Because of its much lower cost, .22 LR ammunition is much more conducive to skill-building practice than even the cheapest .25 caliber ammo. Reliability, however, is a factor that cannot be compromised in a defensive firearm. The .22 LR is a long, narrow cartridge with a proportionally wide rim that has given gun designers and engineers fits when they try to build a small pistol around it. I have seen some Beretta 21 series pistols that were 100 percent reliable in .22 LR, and some that were not. Every Beretta .25 ACP I have seen has been totally reliable.
