimfire handgun are no different than those involved in choosing anything else. Personal preference weighs heavily in the decision as does intended use. A handgun for concealed carry should not have a long barrel and high, adjustable sights with sharp corners. A handgun for hunting squirrels or formal target shooting should not have a 3-inch barrel and fixed sights. The type of handgun should be matched to the functions it will perform. Fortunately, there is considerable overlap and one handgun can be used in a variety of ways even if some compromise is involved. For general sport use, the handgun chosen should have a barrel that is 4-6 inches long. Barrels shorter than 4 inches give short sight radius which makes accurate shooting more difficult while barrels longer than about 6 inches makes the piece too long for convenient carrying.